DC Villains #35: When Thieves Fall Out

[jkcarrier]

DC Villains
Episode 35:
"When Thieves Fall Out"

Roll Call:
Bucky
Captain Republican
Chemical Lad
Mr. Roboto

Manhunter announced that he had good news for a change. It seemed when Darkseid had created the Secret Society, he dismissed several other groups of minions he had been employing on Earth, due to their repeated failures:

Inter-Gang - A crime organization that had infiltrated Metropolis, but failed to make inroads into Gotham City, thanks to the Penguin and his then-minions.

The Science Squad - Headquartered on Oolong Island in the South China Sea, a colony of mad scientists engaged in weapons research. During their time in the Suicide Squad, the villains had kidnapped one of the members, Doctor Sivana, and the Science Squad had utterly failed to prevent it.

The Evil Factory - Working out of Loch Trevor, Scotland, these genetic scientists were meant to out-do and eventually destroy America's Project Cadmus, but the Secret Society were the ones who actually accomplished that goal.

But now that the Secret Society had turned against Darkseid, these other factions had all turned on each other, hoping to be the ones to regain the Lord of Apokalips' favor. Manhunter believed this was their opportunity to wipe out all three in one fell swoop, causing a serious setback to Darkseid's plans.

The Secret Society's first stop was Scotland, where they located the Evil Factory's headquarters, "Brigadoom" -- a tiny building concealed under a rock, accessible only through a special "microwave tunnel" that shrank them down to size enough to enter. Inside, they saw the Factory personnel locked in combat with members of Inter-Gang who had invaded. When they saw the Secret Society, however, they put aside their differences and attacked the villains together.

Evil Factory:
Mokkari
[Transmutation, Electrical Bolt, Electrical Field]

Four-Armed Terror
[Size Change (10'), Density Increase, Physical Ability (Ambidexterity, Extra Limbs), Natural Weaponry]

Lump
[Stretching Abilities (Elongation, Plasticity), Flame Blast, Special Weapon (Spikes, Area Effect)]

Inter-Gang:
Steel Hand
[Heightened Expertise, Invulnerability, Special Weapon (Pistol)]

Sugar-Man
[Invulnerability, Special Weapon (Pistol), Special Weapon (Knife)]

Whisper A'Daire
[Natural Weaponry (with Poison/Venom Contact), Chemical Blast, Heightened Defense]

Whisper's snake-like fangs and venom and Mokkari's electronic gadgetry proved to have little effect. But the Four-Armed Terror's ability to deliver a quartet of massive punches at once, and the Lump's power to fire spines in all directions, were another story. Sugar-Man's and Steel Hand's more conventional weaponry packed a punch, but eventually all of them fell in defeat.

[Loot Drops: Sugar-Man's Scarf (Invulnerability), Whisper A'Daire's Dress (Heightened Defense)]

Traveling back to the States, the Society entered the boarded-up office building that had once been the bustling headquarters of Inter-Gang. Inside, they found the remaining members of Inter-Gang taking on the Science Squad. Once again, both sides united to attack the new arrivals'

Inter-Gang:
Ugly Mannheim
[Flame Blast, Flame Aura, Special Weapon (Dagger), Experience Levels]

Tombstone Greer
[Disintegration Ray, Heightened Expertise, Armor]

Inter-Gang Garrison
[Experience Levels, Heightened Expertise, Armor, Disintegration Ray]

Science Squad:
Doctor Cyclops
[Heightened Senses (Vision), Invulnerability, Arsenal]

Doctor Tyme
[Reflection, Paralysis Ray, Disintegration Ray]

I.Q.
[Flight, Telekinesis, Flame Blast, Armor]

Doctor Cyclops carried a dizzying array of goggle-gadgets, including ones that allowed him to hide in a cloud of smoke [Darkness Control], rev up his reaction time [Super-Speed], and fire intense energy beams [Laser]. He had much success early on in the fight, but his devices had severely limited battery life, and he eventually fled when his weapons were depleted [ran out of Arsenal slots]. Doctor Tyme likewise frustrated the villains with his ability to "turn back the clock" and reverse their own attacks back at them [Reflection]. Sustained fire from Mannheim, Greer, I.Q., and the Garrison troops had a cumulative effect, and led to both Mr. Roboto and Bucky being knocked out of the fight. But Captain Republican and Chemical Lad (and eventually, a recovered Bucky) rallied and were able to defeat the two groups.

[Loot Drops: Doctor Cyclops' Goggles (Arsenal), I.Q.'s Jacket (Armor)]

Then finally, on Oolong Island, the Society inserted themselves in the middle of a battle between the Science Squad and the Evil Factory.

Science Squad:
Egg Fu
[Size Change (15'), Armor, Power Blast]

Super-Hood
[Size Change (8'), Density Increase, Flame Blast, Grapnel, Robotic Body]

T.O. Morrow
[Force Field, Possession]

Evil Factory:
Simyan
[Transmutation, Poison/Venom, Life Support]

Basilisk
[Size Change (3'), Paralysis Ray, Heightened Defense, Natural Weaponry, Flight]

Giant Jimmy
Size Change (12'), Devitalization Ray (Area Effect), Chemical Body]

The Giant Jimmy Olsen Clone's enervating radiations [Devitalization Ray] affected all around him; he was careful not to target his Evil Factory cohorts, but was much less cautious about his temporary allies in the Science Squad. The Basilisk's baleful gaze temporarily turned Captain Republican to stone, but he managed to shrug off the effect, and then made short work of the wee beastie. T.O. Morrow used his psychic abilities to literally inhabit Mr. Roboto's body, only to find himself quickly "evicted" and subdued by the combined might of Roboto and Chemical Lad. Egg Fu and Giant Jimmy were next to fall, and Simyan and Super-Hood opted at that point to surrender [They still had some fight left in them, but it was getting late and I was tired.]

And so the Secret Society had managed to greatly reduce Darkseid's evil influence on Earth...for now.

[Loot Drops: Giant Jimmy's Eyebrows (Area Effect Devitalization Ray), Super-Hood's Vest (Willpower: Pain Resistance)]

[The player characters earned 3 character points each, giving them a total of 205.]