MU2 - Gamers Handbook of the Marvel Universe

Unseen by Daredevil or the authori- under surveillance for a number of ,,...........
ties. Saxon 's robots, acting on pre-
HISTORY programming, retrieved the dying years before they discovered that it
body of their inventor and brought
Starr Saxon was a master robot- him back to his workshop. There they was a robot. He also created a Mag-
maker whose ability rivaled that of transferred his encephalic patterns
Doctor Doom. Deciding to use his into a robot/computer system. When neto robot that the mutant Mesmero
genius for personal gain, Saxon Saxon resumed a semblance of con-
began offering his robots' services to sciousness, he learned his human believed was real for several months.
underworld clients. While carrying body died and he now possessed a
out a mission of murder, one of Sax- robotic body. Though dismayed by Most of his clients remain unreveal-
on's robots met and was thwarted by his condition, Saxon constructed for
Daredevil. Seeking to make the himself a more human-looking body ed . Despite his successes,
crimefighter pay for his intervention, and resumed custom-building robots
Saxon embarked on an elaborate under the name Machinesmith. His Machinesmith grew to hate his
scheme which culminated in his new specialty was the construction of
assuming the guise of Daredevil's old robotic simulacra that looked and act- pseudo-life, but found that his pro-
enemy, Mister Fear. In battle with ed exactly like their human models.
Daredevil atop his hovercraft, Saxon His Baron Strucker robot was lifelike gramming would not allow him to ter-
fell hundreds of feet to the ground. to the point that S.H.l.E.L.D. had it
minate himself. During a lengthy

encounter with Captain America,

Machinesmith manipulated the

Avenger into destroying his central

computer system. Whether

Machinesmith had a back-up pro-

gram to guarantee his survival in the

event of the central unit's destruction

remains to be seen. ,,,.-...

250

MADAME MASBUE

~ STATISTICS

F RM (30)
A EX (20)

s D (10)

E RM (30)
R GD (10)

I EX (20)
p GD (10)
Health: 90

Karma: 40

Resources: RM (30)

Popularity: -1 O

BACKGROUND
Real Name: Countess Guiletta Nefa-
ria (her legal name in the U.S. is
Whitney Frost)
~ Identity: Known to S.H.l.E.L.D. and
other law enforcement agencies, but
otherwise secret
Occupation: Adventuress and
sometime criminal mastermind
Legal Status: ltalian/U.S. Citizen
now wanted by American Law
Enforcement agencies for various
criminal offenses
Place of Birth: Rome, Italy
--'-Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Count Luchino

Nefaria (father, deceased), Countess
Renata Nefaria (mother, deceased),
Byron Frost (adoptive father,
deceased), Loretta Frost (adoptive
mother, deceased)
Base of Operations: Unknown
Past Group Affiliations: Leader of
the Nefaria "family" of the Maggia,
-.. former employee of Midas, former
partner of Obidiah Stane
Present Group Affiliation:

KNOWN POWERS Contacts: Madame Masque is one ROLE-PLAYING NOTES:
of the most influential criminals in Madame Masque is a ruthless and
Sleeping Gas Gun: Madame the world, and has worldwide under- intelligent criminal. Her chief motiva-
Masque's gun can fire both ordinary world ties. tion is to kill Tony Stark; it is said that
bullets (Excellent damage) or Incred- hell hath no fury like a woman scorn-
ible strength sleeping gas, which ADDITIONAL NOTES: ed , but that's nothing compared to
required an Endurance FEAT roll to the fury of a woman toward a boy-
avoid falling asleep (red if Endur- friend who killed her father! Masque
ance is less than Incredible, yellow if is aware of Stark's dual identity, but
it is Incredible, and green if it is will not reveal it to the world; perhaps
greater than Incredible.) she still loves him, or perhaps she
Talents: Madame Masque is a tal- wants to wait until the time is right to
ented physical combatant, and has reveal the truth.
Martial Arts A, E. She is also a skilled

marksman, and has a +1 CS with all

modern weapons. Her reason is
Excellent with Business/Finance
skill, though she specializes in illegal
and criminal activities.

