8-ball aka Eight-ball
Context
8-ball is an obscure Marvel Comics super-villain who appeared in 1991. His surreal appearances and odd capabilities were… interesting. Unfortunately, little was done with him before he was pointlessly killed off in some brotastic book.
But he could return in *your* stories, eh ?
Background
- Real Name: Jeff Hagees.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: Unidentified grandmother.
- Group Affiliation: None, formerly his own gang.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile.
- Height: 5’10” Weight: 175 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Red
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Powers and Abilities
8-ball has significant technical skills, and is reportedly a world-class pool player. He’s also surprisingly competent and efficient – note the high number of Hero Points for such a minor villain. His outlandish look and gimmicks can definitely lead opponents to gravely underestimating 8-ball.
True to his obsessive nature, 8-ball will occasionally spend a few Hero Points on his shots to make them more impressive (in DC Heroes RPG terms, either AV or EV). In most cases, though, he can restrain himself and perform impressive but not needlessly difficult shots.
Gear
8-ball’s main weapon is his special cue, which amplifies the applied strength more than a thousandfold. He can poke even heavy objects, such as cars, just as if he were just shooting pool. Said object will then go flying with amazing force. In defiance of the laws of physics, this doesn’t produce any recoil. _-ball once “shot” a manhole cover that cleft a police car in two, lengthwise.
Somehow, the projected person or object takes no damage from the brutal acceleration. For instance, 8-ball once “shot” various civilians at Sleepwalker to distract him. Being propelled with great force did not hurt them, but impacting with a wall at such speeds would likely have been fatal.
Another gadget is his flying giant eightball. It is not unlike the Green Goblin’s bat-gliders, as 8-ball stands on it and pilot it via body english. When riding this vehicle, 8-ball wears special boots that can adhere to the ball’s surface, presumably via magnetism.
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Other gadgets include :
- The Hover-Rack — a sort of flying car shaped like a transparent pool ball racks).
- An entire set of two-metres tall, billiard-ball-shaped flying drones. These could be set on autopilot to follow a simple trajectory and are loaded with high explosives. At least one had solid steel clamps on its surface to hold a prisoner.
- Numerous flying surveillance video cameras – shaped like pool balls, of course. Using specialised equipment 8-ball can monitor and pilot all 15 balls at once as a surveillance net.
Henchmen
8-Ball originally employed a group of three henchmen in costumes similar to his. Of them, only 9-Ball spoke or was addressed by name. He was a rather stupid and cowardly thug. They carried explosive billiard balls.
8-Ball appears to have abandoned his gang. A letters page theorised that they were so incompetent in their outing against Sleepwalker that he dropped them immediately thereafter.
History
Jeff Hagees worked as an engineer designing missile propulsion systems. His passion was shooting pool and betting on pool games. As a result, he wound up owing money to the underworld. His employer discovered this, and Hagees lost his top secret accreditation and thus his job.
Embittered, Hagees started building pool-themed gadgets and an unique costume. In 1991, he became the bank-robbing criminal 8-ball. Apparently, part of his loot was used to pay for hospital care for his invalid grandmother.
Walking in your sleep
During a robbery, 8-ball easily defeated a weakened Sleepwalker. But the otherworldly hero soon rose again and defeated his gang, forcing 8-ball to flee as cops arrived. Sleepwalker intervened again as 8-ball was robbing a highly valuable trophy from a pool hall, but was defeated.
8-ball tied him to a giant flying eightball and sent him floating in the sky above New York City to explode ; Sleepwalker barely escaped.
8-ball went to a Bar With No Name to gloat about his success and bet his loot against another super-villain in a pool game. Other drinkers turned him down, knowing he was one of the best players on the East Coast. But Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale) grew tired of his bragging and challenged him to a competition. The first to kill Sleepwalker would win.
Using flying billiard-ball-like surveillance drones, 8-ball located Sleepwalker and engaged him in combat. However, the Hobgoblin had been shadowing him, and joined the fray to win the game. As it turned out, Sleepwalker wasn’t actually the hero but his human host, Rick Sheridan.
8-ball realised that something was off. Although they killed their inexperienced opponent, 8-ball convinced Hobgoblin that this person was not Sleepwalker, and Hobgoblin eventually dropped the bet.
