Destro Strength Agility Intellect Willpower 7d 7b 8c 9b Hand Size: 5 (30) Edge: 3 Powers: (none) Equipment: Beryllium Face Mask (s): something of a family heirloom, this face mask covers James' entire head, front and back, and offers the man +4 protection against any physical attacks that strike him there, having been built to last. Originally, the mask was simply a protective piece and family badge of honor, but James has recently added the following devices to his distinctive headgear: * Computer Link / Heads-Up Display (i): James' helmet can readily link to any equipment designed to communicate with it (usually his own M.A.R.S. devices and his various strongholds). It can do so with intensity 10 ability, acquiring all manner of tactical information as is needed. This information is broadcast in front of James' eyes as a sort of holographic display. * One-Shot Laser (a): James has built a gotcha into his helmet, in the form of this highly effective laser. Though it can only be fired once before its power supply is drained, this weapon can inflict damage as would any other +5 weapon to anyone or anything James is looking at; the laser is emitted through the left eye lens on James' helmet. Few (if any) people know of this secret weapon. * Ultravision (w): in addition to the impressive array of information that he can gather via his computer link, James can also gain unique data regarding his environment thanks to a special filter in his helmet's lenses that, once activated, allow him to see into the ultraviolet spectrum. This helmet option functions at intensity 5, giving him full night vision, as well as the ability to see some otherwise invisible things. Ceremonial Sabre (v2, s): when he formed the Iron Grenadiers, James decided that he needed something of a regal weapon to carry when leading his troops into battle. This sabre, of material strength 13, can be used to cut through items of like material strength, or to inflict damage as would a +2 weapon to anyone foolish enough to combat him in melee. the Despoiler (v2, i): another weapon that James adopted upon forming the Iron Grenadiers, this rocket powered hovercraft serves as both a personal conveyance and a chariot to lead him into battle. Unlike historical chariots, however, the Despoiler is armed with a large array of anti-personnel ordnance, and it (along with the Despoiler itself) is described in the Despoiler's own entry. the Dominator (v8, i): this curious vehicle, also of James' design, is a strange combination of a tank and a helicopter; it can quickly move from one function to the other in battle, as is needed. While this was originally manned by his expert drivers / pilots while he maintained the Iron Grenadiers as a force to be reckoned with, this revamped vehicle is now flown by Destro alone. Check it out in its own entry. Flak Jacket (v7, v8, v9, s): some time after his return to Cobra, James began to wear a beryllium steel, bullet-proof armor piece under his stylish leather jacket. This handy defensive implement provides James +4 protection against physical attacks that strike him in the torso. Having been built to last, this rather durable, bullet-resistant vest has already saved James' life more than once... Laser Pistol (a): a special weapon of his own design, years ahead of conventional firearms, this device is essentially a field-portable laser emitter - in a convenient pistol form. This weapon, when fired at a foe, can inflict damage per a deadly, +5 weapon with every shot, eight of which the pistol can make before it must be recharged. The gun itself is of 8 material strength. Lightning Dagger (v4, v7, s): adopted after he was brainwashed by Doctor Mindbender's 'evil' implants, James started carrying around this mirror of the evil Doc's own personal blade when he rejoined Cobra. Of material strength 13, this short, yet jagged knife can be used to cut through materials of like strength, or can be used to inflict damage per a +2 weapon upon James' opponents. Machine Gun (a): never a man to be caught unarmed, James always has at least one machine gun handy while he's on a mission, whether or not he has other hardware to back him up. This gun can be fired to inflict damage as a +4 weapon in a single shot, a +5 weapon in a semi-automatic burst, and acts as a +6 weapon in a fully automatic hail of lead. Razor Disk Launcher (v3, v5, a): a bizarre contraption that Destro picked up once he rejoined Cobra, this large weapon fires razor sharp, armor piercing steel disks at people. These implements of destruction inflict damage as would a +7 weapon, and are meant to be used against enemy armor, though in a pinch, they'd cut a person up an real good... Robotic Battle Armor (v4, i): built from stolen plans detailing advanced G.I. Joe armor technology, this suit of Cobra battle armor is a powerful foil for the standard Joe Star Brigade armor suits. Fully space-worthy, and armed with a very, very large rocket launcher, this suit is exceptionally dangerous in James' hands, and is fully detailed elsewhere, in its own equipment entry. Wrist Rockets (a): while this weapon system was only officially a part of James' first uniform, he wore these launchers all the time due to circumstances beyond his control. These wrist harnesses can fire four very small rockets at an opponent, rockets that can be targeted with James' heads-up display (for a +1 to hit), and inflict intensity 10 explosive (energy) damage upon his foes with each strike. Hindrances: (none) Skills: Boxing (s): while he's quite good with firearms of all sorts, James is also highly trained in the