251

HISTORY force, and, to this end, led a raid on reluctantly, on the condition that
Stark Industries headquarters on Stark not be harmed. Nefaria accept-
Count Luchino Nefaria, the Italian Long Island to capture highly ed her terms, but had no intention of
nobleman who was once the most advanced technological weaponry. keeping his word. Stark, as Iron
powerful figure in the international The raid proved a fiasco, thanks to Man, ended up battling the Ani-Men
criminal organization known as the the original Iron Man, and Whitney, in his own study. Madame Masque
Maggia, had long dreamed of having her identity as Big M exposed, fled in fled with Nefaria to one of Stark's
a son who would serve as his suc- a skycraft. The skycraft crashed, laboratories where, heartbroken at
cessor. However, Nefaria's wife nearly killing Whitney, and causing having to choose between filial duty
Renata died while giving birth to chemicals on board to be released and her lover, she compromised by
their only child, Giulietta. Since that scarred her face. She was found using a Jupiter Landing Vehicle to
Giulietta would now have no mother by agents of the power-hungry hold Iron Man at bay so that he could
to raise her, and since Nefaria want- eccentric billionaire Mordecai not recapture her father. Iron Man's
ed to give his daughter the respecta- Midas, who hired a surgeon to save battle against the vehicle caused it to
bility that he himself lacked, the her life. Midas employed Whitney as fall so that not only did it sever part of
Count ordered the wealthy Wall his principal criminal operative, and, Nefaria's life support system, but it
Street financier Byron Frost to raise out of his obsession with gold, had also crushed Nefaria's body, killing
her in America as his own daughter. her conceal her damaged face him immediately. Iron Man had not
Frost was employed by Nefaria at behind a golden mask. She adopted intended Nefaria's death, but
that time to divert his illegal gains the alias of Madame Masque. Madame Masque was traumatized
into legitimate investments. Giulietta by witnessing the accidental killing
grew up under the name Whitney Madame Masque despaired of of her father through her lover's
Frost, believing Byron Frost and his ever being treated as a normal wom- actions.
wife to be her true parents. Upon the an by a man until Midas' schemes
death of Byron Frost, Count Nefaria once again brought her in contact Still in love with Stark, but in
revealed to Whitney that he was her with Anthony Stark, head of Stark anguish over her father's death, Whit-
real father, and that he intended to Industries, who showed concern for ney left Stark. It is believed that soon
train her to be his successor as a her even after seeing her unmasked. thereafter Whitney went insane, and
Maggia leader. Shocked and dis- Madame Masque thereupon remains so today. She again became
traught, Whitney refused to follow rebelled against Midas to save Stark,
Nefaria's wishes, but the Count but, unwilling to burden Stark with a leader (now under the title " Director") ~­
threatened to expose her true identi- of the technologically-oriented Nefaria
ty claiming that she would be ostra- relationship with a wanted criminal, Maggia family. She has claimed that
cized by everyone who knew her as a she disappeared after getting him to she rejoined the Maggia because she
result. Indeed, when Whitney sought safety. Eventually, her growing love had decided never to put herself in a
help from her fiance and told him the for Stark led her to masquerade as position of caring for anyone, and thus
whole story, he deserted her, fearing his personal secretary Krissy
that association with her would ruin Longfellow. Stark, as Iron Man, being hurt, again. She now seeks to
learned that Longfellow was kill Iron Man for his role in her father's
his political career. Madame Masque when both once
Nefaria trained Whitney in crimi- again encountered Midas. By this death, and has clashed with him since
time Madame Masque had realized rejoining the Maggia.
nal strategy, managing underworld that Stark was Iron Man, and she
operations, and combat skills, all of and Stark had begun a romantic Recently, Madame Masque allied ,,..,........_
which she mastered brilliantly. After relationship. herself with Obadiah Stane, another
Nefaria was finally imprisoned for enemy of Stark's. Stane had the sci-
capturing Washington D.C. through As a result of an attempt to give entist Dr. Theron Atlanta transfer
his advanced weaponry and holding himself superhuman powers, Count Madame Masque's mind into the
it for ransom, his Maggia "family" Nefaria rapidly aged into a feeble,
(organization), now based in New wizened old man who had to be kept body of Stark's former lover Bethany
York City, chose Whitney as its new alive with special life support sys- Cabe, and Cabe's mind into
leader, or " Big M" in underworld tems. Nefaria was put in the custody Madame Masque's body. Madame
slang. Whitney proved to be a dedi- of the Avengers, his most recent Masque nearly killed Stark, but was
cated and capable leader, but did not opponents, while they sought a cure stopped by Cabe (in Masque's
involve her organization in such for him. Madame Masque, believing body). Stark used Atlanta's machine
areas of Maggia activity as the nar- that he was not receiving proper care to reverse the mind exchange. How-
cotics trade . However, she had at Avengers Mansion, had the four ever, Madame Masque, her mind
adopted her father's ambition to original Ani-Men break into the man- restored to her true body, somehow
accumulate enough power to be able sion and bring Nefaria to her. Nefaria escaped, and remains at large, still
to challenge governments through demanded that the Ani-Men bring leading her Maggia family.
Anthony Stark to him so that he
could be persuaded to find a cure for
him. Madame Masque agreed very

