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Wail (PL 13/15) - Gizmo (Impervium)


Gizmo

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Player Name: GizmoWail
Character Name: Wail
Power Level: 15 (250/250 PP) [258]
Trade-Offs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage
Unspent PP: 0
 

Theme: The Man by Sons of Slum

In Brief: Veteran hero from the late 1970s and 80s with super-dense muscle tissue granting strength, durability and a powerful sonic wail, come out of retirement to continue the good fight.

Alternate Identities: Keith LaMarr
Identity: Public
Birthplace: Freedom City
Occupation: High School Civics Teacher
Affiliations: 1-800-JUSTICE
Family: None

Description:
Age:
 60 (DoB: December, 1954)
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: African-American
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 1175 lbs (235 x 5)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black, Streaks of Grey

Keith LaMarr is an imposing mountain of muscle, the weathering of the decades only enhancing the effect. His clean-shaven head is contrasted by a a beard of dense, curly hair on his square jaw, marked by two streaks of grey. He tends to favour darker, utilitarian clothing, typically with a slightly dated cut.

As Wail, his outfit reflects a respect for tradition far more than any attempt to conceal his identity. Dark jeans are fasted with a broad, metal belt over a black sleeveless top adorned with a long, yellow 'W'. Each wrist is covered by a matching black and yellow bracer, while round sunglasses add to an already impassive visage.

History:
Born in Freedom City's Lincoln neighbourhood in the mid-1950s, Keith LaMarr was not afforded many advantages in life. The son of a factory worker, LaMarr was taught from an early age that anything in life worth having was worth working and fighting for. Run-ins with local gangs as a youth sharpened his wits and fighting skills, but he refused to join up, convinced that the promise of easy money and power was a sucker's bet.

That sense of integrity would cost him dearly when, in 1972, a jilted gang carried out a drive-by shooting of LaMarr's home. His mother was killed immediately, while his father survived long enough to be rushed to hospital where, thanks to a shoddy investigation, LaMarr was arrested at his bedside on suspicion of belonging to a rival gang. Vincent LaMarr succumbed to his injuries while his son was sentenced to prison time on fabricated drug charges.

LaMarr was involved in an increasing number of altercations with other inmates and guards during his imprisonment at South River State Penitentiary, developing a reputation for a short temper and willingness to attack opponents more than twice the stringy young man's size. Several months into his sentence, he joined an experiment conducted by Dr. Burton Noah, an AEGIS scientist, in exchange for early parole. An attempt to induce muscle growth through a combination of chemical treatments and precise sonic frequencies, sabotage by a vengeful guard resulted in LaMarr's skeletal and muscle structure becoming super-dense. Besides increased strength, durability and endurance, the most notable effect was phenomenally enhanced lung muscles enabling a devastating sonic wail!

Escaping from South River, LaMarr almost immediately ran into an altercation between the villain Bronze and the police. The convict's timely intervention not only subdued the superpowered criminal but also save a school bus full of elementary school students. Combined with his willing surrender to the authorities, this was enough to have LaMarr's case reopened, revealing a number of irregularities which were enough to have him permanently released.

1-800-JUSTICETaking the moniker Wail based on a comment made by a grateful grade schooler, LaMarr initially set up shop as a metahuman bodyguard after encountering difficulty finding work despite his cleared record. It was through this that he met Yelena Vostok, a Ukrainian mercenary who had received a cybernetic arm after an early mishap with her teleportation powers, and Javed Randeep, a Indian-American polyglot who's amazing skills extended to translating human body language, making him a formidable martial artist.

The trio eventually joined together to form an agency that solved unusual problems while serving any worthy cause as 1-800-JUSTICE. Upon hearing Yelena refer to her teleporting ability as 'jumping', Javed, in a fit of the playful wit that would make him the team's heart, adopted the code name Jive. The hired heroes handled everything from gang violence to mystic robots to international incidents throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, skirting the anti-cape laws introduced by Mayor Franklin Moore. Over the years, LaMarr developed romantic feelings for Javed, though he was reluctant to admit to them.

By the 1990s, 1-800-JUSTICE had all but faded into obscurity, but were among the heroes who reappeared to combat the Terminus Invasion. In the heat of battle, Yelena managed to teleport her friends out of harm's way a split second before being vaporized by a massive laser weapon. Devastated, LaMarr and Javed officially retired their heroic identities and settled down to start a new life together.

Javed's talents allowed him to support the couple as a high profile translator while LaMarr earned his degree and a position teaching civics at Joseph Clark High School. They lived happily for several years, with infrequent bouts of excitement as Javed foiled an assassination attempt or one of LaMarr's rouges gallery reappeared for a final confrontation.

Unfortunately, exposure to Terminus radiation had riddled Javed's body with cancer, and after a long battle he passed away at the age of 55 in 2009. Having buried the love of his life, LaMarr grappled with what to do next. Ultimately the decision was made for him when the Grue invaded Freedom City en masse. Defending his students from a massive creature released by the aliens, he found that his powers had only grown stronger over time. Freedom City still called out for justice, and weary though he was, Keith LaMarr was still the man on the other end of the line. With a new costume and a renewed commitment, Wail is back in action!

Personality & Motivation:
LaMarr has suffered a great many hardships in his life. These trials have forged an ironclad will stronger even then his superhuman skin, and while a lesser man may have become embittered, he has developed a keen empathy. His sense of integrity demands that he use his experience and abilities to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

That isn't to say he is without his rough edges; Javed once commented that there was very little of Keith that was not rough edge. His age and profession have given him a didactic tone and his expectations for both his students and the latest generation of heroes are high indeed. The years have helped to mollify his temper but have not removed it. Dramatically aware of his own mortality, he is determined to continue to make a difference for as long as he is able.

