 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
              |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Quasar
Powers: Immortality: after Air Force pilot Jim Hanrahan gave him the Star Brand, Wendell became immortal. He can be killed, but he won't die. If brought to zero health points and actually slain, his body will assume a regenerative form, a sort of fish-headed, pink humanoid looking thing with really loose, baggy skin (until he's all healed up). Even total body disintegration cannot stop this regeneration from occurring. Resistance to Aging: while he's unkillable, per se, Wendell still ages, though at an extremely slow rate. Consider this a +5 resistance to aging attacks and such, as he's got at least a 2500 year life span. Wendell never figured out how to extend his life span further before he 'lost' the Star Brand, but then, he didn't know he had this power (and still doesn't).
Equipment: the Quantum Bands: Wendell's claim to fame, these powerful devices have the ability to access the Quantum Zone, a realm of potential energy that permeates the multiverse, with intensity 25 ability. So far, Wendell has managed to learn all kinds of nifty ways in which to utilize this energy as the Protector of the Universe, either damaging or not, such as: * Ability Boost: one ability the quantum bands have demonstrated, but Wendell himself has yet to master, this power allows him to significantly enhance his Strength score with an infusion of quantum energy. Working at intensity 8, this power can boost Wendell's Strength to 15, allowing him to go toe to toe with the strongest of opponents - should he figure out that he can, that is. * Absorption: this potent power allows Wendell to use the Quantum Bands to absorb any non-kinetic (brute force), non-magical, non-psionic energies, doing so with intensity 18 ability. This purloined energy is scattered throughout the Quantum Zone, and as such, Wendell cannot put it to other use. Considering his other energy manipulation powers, though, this isn't a serious limitation. * Computer Link: the power of the quantum bands is irrevocably linked to the life force of their creator, Eon, or its descendant(s), such as Epoch. As such, their wielder can communicate with this being as per an intensity 18 computer link, allowing the current Protector of the Universe to gain all manner of information via his mentor's cosmic awareness powers. * Dimensional Travel: the quantum bands allow Wendell to hop from our universe into the Quantum Zone. He can do so with intensity 18 skill, and knows the Passengers stunt, allowing him to take up to 18 folks on a quantum trip with him. However, this power is bound by the One Plane Only limitation (this power can only transport folks to the Quantum Zone and back. * EMP Protection: since they aren't electronic devices, per se, on top of the fact that they are energy absorbing mechanisms, the twin quantum bands are completely immune to any sort of interference that could be caused by electromagnetic pulses (EMP). In fact, these twin, bejeweled artifacts seem to be completely resistant to jamming of any sort. * Energy Blast: the quantum bands have the ability to issue forth blasts of the raw, potential energies of the Quantum Zone, which can be used to inflict intensity 18 damage of a concussive nature. Alternately, however, they can be used to fire blasts of virtually any energy form, as long as it is non-magical and non-psionic in nature. Dangerous, no? * Enhanced Senses / Energy Detection: a potent ability of the quantum bands is their power to detect all manner of universal energies. Functioning at intensity 18, this power allows the wielder of the quantum bands to perceive any non-magical, non-psionic energies as plain as day, whether they be thermal, electromagnetic, sonic, or whatever. * Flight: thanks to their power to defy gravity, the Quantum Bands allow their wielder to fly about at decent speeds in an atmosphere. Functioning at intensity 8 power, this ability lets Wendell fly around at approximately 375 miles per hour; however, it should also be noted that the quantum bands offer the space flight power, described below. * Invisibility: due to their potent light bending properties, the quantum bands have the ability to render either themselves or their wielder invisible. Functioning at intensity 18, this power comes in handy when Wendell is in his secret identity (as the bands are permanently bound to his body), and can be used to play tricks on any number of opponents in battle. * Life Support: this