Monthly Archives: May 2008

What if Comics 1: The Saga of Bouncing Boy

Posted on May 19, 2008 | 2 comments

Bouncing Boy is a member of the Legion of Superheroes of the 25th Century in the DC Universe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouncing_Boy). 

Bouncing Boy drank some super plastic because he thought the drink was a soft drink and gained the power to become a giant bouncing ball.  This is not even the lamest super power for a member of the Legion of Superheroes.  I think this honor belongs to Matter-Eater Lad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter-Eater_Lad) who can eat any form of matter.  Mostly he eats the bars of the cell when you need to get away.  He also eats blasters but why doesn’t he get killed approaching the guy with the blaster and isn’t a martial arts move a much better way to disarm someone than to grab the blaster and start eating it?  At least Bouncing Boy can dodge blasters and slam against opponents with enough force to knock them out.  Bouncing Boy also has some immunity to electricity since he’s not grounded when in the air and showed this ability when helping Saturn Girl against a bad guy with electric mitts on his first mission. Bouncing Boy is arguably the first super hero who is fat and not a parody like Herbie, who was the Fat Fury.  Blue Beetle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beetle) of the International Justice League would be the second fat super hero almost 30 years later and he just had a paunch versus being truly fat like Bouncing Boy.

 

Nevertheless, Bouncing Boy is the butt of many jokes among comic book circles.  I propose a mini-series to restore the honor of Bouncing Boy!

 

Issue 1 – Bouncing Boy vs. Galactus.  The Legion of Super Heroes tries to stop Galactus from eating a world and is defeated.  Bouncing Boy is the last man standing and decides to go ahead and attack Galactus despite there is no chance he will prevail  Bouncing Boy has shown this gumption before and once fought the fearsome Earth Quake Beast and defeated the monster by accident.  The beast was basically a brontosaurus with tail that could vibrate and cause earthquakes and heck even without the tail who messes with a brontosaurus?  So Bouncing Boy is one gutsy boy!

 

Galactus finds the attack by Bouncing Boy humorous and turns Bouncing Boy into his jester.  Galactus has had heralds in the past so why not a jester?  Galactus does have a sense of humor and laughed when Hercules tried to get him drunk in the second mini-series of Hercules in the eighties.

 

Issue 2 – Bouncing Boy and the Cosmic Cube.  Galactus underestimates Bouncing Boy, and we can certainly understand why, and while bouncing around the ship of Galactus, Bouncing Boy chances on a Cosmic Cube (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Cube)  that Galactus was creating for experimental purposes.  This experimental Cosmic Cube lacks the nasty side effect of gaining consciousness and turning on its master.  The Cosmic Cube gives the user absolute mastery over reality for an area about the size of a Earth sized planet and without the nasty side effect would be one heck of a tool.  Bouncing Boy absorbs the power of the cosmic cube and becomes Cube!  Rejecting his former roundness he becomes the opposite.

 

Issue 3 – Revenge of the Nerds on a Cosmic Scale.  Bouncing Boy, now Cube, goes from planet to planet and makes the nerds into heroes and the heroes into nerds.  The entire DC and Marvel Pantheon of Heroes is mobilized to fight him but he defeats them.

 

Issue 4 – Cosmic Justice.  Galactus allies himself with the Watcher to get his former jester under control.  The Watcher assembles Death, High Father and Shazam to fight Cube and Cube is defeated.  Cube is relegated to his former role as a jester for Galactus but while pretending subservience thinks to himself that he will bide his time but one day he will rule the universe.  This allows for a second Bouncing Boy mini-series if the first one does well.  Now here’s the kicker all the comics are round!  & A mandala type panel structure is used (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala)!  Arrows guide the reader from panel to panel!  Maybe different artists submit different mandalas.  Maybe put the whole mini-series in one magazine sized comic book or maybe even bigger.

My other website at:

Fox Superpower List

More comic book articles on this blog at:

https://foxhugh.wordpress.com/?s=comic

WereVerse Universe Baby!

 

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Posted in DC Comics, Fiction, What if comic book situations?

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Matrix vs. Terminator

Posted on May 18, 2008 | 2 comments

The Terminator is sent back in Time to kill John Connors.  Instead he finds himself in an alternate Earth were machines control humans via The Matrix. The terminator downloads crucial data about the matrix world and returns to his Earth.  The terminators decide to attack the matrix world and will have crucial advantage since they have first strike capability and knowledge of all the strengths and weaknesses of the matrix machines but not the other way around.  The terminators attack.

The machines of the Matrix Earth are losing and make a desperate deal with Neo.  If Neo will help them halt the terminators then they will free the humans.  The matrix machines will be detected if they visit the terminator world but they figure Neo can work with the human resistance on the Terminator world.  The matrix machines send Neo to the Terminator world with software that will create a virtual reality that will fool the Terminators into thinking that they have won the war.  Neo agrees but makes a backup of the software and gives it to Trinity.  Neo meets John Connor and together they infiltrate Sky Net, the central computer of the terminator machines.  The plan works.  The terminators halt all operations on both worlds.

