MARVEL COMICS CHARACTER ADAPTATIONS
LONGSHOT
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage [1] 30 DEX 60 15- OCV: 10/DCV: 10 20 CON 20 13- 14 BODY 8 12- 14 INT 4 12- PER Roll 12- 16 EGO 12 12- ECV: 5 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 22 COM 6 13- 8/10 PD 5 Total: 8/10 PD (0/2 rPD) 8/10 ED 4 Total: 8/10 ED (0/2 rED) 6 SPD 20 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 8 REC 2 40 END 0 32 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 151 Movement: Running: 9"/18" Leaping: 6"/12" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills Martial Arts: Hand-To-Hand Training Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 5 Flying Dodge -- +4 Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove 5 Flying Kick +1 -2 7d6 Strike 5 Kick -2 +1 7d6 Strike 4 Punch +0 +2 5d6 Strike 9 Long Knife: HKA 1d6-1 (1d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1) plus Ranged (+1/2); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), OAF (-1), Range Based On STR (-1/4) for up to 15 Active Points of HKA, [1 rc] 9 Short Knife: HKA 1/2d6 (1d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1) plus Ranged (+1/2); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), OAF (-1), Range Based On STR (-1/4) for up to 15 Active Points of HKA, [1 rc] 20 Throwing Blades: RKA 1/2d6, Autofire (4 shots; +1/2), 45 Recoverable Charges (+1); Range Based On STR (-1/4), [45 rc] 3 Leather Costume: Armor (2 PD/2 ED); OIF (-1/2), Activation Roll 15- (or Locations 7-18; -1/4) 3 Acrobatic: Leaping +3" (6" forward, 3" upward), END 1 6 Fast On His Feet: Running +3" (9" total), END 1 30 Psychic Awareness: Precognitive, Retrocognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Precognition/Retrocognition Only (-1), OIF (object to be read; -1/2), No Range (-1/2) 7 Regeneration: Healing 1 BODY, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Minute (-1 1/2), Self Only (-1/2) 24 Probability Manipulation: Luck 6d6; Side Effects (3d6 Unluck if his motives aren't "pure"; -1/4) Perks 6 Contact: Dr. Strange (Contact has extremely useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11- Talents 3 Supreme Balance: Environmental Movement (no penalties on narrow surfaces) Skills 48 Probability Manipulation: +6 Overall; Only If His Motives Are "Pure" (-1/4) 16 +2 with All Combat 5 Accurate Sprayfire 3 Acrobatics 15- 0 AK: [home area] 8- 3 Breakfall 15- 3 Climbing 15- 3 Combat Piloting (Jetpack) 15- 3 Concealment 12- 3 Fast Draw (throwing blades) 15- 0 Language: English (idiomatic; literate) 2 PS: Actor 11- 3 PS: Stuntman 15- 3 Riding 15- 1 TF: Equines, Hanggliding, Jetpack 5 WF: Small Arms, Blades, Improvised Weapons, Thrown Knives 244 Total Powers & Skills Cost 395 Total Character Cost 200+ Disadvantages 15 Distinctive Features: Alien (sandpapery skin, three fingers, two hearts, incredibly handsome) (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 15 DNPC: Ricochet Rita 14- (Normal; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills) 25 Hunted: Mojo, Spiral, And Assorted Demons 14- (Mo Pow, Capture) 15 Physical Limitation: Amnesia (Infrequently, Fully Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Hollow Bones (+3" Knockback) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Requires Specialized Medical Attention (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 10 Physical Limitation: Unused To Earth Culture And Customs (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code Versus Killing (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Eternally Optimistic (Very Common, Moderate) 20 Psychological Limitation: Messiah Complex (Very Common, Strong) 55 Experience 395 Total Disadvantage Points
Background/History: An extradimensional world saw the rise of a race of sentient, spineless semi-humanoid beings. They could do little but crawl until one of them, a man by the name of Arize, created an exoskeleton that allowed him to walk upright. He then used this new technology to (as he put it) raise his race out of the mud and bogs. But some of his people refused to use the new technology, and for reasons that are never fully explained, eventually became the rulers of Arize's world.