fine art of fisticuffs. He can divide his pre-cardplay action score between two unarmed melee attacks - whether they be punches, kicks, head butts, elbow smashes, or knee drops - the last of which will occur as a contingent action. Further, these attacks are made at a reduced difficulty level. Finance (w): while he is a skilled designer of weapons, a leader of fighting men, and a tactical genius, James also has a keen eye for business, in that he can sell just about anything if necessary. Furthermore, James has an intimate knowledge of the financial world's inner workings, and as such, he can bring his Willpower to bear on any action dealing with money or other financial matters. Electronics (i): James has embraced the world of electronics, and as such, he is able to construct all manner of advanced weaponry. With his extensive resources, he has brought a large array of high tech weapons into the world, and he doesn't show any sign of stopping now. He may reduce the difficulty of an action involved with the construction, repair, or design of electronic circuitry by one difficulty level. Engineering (i): though he has a well-versed understanding of high tech toys, James' skill as a weapon designer is based in his natural skill as an engineer. Whenever he's attempting to build something, be it a weapon, vehicle, or structure, James may reduce the inherent difficulty of the necessary action by one difficulty level, no matter how large an item he's trying to put together. Leadership (w): a confident, competent general, James has literally been raised in an environment that encourages excellence - martial or otherwise. As such, James broadcasts an air of effectiveness that others seem to instinctively pick up on, allowing him to lead them to victory. If James is leading a group, members of said group can add +1 to all their actions while following his directions. Marksmanship (a): an essential skill for a man who sells guns for a living, James has learned the ins and outs of virtually every conventional firearm known to man - it's a living, after all. As such, he can utilize any standard, semi-automatic, fully automatic, directed energy, or even superconducting hypervelocity rifle or pistol at one difficulty level lower than is otherwise required. Martial Arts (a): in addition to his ability to box, James can also bring various martial arts styles to bear while in combat. In effect, this allows him to utilize either his Strength or Agility in unarmed melee, even for the purposes of trumping, and also lowers the difficulty of any action meant to reduce falling damage or to catch weapons thrown at him. Military (w): though he's never served as a member of an officially recognized national armed force, James was taught the strictest military discipline by his father - discipline that has served him well in his career to date. As such, James knows the military mindset quite well, and in addition to being able to lead a group of fighting men into battle, he can pose as a member of virtually any armed force if need be. Piloting (a): as a part of the education imparted upon him by his father, James learned how to fly various aircraft as a general matter of course. When in the pilot's chair of an aircraft, James can make any necessary flight actions at one difficulty level lower than is usually necessary, and he even receives this bonus while involved in air to air combat! Calling: Exemplar, with a hint of Greed and World Domination: James is the twenty fourth man in a long line of Destro family arms dealers, stretching back hundreds of years. As a symbol of historical pride, he wears his mask in his daily dealings, and sells weapons to the highest bidder in order to continue the family tradition. Of course, he couldn't help but take advantage of the many opportunities Cobra offered him... Costume: James' first uniform is quite an odd one, consisting of a pair of black leather trousers, a black leather jacket with a large red collar (which he usually wore halfway open), a control harness on his chest to operate his wrist rockets, a pair of black leather gloves, a pair of black leather boots, a black leather belt, a red holster to contain his laser pistol, a family crest-bearing medallion, and his trademark silver face mask. After he created the Iron Grenadiers, James altered his uniform somewhat. He still wore the black leather trousers, boots and gloves, though he quit wearing his family crest-bearing amulet, and donned a new jacket one that bore golden spikes on the right shoulder. Also, he changed his signature mask to a golden color along with his belt, and donned a flashy red cape to lend an imperial air to his appearance. Once the Iron Grenadiers were essentially out of the picture, James adopted a third uniform, one that somewhat resembled his first. He returned to his original, silver face mask, and again donned his family crest-bearing amulet. His new leather jacket had a rather large red collar like his first (and he again wore it partially open), and he changed his leather gloves and belt to a bright red in color. At some point in time, James utilized a rather large suit of powered, space-worthy battle armor. This power suit was primarily red in color, though it had a chromed left hand, upper left arm, belt buckle, and lower legs, while it also had black shoulder pads and a black right arm, which wasn't an arm so much as an articulate rocket launcher. Of course, James' glass helmet showed his silver face mask underneath. After returning to his regular, non-powered uniform, James eventually altered its coloration