Edison Rex

Valiant is an alien Superman level hero plot to subjugate the world. When Edison Rex proves it, he convinces Valiant to kill himself. This leaves the supervillain Lex Luthoresque strongman as the only person that can defend the world from an alien threat. Or giant monster threat. Or supervillain threat. Or what if Tom Strong was a Lex Luthor without a Superman, so he has to be Doc Savage? An elegy for past superhero universes subsumed by corporate monsters. A homage to favorites, a commentary on styles of story and more. Plus fun, four-colour superheroics.

Draft 1.0 April 25, 2013 - Blue Tyson

SETTING

A multiple level story, fun for kids, commercial commentary, style commentary and homage to favorite characters like Tom Strong is for Chris Roberson. So we get an evil reformed Tom Strong, a megalomaniac Tesla Strong, a Howard the Duck Tom Strong and Nazi Tom Strong to go along with giant monsters and multiple universe. Basically, the sort of craziness comics are great at in fast-paced fashion. A universe open to possibilities.

ISSUES

The Evil Aliens Are Coming.
I have to not be a supervillain.
Giant Godzilla type monsters abound
No, M'Alizz we won't conquer the world. Even if it is easier.
The other universal versions of me are nazis. Or dinosaurs. Or fascists. Or all three and megalomaniacs, even if they are ducks.

THE PLAYERS

Valiant

Alien Paragon Who Killed Himself
Programmed Alien Sleeper Death Machine

F: Unearthly +7 [Super Fighting +2]
A: Unearthly +7 [Super Agility +2]
S: Unearthly +7 [Super Strength +5]
E: Unearthly +7 [Super Endurance +4]
R: Typical +0
I: Typical +0
P: Typical +0

Resources Incredible (+4)
Popularity Unearthly (+7)

Other Skills

Unearthly (+7) Super Sense: Magnetic Resonance Vision, Body Armor: Physical, Super Movement: Flight, Headquarters [Automated and Robot Defenses]

Edison Rex

World's Smartest Man
If no else will save the world, suppose i have to
Grumpy When Underappreciated

F: Good +1
A: Good +1
S: Excellent +2
E: Excellent +2
R: Amazing +5 [Super Reason +2]
I: Excellent +2
P: Excellent +2

Resources Amazing (+5)
Popularity -Remarkable (-3) [and slowly improving]

Other Skills

Unearthly (+7) Headquarters [Valiant's]
Monstrous (+6) Super Inventing, Science
Amazing (+5) Headquarters
Incredible (+4) Absorption Harness [Power Armour S +2, E +2, Body Armour +4, Blaster +4, Super Movement: Flight +2], Portable Emitter: Blaster +4, Headquarters [Corporate]
Remarkable (+3) Shield
Excellent (+2) Guns, Leadership

M'Alizz

Alien Warrior Queen
Consummate Warrior
Head of Edison Security

F: Incredible +4
A: Excellent +2
S: Incredible +4
E: Incredible +4
R: Typical +0
I: Good +1
P: Good +1

Resources Excellent (+2)
Popularity -Excellent (-2)

Other Skills

Amazing (+5) Hammer, Sword
Excellent (+2) Body Armour

Nuclear Norseman

Sven Hoek, Glowing green big dumb guy in a helmet
Likes Pizza. A lot.

F: Remarkable +3
A: Good +1
S: Incredible +4
E: Incredible +4
R: Poor -1
I: Typical +0
P: Typical +0

Resources Typical (+0)
Popularity -Remarkable (-3)

Other Skills

Good (+1) Super Growth: +1 to Physical Skills S, E and +1 to Hit and +1 Body Armour, Radiation

Cerebella

Isabella "Bella" Hegenberger
Cyborg Brainiac In a Jar
Head of Edison Research and Development

F: Typical +0
A: Good +1
S: Remarkable +3 [Super Strength +1]
E: Remarkable +3
R: Incredible +4 [Super Reason +1]
I: Good +1
P: Good +1

Resources Incredible (+4)
Popularity -Incredible (-4)

Other Skills

Amazing (+5) Cybernetics, Physics
Remarkalbe (+3) Flying Saucer

Defiant

Bizarro Genetic Golem created from Valiant
Dumb As a Rock

F: Unearthly +7 [Super Fighting +2]
A: Unearthly +7 [Super Agility +2]
S: Unearthly +7 [Super Strength +5]
E: Unearthly +7 [Super Endurance +4]
R: Feeble -2
I: Feeble -2
P: Feeble -2

Resources Feeble (-2)
Popularity -Good (-1)

Other Skills

Unearthly (+7) Body Armor: Physical, Super Movement: Flight

H.O.R.N.E.T.

Hierarchical Organization for the Recovery of New and Exotic Technologies

Typical Hornet Attack Minion

F: Typical +0
A: Good +1
S: Typical +0
E: Typical +0
R: Typical +0
I: Typical +0
P: Typical +0

Resources Typical (+0)
Popularity Typical (+0)

Other Skills

Excellent (+2) Flight
Good (+1) Blaster Rifle

Or Good (+1) Mooks

L.A.R.V.A.

