Ugly Ghost Squad #7 recap
Apr. 3rd, 2016 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jkcarrierUgly Ghost Squad #7
"The Sons of Adam"
Played 4/2/2016
Roll Call:
Black Panther
Captain America
Hulk
Martian Manhunter
Thanatos
Experience Level: 3
Enemies Fought:
Adam II
Angar the Screamer
Beetle
Black Knight
Destiny
Equinox
Hitman
Hypno-Hustler
Lightmaster
Lilith
Matador
Moondark
Plantman
Thunderball
Vermin
Whirlwind
Other NPCs:
Ned Leeds, reporter
Adventure Modules Used:
Villains and Vigilantes: "Force" by Thomas Dowd
Synopsis:
A mysterious group calling themselves "Sons of Adam" delivered a blackmail threat to the U.S. government: If they didn't get $500 million in diamonds within 10 days, they would detonate a combination nuclear/biological bomb that would decimate the east coast. The Ugly Ghost Squad was brought onto the case.
As they began their investigation, the Squad was contacted by a reporter named Ned Leeds, who claimed to have information on "Adam". They met Leeds at a downtown bar, only to have him drop dead before their eyes. With his last breath, he gasped out the word "Shadowhawk".
Searching Leeds' car, the team found notes on an investigation he was conducting on Heronomos Kinkaid, a religious leader who had recently risen to prominence with his "Church of Divine Harmony". Among Kinkaid's holdings were a farm/commune in Kansas, and a yacht named...Shadowhawk. They learned that the Shadowhawk was docked at Long Island Sound.
Putting the ship under surveillance, they saw numerous armed guards on deck, as well as one strange fellow dressed as a bullfighter. A quick investigation revealed him to be The Matador, an old enemy of Daredevil who had recently left prison and converted to the Church of Divine Harmony.
Sneaking onto the ship, battled and defeated the guards, as well as Matador and several other allegedly-reformed villains: Beetle, Hitman, Hypno-Hustler, and Thunderball. Examining the ship's log, they discovered that the Shadowhawk was scheduled to sail to St. Sebastian's Island in the Carribean. The heroes decided to sail the ship there themselves.
Arriving at the island, the Squad discoverd a hidden boat dock behind a fake waterfall. Making short work of the guards there, they found a subway system that connected various points on the island, including a large underground complex. There they found more villains in waiting: Lightmaster, Moondark, Plantman, Tiger Shark, and Vermin. After a heated battle, the Squad was victorious, but found no sign of the group's leader.
Another branch of the subway system led up into a mountain on the far side of the island, which concealed an airplane hangar with a waiting jet. Another group of guards kept the heroes busy while the plane took off, the explosive backwash of its engines knocking heroes and guards alike for a loop.
The team followed their other lead, Kinkaid's commune in Kansas. A search of the area revealed a mostly-abandoned farm, but further investigation uncovered another underground facility, this one used for troop training. The villains were waiting for them, including the leader, the android Adam II and his minions Angar the Screamer, Black Knight, Destiny, Equinox, Lilith, and Whirlwind. A massive battle ensued, with casualties on both sides, but the Ghost Squad finally emerged triumphant. A search of the computers in the facility revealed the location of the blackmail bomb, and it was successfully recovered and defused by SHIELD. Strangely, while Adam II's mechanical body slowly repaired itself, his internal hard drive was found to be completely erased when SHIELD scientists examined him...
Memorable Quotes:
"Was I not supposed to laugh at that?" - Captain America's reaction to Ned Leeds' abrupt, melodramatic demise.
Sources and References:
I took a slightly different approach this time out. Since the adventure module was one we'd played in previous campaigns, I substituted similarly-themed Marvel villains for the ones in the module (and added a bunch more, since these pre-packaged adventures are always so stingy with the number of opponents). Thus, the insect-themed "Cicada" became the Beetle, and so forth. Just to make it less of a literal re-run. But then "Cap" expressed some disappointment in not getting to see the old familiar bad guys. There will always be some DC & Marvel guys mixed in, since that's where I get my fun, but I certainly don't mind using the classic V&V rogues too, if that's what people like to see.