intensity 18 power, offered by the quantum bands to their wielder, allows him to function pretty much indefinitely in the vast depths of space, should that be necessary. In other words, it replaces the chemical energy generated by food, water, and air with quantum energy, though it doesn't really replace Wendell's need to sleep... * Light Control: though they can be used to emit and absorb most forms of energy, the quantum bands really shine when manipulating light. Empowered to do so at intensity 18, the bands allow Wendell to emit unfocused blasts of light, shape ambient light energies, and utilize the Blinding and Light Shapes power stunts. The latter, of course, is what Wendell is really known for. Any construct Wendell builds with the quantum bands can be of up to any material strength up to and including 18; Wendell can add 1 to the material strength of any construct for each exchange he spends in its construction, up to a practical limit of 25. Furthermore, these objects are permanent creations until dispelled by Wendell or otherwise destroyed; the latter leaving broken quantum bits all over. * Psi-Screen: though he has no control over psionic powers or energies, per se, Wendell has figured out how to produce a sort of quantum interference wave within his mind, which offers him the benefits of this power. Working at intensity 8, it enhances his resistance to psionic scans and manipulations greatly, and he can presumably use this trick to simulate the Psi-Field power stunt. * Space Flight: in addition to his regular flight abilities, Wendell can use the quantum bands, after entering the Quantum Zone, to fly at truly mind-boggling speeds. As the speed of light is no limiting factor within the Q-Zone, Wendell can use it to wield this power at intensity 18, which lets him get to virtually any point in the universe in mere moments, almost as quick as teleportation, even! * Telekinesis: this nifty ability allows Wendell to manipulate his quantum constructs, described above, with his mind, doing so with intensity 18 skill. Additionally, he can use big quantum 'hands' or whatnot to manipulate other objects, thus giving him this power as a general matter of course, though it is most definitely bound by the Visible limitation. * Unbreakable: the impressive Quantum Bands, built by the power of Eon for the various entities he grants the honor of being the Protector of the Universe, are quite durable. Forged by unknowable means, these unbelievably potent artifacts are essentially indestructible, unless they are annihilated by some cosmically powerful entity or another; and such beings have no real reason to, so there. * Unremovable: finally, it should be noted that the quantum bands, once donned by mere mortals, are there for the long haul. In other words, they remain upon the wrists (or whatever) of whoever wears them until their demise. As such, they cannot be targeted by disarming attacks or what have you, unless such attacks remove Wendell's arms; until he dies, however, his flesh will stay within the bands. the Star Brand: though he has supposedly 'burnt out' the power of the Star Brand that has been given to him by Air Force pilot Jim Hanrahan, Wendell nonetheless had access to its considerable power at one point in time, power he used to fight crime for a short period before reacquiring his stolen Quantum Bands. Wendell has demonstrated these Star Brand abilities so far: * Ability Boost: while he wielded the Star Brand, Wendell had this power at intensity 8, allowing him to enhance his Strength to 15 when he concentrated on it, for as long as he wanted to. Though this forced him to learn how to fight more physically than before, it nonetheless allowed him to continue on as a super hero until he recovered his Quantum Bands - and he kind of liked it, really. * Body Armor: nominally, Wendell had a +5 resistance to all physical and energy attacks while he bore the Star Brand, though he could conceivably increase this invulnerability some depending on his emotional state; the more determined a body is while using the Star Brand, the more likely they are to access greater levels of its power. This could theoretically rise to +10 in scope. * Energy Blast: by extending its energies outside himself, Wendell can create startling displays of the unknown, paradoxical power of the Star Brand. While he can focus this into a directional blast of power, it typically manifests as a sort of explosion centered on his body, inflicting intensity 15 damage to everybody within one striking distance. * Enhanced Senses / Energy Detection: by placing the Star Brand over one of his eyes, Wendell could track various energy sources with intensity 10 ability, a power he used to get himself home once he'd recovered from being wiped out by the Ultimate Nullifier. It is unknown if he could 'see' energy patterns without putting the Brand over one of his eyes, but that's how it seemed to work. * Flight / Space Flight: Wendell could use the Star Brand to simulate both of these powers with intensity 15 skill, allowing him to move over the speed of sound in an atmosphere. Furthermore, he could use it in space to directly defy the laws of physics, and boost his flight speed up to faster than light levels, thereby crossing the vast depths of space nearly instantaneously. Neat trick, that. * Life Support: during his many adventures, Wendell has demonstrated that the Star Brand allowed him to function without air. It is likely that he wields this power at intensity 15, effectively neutralizing his need to breathe (save out of habit, of course). It is unknown, however, whether or not Wendell needs to eat or drink in order to survive; he probably doesn't, but he may not know this. * Portability: the Star Brand itself is easily portable, and Wendell can move it about on his person as he sees fit. If he wants to get rid of it, it is similarly easy to just move it onto the body of another person, should they want the thing. However, it is vital to note that the Star Brand cannot exist on an inanimate object; placing it upon such a thing is a very, very bad idea. This is because, without a true sentience to control it, the power will rage out of control, disintegrating the object (and a very large portion of the surroundings). For instance, placing the Star Brand into a bent ten pound weight destroyed said weight and all matter within a twenty five mile radius, accidentally creating the Pitt. Needless to say, this also ruined Ken Connell's day... Similarly, placing the Star Brand into a non-sentient animal isn't a good idea, either. This won't cause the calamity described above, but it will kill the animal over time, as the Star Brand's energies, unchecked, will consume it within days. Of course, this was discovered by the so-called Old Man during his many attempts to rid himself of this thing...
Hindrances:
Skills: Energy Control: having worked for many, many years in the applications of his energy control powers, Wendell can be considered a world class manipulator of energy, using his quantum bands to devastating effect in combat. All non-energy blast uses of his power reduce their difficulty by one level. Espionage: thanks to his time with S.H.I.E.L.D., Wendell has the basics of surveillance and information gathering techniques down pat; he has no practical experience, mind you, but he knows the basic theory behind it all, and could presumably put it to use in a pinch. Law Enforcement: his S.H.I.E.L.D. training has also taught Wendell how to enforce the law in a given populace, his training mostly centering on international law. Should he resume his membership with S.H.I.E.L.D., he can legally carry firearms and make arrests. Martial Arts: years of training both with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers have taught Wendell how to defend himself in unarmed combat. He can use his Agility instead of Strength in combat, even for trumps, and may reduce the difficulty of actions to lower falling damage or to catch thrown objects. Military: one aspect of his U.S. military and S.H.I.E.L.D. education has involved learning how to obey the orders of a superior officer, how to in turn give such orders to subordinates, and taught him how to otherwise fitting into and function within an organized military structure.
Calling:
Costume: However, he has worn several other costumes in the past. His first was similar to his current one, save for a golden belt and a different design on his chest; it was a yellow inverted triangle, divided into three separate parts vertically. Also, he wore a blue headband, and his red boots had yellow trimmings on the top; in other words, it was just like Marvel Boy's. Wendell's second costume consisted of a blue belt, cape, half-mask, leggings, and gloves, coupled with a sort of purple top that covered his torso, and a yellow image of his quantum warp effect. This second costume was one given to him by the enigmatic cosmic entity known as Origin, who retroactively gave it to him through time, and caused him to be enough of a temporal anomaly to escape Maelstrom's plots.
