Shrike III

Shrike III v1.1

By Sébastien Andrivet

Source of Character: DC comics

Helper(s): Roy Cowan, Darci. One illustration detoured at rapsheet.co.uk.

Reasons: This article assumes you’ve read our main article about the Overmaster’s Cadre.

Quotes

Shrike

“As you wish, Overmaster. You are my god, and I live but to sing your glory.”

“Well, they took me off and put me in jail and everything, but the Lord, He’s looking out for me, and He placed me with the Squad for a chance at a new life. Praise the Lord !”

Game Stats — DC Heroes

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Shrike

Dex: 03	Str: 02	Bod: 04	Motivation: Mercenary
Int: 04	Wil: 03	Min: 04	Occupation: Mercenary
Inf: 03	Aur: 03	Spi: 04	Resources {or Wealth}: 004
Init: 010		HP: 020

Powers: Flight: 11, Sonic beam: 09, Super Breath: 09

Bonuses and Limitations:

Sonic beam can have up to an 1 AP Area of Effect
Superbreath is Contingent on Sonic Beam and is sonic in nature
Flight was originally Winged

Skills: Accuracy (Sonic powers): 06

Advantages: None known

Connections: Cadre I (Low)

Drawbacks: Attack Vulnerability (-2CS OV/RV vs. Character Interaction exploiting her neurotic issues with God), Catastrophic Psychological Instability, SIA toward “Coming to grips with God”, Creepy Appearance, Serious Rage

Hawwkaa !
During the “Peregrine” appearance (see the Starshrike entry for more), several new abilities were demonstrated or mentioned. There’s no reason to assume that Shrike and Starshrike lack similar abilities.

Claws: 04. Shrike’s fingers and toes have been drawn as talon-like, so the Claws power is credible.
Telescopic vision: 02 and Ultra-vision: 04. ”Peregrine” mentioned having raptor eyes that could see in the dark. Given the generally avian-like body adaptations of Shrike and Starshrike, GMs are probably justified in adding those to Shrike’s stats if they feel like it.

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Game Stats — DC Adventures

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Shrike III — Averaged PL 6.8

STR	STA	AGL	DEX	FGT	INT	AWE	PRE
00	02	00	01	01	-2	00	00

Powers

Flight ● 26 points ● Descriptor: Overmaster enhancements
- Flight 10 (originally had the Winged Flaw)
- Enhanced Dodge 4, Move-by Action, Improved Defense (all three share Quirk - only in flight), Favored Environment (Aerial)

Scream Array ● 67 points ● Descriptor: Overmaster enhancements, shockwave

Ranged Line-Area Shockwave Damage 9
Ranged Sonic Damage 9 w/Takedown
Line-Area 3 Move Object 3 (Limited 2 - only in the direction of her scream) Linked w/ Line-Area 3 Affliction 14 (resisted by Dodge, dazed&fighting impaired/stunned&prone)

Combat Advantages

All-out Attack, Close Attack 2, Defensive Roll 2

Other Advantages

Benefit 1 (Cadre member)

Skills

Athletics 1 (+1), Expertise (Theology) 2 (+0), Insight 1 (+1), Perception 3 (+3), Ranged combat (Scream) 7 (+8)

Offense

Initiative +0

Unarmed +3, Close, Damage 0

Scream +8 (usually +10 w/Favored Environment), Ranged, Damage 9

Scream +8 (usually +10 w/Favored Environment), Line Area 3, Move Object + Affliction

Defense

Dodge	8*/4	Fortitude	6
Parry	2	Toughness	4*/2
Will	3

* While in the air. May receive further bonuses from Favoured Environment.

Complications

Disability Shrike is severely neurotic and possibly schizophrenic

Vulnerability Shrike is easily manipulated if preying on her obsession about God

Temper Psychotic aggression, occasionally without realising that she’s attacking

Prejudice Shrike is visibly mutated

Power levels

Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 11, Dodge/Toughness PL 6, Parry/Toughness PL 3, Fort & Will PL 5

Point total 122 Abilities 4, Defences 12, Skills 7, Powers 93, Devices 0, Advantages 6. Equiv. PL 9.

Hawwkaa !

During the “Peregrine” appearance (see the Starshrike entry for more), several new abilities were demonstrated or mentioned. There’s no reason to assume that Shrike and Starshrike lack similar abilities.

Strength-based Slashing Damage 3. Shrike’s fingers and toes have been drawn as talon-like, so the Claws power is credible.
Senses 3 (Extended Visual, Darkvision). ”Peregrine” mentioned having raptor eyes that could see in the dark. Given the generally avian-like body adaptations of Shrike and Starshrike, GMs are probably justified in adding those to Shrike’s stats if they feel like it.

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Background

Real Name: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: None
Group affiliation: Cadre
Base Of Operations: Formerly the Overmaster’s mountain base
Height: 5‘5” Weight: 120 lbs
Eyes: White Hair: Pink feathers
Other distinguishing features: Pointed tail growing from her spine just above her buttocks ; orange-ish skin.

Powers and Abilities

The Shrike had wings (at least originally), and could emit a powerful shriek — either to inflict straight damage, or to bowl over a number of opponents like pins. Secondary sources mention that her scream could also paralyse, but that was never actually demonstrated.

Circa 1987, the Shrike bought off the Winged Limitation on her Flight - during her Suicide Squad mission, she no longer sported wings but could still fly.

History

Shrike III has allegedly been on a lifelong spiritual quest - apparently in an attempt to transcend her serious psychiatric issues, as she reportedly has been an inmate in several asyluMs. During the 1980s she was recruited and empowered to join the original Cadre, apparently considering that the Overmaster was God (or at least a god). The Overmaster left Earth without her after the JLA beat him, however.

Shrike tried to become a born-again Christian. However her neurotic, fumbling attempts at finding God just led to the visibly irrational Shrike being preyed upon and sexually abused by a reverend named Flint Yuma. The situation became even more disastrous when the dismayed Shrike started screaming when Yuma assaulted her. Yuma was killed by her scream ; when the police came the psychotic Shrike did not understand what was happening. Her frantic yells about being sorry and begging not to be shot resulted in the death of 32 state troopers before she could be taken down.

Shrike was transferred to the Belle Reve prison, as Amanda Waller offered her the Suicide Squad deal. Shrike agreed and was soon deployed in Ogaden (the DCU’s equivalent of Ethiopia) to recover an imprisoned nun. During an assault on a military base, she was caught in the beam of a searchlight while sonically strafing the troops, and brought down by massed small arms fire. The mission was successful, however.

Shrike was replaced within the Cadre by another woman with largely similar abilities and looks, called Starshrike.

Years later, Shrike was animated as a zombie by the Black Lantern power, and helped attack Belle Reve in revenge.

Description

See illustrations.

Personality

Shrike III did not train with the other Cadre members, and seemed to spend most of her time lovingly perched on the Overmaster’s shoulder, only acting when he gave her direct orders. She actually worshipped him, and seemingly only spoke to sing his praise. After the Overmaster left Earth, she continued her neurotic attempts to “come to grips with God”, as she put it, and would babble and rant incessantly about her psychotic take on born-again Christianity.

Shrike was thoroughly crazy and obsessive. She was so divorced from reality that she did not seem to realize the consequences of her actions, making her pretty scary. A fit of Psychological Instability was likely to result in her constantly using her sonic powers without genuine awareness of it.

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