Elastic Hero (WIP)

[N/A]

Player Name: ShaenTheBrain

Character Name: The Newt

Power Level: 10 (150/150PP)

Tradeoffs: None

Unspent Power Points: None

Progress To Gold Status: 0/90 (Silver Status earned with The Scarab)

In Brief: Johnny Storm got stretching instead of fire powers.

Alternate Identity: Keahi Kekoa

Identity: Public

Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Residence: Freedom City, New Jersey, USA

Base of Operations: Freedom City, New Jersey, USA

Occupation: Superhero

Affiliations: University of Hawaii at Monoa (former student athlete)

Family: Haunani Kekoa (Mother), Akamu Kekoa (Father), Leilani Kekoa (Younger Sister)

Catchphrase: “FIIISSST!!!â€

Description:

Age: 21 (DoB: 1993)

Apparent Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Polynesian

Height: 6ft 2in

Weight: 185 lbs.

Eyes: Green

Hair: None

Out of costume, Keahi usually wears a bandana or durag over his bare scalp, which he is still somewhat self-conscious about. He favors a casual but mainstream style, involving a lot of polo shirts and cargo pants. While "on the job," he wears a dark skintight jumpsuit with yellow splotches, vaguely reminiscent of a fire salamander, made from morphic molecules which stretch and bend with his body. He hasn't let his physical fitness dip since his athletic career ended, so his muscles are still rock-hard and well-defined.

Power Descriptions:

The Newt can stretch, compress, or bend any part of his body, as if it were made of rubber. When his body strikes a solid surface, it bounces. The tensile strength and malleable nature of his flesh makes him virtually immune to physical harm. He is, however, vulnerable to sudden temperature changes, exposure to corrosive acidic and alkaline substances, and electrical discharge, as though his body were made of unvulcanized rubber.

History:

Keahi Kekoa grew up in Kalihi, a working-class industrial neighborhood in Honolulu. His family scraped by on his father’s salary as a schoolteacher while his mother stayed at home until he and his sister were old enough to become latch-key kids, after which she got a job at one of the resort hotels. Keahi was never better than an average student, but he was a “class clown†with plenty of natural athletic talent, so he was popular despite being a bit of a “weirdo.†Having a younger sibling forced him to learn a little empathy, so he managed to be popular without being a bully.

Keahi’s family wouldn’t have been able to afford to send him to college on their own, but luckily, the University of Hawaii at Manoa offered him a “full-ride†basketball scholarship. As one of their Rainbow Warriors, he proved to be one of the most promising young point guards in the NCAA.

Unfortunately, he drew the attention of a Yakuza fixer, who tried to convince him and several of his teammates to participate in a point-shaving scheme, and to use a new version of the designer-drug "Max" as a performance-enhancer. Keahi adamantly refused, and thought he’d convinced his teammates to do likewise. But behind his back, some of them accepted the fixer’s bribes, and his "help." The fixer decided to make an example of Keahi, hoping the rest of the chosen players would then fall in line.

Unbeknownst to Keahi, some of the Manaka residue from the Yakuza's new Max strain that he'd handled the previous day had been absorbed through his skin, and reacted unpredictably with his physiology. The next morning, Keahi awoke to find his bed full of hair. He ran his hand over his scalp, and it felt smooth. What didn’t fall out overnight sloughed off in the shower. His friends and fellow students complimented “his new look,†but he was terrified. He showed up to his favorite coffee shop that evening as usual, just as one of his teammates had told the fixer he would. Subdued and distracted by his sudden hair loss, Keahi didn’t notice the Yakuza hitman’s car until his partner started firing. The hitman emptied the clip of his submachinegun into Keahi. The bullets pressed a few inches into Keahi’s flesh without breaking his skin. A second later, the slugs bounced back and clattered onto the sidewalk.

The hitmen idled in front of the coffee shop for a few moments while Keahi stood there, all of them staring dumbfounded at the bullets. Then the Yakuza wheelman slammed on the gas pedal and laid a strip of burned rubber down onto the pavement. Without thinking, Keahi angrily ran after the hitmen, and, to his surprise, kept pace with their car. It took him a few more moments to notice that his arms and legs grew longer with every step, and that his feet weren’t so much striking the asphalt as they were bouncing off of it. He reached out toward the car, and his arms stretched forward until his fingers grasped it. Then the rest of his body snapped forward like a rubber band, launching him up onto the moving car. A frantic brawl erupted between Keahi and the two hitmen. Their struggle caused the car to crash into a nearby lamp post. The police arrived to find Keahi sitting on the curb, without a scratch on him, with his elongated arms wrapped around the hitmen like coils of rope.

