Here are some facts characters and NPCs might know about Gorgon if they succeed with an appropriate Skill Roll:
N/R: Gorgon is a monstrous, half-woman half-serpent, being who serves King Cobra as his bodyguard.
K/R: Her real name is Zanita Stefanos.
-1: Gorgon thinks she’s a reincarna-tion of a mytho-logical medusa.
Champions Villains Volume One: Master Villains n King Cobra 89
Val Char Cost Roll Notes
60 STR 50 21- Lift 100 tons; 10d6 HTH damage [6]
18 DEX 16 13-30 CON 20
15-10 INT 0 PER Roll 11-8 EGO -2
11-25 PRE 15 14- PRE Attack: 5d6 8 OCV 25
6 DCV 15 3 OMCV 0 4 DMCV 3
5 SPD 30 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 35 PD 33 Total: 35 PD (20 rPD) 35 ED 33 Total: 35 ED (20 rED) 24 REC 20
80 END 12 25 BODY 15
80 STUN 30 Total Characteristics Cost: 315 Movement: Running: 20m
Swimming: 24m
Cost Powers END
16 Tail: +20 STR 2
Only With Tail (-¼)
30 Claws: HKA 2d6 (6d6 with STR) 3
15 Fangs: HKA 1d6 (5d6 with STR) 1
20 Thick, Scaly Hide: Resistant (+½) for 20 PD/20 ED 0 10 Unique Physiology: Power Defense (10 points) 0 10 Alien Psyche: Mental Defense (10 points) 0 20 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -20m 0 4 Strong Lungs: Life Support (Extended Breathing: 1 END
per 20 Minutes) 0
8 Swift: Running +8m (20m total) 1
10 At Home In Water: Swimming +20m (24m total) 1 5 Long, Serpentine Body: Reach +5m 0
Talents
4 Environmental Movement: Aquatic Movement (no penal-ties while in water)
Skills 6 +2 with Tail 16 +2 HTH
2 Language: English (fluent conversation; Greek is Native) 6 Survival (Tropical)
13-5 Tracking
12-Total Powers & Skills Cost: 187 Total Cost: 502
400 Matching Complications (75)
25 Enraged: in combat (Very Common), go , recover 11-15 Hunted: COIL (Frequently, Mo Pow, Watching)
25 Hunted: VIPER (Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Capture/Kill) 15 Physical Complication: Enormous (8m; +4 OCV for
others to hit, +4 to PER Rolls for others to perceive) (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)
5 Physical Complication: Tail Instead Of Legs (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)
25 Psychological Complication: Utterly Loyal To King Cobra (Very Common, Total)
15 Psychological Complication: Thinks She’s A Reincarna-tion Of Gorgon (Stheno) From Classical Mythology (Uncommon, Total)
15 Social Complication: Public Identity (Zanita Stefanos) (Frequently, Major)
Total Complications Points: 75 Experience Points: 102
90 n King Cobra Hero System 6th Edition
Val Char Cost Roll Notes
20 STR 10 13- Lift 400 kg; 4d6 HTH damage [2]
30 DEX 40 15-24 CON 14
14-15 INT 5 PER Roll 12-15 EGO 5
12-20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 8 OCV 25
10 DCV 35 7 OMCV 12 6 DMCV 9
7 SPD 50 Phases: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 10 PD 8 Total: 20 PD (10 rPD) 10 ED 8 Total: 20 ED (10 rED) 20 REC 16
80 END 12 15 BODY 5
50 STUN 15 Total Characteristics Cost: 279 Movement: Running: 24m
Leaping: 16m
Swimming: 24m
Cost Powers END
70 Neurokinesis: Multipower, 70-point reserve
6f 1) Neural Overload: Drain DEX and SPD 4d6 7 Expanded Effect (two Characteristics simultaneously;
+½), ACV (uses OMCV versus DMCV; +¼), AVAD (Mental Defense; +0); Limited Range (50m; -¼) 7f 2) Neural Streamlining: Aid DEX and SPD 4d6 5
Expanded Effect (two Characteristics simultaneously;
+½), ACV (uses OMCV versus DMCV; +¼), AVAD (Mental Defense; +0), Limited Range (50m; +¼) 5f 3) Sensory Shutdown: Sight, Hearing, Smell/Taste,
Touch, Radio, and Mental Sense Groups Flash 5d6 6 ACV (uses OMCV versus DMCV; +¼), AVAD (Mental Defense; +0); Limited Range (50m; -¼)
5f 4) Neural Surge: Mental Blast 7d6 7 Limited Normal Range (50m; -¼)
Martial Arts: VIPER Brawling Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort
4 Dodge — +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort
4 Punch +0 +2 10d6 Strike
3 Throw +0 +1 6d6 + v/10; Target Falls 8 +2 Damage Classes (already added in)
20 Armored Costume: Resistant Protection (10 PD/10 ED) 0 OIF (-½)
34 Deaden Pain: Physical and Energy Damage Reduction,
Resistant, 50% 6
STUN Only (-½), Costs Endurance (only to activate; -¼) 15 Shielded Neural Paths: Mental Defense (15 points) 0 15 Shielded Neural Paths: Power Defense (15 points) 0
13 Quicken Nervous System: +4 DCV 2
Costs Endurance (-½)
17 Evolved Physiology: Running +12m (24m total), x4
Noncombat 2
27 Burst Of Speed (Running): Running +40m (64m total) 8 Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½)
15 Evolved Physiology: Swimming +20m (24m total), x4
Noncombat 1
13 Burst Of Speed (Swimming): Swimming +40m (64m
total) 4
Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½)
4 Evolved Physiology: Leaping +8m (16m total) 1 35 Sense Neural Activity: Detect Neural Activity 15- (no
Sense Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Sense, Targeting 0 Perks