Personality:
Real Name: Wendell Elvis Vaughn
Height: 5' 10"
Story: Instead, Wendell's first assignment involved his guarding experiments on two alien artifacts wielded by the late Marvel Boy, who inadvertently disintegrated himself while using them. While his father was involved with the project, it wasn't nepotism that got Wendell that particular post; somebody in S.H.I.E.L.D. simply thought they were doing Wendell a favor. After a S.H.I.E.L.D. guinea pig got himself killed while experimenting with these artifacts, these Quantum Bands, an A.I.M. plant set up an attack on the testing facility in order to acquire the alien weapons. In a surprise attack, the high tech terrorists neutralized most of the S.H.I.E.L.D. guards, and in order to deal with them, Wendell donned the Bands - despite the grave risk to his person. Having observed that S.H.I.E.L.D. techie put the Bands through their paces, Wendell knew how to use them, more or less, and single-handedly defeated the A.I.M. invasion on the facility, a Stark International firm working with S.H.I.E.L.D. to figure out how the Bands worked. Once he'd won, however, Wendell felt the buildup of power that the others who've died using the Bands felt. Thinking he was going to die, Wendell flew up into the atmosphere with them, hoping his blast wouldn't hurt anybody, but his resignation to his fate, his urge to go with the flow of the energy, saved his life. Having discovered the key to wielding the Quantum Bands, Wendell returned to the Stark facility, only to be greeted by no less than Nick Fury himself. Soon after, Wendell had assumed the mantle of Marvel Man, and joined up with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Super-agent program. He was with this group for about six months, until it was discovered that two of these super-agents were actually infiltrators from a terrorist group, and the program was dismantled. With quite a resume behind him, Wendell then went to work for Project: Pegasus as its security director. He served in this role for a time, until two separate incidents made him feel he was inadequate in his role as head of security: the attack of the Nth Man on the facility, and his being mind-controlled by the elder powers of the Serpent Crown. Despondent over his feelings of personal failure, Wendell (who was now calling himself Quasar) agreed to go on a trip into space on the behest of his father - a trip to Uranus! Four years later, Wendell had arrived on the planet, on a quest to find some hint as to the origins of his Quantum Bands. He instead found the remnants of a dead civilization, the lost colony of the Uranian Eternals, who'd all been killed somehow. Wendell then encountered Deathurge, the embodiment of self-destruction, who wanted to claim Wendell - he'd been rather depressed, after all. Before Deathurge could finish Wendell off, however, he was brought into subspace by the power of Eon, who gave him the choice of being the next Protector of the Universe! After Eon explained just what was going on, and what was at stake - the rise of a great cosmic evil - Wendell agreed. Returning to Uranus, he defeated Deathurge and promptly took Eon back to earth with him. Eon had taught him how to properly use his Quantum Bands, you see, and in order to protect Eon from this great evil that was approaching, Wendell wanted to bring him to earth. Knowing that this threat would come from outer space, Wendell then began searching the earth in order to catalogue all the extraterrestrials that live there, while serving as an Avenger on the side! This took several months, and by the time he'd noted all the aliens on earth, the cosmic evil Eon spoke of arrived - in the form of a reborn Maelstrom! This mad villain, possessed of unspeakable power over kinetic energies, killed Wendell in order to acquire his Quantum Bands. However, Maelstrom was not unopposed in his efforts - not by a long shot. You see, that fiend was being backed by Oblivion, the cosmic representation of nothingness, who wanted to consume the cosmos. Opposed by Infinity, the embodiment of space, Maelstrom's chief opponent was kept from death with a sliver of Infinity's might, and he proceeded to kill Eon, at that entity's request, in order to prevent Maelstrom from stealing its cosmic awareness. This failed, however, and Maelstrom left the earth trapped in a kinetic field that prevented it from rotating while he journeyed to the center of the universe, and proceeded to collapse it in Oblivion's name. Entering the massive black hole Maelstrom was creating, Wendell was enhanced by Infinity's power, and managed to trick Maelstrom into destroying himself with the Quantum Bands. With that villain gone, the collapse of the universe ceased, and Wendell managed to return himself to true life before the power Infinity gave him faded. Donning a new costume, one that was his own, Wendell renewed his role as the Protector of the Universe, though one misadventure got him blasted across time - way across time! As a result of this, Quasar found himself in the so-called