Adam II (Force in the original module):
An android built by the same scientist who created the 1940s Human Torch. But unlike the Torch, this one turned evil. After WWII, he tried to kidnap then-congressman John F. Kennedy and replace him with a robot duplicate, but was thwarted by the All-Winners Squad.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/adamiiaws.htm
Angar the Screamer (Clamor in the module)
David Angar got his super-screaming powers via alien technology. The heroine Moondragon intended for him to be an ally in her battle against Thanos, but Angar struck out on his own and became an assassin-for-hire. He's fought Daredevil, Spider-Woman, and many other heroes over the years.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/angar-the-screamer/4005-32260/
Beetle (Cicada in the module)
Abner Jenkins was originally an airplane mechanic. Feeling underpaid and unappreciated, he built a suit of flying armor and turned to crime, fighting the Human Torch, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and others over the years. In the comics, he eventually reformed and became a hero under the name "Mach 1", but in this universe, he will always be the plunger-fingered Beetle.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Abner_Jenkins_%28Earth-616%29
Black Knight
The original Black Knight was a heroic crusader in the time of King Arthur. But his modern-day descendent, Nathan Garrett, was a stinker, a spy working for the Chinese government. With his high-tech armor and weaponry, he fought Giant-Man and Iron Man, and was part of the group called the Masters of Evil. In the comics, his last battle with Iron Man left him critically injured. On his deathbed, Garrett repented and asked his nephew Dane Whitman to use his weapons for good. Dane became a new Black Knight, and eventually joined the Avengers.
http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Knight_%28Nathan_Garrett%29
Destiny (Stargazer in the module)
A blind psychic who was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and fought the X-Men. Not much of a combatant, her main role in this adventure was to give Ned Leeds that cerebral hemorrhage that shut him up. If she hadn't been taken out right away, she would have used a variation of the Weakness Detection power to give her allies combat bonuses.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/destiny/4005-3557/
Equinox (Snowblind in the module)
Terry Sorenson gained his powers when an explosion in his scientist-father's laboratory turned him into a being that was half-fire, half-ice. His mother was also a scientist, and tried to find a cure for him. Terry turned to crime to finance her experiments, which led to battles with the Human Torch, Iceman, Spider-Man, and Yellowjacket and the Wasp. His mother was finally able to create a device that temporarily neutralized his powers, but they keep coming back.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/equinoxs.htm
Hitman (Mr. Magnum in the module)
Burt Kenyon was a Vietnam veteran who became a mercenary after he was dishonorably discharged from the marines. He's had battles with Spider-Man and the Punisher (whom he knew back in 'Nam).
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/hitman/4005-34977/
Hypno-Hustler
A disco performer who used his music to hypnotize the audience and steal their money. Unluckily for him, one of the audience members at his show turned out to be Spider-Man, who made short work of him.
http://marvel.com/universe/Hypno-Hustler
Lightmaster (Phantasm in the module)
Edward Lansky was a college physics professor who created a means of generating solid-light holograms. He became Lightmaster to get revenge on the city officials who denied him funding. He was thwarted by Spider-Man and has fought him several times since.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/lightmaster/4005-13938/
Lilith
Lilith is the daughter of Dracula, born before he was transformed into a vampire. Dracula abandoned Lilith and her mother early on, and she has hated him ever since. A gypsy sorceress turned Lilith into a sort of super-vampire, and she has been trying to kill Dracula for hundreds of years. Sometimes that means working with the good guys, but mostly she's just out for herself.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/lilith/4005-41945/
Matador
Not much to say about this guy...he's a bullfighter who turned to crime and battled Daredevil a few times. He is unlikely to turn up on that DD Netflix show.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Manuel_Eloganto_%28Earth-616%29
Moondark (Shadarkos in the module)
Moondark was a magician who worshipped mysterious Dark Gods. He used his magic in battles against Spider-Man, Werewolf By Night, and Ghost Rider.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/moondark.htm
Plantman
A lowly gardener named Sam Smithers created a ray gun that could increase the IQ and mobility of plant life. Naturally, he turned to crime. As the Plantman, he's fought everyone from the Human Torch to the Sub-Mariner to the X-Men and Avengers. In later stories, his powers became internalized and he turned into a literal plant-being, but as always, I prefer the classic version.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/plantmansmithers.htm
Thunderball
Eliot Franklin was one of several prison inmates who partnered up with the villain known as the Wrecker. They helped the Wrecker excape prison and retrieve his magical crowbar, the source of his strength. When a lightning bolt struck the crowbar, all of them gained superhuman strength and became known as the Wrecking Crew. Separately and together, the Crew has fought just about everyone over the years.