The failed assassination attempt kicked off an investigation that went higher and farther than anyone involved would have suspected. The low-level gangster bribing athletes and coaches and betting on fixed games was the tip of the iceberg. His operating funds came from money that the Yakuza had embezzled from the dues of one of the largest labor unions in the country, a union which included workers from all over the Pacific Rim and the American West Coast. Dozens of people were arrested and indicted. Layer after layer of gangsters and corrupt officials testified against those above them. The failed hit against Keahi turned out to be the one loose thread that unraveled an entire international crime syndicate.

Unfortunately for Keahi, no good deed goes unpunished. He swore that his powers had first manifested on that day, but with no way to conclusively prove it, UH Manoa was forced to forfeit the entire season. And since he was barred from any future athletic competitions, Keahi lost his scholarship and had to leave the university. He went from big man on campus to pariah and pauper.

He felt like he needed a fresh start, so he decided to move as far away as possible, all the way to Freedom City. He hoped that, if any of the people he helped put in prison ever came back for revenge, this would also move their target away from his family. He spent three months working a minimum-wage part-time job while attending classes at a community college before quitting both in frustration. He doubted he would have been able to keep up the balancing act even if he wasn’t also superheroing on the side. And with his newfound powers, his studies seemed pointless. What career was he going to achieve that would compare to being a superhero? (The idea that he might lose his powers, or that they might fade, did not occur to him.)

One of the few college friends who would still acknowledge his existence was an economics major who had interned for a venture capital firm the previous summer. He managed to get Keahi in to see them, and helped him put together his proposal: The V.C. puts up some seed money in exchange for a partial stake in Keahi's new "brand," his superhero identity, and when profits from merchandise sales, endorsements, and public appearances start rolling in, they take a cut. Everyone involved gets to make money by making the world a better place. The pitch swayed the investors. They hired an advertising/marketing professional to come up with a family-friendly, non-threatening name and look. The initial seed money was enough to set Keahi up with an apartment, basic living expenses, and even a couple of employees to manage his new website, social media accounts (which those in need can use to ask for his help), and print-on-demand online merchandise store. The Newt took to the streets looking for some wrongs to right, and some cameras to watch him do it.

Personality & Motivation:

Keahi is a basically good person who wants to use his newfound gifts to help people. But since his efforts at work/life balance have failed so far, he wants to make "being a superhero" his career instead of his hobby. That depends upon public adoration, so he is acutely aware that fame and image are of paramount importance. But he would be lying if he tried to claim that his striving for the limelight was entirely pragmatic. On the contrary, he is quite comfortable being the center of attention. He is young, immature, brash, cocky, impulsive, and sarcastic, which is potentially a recipe for thorough unpleasantness. But he tempers it with a calm confidence and natural panache which usually manages to make him charming instead of obnoxious. He isn't anything close to a deep thinker, and he has no head for strategy. But he won't hesitate to throw himself into harm's way to help a total stranger, and he won't leave until he's managed to put a smile back on their face.

---

Complications:

All About The Benjamins: The Newt is an investment, and Keahi's backers expect to make a profit on it. If his actions in public damage his brand, and thus, his profitability, then his investors could make his life more complicated.

Cursed With Bald of Awesome: When his powers started manifesting, all of Keahi's body hair fell out, including his eyebrows, eyelashes, nosehairs, fingernails and toenails. A GM can give him a penalty to checks which require tactile sensitivity or dexterity, or to saving throws against effects which target his eyes or nose (especially if they involve the invasion of foreign matter). Additionally, while he is handsome overall, his condition may appear unsettling enough to some to warrant a penalty on certain social interaction checks.

Family: Because of his public identity (see below), a villain may decide to hurt Keahi through his parents or his sister. Because they live on the other side of the planet, he would be unable to respond quickly.

Glory Hound: The GM can demand that Keahi take a foolhardy course of action for the sake of his public image, or impose a penalty on a check or saving throw to resist or recognize a foolhardy course of action which could yield public adoration.