252

- STATISTICS

F GD (10)
A EX (20)

s GD (10)

E EX (20)

R TY (6)
I RM (30)
p RM (30)

Health: 60

Karma: 66
Resources: PR (4)

Popularity: O

BACKGROUND
Real Name: Unrevealed
Occupation: Prankster, television
host
...--.... Legal Status: U.S. Citizen with no

criminal record
Identity: Secret
Place of Birth: Unknown
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Katy (sister,
deceased)
Base of Operations: Mobile
Past Group Affiliation: None
Present Group Affiliation:

KNOWN POWERS the off-ramp of the interstate is dan- ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Regeneration and Recovery: Mad- gerous!). If the character succeeds
cap has Shift Y Regeneration and with the FEAT, he is still light-headed
Recovery Powers, and is able to and performs all FEATs at - 1 CS for
regain 20 points of Health in a single the next 1-1 O rounds.
turn . Madcap cannot be slain and Weapon - Bubble Gun: This is an
may attempt to regain lost Endur- ordinary bubble gun with no special
ance by a FEAT roll every 1O turns.
Stun results against him are consid- properties, but Madcap uses it to
~. ered Slams, and considering his draw attention. He likes to make peo-
recovery abilities, Madcap never ple believe that the bubbles cause
spends Karma to make Endurance the looney behavior.
FEAT rolls. Talents: None revealed
Emotion Control: Madcap has a spe- Contacts: None (at least no one will
cialized form of emotion control that admit to knowing Madcap).
operates at an Unearthly level. To
make this form of emotional attack,
Madcap must make eye contact with
his target (to this end he wears gar-
ish clothing and uses " weapons"
such as a bubble gun to attract atten-
tion). The target must make an Intui-

tion FEAT with failure resulting in the
character acting crazy for 1-1 O
rounds. In game terms, inform play-
ers that their characters are acting
_. pleasantly looney, and award Karma
for good role-playing . While under
the effects of Madcap's power, the
heroes may find themselves in dan-
gerous situations (tap-dancing on

