Fireball – Fictional (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Fireball
aka James “Jimmy” Holland

Prowess 5
Coordination 5
Strength 5
Intellect 3
Awareness 3
Willpower 5

Stamina 10

Powers
Fireball is an android. His artificial nature gives him the following super-abilities:
*Immunity 10 (Heat & Fire)
*Fire Control 9 (Extras: Flight, Aura, Blast)

In addition, his articial blood means he can function as a universal donor.

Sparky is his sidekick – a human mutant with similar powers to his mentor. Sparky’s stats are:

P 3 C 4 S 2 I 3 A 2 W 3 Stamina 5
Immunity 10 (Heat & Fire); Fire Control 7 (Extras: Flight, Aura, Blast)

Specialties
Aerial Combat (Expert +2)

Qualities
*The world’s first artificial man
*Surrogate father to Sparky
*Stalwart member of the Crusaders

Background

This version of Fireball was a fictional character on Earth-1 in DC’s pre-crisis multiverse. He was a member of a team of Nazi-busting heroes known as The Crusaders alongside his sidekick Sparky, the sea-king Barracuda, and the patriotic heroes Americommando and Rusty. At some point after the Freedom Fighters had made their trek from Earth-X to Earth-1, a group of people appeared claiming to be the actual Crusaders. They went after the Freedom Fighters, who were wanted for murder at the time, but eventually it was revealed that the Americommando was actually the Freedom Fighters’ arch-enemy, the Silver Ghost, in disguise. He had used technology to transform comic book fans into the other members of the Crusaders.

This writeup is of the fictional Fireball. Jimmy Holland is an artificial man, an android with combustible flame powers. If he reminds you of anyone, that’s purely by coincidence.

Well, not really.

You see, the same month that the Freedom Fighters fought these Invaders-like Crusaders, the Invaders at Marvel fought a group of Crusaders modeled after the Freedom Fighters. It was all part of a stealth crossover that the Big Two used to do from time to time. I based this writeup on what little we were told about the fictional hero in the Freedom Fighters’ storyline.

Eternos (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Eternos
aka Eterno?

Prowess 4
Coordination 3
Strength 8
Intellect 8
Awareness 4
Willpower 6

Stamina 14

Powers
*Telepathy 3
*Teleportation 7 (Extra: Usable on others)
*Damage Resistance 6
*Alteration Ray 6
*Negative-Psychotron Stimulator 6 (Limit: Only increases “negative” emotions that lead to criminal activities)
*Gadgets 6

Specialties
Science (Expert +2 bonus), Technology (Master +3 bonus)

Qualities
Atlantean Tyrant
Humans are weak and disgusting
My sworn enemies – the Mighty Crusaders!

Background

It’s not entirely clear if Eternos is the same being as Eterno. They share similar fashion sense but it’s possible they are simply two different villains that both have ties to ancient Atlantis and whose names are simply one letter removed from each other.

Eterno the Tyrant was the ruler of Atlantis. When a missile blast sent shock-waves to the ocean floor, Eterno woke up from his self-induced five-million year sleep. When he found out that it was the Mighty Crusaders who were behind the explosion, he vowed to become their arch-foe. To this end, he battled the heroes on multiple occasions, most notably when he teamed up with the Brain Emperor to raise Atlantis back to the surface.

Eternos (with the ‘s’) was awakened from a self-induced five-million year sleep by the Druid, who conducted a blood ritual to restore Eternos to consciousness. Eternos was disturbed to see that humanity now ruled over the world and that the Atlantean genes had become corrupted in his absence. He swore to restore the natural order of things.

It’s really up to you if you want them to be the same person or not. Given the legacy nature of the current Crusaders, perhaps Eternos is the younger sibling of Eterno? Or maybe even his son? For the sake of this writeup, I’m going to assume that Eternos has access to all the same powers and weaponry as Eterno but with the enhanced physical attributes of Eternos.

Thanksgiving News

Posted on by Barry Reese

To all my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day with family – and remember all the things that you have to be thankful for.

Around here, I remain thankful for each and every one of you that read my work – even those of you that leave negative reviews! Your feedback helps me get better and hopefully you see that in my newer releases. Also, big thanks to Pro Se Productions, for publishing my crazy rants.

Finally, thanks to my own family and friends, both of whom do their very best to keep me (mostly) sane. I love and appreciate you.

I’m currently working on the second Dark Society novel (who’s the Dark Society?? Stay tuned) and next year will mark my 20th year as a professional writer so expect lots of great celebratory events!

Inferno (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Inferno
aka Frank Verrano

Prowess 3
Coordination 4
Strength 4
Intellect 3
Awareness 3
Willpower 4

Stamina 8

Powers
*Flame Breath 6 (Extra: Inferno can use his flame breath when underwater)

Specialties
Athletics (+1 bonus), Performance – Circus Act (Expert +2 bonus), Sleight of Hand (+1 bonus), Wrestling (+1 bonus)

Qualities
“Steel Sterling saved my life and gave me a chance to go straight! Now, I’m ready to go to jail and take my medicine! I’ve learned it’s more fun to work on the side of the law than against it!”