http://marvel.com/universe/Wrecking_Crew
Vermin
Edward Whelan was a homeless man who was kidnapped by the evil Baron Zemo and transformed into a rat-like killing machine. Zemo created him to battle Captain America, but Vermin eventually turned on his creator (although that didn't stop him from also attacking Captain America when they met again).
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Whelan_%28Earth-616%29
Whirlwind
David Cannon was a mutant with the ability to run and spin at super-speeds. He originally used his powers to become a circus performer and professional athlete, but greed caused him to turn to crime. He battled Giant-Man and the Wasp many times over the years, and eventually developed a romantic obsession with the Wasp (he spent years incognito working as her chauffeur, just to be near her). He's also been in multiple super-villain groups that fought the Avengers.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/whirlwind/4005-6828/
Ned Leeds
Ned was a reporter at the Daily Bugle, and was Peter Parker's rival for the affections of secretary Betty Brant. Betty eventually chose Ned over Peter, and the two were married. In the comics, Ned was killed as part of an elaborate scheme by Spider-Man's enemy the Hobgoblin, so I didn't feel too bad about killing him off here.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Leeds_%28Earth-616%29
"The Sons of Adam"
Played 4/2/2016
Roll Call:
Black Panther
Captain America
Hulk
Martian Manhunter
Thanatos
Experience Level: 3
Enemies Fought:
Adam II
Angar the Screamer
Beetle
Black Knight
Destiny
Equinox
Hitman
Hypno-Hustler
Lightmaster
Lilith
Matador
Moondark
Plantman
Thunderball
Vermin
Whirlwind
Other NPCs:
Ned Leeds, reporter
Adventure Modules Used:
Villains and Vigilantes: "Force" by Thomas Dowd
Synopsis:
A mysterious group calling themselves "Sons of Adam" delivered a blackmail threat to the U.S. government: If they didn't get $500 million in diamonds within 10 days, they would detonate a combination nuclear/biological bomb that would decimate the east coast. The Ugly Ghost Squad was brought onto the case.
As they began their investigation, the Squad was contacted by a reporter named Ned Leeds, who claimed to have information on "Adam". They met Leeds at a downtown bar, only to have him drop dead before their eyes. With his last breath, he gasped out the word "Shadowhawk".
Searching Leeds' car, the team found notes on an investigation he was conducting on Heronomos Kinkaid, a religious leader who had recently risen to prominence with his "Church of Divine Harmony". Among Kinkaid's holdings were a farm/commune in Kansas, and a yacht named...Shadowhawk. They learned that the Shadowhawk was docked at Long Island Sound.
Putting the ship under surveillance, they saw numerous armed guards on deck, as well as one strange fellow dressed as a bullfighter. A quick investigation revealed him to be The Matador, an old enemy of Daredevil who had recently left prison and converted to the Church of Divine Harmony.
Sneaking onto the ship, battled and defeated the guards, as well as Matador and several other allegedly-reformed villains: Beetle, Hitman, Hypno-Hustler, and Thunderball. Examining the ship's log, they discovered that the Shadowhawk was scheduled to sail to St. Sebastian's Island in the Carribean. The heroes decided to sail the ship there themselves.