Later career
In 2004, 8-Ball was one of the inmates of the Big House who was recruited by the Mad Thinker (actually a robot simulacrum) for his breakout plan. The plan very nearly worked, but while the escapees were still stuck at action figure size, She-Hulk defeated them all. She used 8-ball as a projectile, ricocheting him from villain to villain.
In 2006, 8-ball was seemingly killed by the Wrecker for having stolen from a crimelord. However, in 2009 a man wearing a 8-ball costume, who may have been Hagees, was spotted at a Bar With No Name that Spider-Man and Daredevil invaded.
Description
Great costume, eh ?
Personality
8-ball is an obsessive pool player and gambler, betting large on pool games in seedy bars or against other top players.
Hagees chiefly commit crime to earn money to build equipment, bet on pool games, and support his grandma. He has a soft-hand, Silver Age -ish approach to his crimes, a bit like the classic Riddler. He is the sort of villain who’d commit Silver Age-ish themed crimes for the fun of it.
While he will try to kill his opponents (especially if there is a bet riding on it) and doesn’t hesitate to endanger cops and civilians he’s there for the flash, not for the blood.
Hagees lives as an outlaw without a secret ID, and had no qualm recounting his origin or showing his face to Sleepwalker.
He’s pretty sharp and confident, and likes uttering pool-related witticisms.
Quotes
8-ball: “Here it is, boys — our game for the evening !”
9-ball: “Looks like a bank to me, 8-ball.”
8-ball: “Your observational skills never fail to underwhelm me, 9-ball.”
9-Ball: “Thanks, boss!”
(After demonstrating a very difficult stunt with his special cue) “With the proper english on the ball, you can sink any shot, boys.”
“Our opponent seems determined to clear us off the table !”
“Excuse me folks, but it’s my turn to break !” (KRASH !!)
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
8-ball
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Thrill |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Criminal |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 006 |
| Init: 014 | HP: 045 |
Skills:
Acrobatics (Dodging)*: 04, Artist (Pool player): 08, Gadgetry: 06, Scientist (Drawing plans): 06, Vehicle (His own custom-built vehicles): 06, Weaponry (Pool cue): 08
Advantages:
Expertise (Propulsion systems), Stroke of Genius (Propulsion systems).
Connections:
Underworld (Low).
Drawbacks:
MIA toward making Trick Shots with his cue, SIA toward Betting big and competitive pool games.
Equipment:
- HELMET [BODY 11, Shade: 02] and BOOTS [BODY 05, Cling: 03, Limitation: Cling only to his Flying Eightball and similarly-equipped vehicles].
- Pool cue [BODY 10 STR 14, EV 02 (04 w/STR), Limitation: STR only to perform Planned Knockback Attacks ; Note: use 8-ball’s Weaponry (Pool cue) Subskill for the AV of both the cue, and objects and persons used as projectile through Knockback].
- HOVER-RACK [STR 06 BODY 07, Flight: 06, R#02].
- FLYING EIGHTBALL [STR 03 BODY 07, Flight: 05, R#02].
- FLOATING EIGHTBALLS [STR 03 BODY 06, Bomb (Self-destruct): 10, Flight: 03, R#02, Grenade Drawback. At least one was fitted with BODY 12 steel clamps that were used to restrain Sleepwalker.]
- SPY-EYES (x15) [BODY 03, Flight: 06, Radio communications (video): 10.]
8-ball’s gang
9-ball (yellow w/stripe), 11-ball (red) and 6-ball (green)
| Dex: 03 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Mercenary |
| Int: 02 | Wil: 02 | Min: 02 | Occupation: Lowlife |
| Inf: 02 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 02 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
| Init: 007 | HP: 000 |
Skills:
Vehicles (Land): 02, Weaponry (Street): 03. They might also be pool players with Artist (Pool player): 04 or so
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (Their ’hood).
Connections:
Street (Low).
Drawbacks:
Depends with individual, may include a SIA to some drug.
Equipment:
Ball-bombs (x4) [BODY 03, EV 06 (Area of effect 0 APs), Grenade Drawback].
Source of Character: Mainly Sleepwalker comics.
Helper(s): Roy Cowan, Kal El el Vigilante.