somewhat. He changed his black leather jacket to a burgundy hue, and gave it a black collar. In addition to donning a red shirt under this jacket, he also made his boots much taller than before, being black on the bottom and burgundy over the knees. Of course, this is the second version of James' current alterations. His fashion sense obviously suffering due to the effect of Dr. Mindbender's mind control implants, James actually had the upper thighs of his leather pants, as well as his black collar, covered in a sort of leopard pattern instead of their current, less pimp-ish hue. He apparently realized his critical fashion error and changed out the leopard pattern soon enough, but this could be a sign of his implants slipping up... After having served with Cobra again for a time, James adopted a sixth uniform, one that largely resembled his third. This outfit consists of his original, silver face mask, and again includes his family crest-bearing amulet. His leather jacket has a rather large red collar like his first (and he once again wears it partially open), and he has changed his leather gloves and belt to bright red in hue. James decided to go with an all-new field uniform rather quickly. This one consists of black trousers with a white 'Destro' logo on the right leg, black leather boots with blue trim and steel toe guards, a silvery flak jacket under a black leather jacket with an oversized collar and blue shoulder pads, metallic arm bands, black gloves with silver, Cobra-labeled arm guards, and his silver face mask. His next outfit is one that he wears when driving his Dominator. It consists of gray trousers with a white 'Destro' logo on the right leg, gray leather boots with red trim and steel toe guards, a silvery flak jacket under a gray leather jacket with an oversized collar and red shoulder pads, gray gloves with red, Cobra-labeled arm guards, and his trademark silver face mask. James' ninth field uniform is another variant of his seventh - and is almost identical, in fact. It includes dark blue trousers, dark blue leather boots with solid blue trim and steel toe guards, a silvery flak jacket under a dark blue leather jacket with an oversized, deep blue collar and deep blue shoulder pads, silver gloves with black Cobra-labeled arm guards, and of course his traditional family mask. Personality: James McCullen Destro XXIV is a very honorable, stand up kind of guy. He's involved with shady folks as an occupational hazard, but doesn't let them sully his personal ethics any. Don't let that fool you, however, for the man is in the international arms business, and has no qualms about delivering items to people that they'll use to kill each other - heck, he often sells his wares to both sides in a conflict! Real Name: James McCullen Destro XXIV Occupation: international terrorist and arms dealer, former leader of Cobra Legal Status: Citizen of the United Kingdom (Scotland) wanted by various authorities for his actions Marital Status: single Alias(es), if any: none Group Affiliation: Cobra, the Iron Grenadiers Height: 6' 4" Hair: brown Eyes: brown Weight: 195 lbs. Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none Story: James got his start in the international arms trade when, as a teenager, he began to accompany his father, James McCullen Destro XXIII, on various sales throughout the world. It was on one such deal, in Vietnam, that James first met the Baroness, whose father had just been killed by two Vietnamese operatives. She mistook an American G.I. as the killer, however - a mistake which would haunt her (and James) later. Oblivious to the future, James eventually got really good at what he did, and took over the family business within a few years; it is unknown whether or not his father died or simply retired. Regardless, once he was in charge of the Military Armaments Research Systems corporation (or M.A.R.S., the family business), James took advantage of a unique opportunity, in the form of Cobra. You see, this budding little terrorist organization was in need of new hardware, and with their almost limitless budget, James made a veritable fortune supplying them with all the destructive devices they ordered. In time, however, the leader of this group, the one and only Cobra Commander, asked James to assist him directly in the administration of his organization, and he did indeed join Cobra proper. Donning the family mask at last, James began calling himself Destro, and after adopting a unique combat uniform, he became Cobra's field commander, leading Cobra Commander's troops into battle. Of course, when it was revealed that James and the Baroness knew each other before they worked for Cobra, the Commander's overdeveloped sense of paranoia kicked in - and how! Believing that his two confidantes were going to attempt to usurp his control of Cobra - and rightly so to some extent - Cobra Commander then brought Major Bludd into Cobra, with the secret mission of eliminating James! When the mercenary made his move, James managed to avoid the fate that the Commander wanted for him, but the Baroness was severely injured in his stead. Bludd survived the aftermath of his assassination attempt, however, and the Commander convinced James that Bludd was acting alone, wanting the Baroness for himself. Though he swore to kill the man, James nonetheless let Bludd's treachery slide when he and the Baroness turned up at Cobra headquarters after the Commander himself was captured by the Joes. Naturally, nobody wanted to rescue him, either. In fact, the trio of Cobra high-ups planned on taking over Cobra in the