Neo goes back and asks the Matrix machine to keep their part of the deal.  They refuse.  Trinity pulls out a switch and presses it.  Trinity has guided a group of human computer scientists to modify the software to defeat the terminators and now this same software traps the matrix machines in a virtual world. Neo contacts John Connor and the humans on both worlds celebrate.  Plans are even made to free all humans throughout the multiverse, the infinite Earths on infinite dimensions.

WereVerse Universe Baby!

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Dungeons & Dragons vs. Marvel Comics

Posted on May 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

Dungeons and Dragrons vs. Marvel

I like Marvel characters more than D&D characters.  I grew up on Marvel and was only introduced to D&D because all my buddies were playing this weird minis D&D game that I got addicted to. I do like the D&D miniatures system much more than the HeroClix system. 

 

I have thought of porting some of the Marvel characters into the D&D system but am way too lazy and I haven’t been able to come up with good conceptual system to make this happen but this got me to thinking about how these two universes compare.  As much as possible I tried to create battle scenarios between characters that are similar in a manner similar to the DC vs. Marvel Mini-series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_vs._DC)  For example Aquaman vs. Namor the submariner.

 

D&D vs. Marvel 1: Avengers Assemble

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

Colossal Red Dragon vs. Hulk

Tordek vs. Captain America  

Storm Archer vs. Hawkeye

Blackguard on Nightmare vs. Black Knight

D&D vs. Marvel 2: The Big Boys

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

RPG stats for the D&D side since no minis for the characters listed

Nerul vs. Galactus

Night Walker vs. Marvel Thor

Hextor vs. Marvel Odin

Tiamat vs. Marvel Hercules

Kord vs. Marvel Zeus

 

 

D&D vs. Marvel 3: Battle of the Elements

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

Fire Elemental vs. Human Torch

Ice Elemental vs. Ice Man

Earth Elemental vs. Sandman

Water Elemental vs. Hydro-Man

Iron Golem vs. Iron Man

 

D&D vs. Marvel 4: Battle of the Mages

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

Elminster of Shadowdale vs. Doctor Strange

Mordenkainen the Mage vs. Doctor Strange

 

D&D vs. Marvel 5: Creatures of the Night

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

Count Strahd Von Zarovich vs. Blade

Count Strahd Von Zarovich vs. Marvel Dracula

Average D&D Werewolf vs. Average Marvel Werewolf. 

Average D&D Zombie vs. Average Marvel Zombie 

Average D&D Vampire vs. Average Marvel Vampire  

 

D&D vs. Marvel 6: Others

There is no preparation.

Both opponents have been suddenly teleported to a gladiatorial amphitheater surrounded by a force field.

Storm Rage Shambler vs. Man Thing

Wolverine vs. Troll.  Both can regenerate and are brawlers with sharp claws

Ghostly Consort vs. Invisible Girl

 

All the D&D characters mentioned are minis and their picture and stats can be easily found at:

http://www.vesivus.com/minis/All.htm

My other website at:

Fox Superpower List

 

 

Superheroic Abilities in d20 Terms

            This paper was found on the internet minus authorship, that I will be more than happy to give credit to, if I am contacted, and  is a brief primer in how d20 (D&D 3rd Edition) statistics can be used to describe wildly inhuman abilities, such as would be seen in comic-book type superheroes or, presumably, deity-level entities.

            Fortunately, the D&D Player’s Handbook provides an excellent starting place on p. 142 with Table 9-1, “Carrying Capacity”, which shows a geometrically increasing maximum load as the Strength ability increases (the text notes that maximum load is the same as maximum dead-lift, the amount a character can lift over his or her head). Each +10 Strength connotes a x4 increase in maximum load; so, each +5 Strength indicates a x2 increase in max. load; and for a perfectly smooth interpolation, each +1 Strength means a x1.1487 increase in max. load. Note that this progression breaks down at the lowest level; if it were perfectly consistent, the max. loads at the bottom end would be something like Str 0 = 25 lb./ Str 1 = 30 lb./ Str 2 = 35 lb./ Str 3 = 40 lb./ Str 4 = 45 lb. (as opposed to Str x10 lb. as it officially stands). Further note that the actual carrying capacity is also proportional to a creature’s size, according to the text; for example, a Colossal creature can lift x16 the weight that a man-sized creature with the exact same Strength ability score could.