HORNET Genetic Experiment: Lifeform Altered With Recombinant Vector - Alpha
Large immobile worm woman
Head of Edison Aid Operations and Logistics
Sensitive About Looks
Likes Rainbows and Unicorns

F: Remarkable +3
A: Feeble -2
S: Remarkable +3
E: Remarkable +3
R: Remarkable +3
I: Good +1
P: Typical +0

Resources Remarkable (+3)
Popularity Remarkable (+3)

Other Skills

Incredible (+4) Administration
Good (+1) Tentacled Track Vehicle

EDISON AID COPORATION

Research and Development Staff

Always Wear Brain In Jar Opaque Helmets Like the Boss

F: Typical +0
A: Typical +0
S: Typical +0
E: Typical +0
R: Good +1
I: Poor -1
P: Good +1

Resources Excellent (+2)
Popularity Typical (+0)

Other Skills

Good (+1) Science

Or Good (+1) Mooks for intelligence tasks, Typical (+0) Physical

Security Staff

Pointy Helmeted Paramilitaries

F: Good +1
A: Typical +0
S: Good +1
E: Good +1
R: Poor -1
I: Typical +0
P: Typical +0

Resources Excellent (+2)
Popularity Typical (+0)

Other Skills

Good (+1) Science

Or Good (+1) Mooks for physical tasks, Poor (-1) Intellectual

Operations Staff

Communications Eyesonly Headset wearing agents

F: Typical +0
A: Good +1
S: Typical +0
E: Typical +0
R: Good +1
I: Typical +0
P: Good +1

Resources Excellent (+2)
Popularity Typical (+0)

Other Skills

Excellent (+2) Administration

Good (+1) Mooks for managing and responding, Typical (+0) otherwise

Gastrotus

One eyed green blobby monster on a rampage

F: Typical +0
A: Typical +0
S: Incredible +4
E: Incredible +4
R: Feeble -1
I: Feeble -1
P: Feeble -1

Resources Feeble [-2]
Popularity -Excellent [-2]

Other Skills

Remarkable (+3) Body Armour
Excellent (+2) Growth

Mutortoise

Giant red warty turtle monster

F: Typical +0
A: Typical +0
S: Incredible +4
E: Incredible +4
R: Feeble -1
I: Feeble -1
P: Feeble -1

Resources Feeble [-2]
Popularity -Excellent [-2]

Other Skills

Remarkable (+3) Body Armour
Excellent (+2) Growth

Cameos

Eldritch Quixote, Space Block, Mega Mummy, Dark Graviton

HALL OF HEROES

In Valiant’s old headquarters

Max Milestone
Maverick
Gold Key
Ms Mirage
The Eclipse
Gladiator Gladstone

GREAT APES UNIVERSE

Funny animals

Platypus Rex - Edison Rex Amalgam and still Villain
Valiant Owl - Platypus Rex super archenemy

Dr Amalgman - Super stretching
Professor Timely - Super Speedster
Mr Dynamite - Flying Energy Blaster monkey
Bongo - Giant Pet
[all super apes and apparently disintegrated by Platypus Rex]

BETWEEN UNIVERSES

Regina Tesla

Gender switched Edison Rex Analogue

Exoform Mistress Observing what is going on in multiple realities
Founder of Teslatopia

Valiant Woman

Gender switched Valiant analogue opponent of Regina Tesla

Konig Von Braun
Nazi Supreme

F: Excellent +2
A: Excellent +2
S: Excellent +2
E: Excellent +2
R: Excellent +2
I: Excellent +2
P: Excellent +2

Resources Amazing (+5)
Popularity Amazing (+5)

Other Skills

Amazing (+5) Leadership, Headquarters
Remarkable (+3) Wea;ons

Streitbar

Valiant Supreme Analogue

Nazi Superman

F: Unearthly +7 [Super Fighting +2]
A: Unearthly +7 [Super Agility +2]
S: Unearthly +7 [Super Strength +5]
E: Unearthly +7 [Super Endurance +4]
R: Typical +0
I: Typical +0
P: Typical +0

Resources Incredible (+4)
Popularity -Amazing (-5)

Other Skills

Unearthly (+7) Super Sense: Magnetic Resonance Vision, Body Armor: Physical, Super Movement: Flight, Headquarters [Automated and Robot Defenses]

DARK BLIGHT ATTACKED WORLDS ANALOGUES

Edison Raptor, Edison Earp, Edison Magus

ADVENTURING

Fight giant monsters. Save the world from alien invasions. All the classics.

You need to increase your popularity to the positive so people will trust you. By doing all the above, publicly. He hasn’t yet thought to hire a PR genius. Another possible player character, for sure.

Plus deal with interdepartmental office politics as the various rather strong willed underlings run their departments and perhaps want more.

Or fight off analogues of yourself from another universe.

Or fight off the Dark Blight. Who might be a Sun Eater type monster that can destroy worlds.

Prosecute slander with lawyers if you must.

Take this cast and have as many four colour tongue-in-cheek adventures you like, on Earth or in space. Or versus mole men or evil shark lords. You get the idea.