New Universe, and couldn't get home without outside help. As such, he found the holder of the Star Brand, that earth's most powerful weapon, and convinced the man to give it to him. Using the deadly weapon in conjunction with his Quantum Bands, Wendell managed to make it home at long last. Upon his arrival, however, Wendell inadvertently transferred the majority of the Star Brand to his girlfriend, Kayla Ballantine. He thought it was burnt out in transit to his own earth, but was wrong, and he gave her 90% of its might - if on accident. As such, while he continued on in his role as the universe's champion, she was targeted by all manner of beings wanting the Star Brand. He was unaware of this for quite some time, for he was dragged into one galactic situation after another, and missed her being abducted by Earth-S' Quagmire on the behalf of the Scadamites, so they could copy her powers and defeat a Black Fleet that was attacking their world. This ultimately failed, though Kayla herself inadvertently destroyed this Fleet herself in a fit of rage. As she slowly came to terms with her massive new powers, Wendell managed to get himself killed - nullified, even - as a result of his participation in the Infinity War. However, the power of the Star Brand he still held managed to bring him back from the dead again, despite the best efforts of a simulacrum of Marvel Boy made by Thanos to cause nuisance to Quasar - call it an old grudge. By the time he dealt with this, Wendell finally got back to earth, if only to do battle with an angry Presence, as well as a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard and several darkforce-enhanced Antibodies. After this menace was dealt with, Wendell finally managed to learn what was happening to his girlfriend, though she ultimately gave the Star Brand up to the Living Tribunal, who feared its power. Thanks to that being's bizarre logic, however, Kayla eventually regained the Star Brand, and was kidnapped by the remnants of the Black Fleet, who wished to gain that power for themselves - and get petty vengeance for ruining their pirating ways. While Wendell and several allies dealt with their distraction, these so-called Starblasters took Kayla to the Stranger's world. There, the Stranger convinced Kayla that he was God, and she gave the Star Brand to him. However, the interaction of his own energies and that of the Star Brand forced his world halfway into that of the New Universe, and when several heroes from that world appeared to investigate this occurrence, the Stranger mind-controlled several of Quasar's allies into fighting him and these paranormal heroes. Eventually, however, the leader of these Starblasters, the techno-organic Skeletron, wrested the Star Brand from the Stranger, causing the Stranger's world to return to its rightful place; when his world returned to normal space, it left Skeletron and the Star Brand behind. Before this occurred, though, the Stranger abducted this timeline's earth, placing it in orbit around his world for future study. Just then, the Living Tribunal appeared anew, and sealed off this earth from the rest of the universe, fearing the energies of the Star Brand would contaminate the rest of his continuity. This sealed Kayla's fate, as she was on that world at the time, and feeling defeated, Wendell returned home - only to face the combined wrath of the Presence and Darkstar! You see, during the whole Starblasters affair, Vanguard - Darkstar's brother and the Presence's son - got himself killed in action. Thinking this to ultimately be Quasar's fault, the two Russian superhumans decided to kill him off once and for all, though he was about to leave earth anyway. As he said his last good-byes, the Russians struck! Knowing the villains wouldn't quit until they killed him, he faked his own death and made for the stars, since he was about to leave the planet in any event. For a time, Quasar was then involved with the Starmasters, a group of cosmic powered super heroes, but that short-lived team didn't last, and after this, Quasar resumed his full-time career as the Protector of the Universe! The only time he's since returned to earth was after the Avengers returned from the strange universe created by Franklin Richards, when the team needed to choose its new roster, and got itself embroiled in yet another world domination scheme launched by Morgan LeFay. With the assembled might of virtually every Avenger ever, Quasar participated in the dismantling of LeFay's plot before returning to space. His next return to earth came during the 'Maximum Security' mess caused by the new Kree, in which the essence of Ego the Living Planet was delivered to earth (among other calamities). When the Silver Surfer failed to absorb Ego's energies into himself to save the earth, Quasar stepped in to do the job himself, though in doing so he had to banish himself from earth again. At least, until a means of removing Ego's essence from his body could be devised... Extra Goodies:
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
