Steam-Roller

Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

Grenades (i): Averill carries six grenades, pinned to his vest so he can blow up some Cobras. These explosives can be thrown anywhere within near missile range, and detonate to inflict intensity 10 damage to uncovered targets within near missile range of their detonation point.

High-powered Pistol (a): Averill carries this hand cannon on his person at all times, mounted on a hip holster. He can fire this beast to inflict his Agility +5 damage per blast, though it does not have a semi-auto function; it sacrifices volume for power.

the Joe-Com (i): this is a new device given to all Joes since the group's reactivation. This high-tech wristband functions as an audio/video transceiver with various other goodies built in to help a soldier on the go, and is described in greater detail in its own equipment entry.

Knife (s): Averill always carries a blade on his person; sure he's strong as an ox, but sometimes you just have to cut something instead of beating on it. His blade is made from m.s. 12 materials, and can cut through items of like m.s., or be used to inflict +2 damage in melee.

the Mobile Command Center (i): this huge, mobile facility is a multi-story base of operations the Gi Joe team can literally wheel into action anywhere. Averill usually drives this beast for the Joes, since he knows it inside and out. It is described in its own vehicular entry.

Hindrances:

(none)

Skills:

Boxing (s): Averill has always known how to throw a punch, though his time in the Army has helped him polish his skills some. Averill may divide his pre-cardplay action score between two unarmed melee attacks, the last of which occurs as a contingent action.

Brawling (s): furthermore, Averill fights hard and mean. If he reduces a foe to zero Health or Cards in unarmed melee, Averill can reduce them to a comatose state, reflecting the savage beating he has dished out. He's a surly cuss, that's for sure.

Driving (a): a consummate professional driver, Averill is only truly happy when he's driving something with a weight rated in 'tons'. He can handle most ground vehicles with ease, and should receive a reduced difficulty on any maneuvers he attempts while behind the wheel of one.

Marksmanship (a): a skill he didn't have before enlisting, Averill can thank the military for his ability to effectively use a firearm. Whether he's got a standard, semi-automatic or fully automatic rifle or pistol in hand, Averill may fire it at a reduced difficulty.

Military / United States (w): though he originally joined simply as a means to an end, Averill has come to love the military life - especially for the heavy machinery opportunities it provides. His training gives him the ability to function effectively in a fighting unit.

Calling:

Thrill-seeker: Averill loves the sheer thrill of riding behind the wheel of incredibly heavy machinery. If it's weight is rated in tons, he'll happily drive it anywhere. This is ultimately why he enlisted; the Army has all the really, really big rides...

Costume:

Averill dresses like a trucker, both on and off the job. His 'uniform' consists of a black vest over his bare chest, a brown pair of trousers, a dark brown leather belt, a brown hip holster for his firearm, brown boots and gloves, and a black cap with 'dog' or 'mack' printed on the front.

Personality:

More than anything else, Averill lives his life large... very large. He's stubborn, ornery, mean-tempered, bad-humored and uncouth, but if you ever need to move something that weighs over ten tons, he's probably the best man for the job. He likes to drive the big rigs!

Real Name: Averill B. Whitcomb, Grade E-5
Occupation: heavy equipment operator
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with a probable minor criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: Gi Joe

Height: 6' 2"
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown
Weight: 240 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Averill has a tattoo on his left bicep of a heart with an arrow sticking through it.

Story:

Averill grew up in Minnesota, where he developed his fondness for incredibly large machines. He worked for a time handling cranes on the Great Lakes, drove earth-movers in Appalachian strip mines, and has operated four-lane asphalt graders in numerous states around the country.

Signing up with the Army got him access to the really big stuff though. He spent years driving M-15A2 tank transporters, after which he was chosen to drive the really big rigs for the Gi Joe team. Sure, Hardtop gets to handle the Defiant crawler, but Averill drives the Mobile Command Center!

This mammoth vehicle is Averill's pride and joy, a vehicle three stories tall that is transported by four separate tank tread drives. Armed to the teeth and armored enough to withstand heavy enemy fire, the Mobile Command Center has proven to be Averill's ultimate ride.

While working with the Joes, it is his job to operate the M.C.C., and position it for the team's use on missions. When it's not needed in the field, Averill simply uses the M.C.C. as an element of the Gi Joe team's security, guarding the Pitt III with it clandestinely.

He accomplishes this by actually burying the thing in the sands around the Joes' headquarters, and drives it out of its tomb to surprise enemy forces, as he did when the Python Patrol attempted an operation with two brainwashed Joes they'd arranged to get slipped back into the base.

Thanks to Averill's quick thinking and overwhelming application of firepower, he managed to stop Cobra's air support cold - even if it caused damage to his ride in the process (the Python Conquest stopped the M.C.C. by crashing into it hard). Averill doesn't get a lot of field work, but he keeps busy.

He's served the Gi Joe team in this capacity well, at least up until it was temporarily deactivated back in '94. When they got back together a scant few years later, Averill was eventually called back into the fold to help with heavy machinery operations.

Most of his work was done in the background, but if you paid attention you could see him in the Joes' major operations, as was the case during World War III, when Averill helped his fellow Joes to prevent a planetary takeover by none other than Cobra's terrorist forces!

Extra Goodies:

Gi Joe directories featuring a version of Steam Roller: