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Talents: Leadership, Pilot (Infra-World Vehicles), Genetics (perhaps), Engineering, Invention, Repair/Tinkering.
Contacts: The Infra-Worlders.
Description: Captain Omen is a gaunt, withered fellow with a drasticly enlarged brain (perhaps he did some gentic alteration on himself, or maybe he was a mutant the whole time?), and dressed in a brown, green and orange uniform as Captain of the Infra-World.
Personality: A profoundly unpleasant man, he knows all about the second generation's vulnerability to the surface pressures, but does not warn them about it when they leave. He MUST be in control, and any challenge to his authority is met with swift punishment.
Talents: Pilot (Infra-World Vehicles), Trivia (Surface World), Swimming, Repair/Tinkering, Leadership, Toad-Whale Riding.
Contacts: Captain Omen, The Hulk.
Description: Filius Omen is like most Infra-Worlders. A huge, muscled hulk of a man with short, dark hair.
Personality: Filius Omen is a charismatic leader, but while he wanted to lead his followers back to the surface world he never understood that he was dooming them to agonizing deaths. Still, when they started to die...he tried only to save himself. It seems he really is the Captain's son.
Typical statistics for Infra-Worlders are presented below for use in crowded battles or as guidelines for the creation of new Infra-Worlders . These statistics can be modified by rolling percentile dice and referring to the three columns after the ability to see if the result falls anywhere in them. There are three columns after the normal statistic: below, above, and way above. Below average means that the statistic should be one rank below what is listed as average. Above average indicates that the ability is one rank higher than the average listed. Way above average indicates that the ability is at least two ranks above average and possibly more (not to exceed Amazing rank). Variable (V) indicates that variable abilities (Health and Karma) depend on the randomly rolled abilities above them.
ABILITIES AVERAGE BELOW (-1CS) ABOVE (+1 CS) WAY ABOVE (+2CS) Fighting: Typical (1-5) (96-98) (99-00) Agility: Typical (1-3) (96-99) (00) Strength: Remarkable (1-3) (90-97) (00) Endurance: Remarkable (1-5) (82-93) (94-00) Reason: Good (1-5) (82-93) (94-00) Intuition: Typical (1-3) (90-97) (98-00) Psyche: Typical (1-5) (82-88) (89-00) Health: 72 (Varies) Karma: 22 (Varies) Resources: Typical Popularity: 0Talents : Swimming, Repair/Tinkering (the Infra-World is in constant need of repair.)
Special Powers: Resistance to Extreme Pressures AM (50)
Special Vulnerabilities: Every 10 rounds an Infra-Worlder is exposed to the lighter pressures of the surface world, they must make an Endurance FEAT roll. If they fail, they start to lose Endurance ranks. Once they've dropped to Shift 0...they actually explode! Their bodies are utterly torn apart as the blood forces its way out of their bodies.
History: The Infra-Worlders are the mutated children of the original crew of Captain Omen's giant sub, the Infra-World. About 40 years ago, Captain Omen expended his personal fortune in building the Infra-World, then (after gathering a crew of willing followers) he embarked on a journey that would take him to the bottom of the ocean. There he declared himself Lord of the Oceans. As time passed, his crew began to have children who were perfectly adapted to life onboared the Infra-World (see NOTES below) and as the crew died, the Captain trained the children in operating the ship. Now, Captain Omen is the last surviving member of the original crew.
The children of Omen's crew have grown hugely muscled from a lifetime spent under the extreme pressures of the oceans depths. Under Captain Omens leadership they've tamed the "half-mythological" Toad-Whales of the oceans depths for use as personal transport and built several refueling and repair bases in the deepest trenches (in areas unclaimed by Atlantian or Lemurian interests) to aid in the maintance of their ageing sub.
As the years passed, Captain Omen's hold over the crew grew more tyrannical in nature, with punishments like flogging being common. Also, at least some of the Infra-worlder's bases have been abandoned recently, and the sub itself is starting to show it's age.
Among the crew is a secret organization of revolutionaries who call themselves the "Children of the New Order". Their desires are as simple as they are impossible. They wish to return to the surface. Most of the Children were killed when Captain Omen "Allowed" them to leave the Infra-World...without telling them that the surface pressures would kill them.
NOTE: I don't think we know the real story behind the hulkingly overmuscled Infra-Worlders. You just cannot get that huge (or that vulnerable to surface pressures) in a single generation. I've always assumed that Omen found a hidden cache of Deviant technology, or perhaps one of Maelstrom's old labs, and used the technology to ensure that the future generations of Infra-Worlders would be perfectly adapted to life beneath the ocean.
Also, we don't actually SEE Filius Omen die. He says "I feel -- the pressure building up in me, too!" as he pounds on the doors of the "Infra-World" (while Captain Omen submerges the ship), but I don't see why he couldn't have returned to the scout-sub and re-pressurized it in time. In fact, any of the Infra-Worlders could have done the same thing. Just because the Hulk thinks they all died doesn't mean they did. Remember, the 70's Hulk wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer ;>)
The Murderous MAN-FISH!!
F- RM (30)
A- EX (20)
S- MN (75)
E- AM (50)
R- PR (4)
I- GD (10)
P- TY (6)
H- 175
K- 20
R- 0
P- 0
Powers: Body Armor
Aquon's thick hide (whether naturally mutated or the result of Captain Omen's experiments) can not only resist the pressures on the deepest oceans, but also to withstand the thunderous blows of the legendary "1970's Hulk". Consider him to have Amazing (50) protection from physical and cold attack, Remarkable (30) protection from Energy and Excellent (20) protection from heat and flame.
Bite: Just look at that mouth! I'd give him Amazing (50) strength teeth and an Amazing (50) damage bite.
Prehensile Tail: As he doesn't use it in the one issue he appears, but I believe that Aquon's tail is actually prehensile. It's not thick or muscular enough to be of much use against the Hulk, but I'd guess it has about Incredible (40) strength.
Lack of Gills : He cannot breath under water, but his high Endurance allows him to hold his breath for long periods of time. I say this only because it suggests he can breath underwater on the cover (he even says so, though he's mute in the story), but it clearly says "But the deadly creature called Aquon spins, HIS lungs now filled with new OXYGEN ..."
Hyper-Swimming: Aquon is a talented swimmer, capable of speeding through the water at Good (10) speeds (4 spaces, 60 mph).
Limitations: Despite what he say's on the cover, Aquon seems to be mute. All he say's inside is "Hissssurrgh!". Or, perhaps he just wasn't taught how to speak?
Talents: Underwater Combat, Wrestling.
Contacts: None, unless Captain Omen counts.
History: We know nothing of Aquon's history. He steps out of the shadows to attack the Hulk at the command of Captain Omen. He may be a mutant or the results of the mad Captain Omen's experiments. I'd guess he's a geneticly altered Infra-Worlder, though I sort of want him to be a mutant.
Description: A big, blue, hairless man-shark with a lashing tail and huge, sharp-toothed mouth. Omen has dressed him in a red tunic, decorated with yellow "Sharktooth" patterns at the sleeves, a yellow belt, red trunks and yellow boots.
NOTE: If you prefer the "Cover" version of Aquon, then give him Typical (6) Reason, assume he's not mute and supply him with both lungs and gills.
Personality: CUNNING! DEADLY! PASSIVE? Not the brightest fish in the tank. As the comic says "The Man-Fish lumbers to his feet, but then stands quiet -- a responder instead of an attacker. An intelligent opponent could use that trait as a basis for winning...but this is not a conflict of intellects!"
Still...he may be smarter than he's depicted. Perhaps a man is struggling to get out of that hulking blue monster? Take Aquan and see what you can make of him. He's not really a villain, any more than the Hulk or Dragon-Man were villains. He's just the tool of a domineering man...and he may have broken free of Captain Omen. Also, as a possible mutant, he's a prime candidate for membership in the X-Men or the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
The "INFRA-WORLD" SUBMARINE is a massive vessel that was constructed in the very late 1930's or very early 1940's. Though drasticly out of date, it was constructed with the best technology of it's day and has obviously been enhanced with technology borrowed or stolen from other aquatic cultures.
CTRL: TY
BODY: TY
SPEED: AM
PROT: IN
I'm just guessing here, but the size of the ship (that's a regular submarine in it's tentacles!) suggests it could hold a population of several hundred, perhaps even a thousand Infra-Worlders safely. It looks like more could fit, but you must remember that these people very rarely leave their ship. The Infra-World has machines to process Algae and Fish into foodstuffs for the population, as well as "Vista Rooms", which projected holograms of the surface world for the Infra-Worlders, and metallic gardens, complete with mechanical birds, so they wouldn't feel homesick.
The Infra-World was designed to opperate at a depth of 5000 fathoms (that's six miles!) and has clusters of red tentacles that emerge from the cargo hold (Amazing Strength, 6 space reach), Viewscreens and Sensors that allow the exterior of the ship to constantly be monitored up to fifty miles distant, docking bays that hold a dozen Scout-Subs and two-dozen "Toad-Whales", and Self-Repair capacity that allows the bridge to seal hull breaches with "Quick-setting, waterproof foam." and "Suction Vents" (allowing Remarkable Healing).
SCOUT-SUBS
CTRL: EX
BODY: EX
SPEED:RMM
PROT: EX
These smaller subs are still large enough to hold 10 passengers (including the pilot) and have the same Sensors and Self-Repair ability of the larger ship.
"The DREADED TOAD-WHALES, those awesome, half-mythological creatures, sometimes glimpsed by foolhardy undersea explorers...the one's who are pulled from the sea's embrace with their minds permanently shattered."
The Infra-Worlders have domesticated the Toad-Whales that
inhabit the deepest corners of the ocean. Toad-Whales are about 25 to 30 feet long and powerfully built, with smallish arms (compared to the size of their bodies), huge mouths and thick, scaly hides. While riding them, and Infra-Worlder usually wears a "Breathing-Bowl" that filters oxygen from the water around it, as well as a harness and bridle.
F- EX (20)
A- TY (6)
S- IN (40)
E- MN (75)
R- PR (4)
I- TY (6)
P- FB (2)
H- 141
K- 12
Bite: The huge, fanged maw of the "Toad-Whales" hold teeth of Incredible (40) material strength and inflect Amazing (50) edged damage.
Body Armor: The thick hide of the "Toad-Whale" provides Excellent (20) protection from Physical and Energy attacks.
Swimming: "Toad-Whales" can swim through the waters with Typical (6) speeds.
Terrifying Appearance: The "Toad-Whales" are so frightening to look at that any surface dweller who sees one must make a Green FEAT roll versus Typical (60) Psyche. A failure means they panic and flee as quickly as possible.
This is an image of one of Captain Omen's abandoned underwater cities. This one was taken over by the submarine pirate named "Captain Barracuda."