THE LADDER

Being a big Marvel Super Heroes fan from way back, this is how I like to think:

Value Adjective

+13 Cosmic 5 (Class 5000)
+12 Cosmic 3 (Class 3000)
+11 Cosmic 1 (Class 1000)
+10 Legendary Z (Shift Z)
+9 Legendary Y (Shift Y)
+8 Legendary X (Shift X)
+7 Unearthly (Epic)
+6 Monstrous (Fantastic)
+5 Amazing (Superb)
+4 Incredible (Great)
+3 Remarkable (Good)
+2 Excellent (Fair)
+1 Good (Average)
+0 Typical (Mediocre)
-1 Poor
-2 Feeble (Terrible)
-3 Awful 0 (Shift 0)
-4 Abysmal

FASERIP - basic human attributes

Physique is split compared to Core, into a Strength component and an Endurance component, the latter of which should be used for the Stress track. Reason is native intelligence.

Fighting (Fight)
Agility (Athletics)
Strength
Endurance
Reason
Intuition (Notice)
Psyche (Will)

secondary

Popularity is a measure of charisma, reputation and public influence. If you like, bad people can have a negative popularity ladder equivalent. Supervillains, mass murderers, ruthless thugs in The Ball, etc.

Popularity
Resources

SCALE AND SUPERPOWERS

Generally a level of superpower scales means an automatic EXTRA +1 on a roll.
So if a Remarkable superstrong person's roll to lift something is +1 +1 0 -1 for a roll of +1 then they have +1 and +1 for their superstrength for a +2.

For any skill, the scale number is the automatic successes done when rolling. So Spider-Man is 4dF+2 when attempting a roll involving his Strength.

For superhuman abilities some simple tables.

FIGHTING

Above Amazing is superhuman, so Thor and Hercules roll 4dF+2 involving Fighting.

+08 C5
+07 C3
+06 C1
+05 SZ
+04 SY
+03 SX
+02 Un Thor, Hercules
+01 Mn Mephisto

AGILITY

Above Incredible is superhuman so the Silver Surfer rolls 4dF+1 for Agility.

+09 C5
+08 C3
+07 C1
+06 SZ
+05 SY
+04 SX
+03 Un Odin
+02 Mn Silver Surfer
+01 Am Spider-Man, Nightcrawler

STRENGTH

Above Excellent is superhuman so Spider-Man rolls 4dF+2 for Strength.

+11 C5 20^15 tonnes
+10 C3 20^13 tonnes Pre-Crisis Superman
+09 C1 20^10 tonnes
+08 SZ 200000 tonnes Post-Crisis Superman+, Shi'Ar Gladiator
+07 SY 20000 tonnes
+06 SX 2000 tonnes
+05 Un 200 tonnes Hulk, Thor, Hyperion
+04 Mn 100 tonnes Thing, She-Hulk, Submariner
+03 Am 50 tonnes Rogue
+02 In 10 tonnes Spider-Man, Iron Man
+01 Rm 1 tonne Power-Man, Beast

ENDURANCE

+10 C5
+09 C3
+08 C1
+07 SZ
+06 SY
+05 SX
+04 Un Silver Surfer, Thor
+03 Mn Hulk, Thing
+02 Am She-Hulk, Loki
+01 In Spider-Man

REASON

Above Remarkable is superhuman, so Mister Fantastic rolls 4dF+2 for Reason.

+10 C5
+09 C3
+08 C1
+07 SZ
+06 SY
+05 SX
+04 Un Watcher
+03 Mn Mephisto
+02 Am Mister Fantastic, Doctor Doom
+01 In Iron Man, Professor Xavier

INTUITION

Above Remarkable is superhuman, so Wolverine rolls 4dF+3 for Intuition.

+10 C5
+09 C3
+08 C1
+07 SZ
+06 SY
+05 SX
+04 Un Watcher
+03 Mn Daredevil, Wolverine
+02 Am Professor Xavier
+01 In Captain America

PSYCHE

Above Incredible is superhuman so Doctor Strange rolls 4dF+3 for Psyche.

+09 C5
+08 C3
+07 C1
+06 SZ
+05 SY
+04 SX
+03 Un Doctor Strange
+02 Mn Professor Xavier
+01 Am Marvel Girl

MOVEMENT

Super movement Zones per turn capability

Warp Speed +13 Cosmic 5 (Class 5000)
Lightspeed +12 Cosmic 3 (Class 3000)
Solar System +11 Cosmic 1 (Class 1000)
10000 +10 Legendary Z (Shift Z)
1000 +9 Legendary Y (Shift Y)
100 +8 Legendary X (Shift X)
50 +7 Unearthly (Epic)
30 +6 Monstrous (Fantastic)
25 +5 Amazing (Superb)
20 +4 Incredible (Great)
15 +3 Remarkable (Good)
10 +2 Excellent (Fair)
08 +1 Good (Average)
06 +0 Typical (Mediocre)
04 -1 Poor
02 -2 Feeble (Terrible)
01 -3 Awful 0 (Shift 0)
00 -4 Abysmal

REFERENCES

Monkeybrain Comics - http://www.monkeybraincomics.com/
Edison Rex - http://www.comixology.com/Edison-Rex/comics-series/8520