Day 18: Doctor Menagerie (for B.A.S.H.)

(This character is inspired by The Collector and The Stranger from the marvel universe)

Dr. Verity (DrV) “Doctor Babylon, a word?”

Dr. Babylon (DrB) “Doc?”

DrV: “I have some reservations about the, um, alien”.

DrB: “Menagerie? He’s what’s got you worried?”

DrV: “I don’t know what to make of them. That is exceeding rare for me”

DrB: “You know what an out-of-context problem is, right Doc? Menagerie is an out-of-context solution”. 

Doctor Menagerie is on holiday. Being a supervillain on Earth is an interesting break from their all-consuming hobby, which is collecting fauna from the entire universe. Their collection is on their space ark, but they have a hypergeometrical connection to it, so they may produce strange and confusing creatures at a whim. 

Menagerie looks like an anthropomorphic dog in an ivory-colored suit. They speak in what can only be described as a circus accent. Some humans find it offensive. Menagerie is affable and slightly theatrical, like a two-bit stage magician, and seems to be entirely blind to danger. They treat criminal enterprises like a stimulating excursion or game. 

Menagerie is an ancient being. So ancient in fact that they do not remember their origin. It may even have been a universe which existed before the Big Bang. The idea of ‘saving’ animals in an immense mobile zoo came to Menagerie after a few millennia of doing other things. Creatures came and went, crushed under the tireless wheel of evolution or destroyed by the avarice of sophonts. To menagerie that was a real shame. Maybe they’re a bleeding heart, but it is just as like that they collect animals like a philatelist collects stamps. 

Motivation: Right now they love taking part in this entertaining pastime called crime. They often take pointers from their human teammates, as there is much they do not understand about Earth. They like learning though, and will often exclaim “a-HAH!” or “Brilliant!” when they make some fresh connection, or experience frozen yogurt or being arrested for the first time. 

BRAWN 2 AGILITY 2 MIND 4 

Defense x2, Mental Defense x4

Damage x2 Soak x2

100 hits

Powers

Immunities (Level 1)

(pressure, cold, radiation, suffocation, disease, poison, vacuum, ageing, all psychic immunities)

Paralyzation Derringer (Level 4) 

This elegant little weapon works like Immobilization, but it is not caused by an external force such as some sort of binding. Instead, it shuts down the victim’s motor functions, making it impossible for anybody but the affected target to break free of the effect with a Brawn Check.

Enhancement: Bypass Armor, Ranger is Mid. 

Limit: Device, easily taken. 

Universal Translator (Level 2) 

Menagerie’s ship database has been programmed with every known language, and within seconds can crack a new language, even one that is completely alien. It sometimes have trouble with idioms and slang. 

Hover-Belt (Level 1) 

The belt enables Menagerie to hover up to three feet above the ground at all times. They move at Agility x4 Squares per Panel. The force that causes them to hover also helps them break a fall. They take half damage from falling (Knock-Back is not affected).

Enhancement: Linked with Water Walking (allows you to hover over an unstable surface, like water).

Limit: Device, easily taken.

Summoning (Level 5) 

Menagerie can summon all manner of alien fauna from his spaceship (which is currently orbiting Venus and won’t be appearing in this write up). The creatures are often bizarre and have abilities that seem unlikely to have developed in any imaginable biome. 

Enhancements: All types, Extra Command. 

Skills: Physical: Pilot (Control), Stealth (Hiding)

Mental: Outdoor (Tracking) Zoology (Galactic)x2, Technology (Modify). 

Advantages: 

Elusive (Villainous): Menagerie may use the Deus Ex Machina maneuver to escape (see BASH! Ultimate Edition, p. 69) once per Issue without needing to spend a Villain Die. 

Disadvantage: 

Outsider: Menagerie is completely alien to the world they are currently living in, and they have not fully adapted yet.

A small sample of Doctor Menagerie’s menagerie.

Roskadalian Strrrng (13 pts)

It looks a lot like a bright blue squirrel with a head like a tesseract. It likes belly rubs, batteries to suck on, and fiddling with locks and security installations. 

B 0 A 3 M 1

Defense x3, Mental Defense x1

Damage x0 Soak x0 

20 hits

Powers

Intuitive Stealing (Level 1)

 You know just where to turn the tumblers and exactly when to look when you are surveilling an area. Any difficulty of 30 or less on a Security/Cracking Safes, Picking Locks, Surveillance, or Disabling Security Cameras and Alarms Check automatically succeeds. Difficulties of greater than 30 require a roll, but you get a +2 Multiplier Bonus.

Skillful (Level 4)

Has eight extra skill slots

Skills; Physical: Athletics (Climb, Run), Stealth (sneak)

Mental: Security (all) x2

Star Bear Anomaly (18 pts)

A purple blob that looks like a bear the same way a Rorscharch test looks like a scotty dog. It uses its power over gravity to hunt

B 3 A 1 M 0

Defense x1, Mental Defense x0

Damage x3 Soak x3

60 Hits

Gravity Capture (hi-G) (Level 5) (10 pts)

This Power functions as Immobilization, by increasing their gravity so that they are too heavy to move

Enhancement: After-Effect: Gravity Well

This effect functions as Nullify, specifically against Movement Powers, by altering gravity on the character in question to nullify the Power. It affects machines as well as living beings, unlike the standard Nullify Power.

Affects Mid Range.

Body Weaponry (Claws) (Level 1) (1 pt)

+1DM. 

Skills: Physical: Stealth (prowl)

Demi-Rigellian Sand-Lhornn (15 pts)

A segmented maggot-creature made entirely out of silvery particulate. It has a mean temper. 

B: 2 A: 2 M: 1

Defense x2, Mental Defense x4

Damage x2 Soak x5 (x7)

30 Hits

Power 

Body of Sand (Level 3) (5 pts)

The Sand-Lhorn is a being of pure sand. It can alternate between being a solid form of tightly packed sand (which acts as Density Increase 1) or a form of loose shifting sand (which acts as Ghost Form 1). In either form, you are incredibly resilient to damage, especially piercing attacks (like swords, knives, bullets, etc). You get a +3 Multiplier Bonus to Soak damage as from Armor 3, and the bonus is a +5 Multiplier Bonus to Soak piercing damage.

Limitation: Always On.

Skills: Physical: Athletics (Acrobatics)

The Loid-We’Bar (11 pts)

A lumpy beige creature that moves by rolling slowly. It has the power to make sapient creatures sing and dance. Menagerie claims that it is a natural animal. 

B 0 A 1 M 2

Defense x1, Mental Defense x2

Damage x0 Soak x0

Hits: 20

Powers

Musical Maestro (Level 5) (5 pts)

When you activate this Power, the entire affected area (within about 20 Squares of you) will hear audible background music begin to play. People in the area will also begin to move as if part of a dance choreography number that they all know by heart. Whenever anybody wishes to speak, their words will come out as song (and rhyming with previous lines sung by other people). The effect of the Power will last for an entire Scene or until the user is rendered unconscious or chooses to end the effect.

Skills: None

Bavarian Griffin (17 pts)

It looks like the creature from the many coats of arms. Menagerie claims he has the last breeding pair

B 3 A 3 M 1

Defense x3, Mental Defense x1

Damage x3 Soak x3

60 Hits

Powers

Body Weaponry (Claw or Beak) (Level 1)

+1 DM

Flight (Wings) (Level 2)