Commander's absence. However, Cobra Commander did get away from the Joes with the timely assistance of his bodyguard, Storm Shadow, and avoided death at the hands of the triple threat's minions, Firefly and Wild Weasel, thanks to the one and only Zartan. Soon after, however, Cobra Commander would betray James yet again. James decided to get even with the Commander, and eventually take control of Cobra away from him, but over time, his inherent sense of loyalty kept him from taking advantage of various opportunities to kill the man, including an attempt by Major Bludd and the Baroness to kill the Commander - with his own son! Not one to abide by patricide, he simply couldn't allow this assassination to proceed. With time, the two villains managed to put their differences behind them for a time, and James even helped to save Cobra for the Commander when the Joes invaded and demolished Cobra's American headquarters, Springfield. Soon after that, he even sided with the man, to a point, when the ambitious genetic construct known as Serpentor tried to weasel control of Cobra away from him. Shortly thereafter, James and the Commander were buried under the Pit when Cobra attacked it in retaliation for the Springfield strike, and were believed to be dead. Once they escaped from their predicament, James went into retirement from international terrorism, returning to Scotland in order to devote his full attention to the family business. However, Cobra followed him there - or rather, preceded him. You see, Serpentor hired Major Bludd to impersonate James, in order to get ahold of his copies of Terror Drome blueprints. With the help of several Joes, James defeated this plot - and Major Bludd - and was able to recover his family fortunes. In time, however, Cobra started to get into the international arms business too, which caused James to retaliate by forming his own army: the Iron Grenadiers! These guys caused Cobra all kinds of trouble, both before, during, and after the Cobra Island Civil War. More disciplined and better equipped, the Grenadiers gave Cobra a run for their money. Furthermore, after James was reunited with the Baroness (who'd thought him dead until the end of the Civil War), he managed to take over Cobra itself for a time, setting up a much more efficient hierarchy. Soon enough, however, James' involvement in Cobra affairs came to a close, after the Baroness almost died in a plot to kill Snake-Eyes, the man she thought had killed her father so long ago. When James went into semi-retirement with his one true love after this calamity, he left his distant relative, Darklon, in charge of M.A.R.S. while he and the Baroness... got to know each other again. While this occurred, the original Cobra Commander retook his organization, disposing of a very large amount of traitors in the process. He was preoccupied with various ends for over a year, but his inherent paranoia once again pegged James as a threat to his continued business. As such, the Commander put a ten million dollar contract out on James' head - and all kinds of unsavory folks tried to collect on it. With the help of the Joe team, as well as Zartan and Cobra Commander's son, James managed to escape this plot, though that wasn't all the Cobra Commander had in store for his former field commander. You see, while he was hunting for James, Cobra Commander had captured the Baroness, and used his Brain-wave Scanner to turn her against James. Her programming compelled her to kill James soon after her rescue. This plot also failed, and for a while Cobra Commander apparently dropped his grudge against James. A few years later, though, he picked it back up again, and he and James fought viciously over James' castle in Trans-Carpathia. The structure passed between the two military commanders' hands several times during this conflict, though Cobra Commander ultimately won out in the end, thanks to Dr. Mindbender's work. This work, in which the evil Doctor had implanted a mind control chip inside James' brain, came to light after Cobra Commander cloned the man back into existence. Using the implant, Cobra Commander brainwashed James into serving him again, effectively turning him 'evil' once more. This fate was shared by Zartan, the Baroness, and several other folks that were formerly in Cobra's service soon after. Having rebuilt his command structure and taken over what he wanted to be his new headquarters, Cobra Commander had apparently won in the end - especially after the G.I. Joe team was deactivated shortly thereafter. Once that was done, there was no one to rescue James and his fellows from the Commander's mind control, and as such, James continues to serve Cobra - if against his will - to this very day. Of course, recent developments have revealed that the Destro who has been functioning alongside the forces of Cobra since its revival was, in fact, an impostor. This fellow, the illegitimate son of James Destro the 23rd, did everything he could to take over the United States with Cobra at his beck and call. However, his gambit ultimately failed, and the devices he used to keep his father immobile failed. Once he was revived, James had a thing or two to say to this young fellow... Note: while James and various other people had been effectively been brainwashed into doing Cobra Commander's bidding in the late nineties, it has been revealed that, in time, these folks would shake off this 'evil' conditioning. However, this turn of events has yet to be detailed thus far, so it is not known if James - or if any of the others - have yet to accomplish this liberating feat.