Arriving at the island, the Squad discoverd a hidden boat dock behind a fake waterfall. Making short work of the guards there, they found a subway system that connected various points on the island, including a large underground complex. There they found more villains in waiting: Lightmaster, Moondark, Plantman, Tiger Shark, and Vermin. After a heated battle, the Squad was victorious, but found no sign of the group's leader.
Another branch of the subway system led up into a mountain on the far side of the island, which concealed an airplane hangar with a waiting jet. Another group of guards kept the heroes busy while the plane took off, the explosive backwash of its engines knocking heroes and guards alike for a loop.
The team followed their other lead, Kinkaid's commune in Kansas. A search of the area revealed a mostly-abandoned farm, but further investigation uncovered another underground facility, this one used for troop training. The villains were waiting for them, including the leader, the android Adam II and his minions Angar the Screamer, Black Knight, Destiny, Equinox, Lilith, and Whirlwind. A massive battle ensued, with casualties on both sides, but the Ghost Squad finally emerged triumphant. A search of the computers in the facility revealed the location of the blackmail bomb, and it was successfully recovered and defused by SHIELD. Strangely, while Adam II's mechanical body slowly repaired itself, his internal hard drive was found to be completely erased when SHIELD scientists examined him...
Memorable Quotes:
"Was I not supposed to laugh at that?" - Captain America's reaction to Ned Leeds' abrupt, melodramatic demise.
Sources and References:
I took a slightly different approach this time out. Since the adventure module was one we'd played in previous campaigns, I substituted similarly-themed Marvel villains for the ones in the module (and added a bunch more, since these pre-packaged adventures are always so stingy with the number of opponents). Thus, the insect-themed "Cicada" became the Beetle, and so forth. Just to make it less of a literal re-run. But then "Cap" expressed some disappointment in not getting to see the old familiar bad guys. There will always be some DC & Marvel guys mixed in, since that's where I get my fun, but I certainly don't mind using the classic V&V rogues too, if that's what people like to see.
Adam II (Force in the original module):
An android built by the same scientist who created the 1940s Human Torch. But unlike the Torch, this one turned evil. After WWII, he tried to kidnap then-congressman John F. Kennedy and replace him with a robot duplicate, but was thwarted by the All-Winners Squad.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/adamiiaws.htm
Angar the Screamer (Clamor in the module)
David Angar got his super-screaming powers via alien technology. The heroine Moondragon intended for him to be an ally in her battle against Thanos, but Angar struck out on his own and became an assassin-for-hire. He's fought Daredevil, Spider-Woman, and many other heroes over the years.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/angar-the-screamer/4005-32260/
Beetle (Cicada in the module)
Abner Jenkins was originally an airplane mechanic. Feeling underpaid and unappreciated, he built a suit of flying armor and turned to crime, fighting the Human Torch, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and others over the years. In the comics, he eventually reformed and became a hero under the name "Mach 1", but in this universe, he will always be the plunger-fingered Beetle.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Abner_Jenkins_%28Earth-616%29
Black Knight
The original Black Knight was a heroic crusader in the time of King Arthur. But his modern-day descendent, Nathan Garrett, was a stinker, a spy working for the Chinese government. With his high-tech armor and weaponry, he fought Giant-Man and Iron Man, and was part of the group called the Masters of Evil. In the comics, his last battle with Iron Man left him critically injured. On his deathbed, Garrett repented and asked his nephew Dane Whitman to use his weapons for good. Dane became a new Black Knight, and eventually joined the Avengers.