30 Contacts: 30 points’worth of Contacts in the mercenary/
criminal world Talents
4 Quicken Nervous System: Lightning Reflexes: +4 DEX to act first with All Actions 1 Costs Endurance (-½)
6 Simulate Death 15-Skills
6 +2 with COIL Blasters 6 +2 with VIPER Brawling 10 +2 with Neurokinesis Multipower
Champions Villains Volume One: Master Villains n King Cobra 91 PRIMUS (and how important that
made him to VIPER), his conde-scending nobility (and, in Aziz’s mind, racism), his ridiculous code of honor.
During this time Aziz’s cousin, Kalat, came into command of the Sand Castle, an important VIPER base in the Thar Desert in Pakistan that focused on studies into super-human mutation. Aziz wanted to remove Armstrong from VIPER — permanently — but he needed an edge. He convinced Kalat to allow him to be a test subject in a new project. The project’s goal was to activate the gene sequence that led to the birth of a mutant. The scien-tists determined Aziz was a viable candidate with the latent potential for superpowers. They subjected him to a series of DNA-altering retro-viruses and growth hormones, and after several weeks his latent ability, termed neurokinesis by the scientists, became active. He could manipulate the electrical impulses produced by the human nervous system. The scientists thought he could only do this to himself, thus speeding up his reflexes and reaction time; Aziz kept his power to control others’ nervous systems a secret. Although he experi-enced side effects from the process — without a neural dampening serum, his nervous system grew overloaded with sensations, and jolts of elec-tricity severely disrupted his ability to concentrate — Aziz soon rejoined VMS-Alpha.
Then Aziz put in motion his plan to discredit Armstrong. He leaked Armstrong’s name and history to the media. When the media began to question how it was possible that this all-American boy could betray his country, Aziz planted evidence that Armstrong hadn’t betrayed his country at all — he was a PRIMUS undercover agent! The leaders of VIPER bought the story hook, line, and sinker — the idea of a Silver Avenger defecting never sat well with some among the Council Of Thirty
— and Armstrong fled for his life.
Now the leader of VMS-Alpha, Aziz enjoyed the next few years as one of the most respected agents in VIPER, but events outside of his control eventually derailed his rise to the top. The intervention of the Serpent-God, Nama, brought Armstrong back into the organization... and this time, it was Aziz’s turn to escape VIPER’s vengeance.
3 Combat Driving 15-3 Combat Piloting 15-5 Concealment 13-5 Conversation 14-3 Electronics 12-7 Interrogation 15-2 KS: Military Vehicles
11-5 KS: The Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 14-1 KS: The Pilot World
8-3 KS: The Superhuman World 12-3 KS: Supervillains
12-3 KS: VIPER 12-3 Linguist
3 1) Language: English (idiomatic; Punjabi is Native) 3 2) Language: Urdu (idiomatic)
1 3) Language: German (fluent conversation) 1 4) Language: French (fluent conversation) 1 5) Language: Chinese (fluent conversation) 3 Mechanics
12-7 Persuasion 15-3 PS: VIPER Agent 12-7 Shadowing 14-3 Stealth 15-3 Streetwise 13-7 Tactics 14-3 Teamwork
15-6 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Small Planes, Large Planes, Combat Aircraft, Helicopters
8 WF: Small Arms, Blades, Vehicle Weapons (5 vehicles) 2 Weaponsmith (VIPER Vehicular Weapons) 12-Total Powers & Skills Cost: 493
Total Cost: 772
400 Matching Complications (75)
10 Dependence: must drink neural dampening serum once a day or suffer 2d6 Normal Damage (Uncommon) 30 Hunted: VIPER (Frequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Capture/Kill) 25 Hunted: UNTIL (Infrequently, Mo Pow, NCI, Capture) 10 Hunted: COIL (Frequently, Mo Pow, Watching)
10 Psychological Complication: Hatred Of VIPER And VIPER-X (Common, Moderate)
15 Psychological Complication: Self-Centered (Very Common, Moderate)
15 Social Complication: Public Identity (Aziz Singh) (Frequently, Major)
20 Social Complication: Subject To Orders (Very Frequently, Major)
15 Vulnerability: 1½ x STUN from Electricity (Very Common) Total Complications Points: 75
Experience Points: 372
92 n King Cobra Hero System 6th Edition Like Armstrong before him, Aziz disappeared
into the mercenary underworld, where he made contacts with various criminal organizations like ARGENT. Still operating under the name Krait, he spent several years working for whoever paid him the most. Due to his extensive contacts, he soon became as much a go-between and supplier of manpower and high-tech gear as a field merce-nary. When Timothy Blank contacted him about a weapons purchase, Krait quickly deduced what Blank was up to. Intrigued by the idea of toppling VIPER once and for all, he became closely involved in COIL, and is now one of King Cobra’s most important followers.