Background

Inferno was once a circus performer and villain. Early in his career, he and Twisto the Rubber Man did crime sprees together that had Steel Sterling on their trail. After a few jobs, Twisto wanted to go solo, upsetting Inferno.

Inferno was able to hide from the police, but gained the confidence of a disguised thug (Steel Sterling) who was after another wanted criminal — Pig Pan Wood. At a local bar, Inferno overheard Steel’s intentions of finding Pig Pan, and they teamed up for the search. When they entered a building, Pig Pan Wood (now known as the Rattler) jumped on Steel and wrestled him to the ground. Inferno came to the rescue, but was shot with snake venom. The Rattler escaped, while Steel went to Dr. Cummings home to seek medical attention for Inferno.

After a successful operation, Steel confessed to Inferno that he was the disguised “thug” whose life he saved earlier. Inferno then asked Steel to consider allowing them to work together “in the interest of justice.”

The now reformed Inferno and Steel Sterling teamed up and defeated the Rattler. Afterward, Inferno went to jail for his earlier crimes and Steel was at the trial helping his new ally.

Because of Steel’s recommendations, the Parole Board gave Inferno a short prison sentence. When he came out, Inferno continued to fight crime as a costumed hero. He left the circus, becoming a private investigator and remained loyal to his girlfriend Virgina Ames.

Inferno made a brief appearance in the comic Superteens vs Crusaders as a member of the Mighty Crusaders.

Hurricane (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Hurricane
aka Albert Potter

Prowess 3
Coordination 3
Strength 6
Intellect 5
Awareness 4
Willpower 4

Stamina 10

Powers
Hurricane wears a battlesuit that protects him from harm and focuses his powers. The battlesuit provides him with Damage Resistance 6. Without the battlesuit, Hurricane’s powers  have the Limit: Overload with a failed Willpower roll.
*Air Control 7 (Extras: Flight, Blast)

For a brief time, Hurricane had these additional powers. He no longer has access to them:
*Mind Control 2 (At one time he exhibited some mind-control abilities after being infused with the DNA of a soldier ant)
*Weather Control 5

Specialties
Aerial Combat (+1 bonus), Pilot (+1 bonus), Science – Meteorology (Expert +2 bonus), Technology (Expert +2 bonus)

Qualities
*”Britain’s first super-villain!”
*Unwitting pawn of the Nethergods
*Likes to speak in the third-person

Background

Albert Potter was an embittered meteorologist who was fired for overspending and achieving no results. To prove his theories he flew an experimental weather control craft into a hurricane and tried to end the storm. However the Nethergods, seeking to create a foe for their adversary Merlyn’s agent, Captain Britain, caused the storm to destroy Potter’s vehicle and imbue Potter with energy. Unaware of the Nethergods’ involvement, an unhinged Potter developed a suit to help him control his new weather-based powers, which he used as a super villain. He made a splashy debut and referred to himself as “Britain’s first super-villain,” a rather dubious claim considering Captain Britain had already fought the Reaver in the same series.

Defeated by Captain Britain, he later gained new powers from medical experiments conducted on him by Dr. Samuel Merrick while he was incarcerated in Darkmoor Prison. He used these as a servant of the Mys-Tech corporation for a time after they had released him from suspended animation, fighting the Gene Dogs. During this time, he was quite insane.

Eventually cured of his insanity and apparently of his extra powers (which had damaged him physically), Potter was released. He married, emigrated to America, but was unable to find work and considered returning to crime until the Fantastic Four convinced him otherwise.

After the Civil War, he was listed as a potential recruit for the Initiative.

Lilith Gets A New Review!

Posted on by Barry Reese

Longtime reader Ray Bara has posted a new review of The Chronicles of Lilith on Amazon.com. He gave the book 5 stars and titled his review “Another Wonderful Barry Reese Romp!” Here’s his full review:

“Another epic Barry Reese novel. He never fails to deliver a great tale. I love the Lilith character and would love to see more of her. My only complaint about this story, and it’s a small one, is that I would’ve liked to see more of Lilith’s Crimson Ladies. I feel they are big part of what makes Lilith interesting. More of them would’ve made the book even more interesting. I also loved the way Reese brought in an old favorite character, very ingenious! All in all, a great adventure. Go read it!”

Thanks, Ray! Sorry you didn’t feel we got to see enough of the Crimson Ladies. I definitely agree that they’re a key ingredient in the Lilith recipe. Since this was Lilith’s first solo book, I did want to keep the emphasis on her as much as possible but if there are future volumes, I’m sure we’ll explore more of the Crimson Ladies. Glad you enjoyed the guest appearance by Max Davies 🙂

The image accompanying this post is of actress Mia Goth.

First Look | Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Arrives in Indiana Jones 5 — Future of the Force

Posted on by Barry Reese

Check out our first look at Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena, Indy’s goddaughter in the upcoming final The post First Look | Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Arrives in Indiana Jones 5 appeared first on Future of the Force.