Powers & Tactics:
With superhuman strength and durability, LaMarr is a powerhouse to be reckoned with, standing shoulder to shoulder with many of the modern day bruisers. His true might, however, comes from his namesake sonic wail, an extraordinary torrent of concussive force that can deafen foes as easily as it sends them flying. This is thanks to the tremendous lung strength and capacity which resulted from his enhanced physiology.

Against mundane foes, Wail typically restrains himself to hand to hand combat, but is not afraid to let loose with his full fury should the situation call for it. His super-dense biology also prevents him from floating in water, and gives him a mass several times that of an average person of his already impressive stature.


Complications:
Age: LaMarr has sit his early sixties, although he's aged remarkably well.
Destructive: LaMarr's sonic wail has the potential for massive collateral damage.
Enemies: Over the decades LaMarr built up a substantial rogues gallery, some of whom now have younger successors.
Lost Love: Javed's death remains a fresh wound for LaMarr.
Prejudice: A gay black man born to a low income family, LaMarr is no stranger to unfair treatment.
Public Identity: Although he goes by Wail in the field, LaMarr has never maintained a true secret identity.
Responsibility: Joseph Clark High School.
Temper: The wisdom of age aside, LaMarr does not react well when backed into a corner.


Abilities: 12 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 10 + 4 = 42PP
Strength: 36/22 (+13/+6)
Dexterity: 14 (+2)
Constitution: 20 (+5)
Intelligence: 12 (+1)
Wisdom: 20 (+5)
Charisma: 14 (+2)


Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP
Initiative: +6
Attack: +8
Grapple: +23/+12
Defense: +13 (+8 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed
Knockback: -11/-2


Saving Throws: 9 + 5 + 10 = 24PP
Toughness: +13/+5 (+5 Con, +5 Protection, +3 Density) (Impervious 6/0)
Fortitude: +14 (+5 Con, +9)
Reflex: +7 (+2 Dex, +5)
Will: +15 (+5 Wis, +10)


Skills: 112R = 28PP
Gather Information 13 (+15)
Intimidate 10/18 (+12/+20)
Investigate 14 (+15)
Knowledge (Civics) 14 (+15)
Knowledge (History) 14 (+15)
Knowledge (Streetwise) 14 (+15)
Languages 1 (English [Native], Hindi)
Medicine 2 (+7)
Notice 15 (+20)
Sense Motive 15 (+20)
Swim 0 -/+6


Feats: 20PP
Accurate Attack
All-Out Attack
Contacts
Dodge Focus 5
Endurance
Fearless
Improved Grab
Improved Grapple
Improved Initiative
Improved Pin
Interpose
Luck 2
Power Attack
Startle
Takedown Attack 2


Powers: 18 + 1 + 2 + 10 + 3 + 8 + 6 + 56 = 104PP

Density 6 (x5 Mass, Extras: Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Permanent) [18PP]

Enhanced Strength 12

Immovable 2

Protection 3 (Extras: Impervious)

Super-Strength 2

Enhanced Feats 1 (Endurance) [1PP]

Enhanced Strength 2 (Total +14 with Density, Heavy Load: ~7 tons) [2PP]

Immunity 10 (Sonic Effects) [10PP]

Leaping 3 (x10, Running Long Jump: 230', Standing Long Jump: 115', High Jump: 57') [3PP]

Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious 3) [8PP]

Regeneration 6 (Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured 3 [1 Minute][6PP]

Sonic Control 27 (54PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 2) [56PP] (Genetic, Sonic)

BaseDamage 18 (Sonic Wail; Extras: Area [Targeted, Line, 5' x 180'], Feats: Knockback 18) [54PP]

APDamage 13 (Sonic Scream; Extras: Area [General, Cone, 130'], Linked [Stun, +0]) + Stun 9 (Extras: Area [General, Cone], Linked [Damage, +0]) [26 + 27 = 53PP]

AP: [12 + 13 + 21 + 2 = 48/54PP]
 
Communication 6 (Sonic Shout; Auditory, 20 miles, Extras: Area) [12PP]

Dazzle 13 (Sonic Bellow; Auditory Senses, Extras: Area [General, Cone, 130'], Flaws: Range [Touch]) [13PP]

Emotion Control 13 (Fearsome Roar; Extras: Area [General, Burst, 65' radius], Linked [Trip, +0], Flaws: Limited [Fear], Range 2 [Touch]) + Trip 13 (Extras: Area [General, Burst], Linked [Emotion Control, +0], Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats:Improved Trip) [7 + 14 = 21PP]

Enhanced Skills 8 (Intimidate 8) [2PP]



DC Block:
ATTACK            RANGE                SAVE                                  EFFECT
Unarmed           Touch                DC28 Toughness (Staged)               Damage
Sonic Wail        180' Line            DC33 Toughness (Staged)               Damage
Sonic Scream      130' Cone            DC28 Toughness (Staged)               Damage
                                       DC19 Fortitude (Staged)               Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious 

Sonic Bellow      130' Cone            DC23 Reflex                           Deafened
Fearsome Roar     65' Radius Burst     DC23 Will (Staged)                    Shaken/Frightened/Panicked
                                       Contested +13 vs worst of STR/DEX     Prone

Edited by Fox
+1pp for April 2021
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