 

Conversion from Marvel Super Heroes to D&D

            The abbreviated table for d20 Strength below includes the Marvel Super Heroes game rank indicated for each approximate block of Strength scores. (Keep in mind that very large creatures listed with a certain lift capacity will in reality have a lower actual Strength score, as noted above.) Using this as a basis allows us to convert any of the Marvel Super Heroes abilities into approximate D&D-style statistics. It seems sensible to convert MSH abilities in the following way: Fighting = Base Attack Bonus (according to “modifier” on the table below); Strength = Strength; Agility = Dexterity; Endurance = Constitution; Reason = Intelligence; Intuition = Wisdom; and Psyche = Charisma. The notable systemic changes in this regard would be that in MSH, Agility is the basis for ranged attacks (in D&D, BAB modified by Dex), and Intuition provides the modifier to initiative rolls (in D&D, it’s Dex, not Wis).

(Note also that the chart below has had some smoothing performed on it, since the official MSH strength categories are quite irregular. By the book, the categories would convert to the following Strength values: Feeble:5, Poor:10, Typical:15, Good:20, Excellent:25, Remarkable:32, Incredible:48, Amazing:60, Monstrous:63, Unearthly:65.)

            Superheroic characters, of course, will also have a variety of Special Abilities as listed in the D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 71-83. Of particular note will be things like rays, regeneration, resistance to energy, cold and fire, incorporeality, invisibility, and so forth. Damage reduction (“body armor” in the MSH system) should be analyzed with an eye toward being able to protect against a blow with a Strength modifier of the same rank (as shown below). Most MSH-style magicians will be Sorcerers in the D&D system.

 

 

 

D&D Tremendous Strength (Abbreviated)

 

  As per D&D 3rd Edition PH p. 142 (Table 9-12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dead Lift/

Marvel Super Heroes

 

Strength

Modifier

Max. Load

Equivalent Rank

 

10

0

100 lb.

 

 

15

+2

200 lb.

Typical

 

20

+5

400 lb.

Good

 

25

+7

800 lb.

 

 

30

+10

1,600 lb.

Excellent

 

35

+12

1½ tons

Remarkable

 

40

+15

3 tons

 

 

45

+17

6 tons

Incredible

 

50

+20

12 tons

Amazing

 

55

+22

25 tons

 

 

60

+25

50 tons

Monstrous

 

65

+27

100 tons

Unearthly

 

70

+30

200 tons

 

 

75

+32

400 tons

Shift X

 

80

+35

800 tons

Shift Y

 

85

+37

1,600 tons

 

 

90

+40

3,200 tons

Shift Z

 

95

+42

6,400 tons

Class 1000

 

100

+45

12,800 tons

 

WereVerse Universe Baby!

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The Current President of South Korea is a Real Friend of the US

Posted on May 17, 2008 | Leave a comment
I doubt that many Americans even know the name of the current President of South Korea.  His name is Lee Myung-bak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Myung-bak).  Furthermore, I think even less Americans realize President Lee Myung-bak is talking all sorts of domestic flax in order to strengthen the relationship between South Korea and the US.  The opposition party has managed a propaganda campaign filled with half truths, innuendos and out right lies to continue the ban of US beef in South Korea due to supposed mad cow disease.  This in turn could affect the proposed FTA between South Korea and the US which is a win-win for both sides.  I had a talk with my Korean students over lunch yesterday and some of the stuff being propagated in the Korean media, not the English version, is pretty incredible.Did you know that? 1) Americans actually eat Australian beef because we are scared of American beef?  A visit to any supermarket in the US will quickly dispell this lie.2) Viruses in American beef will crawl to other beef on display such as Korean and Australian beef and infect that beef as well?  Viruses are particularily weak in this regards or we would all have AIDS.3) Korean are genetically 95% more likely to get mad cow disease than any other group?  Koreans are not a race and given that they are at the cross roads between China and Japan probably are more genetically diverse than many other Asian groups.4) The government plans to feed US beef to Korean children and soldiers in order to save money and doesn’t care if they get mad cow disease?  Well this last one may or may not be true and the answer is to make a very small regulation that fixes this “problem” rather than banning US beef altogether.

 

My students are pretty astute in general and the fact that they have fallen for such heavy handed propaganda saddens me greatly.  I tried to deal with these ridicolous claims one by one but I am sorry to report I think I failed.  You cannot combat hundreds of years of xenophobia over a single lunch.  I have been reading a great deal of Korean history lately and the meme of “foreign contamination” is deeply ingrained in Korean culture.

 

The fact is that most Koreans do want US beef on the Korean market(http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/116_24257.html).  I tried to point out that if an individual Korean had concerns about US beef then they should exercise their right as a consumer and not eat US beef.  The students countered that the crawling mad cow virus would contaminate the beef next to it!  Against such lies what chance does the truth have?

 

The opposition is using every dirty xenophobic trick to derail beef sales and the FTA deal and ultimately the relationship between South Korea and the US.  President Lee Myung-bak has paid a heavy domestic price for his actions and his approval ratings have plummeted.  The US has to be very clever and adroit in the handling of this situation or ultimately Anti-American leftists in South Korea are the ultimate winners.

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