Public Identity: Keahi's identity is not secret. He wears a mask as a nod to superhero tradition, and to reduce the chance that he’ll be recognized out of costume. But his real name is easy to find (it’s on his website), which makes other information about him (like his home address) accessible to those with the right skills and/or resources. This also makes him an easy target for lawsuits.

Sucker For A Pretty Face: Keahi's libido has a tendency to override his rational brain. The GM can give him a penalty to checks and saving throws which involve resisting the allure of the opposite sex. The GM can also demand that he take a foolhardy course of action which may result in female attention.

Abilities: 4 + 8 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 10 = 30PP

Strength: 14 (+2) (Heavy Load: 175 lbs.)

Dexterity: 30/18 (+10/+4)

Constitution: 20/18 (+5/+4)

Intelligence: 10 (+0)

Wisdom: 10 (+0)

Charisma: 20 (+5)

Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP

Initiative: +10/+4

Attack: +4 Base, +10 Melee

Grapple: +20/+10, up to +30 with Elongation

Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed

Knockback: 5/2, 10/2 vs Physical Damage

Saving Throws: 5PP

Toughness: +10/+4, Impervious 10/0 vs Physical Damage

Fortitude: +5/+4 [0PP]

Reflex: +10/+4 [0PP]^Evasion

Will: +5 [5PP]

Skills: 28R = 7PP

Acrobat 2 (+20/+6)

Bluff 15 (+20)

Escape 0 (+10/+4, up to +20 with Elongation, Automatic with Insubstantial)

Knowledge (Pop Culture) 4 (+4)

Notice 5 (+5)

Stealth 2 (+20/+6)

Feats: 16PP

Acrobatic Bluff

Attack Focus (Melee) 6

Benefit (Wealth)

Connected

Distract (Bluff)

Dodge Focus 6

Elusive Target

Evasion

Grapple Finesse

Hide In Plain Sight

Improved Grapple

Interpose

Move-By Action

Takedown Attack

Powers: 10 + 28 + = 86PP

Bouncing 9 (x1,000, Max Distance 12,000ft [2.4 miles], Flaws: Limited [No Protection Effect], Feats: Ricochet) [10PP]

Elasticity 14 (28PP Array) [28PP]

Base Power: [9 + 12 + 5 + 2 = 28PP]

Damage 8 (Feats: Mighty) [9PP] (Spring-Loaded Strikes)

Elongation 10 (5,000ft [1 mile] Max, 500ft per Move Action, Feats: Improved Range 2 [500ft Range Increments for Melee Attacks) [12PP] (Stretching)

Insubstantial 1 [5PP] (Human Clay)

Super-Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling) [2PP] (Human Cling-Wrap/Silly-Putty)

Enhanced Constitution 2 [2PP] (Elasticity)

Enhanced Dexterity 12 [12PP] (Elasticity)

Enhanced Feats 8 (Elusive Target, Evasion, Grapple Finesse, Hide In Plain Sight, Improved Grapple, Interpose, Move-By Action, Takedown Attack) [9PP] (Elasticity)

Enhanced Skills 16 (Acrobat 8, Stealth 8) [4PP] (Elasticity)

Immunity 2 (Critical Hits, Flaws: Limited [Physical Damage]) [1PP] (Homogenous Elasticity)

Immunity 10 (Impact Damage [Falls, Knockback, Slams]) [10PP] (Bouncing, Elasticity)

Impervious Toughness 10 (Flaws: Limited [Physical Damage]) [5PP] (Elasticity)

Protection 5 [5PP] (Elasticity)

Super-Senses 1 (Extended Vision [100ft Notice Increments]) [1PP] (Stretched Eyeballs)

Drawbacks: (-3) + (-1) + (-3) + (-3) = -10PP

Vulnerability (Cold, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [+50%]) [-3PP]

Vulnerability (Corrosion/Disintegrate, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [-1PP]

Vulnerability (Electricity, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [+50%]) [-3PP]

Vulnerability (Fire, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [+50%]) [-3PP]

Combat Block:

ATTACK                RANGE  SAVE                     EFFECT
Unarmed               Touch  DC17 Toughness (Staged)  Damage (Physical)
Spring-Loaded Strike  Touch  DC25 Toughness (Staged)  Damage (Physical)

Totals: Abilities (30) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (5) + Skills (7) + Feats (16) + Powers (86) - Drawbacks (10) = 150/150 Power Points

Edited October 5, 2014 by ShaenTheBrain

[Raveled]

Morphing into any form, with the same coloration?