http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Knight_%28Nathan_Garrett%29
Destiny (Stargazer in the module)
A blind psychic who was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and fought the X-Men. Not much of a combatant, her main role in this adventure was to give Ned Leeds that cerebral hemorrhage that shut him up. If she hadn't been taken out right away, she would have used a variation of the Weakness Detection power to give her allies combat bonuses.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/destiny/4005-3557/
Equinox (Snowblind in the module)
Terry Sorenson gained his powers when an explosion in his scientist-father's laboratory turned him into a being that was half-fire, half-ice. His mother was also a scientist, and tried to find a cure for him. Terry turned to crime to finance her experiments, which led to battles with the Human Torch, Iceman, Spider-Man, and Yellowjacket and the Wasp. His mother was finally able to create a device that temporarily neutralized his powers, but they keep coming back.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/equinoxs.htm
Hitman (Mr. Magnum in the module)
Burt Kenyon was a Vietnam veteran who became a mercenary after he was dishonorably discharged from the marines. He's had battles with Spider-Man and the Punisher (whom he knew back in 'Nam).
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/hitman/4005-34977/
Hypno-Hustler
A disco performer who used his music to hypnotize the audience and steal their money. Unluckily for him, one of the audience members at his show turned out to be Spider-Man, who made short work of him.
http://marvel.com/universe/Hypno-Hustler
Lightmaster (Phantasm in the module)
Edward Lansky was a college physics professor who created a means of generating solid-light holograms. He became Lightmaster to get revenge on the city officials who denied him funding. He was thwarted by Spider-Man and has fought him several times since.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/lightmaster/4005-13938/
Lilith
Lilith is the daughter of Dracula, born before he was transformed into a vampire. Dracula abandoned Lilith and her mother early on, and she has hated him ever since. A gypsy sorceress turned Lilith into a sort of super-vampire, and she has been trying to kill Dracula for hundreds of years. Sometimes that means working with the good guys, but mostly she's just out for herself.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/lilith/4005-41945/
Matador
Not much to say about this guy...he's a bullfighter who turned to crime and battled Daredevil a few times. He is unlikely to turn up on that DD Netflix show.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Manuel_Eloganto_%28Earth-616%29
Moondark (Shadarkos in the module)
Moondark was a magician who worshipped mysterious Dark Gods. He used his magic in battles against Spider-Man, Werewolf By Night, and Ghost Rider.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/moondark.htm
Plantman
A lowly gardener named Sam Smithers created a ray gun that could increase the IQ and mobility of plant life. Naturally, he turned to crime. As the Plantman, he's fought everyone from the Human Torch to the Sub-Mariner to the X-Men and Avengers. In later stories, his powers became internalized and he turned into a literal plant-being, but as always, I prefer the classic version.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/plantmansmithers.htm
Thunderball
Eliot Franklin was one of several prison inmates who partnered up with the villain known as the Wrecker. They helped the Wrecker excape prison and retrieve his magical crowbar, the source of his strength. When a lightning bolt struck the crowbar, all of them gained superhuman strength and became known as the Wrecking Crew. Separately and together, the Crew has fought just about everyone over the years.
http://marvel.com/universe/Wrecking_Crew
Vermin
Edward Whelan was a homeless man who was kidnapped by the evil Baron Zemo and transformed into a rat-like killing machine. Zemo created him to battle Captain America, but Vermin eventually turned on his creator (although that didn't stop him from also attacking Captain America when they met again).
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Whelan_%28Earth-616%29
Whirlwind
David Cannon was a mutant with the ability to run and spin at super-speeds. He originally used his powers to become a circus performer and professional athlete, but greed caused him to turn to crime. He battled Giant-Man and the Wasp many times over the years, and eventually developed a romantic obsession with the Wasp (he spent years incognito working as her chauffeur, just to be near her). He's also been in multiple super-villain groups that fought the Avengers.
http://comicvine.gamespot.com/whirlwind/4005-6828/
Ned Leeds
Ned was a reporter at the Daily Bugle, and was Peter Parker's rival for the affections of secretary Betty Brant. Betty eventually chose Ned over Peter, and the two were married. In the comics, Ned was killed as part of an elaborate scheme by Spider-Man's enemy the Hobgoblin, so I didn't feel too bad about killing him off here.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Leeds_%28Earth-616%29
