Task Force X - The Lost RPG Files

The mission to Apokolips closed out an era of the Suicide Squad, but before we embark on another, I want to be thorough. There was one more mission for this group, a mission kept off the books because it didn't strictly happen in continuity. I don't even know HOW it ended. That mission is Operation: Atlantis, a role-playing adventure module for Mayfair's DC Heroes RPG and starring the Suicide Squad. It allowed players to take on the roles of multiple Squad members in two separate missions, one with an advance team, the other with a combat team. And while all your favorites are available, there were also a couple of losers thrown in who, just like in the comic, might get their asses killed. In fact, if I were to run a Suicide Squad campaign, I'd always allow a few players to play a secondary "guest" character, one that could be thrown to the wolves if need be. A good way to clear out the 80s Blue Beetle villains, for example.

The advance team was comprised of: Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Nemesis, Nightshade, Shade the Changing Man, and Vixen. They had to do the recon and spying, so are pretty safe.
The combat team was sent into greater danger and included (or could include, depends on your number of players): Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, Duchess, and... the following three supervillains:

Subject: Fiddler
Profile: Retired Golden Age villain
Powers: Magic fiddle creates force fields and sonic beams, and hypnotizes.
Mission: Infiltrate underground kingdom called the Middle Realm and stop Ocean Master's plans there. Specifically, guide combat team through Middle Realm thanks to personal familiarity with it.
Chance of survival going in: Fair. Writers (GMs/Players) may be loathe to kill off a classic Golden Age character, but being well past his prime may have been justification enough. Less sentimental writers might see this as a good opportunity to do away with a silly gimmick (and insure the Fiddle Car is never used in a game).
Retirement: APPARENTLY RELEASED.
Final report: Fiddler would go on to die in the Hawkworld series, and after returning to life by Neron's hand (presumably), getting killed by Deadshot in Villains United. His recent appearance as a Black Lantern confirms he is really dead this time.

Subject: Killer Frost
Profile: Classic Firestorm villain
Powers: Creating intense cold by absorbing surrounding heat.
Mission: Infiltrate underground kingdom called the Middle Realm and stop Ocean Master's plans there.
Chance of survival going in: High. Of all the guest villains, Killer Frost would hold the most interest for GMs and Players alike. She's a lot more interesting than, say, Icicle II, and has one of those crazy personalities writers might want to reuse.
Retirement: APPARENTLY RELEASED.
Final report: See her original file for more information.

Subject: Vulcan
Profile: Obscure JSA villain
Powers: Flame projection. Body armor and battle axe.
Mission: Infiltrate underground kingdom called the Middle Realm and stop Ocean Master's plans there.
Chance of survival going in: Low. Who even remembers this guy? He doesn't rate a Wikipedia entry. Well, he did appear a few times under Roy Thomas' pen, starting in All-Star Comics #60 (in the 1970s). Believe it or not, he was really an astronaut called Christopher Pike whose hero worship of the JSA turned into a need to destroy them after the accident that gave him his powers. The scenario's author (Stephen R. Crow, if you're wondering) makes a good pitch for keeping him around, saying he hates criminals with a passion, especially cowardly ones like Boomer, but also hates "heroic" characters. Plenty of fuel for continuing drama in Squad games, but if played as a one-off, he's dead for sure.
Retirement: UNKNOWN.
Final report: Vulcan never appeared in the comics beyond Crisis on Infinite Earths. This foray out of Limbo, had it been in continuity, would probably have been his last.

You know, I'm having trouble finding the motivation to pursue my DC Adventures campaign right now. I wish I'd just gone old school DCHeroes and set up the Squad. I sure would have had fun killing off lame villains.

Comments

Michael Hoskin said…
Stephen R. Crow? Clearly a pseudonym of Trace Bealieu.
Quilty said…
The Vulcan story in All-Star Comics was one of the first comics I ever read. In fact, I encountered the Golden Age versions of the Flash and Green Lantern before I did their Earth-1 counterparts.
i really like the art work on that Fiddler Who's Who page. it's all around a great drawing especially where the hands are concerned. hands can be so hard to draw often. especially when you want to show them doing something intricate.
Siskoid said…
Solid work from Sandy Plunkett and Joe Rubinstein.
Unknown said…
read Annihilators #1 reminder.
Siskoid said…
Doesn't the reminder belong under the What if Silver Surfer post?

And guys (I'll call you the David H Squad), if I don't like Annihilators, will you still like me in the morning?

(Still, it's by Abnett and Lanning...)