The Spineless Ones eventually asked Arize to create for them a race of slaves. Arize complied, genetically engineering is creations to look like the Spineless One's worst nightmares—his slaves had humanoid form and spines, allowing them to walk upright. He also instilled within them a desire to be free, thus make a rebellion among his creations virtually inevitable.
Longshot is one of these slaves. Created to serve as an actor, stuntman, and warrior for the Spineless One known as Mojo, Longshot starred in several of Mojo's ultra-violent films before rebelling to join the resistance. He then went off in search of his creator, and found Arize, who has been outcast for refusing to develop super-weapons for the Spineless Ones. Arize told Longshot of his true purpose, to lead his people in a rebellion against the Spineless Ones, and sent him on his way.
At some point, Longshot ended up falling into a dimensional portal and landed on Earth. There he wandered about, not knowing who he was or what he was there for, eventually meeting up with B-movie stuntwoman Ricochet Rita and working with her as a stuntman for a while. Unfortunately, although he was enjoying his new lie, Mojo had sent agents out to find him, and they were getting closer and closer...
This sort of sums up the prehistory to Longshot's original appearance in his self-titled 6-issue mini-series. The series introduces us to Longshot, Ricochet Rita, a fellow freedom fighter named Quark, the utterly insane and thoroughly evil Mojo, and Mojo's right-hand henchwoman, the six-armed Spiral. Unfortunately, although Longshot returned to his dimension at the end of the series, his popularity meant he was due to return at some point, and so he did—as a member of the highly popular X-Men. Chris Claremont promptly made hash of Longshot's origins, and helped wreck what was otherwise a fine character.
Personality/Motivation: Longshot, as a rule, is a genuinely nice guy. He also has an almost unrelenting positive outlook on life, and is an eternal optimist. As Dr. Strange puts it; "You have your eye on an ideal, you believe in the best thing can be." Thus, he tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and tries not to hurt anyone, unless he 's given reason to believe someone is out to hurt him or others. However, Longshot won't, or at least tries not to kill, and will look for non-lethal ways to achieve victory before resorting to his various blades. On the other hand, this isn't to say Longshot hasn't killed. Flashbacks show that he has, and quite willingly, too. It's just he'd rather not these days, if he can help it.
The desire to be free and to free his people (as well as anyone else he sees enslaved) drives Longshot to the utmost. He was (and is) willing to tackle Mojo (who controls an entire world, if not an entire dimension) all by himself. His powers made him a natural leader, and Longshot cannot deny that aspect of himself.
Quotes: "Why am I so happy? I don't even know who I am!"
"I'm a man in search of my past—a past that seems violently in search of me!"
Powers/Tactics: Aside from his genetically engineered body (which is strong, fit, agile, and very durable), Longshot (and others of his race, it seems) has been gifted with the ability to alter the laws of probability in his favor, allowing him to make the impossible possible. His use of this power is indicated by his left eye glowing yellow. This power is not absolute, however, and over use, or misuse can cause it to backfire, bringing misfortune to Longshot as opposed to unearthly levels of good luck.
Along with his luck power, Longshot is accomplished at hand-to-hand combat and is an excellent acrobat, is skilled with a wide variety of weapons, and carries a belt of throwing blades slung over one shoulder. He has a long knife on his belt, and a second, smaller blade attached to one boot.
Appearance: Longshot stands about 6' in height with a lean muscular build. His blond hair is shoulder length, cut short on the sides and long in the back. He wears boots and a jumpsuit of black leather, with a utility belt at his waist and a bandolier of throwing blades over his left shoulder. A large yellow star-shape in on the right breast of his jacket.
Longshot's skin is said to be like leather (which I presume means it's hard and/or rough, as leather is simply cured skin...), he has only three fingers and a thumb, and two hearts.
Designer's Notes: I rather liked Longshot's original appearance and was rather irritated to see Ricochet Rita vanish when he was brought back. I recently read that Rita was turned into Spiral by Mojo, which makes a twisted sort of sense when you read the original Longshot series, but also utterly destroys a really nice character. And who did Longshot end up with when he came back? Dazzler...
(Longshot created by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
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