Personality/Motivation: Krait is as cold-blooded as his namesake. He cares only for himself, and tends to view anyone who’s not obviously less powerful or influential than he as a rival. His experiences with VIPER have left him with a bitter hatred of that organization in general, and VIPER-X in particular; he could easily develop a similar hatred of PCs who thwart him. In short, there’s almost nothing likeable about him.
Quote: “The venom of the krait... first it makes you blind. Soon you can’t hear or feel... can’t even smell. Then you’re at my mercy.”
Powers/Tactics: Krait’s main power is neuro-kinesis — the mental ability to control human neural pathways. He subconsciously uses this ability on his own body at all times, so he has high-level superhuman reflexes, agility, speed, and endurance (and can enhance those attributes even further with conscious effort). He can also affect other people, either to enhance or impede. He can even completely shut down another person’s senses for a few seconds, or cause brief, painful seizures.
In battle, Krait opens with Sensory Shutdown against a martial artist or speedster, then uses his fighting skills to pummel his opponent into unconsciousness. He tries to limit his use of
Neurokinesis to when it’s most effective — the powers are a considerable drain on his END and he tries to conserve his strength. He always keeps one eye on potential escape routes; with enemies like his, he has no desire to be captured, and so he saves enough strength to get away if the battle takes a turn for the worse.
Krait only uses Neural Streamlining on his allies when the target is integral to a given battle or tactical goal — he trusts few people and has little desire to help others. But he also has a good head for tactics and won’t let his distrust interfere with winning a fight against someone who wants to capture him.
Campaign Use: Krait’s job in COIL is to oversee operations: obtain supplies, keep open lines of communications with various underworld contacts, find locations for safehouses and bases, and so on. As the organization’s link with the rest of the criminal underground, he’s vital to the smooth functioning of COIL. King Cobra long ago attempted to use his Coil-Gene Touch to make Krait unquestionably loyal to him (claiming it was only to ease some of the side effects of Krait’s neurokinesis), but Krait knew what was going on and used his powers (claiming it was an instinctive reaction he had no control over) to prevent King Cobra’s touch from taking effect.
For the time being, King Cobra and Krait share a similar goal, but each prepares for the day when it’s time to betray the other. Currently, Krait enjoys the upper hand since COIL is still relatively weak and King Cobra needs Krait’s contacts. King Cobra’s one bargaining chip is the neural damp-ening formula Krait requires to keep his powers in check. The formula is difficult to distill, but not impossible, and King Cobra knows it provides him with only limited influence over Krait. King Cobra has spent much time wondering how he can negate Krait’s immunity to the Coil-Gene Touch by doctoring the neural dampening formula. But in this game of cat and mouse, Krait remains ever-wary of such a trick....
As COIL becomes more firmly established, the balance of power is shifting; Krait no longer has quite the leverage he once did. This concerns him, but he’s sticking around as long as possible since COIL seems his best hope of striking back at VIPER and Armstrong.
To weaken Krait, reduce his SPD to 5 and the points in his Multipower reserve to 50-60 points.
To make him tougher, increase his Multipower reserve and add the Advantage Reduced Endurance to his Multipower slots.
Appearance: A leanly-muscled Pakistani man, Krait wears a black body suit with red wavy lines running up the legs and arms. He wears a black mask over his nose and mouth, leaving exposed his brown eyes and long black hair. Krait speaks quietly, slowly, precisely, and without an accent.
Even in the midst of battle when he must shout to be heard, he rarely sounds flustered or panicked
— mainly because he never feels either of those emotions.