Ambrose Chase

Mr. Chase was part of a team of “mystery archaeologists”. These investigators reconstitute what should have been and fight against the suppression.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Ambrose Chase had the ability to generate a “selective physics distortion field.” This devastating power could be used for localized control of the speed of time. Furthermore it could redirect gravity, force, mass, and possibly other physics-defying feats.

The size and density of the field were variable. He could use it on himself, project it over a large area of unspecified dimensions, or concentrate it onto a smaller area or object, such as another person.

Some of the feats Ambrose displayed while using his abilities was to :

• Slowing time to a near-halt.
• Redirecting gravity to allow himself to run up walls or change the direction of bullets.
• The inducing intense vertigo on an opponent rendering them completely helpless under his assault.

In addition to his physics distortion field, Ambrose is an expert marksman. He used a pair of semi-automatic pistols, kept under his coat in holsters on the back of his belt, on field missions.

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History

Ambrose Chase is the son of a survivor of Science City Zero, a genetic experimentation facility. Because of his relationship to that facility, Ambrose (and his abilities) came to the attention of the Planetary organization very early on. He knew Elijah Snow virtually his entire life and the two became good friends.

Ambrose joined the Planetary field team alongside Elijah and Jakita Wagner. He was present during the mission that resulted in the rescue and recruitment of The Little Drummer Boy.

In 1994, Elijah revealed to Ambrose that he was Planetary’s mysterious Fourth Man. He warned him of a coming change, which turned out to be Elijah’s departure from Planetary, due to The Four’s mental blocks. Ambrose took up leadership of the field team in Elijah’s absence.

Planet Fiction

In 1997, Ambrose Chase led the field team on a raid of a heavily fortified research facility sponsored by The Four in England. The aim of the facility was to retrieve a being from a fictional reality dubbed “Planet Fiction”.

Ambrose, Jakita and The Drummer made their way through the facility. While The Drummer retrieved information and Jakita occupied the ground troops, Ambrose ran up a wall to the main control room. His goal was to stop the facility’s operations. When he reached the window of the control room, however, the facility’s lead scientist pulled a gun and shot him six times.

As Ambrose’s field failed and he fell back to the facility’s ground floor, the scientist declared that they were in a science fiction movie. And as he added, “the Black guy always dies  in science fiction movies.”

The Drummer and Jakita comforted Ambrose until he apparently vanished into his field; Jakita then killed Ambrose’s murderer for revenge.

The man in the white suit

There is a strong implication that, despite his wounds, Ambrose somehow survived. The Drummer has hypothesized that Elijah’s function as a century baby is to save things. And the current arc sees Elijah setting his sights on Ambrose Chase’s salvation, among other things.

Ambrose is survived by his widow, Larissa and his daughter, Angela. The Planetary foundation had been paying Larissa compensation for Ambrose’s service since his death. After Elijah regained his memories, he and Jakita visited Larissa to inform her that Elijah would personally see to her finances from then on, out of respect for Ambrose.

Description

Ambrose is a relatively average looking Black man. He wears his hair cropped close to his scalp, and can always always be found wearing fashionable white three-piece suits with a long white trenchcoat over top.

Ambrose carries himself with an air of supreme confidence, looking almost bored in the middle of conflict. During combat he looks like he could have stepped out of the Matrix, complete with the bullet time maneuvers.

Personality

Ambrose’s personalty is hard to nail down due to his sparse appearances. He is a family man who is extremely confidant in his abilities.

Simply put, Ambrose is a man who put his complete faith in Elijah Snow, and is the best soldier he had.

Quotes

(Approaching an enemy soldier with is weapon cocked at him) “We are Planetary. And my name is Ambrose Chase. Pleased to meet you.”

“Which means your two thousand soldiers are probably formed up around the central sections. Keep your head down Drums. This is going to get damned ugly.”

“Stay… down… turning time back on.”

“World, this is my daughter. I want you two to be good to each other. Because it is a strange world out there, and you both need all the help you can get.”

DC Universe History

The concept behind Planetary has three important points :

• There is a secret history of the superhuman and fantastic, purposefully hidden.
• A vast conspiracy is responsible for this – and purposefully isolates humanity from the wonders and terrors that are actually present on Earth.
• This secret history is a strangely twisted history of the comic books themselves, and their iconic characters and events, but strangely warped and somewhat sinister.

Thus, introducing Planetary and its field team in your campaign (DCU or otherwise) means you have decided there is a “secret history” and hidden wonders and dangers in the world. These can be relatively minor, or you could go for the “everything you know is a lie” approach.

An adventure involving Planetary could thus cast a strong doubt on an aspect of the universe your players took for granted.

For instance, a strange, alien sanctum where the character find the embalmed corpses of the JLA, as of 1968. Or a slightly odd villa in the Rockies where Bruce Wayne’s parents are enjoying their retirement. Or photographs of Kennedy in Dallas, shaking hands with an impressive-looking hero group in front of a cheering crowd and numerous press photographs – all of the group’s members being complete unknowns to the characters.

Basically,twist the campaign world away from what it was supposed to be, and suddenly make it unknown.

By Bryan Gittens.

Source of Character: Planetary Comics, Wildstorm Media.

Helper(s): Elijah Snow & Jakita Wagner write-ups, Woodrow, Sébastien Andrivet, and the_black_adam, Planetary Appreciation Page , Gareth Lewis.