First Look | Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Arrives in Indiana Jones 5 — Future of the Force

Doc Reeves (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Doc Reeves
aka Malcolm Reeves

Prowess 3
Coordination 4 (5 underwater)
Strength 4
Intellect 6
Awareness 4 (5 underwater)
Willpower 5

Stamina 9

Powers
Underwater Suit provides the following abilities:
*Aquatic 5 (While underwater, Coordination and Awareness are raised to 5)
*Damage Resistance 2
*Mind Shield 4
*Gadgets 3

Specialties
Athletics – Swimming (Expert +2 bonus), Science (+1 bonus), Technology (Expert +2 bonus), Underwater Combat (+1 bonus)

Qualities
At Home in the Sea
Posthumously A Crusader
A Thinking Man’s Hero

Background

Malcolm Reeves was a personal friend of the Web. He hung out with the Mighty Crusaders at their headquarters and worked on their computer systems. In the field, Doc Reeves joined the Crusaders on several adventures. While fighting the Brain Emperor, the Crusaders fell under the villain’s mind control. When Malcolm was able to break free, he was killed while rescuing the Crusaders. The Comet cremated the body of Doc Reeves with his dissolvo-vision. In life, Doc Reeves was just an ally of the Crusaders but after his death, he was posthumously given membership.

His nephew Greg is the current Comet.

Doc Reeves was not actually a Doctor. Doc was a nickname he picked up as a child. Malcolm Reeves was an inventor and mechanical genius who created a unique wetsuit for undersea exploration.

Malcolm was added to the team in the Eighties in an attempt to add some diversity to the group – unfortunately, after Rich Buckler left the book, a later writer chose to kill off the character. There was a lot of potential with Malcolm and it’s a shame we never got to see him developed.

The Fly – Impact Version (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

The Fly
aka Jason Troy

Prowess 4
Coordination 7
Strength 6
Intellect 4
Awareness 6
Willpower 4

Stamina 10

Powers
*Flight 6
*Damage Resistance 3
*Wall-Crawling 6
*Sonic Blast – Wings 6
*Super-Senses – Vision 2 (The Fly gets +2 bonus to vision-based Awareness tests)
*Super-Senses – Hearing 1 (The Fly gets +1 bonus to hearing-based Awareness tests)
*Fly Amulet (Note that if he does not have the Amulet, Jason cannot transform to the Fly and vice versa. When transformed, the Amulet is part of the Fly costume.)

Specialties
Aerial Combat (Expert +2 bonus), Athletics (+1 bonus), Drive – Skateboards (+1 bonus), Art – Drawing (+1 bonus)

Qualities
(On first seeing the world through his insectile eyes) “Neat !”
Secret Identities cause so many problems!
Thrill of Adventure

Background
Most of this bio comes from writeups.org:

Jason Troy was given an extra assignment by his substitute mythology teacher, Mr. Abin (likely a nod to Abin Sur, the alien that bequeathed Green Lantern Hal Jordan his power ring) for playing video games in class. The task was to create a modern mythic hero based on humble circumstances. One of the criteria for ancient mythic heroes was they be from humble beginnings.

Jason designed a superhero patterned after a fly, as he could think of nothing more humble than a housefly. His teacher rewarded him for his efforts with a pendant made of amber with a fly trapped inside.

Jason soon learned that the pendant was not just jewelry. Rather, it turned him into the superhero from his assignment. He became the Fly, and used his powers to foil an arson attempt by a super-villain named Burnout. After he defeated the flame-throwing thug, he suddenly changed back into Jason.

Obviously confused, he went to find his mythology teacher and question him about the pendant. When he returned to school to ask his teacher about the pendant, nobody in the school remembered ever seeing the substitute.

Jason learned that the pendant could change him into his heroic alter-ego at will, so he continued his exploits as the Fly. He learned that using the Fly powers for a prolonged period of time physically exhausted him, and that he had cravings for anything high in sugar, like jelly doughnuts and pineapple juice. But he soon mastered his insect-like abilities (and urges).

He also seemed to often lose track of time as the Fly. That landed him in trouble at home several times.

He fought flying thieves, mechanical spiders, and the occasional crimelord, and defeated them all. But he found himself in a sticky situation when his pendant was ripped off in a battle, but he did not lose his powers. He couldn’t return home, since even when he took off his costume, he still looked like a muscular adult with fly-like eyes.

He got a job as a bouncer in a bar (calling himself “Buzz”) for a few days until he recovered his pendant.

Jason also had some personal problems. In trying to juggle his home life with the super-heroics, he failed. Suspicions arose about his exact relationship with the Fly. In the wake of his disappearance, people suspected the Fly was having an “improper” relationship with Jason Troy.

Things seemed to get better after Jason denied those charges against his Alter-Ego. He joined the Crusaders, and when they got lost in another dimension, he spent years there with his teammates and fell in love with the Jaguar. When they finally returned they were married.

The Impact line of comics had its ups-and-downs but for my money, the best title of the line was The Fly. It captured the fun of early Spider-Man and I think that Jason had by far the best rogues’ gallery of any of the Impact heroes. He’s a fun character and I think it’s a shame we never got to see him as an adult married hero. It would have been an interesting twist on the series.