253

ROLE-PLAYING NOTES: that promoted rapid healing in the do, he bought a toy soap bubble- ,.,--
Madcap exists to have fun showing human body. While everyone else was
how absurd people can be. He has a killed in the crash and subsequent making gun from a dime store and
sense of humor similar to that of a explosion, the man who would
naughty child, and enjoys seeing become Madcap was thrown clear stole a harlequin outfit from a costume
adults doing silly things, like sticking and lay for several hours unconscious
out tongues, getting involved in pie in the rapidly evaporating pool of the shop. Calling himself Madcap, he
fights, dropping their pants, etc. chemical. After he gained conscious-
Madcap has no idea of right or ness in a hospital, his faith in a rational decided to wander New York City and
wrong; the fact that he can't be phys- un iverse was shattered when he
ically hurt blinds him to the possibili- randomly cause people to go crazy in
ty that others may be hurt, thus he learned he was sole survivor of the
will force his victims to perform dan- accident. Fleeing the hospital , he order to demonstrate to them the
gerous actions (e.g . playing bu ll- threw himself in the path of an oncom-
fighter with a red cape on a highway) ing car in a suicide attempt. To his sur- meaninglessness of existence. On
without any hesitation whatsoever. prise, he not only was incapable of
feeling the pain of being hit by the car, one of his first excursions, he encoun-
HISTORY but he also got up from where he was
thrown, his injuries having healed in tered the fledgl ing crimefighter
The young man who would become moments. Rightly suspecting that the
Madcap was a devoutly religious per- bus accident had somehow endowed Nomad, who at that time was Captain
son who belonged to a church group him with his immunity to pain and inju-
of an unspecified denomination. While ry, he was driven further into madness. America's partner. Nomad eventually
he was on a church-sponsored field He could not understand why he
trip with his parents, sister, and about should benefit from an accident that befriended Madcap in order to try to
40 others, the bus he was riding in was killed 40 people including his friends
struck by a tanker truck containing an and family. He finally came to the con- understand his origins, motives, and
unknown chemical compound con- clusion that things happen without
cocted by the Advanced Idea Mechan- cause and effect and that there is no capacities. When Madcap began
ics. This chemical, called Compound purpose in anything. He also soon dis-
XO?, apparently contained enzymes covered that he could cause whoever threatening lives, Nomad was forced

looked him in the eye long enough to to subdue him. Madcap escaped from
act crazily. Lacking anything better to
psychiatric care and became a host

(with the use of his Emotion Control ,.-....

powers) of the Madcap Mystery Hour

on a New York television station. He

encountered the Power Pack and

encouraged them to go on an adven-

ture with him, but the adventure turn-

ed dangerous, and the Power Pack

ended it. When last seen, Madcap

was dancing to an unknown location,

singing about the fun he will have on

future adventures. ~--....

254

STATISTICS MAD-DOG

F RM (30) ROLE-PLAYING NOTES:
Mad-Dog 's major goal in life was to
A IN (40) get revenge against his ex-wife, Pat-
S RM (30) sy Walker Hellstrom. He is an angry
E IN (40) man who loves to hurt people. With
R GD (10) his military background, Mad-Dog
I EX (20) loves to give orders and take charge
P TY (6) (especially if it gives him a chance to
Health: 140 belittle people). Mad-Dog is very
Karma: 36 confident in his abilities (over confi-
Resources: TY (6) dent) and enjoys a fight, especially if
Popularity: - 1O he gets to hurt someone he once
loved. Unfortunately, Baxter often
BACKGROUND loses control and goes berserk in
Real Name: Robert " Buzz" Baxter combat.
Occupation : Colonel in the U.S. Air
Force (retired), former security con- 255
--._ sultant to the Brand Corporation
Legal Status: U.S. Citizen with a

criminal record
Identity: Known to the authorities
but not to the public
Place of Birth: Centerville, Califor-
nia

Marital Status: Divorced
Known Relatives: Patsy Walker
Hellstrom (ex-wife)
Base of Operations: Mobile
Past Group Affiliations: Former
agent of the Roxxon Oil Corporation,
agent of Professor Power's Secret
Empire, ally of Mutant Force
Present Group Affiliation:

KNOWN POWERS ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Claws: Mad-Dog 's claws do Remark-
able Hack and Slash damage.
,,,...._. Bite: Mad-Dog's bite does Remark-

able Hack and Slash damage and
unleashes a toxin that causes the
victim to make a yellow Endurance

FEAT Roll or be paralyzed for 1-10
rounds. If Mad-Dog paralyzes his

victim , they must make an Endur-
ance FEAT roll each round; failure
indicates loss of an Endurance rank,

and if the victim drops below Feeble,
death occurs.
Resistance to Psychic Attacks: Bax-
ter has Excellent resistance to psio-
nic attack forms.
Tracking Scent
Talents: Baxter has Acrobatics and
Martial Arts C, and E. He also has
Military and Piloting skills.
-.... Contacts: Mad-Dog had connections
with the Mutant Force and Roxxon Oil.
He may also have maintained some of
his military contacts.

HISTORY life. When Baxter was promoted to raked his face to show she meant
captain , he was sent to the civilian- business, Baxter complied. The
Robert Baxter was the childhood . owned Brand Corporation to super- Brand Corporation was shut down by
friend of Patsy Walker, who would one vise the security surrounding certain its parent company Roxxon Oil after
day become the costumed crime- projects for which the government an official investigation revealed
fighter Hellcat. While he and Walker had contracted Brand. Baxter was Brand's illicit activities. Enraged at
were still in early adolescence, Pat- vexed by the presence of the mutant the way he was humiliated by his ex-
sy's mother Dorothy began writing Beast on the premises, unaware that wie, Baxter vowed vengeance . After
fictionalized romantic adventures of he was secretly newly-hired genetics resigning from the Air Force, he
her daughter as a teenager in a expert Henry McCoy. At one point, began treatment at Roxxon's Muta-
series of comic books. At Patsy's Baxter's wife sheltered the wounded genic Department in order to acquire
request, Dorothy based a character Beast from her husband and provid- superhuman abilities. The treatment
in the comic book on the neighbor ed an alibi for him in exchange for augmented his strength, speed, and
boy Patsy admired, Robert " Buzz" the Beast's promise to help her agility, and gave him certain canine-
Baxter. As Baxter grew to the age of become a costumed crimefighter. like characteristics. He dubbed him-
the character based on him, Dorothy Soon after the Beast fled Bran.d, Pat- self Mad-Dog.
Walker began to increasingly dislike sy Walker divorced Baxter. Baxter
him, but as a popular supporting remained at Brand, eventually being Leaving the employ of Roxxon,
character in the Patsy Walker comic, promoted to colonel. Mad-Dog was recruited by agents of
she could not write his fictional coun- the Secret Empire, and allied with -
terpart out of the series. To the elder Walker returned to Brand some the Mutant Force, attacked his ex-
Walker's dismay, Patsy married Bax- months later in the company of the wife Patsy during her wedding cere-
ter shortly after the two graduated Avengers to investigate the illegal mony to Daimon Hellstrom.
from high school. Baxter joined the activities of a private army quartered Vanquished by his ex-wife's friends
U.S. Air Force and after serving a there. It was at Brand that Walker in the Defenders, Mad-Dog was
tour of duty overseas, the newlywed assumed the identity of Hellcat, and placed in S.H.l.E.L.D. custody, but
couple moved onto an airbase in journeyed with the Avengers to the was later freed by the Secret Empire.
North Carolina. Disturbed by certain Squadron Supreme's dimension. Mad-Dog aided Professor Power in
incidents that occurred to him in Upon their return, the Avengers were his attempt to launch a satellite that
Vietnam , Baxter was tense and irrita- captured by Brand operatives, but would trigger a major nuclear war, _,.._
ble as they tried to adjust to married Walker managed to escape and
threatened to use her Hellcat claws but the Defenders managed to
to scratch Baxter's eyes out if he did thwart the scheme with the aid of
not release the Avengers. After she S.H.l.E.L.D. Mad-Dog is currently
once more in S.H.l.E.L.D. custody.

256