[N/A]

Yeah. It's kind of a stretchy staple. His shape changes, but his colors don't. In this case, it's just for fun. It's not meant to fool anyone.

[Brown Dynamite]

One thing that comes to mind is a mixture of.  Half-Effect Immunity to Bludgeoning damage with some Impervious Toughness.  For those stretchy heroes whom can technically be hurt by a punch, it just has to be one monstrous bit of a punch.

[N/A]

Thought about it, but I don't think I can afford it.

[Ari]

I like that Morph, Shaen, classic Plastic Man right there.

Only thing I'm curious about are the Skills. They're super-focused and useful, which is good and all, but to me they look almost better suited to a construct than a person. What's the reason for that?

[N/A]

It's a WIP, not a completed build.  It's the skeleton of a build, upon which the flesh of a character has yet to be grafted.

[N/A]

There.  I think I finally tinkered enough and wound up with a "true" PL10 build I can be happy with.

[N/A]

Figured out a name and costume (see above). Still retooling the backstory. Build might need a couple tweaks depending on that.

Edited September 9, 2014 by ShaenTheBrain

[Raveled]

I would switch the color scheme around. It looks a bit dark for a jokester hero.

[N/A]

Here's another couple of costume ideas:

Edited September 10, 2014 by ShaenTheBrain

[KnightDisciple]

Of the 3 presented so far, I like the one with yellow primary and black secondary (the left option of the two directly above) the most.

[Ari]

Hm...if he's supposed to be based on a Yellow-Spotted Newt, then there's a great way to present his jokey Spider-Manishness, his stretchiness, and call out to his namesake.

First off, a dark, midnight blue for the base color. Like Spidey, the blue makes no sense, but is very superheroy and a versatile color. And it's in keeping with real yellow-spotteds, who are themselves often dark blue.

Then, rows of yellow dots along the trunk, with very large dots over the Newt's eyes, which can be comically large pseudo-eyes or ominous blank orbs staring down at the bad guy who just pushed our lovable prankster a step too far. Like how Jack in the Box can be silly or terrifying depending on context.

For the arms and legs, doing what you did with the sides on the right picture, streaks of yellow bordered with blue to suggest stretchiness.

How's that sound, Shaen? Anything workable in it?

[N/A]

The look is based on the spotted salamander and the fire salamander, yes. I find them both striking and pleasing to the eye.

I'm really want to avoid blue/yellow, because between Claremont and Centurion, it's so ubiquitous among PCs and NPCs alike. I'm also trying to avoid the blue/orange combo that Thrude uses, or making red the dominant color like with The Scarab. I thought about going blue/red, but that feels too much like ripping off Spider-Man's look, and though I've found pics of blue newts and red newts, I have yet to find one that was both.

I decided on yellow as the main color, partially because of the look of the animals in question, partially because of the connotations of yellow and gold described here, and partially because yellow against a field of black is a popular marketing choice. Yellow is an instinctually attention-grabbing color, and it is easier for human eyes to focus on yellow objects and perceive fine details of yellow objects at a distance than it is for objects of most other colors. 2/3 of the costumes so far use yellow as an accent color instead of a main one, because it has the power to completely overwhelm the outfit if too much is used. I was worried that was the case with #2, but for some reason, that seems to be the most popular one so far.

(Everything I just said about yellow applies to red as well, but, again, I wanted to avoid another red costume among my stable.)

[Ari]

Well darn. Those are some pretty ard points to argue with, and it'd do no good to try. Though the trend has always been for medium to light blues and yellow, rather than dark blues. Point stands, though.

I'd vote for the right-most one. Still think huge swathes of color over the eyes would be perfect, even if it'd make him look kinda like Geckoman.

Hmmm...what about huge patches of black over the eyes, continuing from the trend on the trunk? Or a black cowl with yellow eyemarks?

[Brown Dynamite]

I'm a fan of the rightmost one.

[N/A]

Finally started cranking out the fluff.