Blockbuster aka Heat-Ray
(Fredric Woolrich)
Context
A very minor, but generic and handy, Marvel villain in power armour .
He primarily clashed with Captain America, and first appeared in 1981.
Background
- Real Name: Fredric Woolrich.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: The Fangs.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile ; formerly New York City.
- Height: 6’2” Weight: 190lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown
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Powers and Abilities
Woolrich is a mean streets criminal. He has excellent reflexes and coordination, a gun, an attitude and a mastery of arson techniques.
Blockbuster wears a 7’ tall armoured suit with :
- Enhanced strength.
- Jet boots.
- A flamethrower on the right wrist.
- A gun projecting green beams of force on the left wrist
The suit is insulated, cooled, has a polarized visor and a system allowing to move through smoke and glare without hesitation.
Blockbuster will often torch his environment, letting all the considerable hazards of a fire hinder and threaten his opponents (great heat, toxic smoke, risks of collapse, backdrafts and so on – see our DC Heroes Misc. Rules article).
Though the Heat-Ray armour is robust, it is no Iron Man suit. For instance Captain America once demolished the power feed from the backpack with his shield.
Heat-Ray later had his equipment upgraded, adding a microwave ray projector and other unrevealed systems.
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History
Back in 1981, F. Woolrich was an arsonist for hire. He claimed to be reputed and well-paid, and one gets the impression he may have been ex-military.
Using the trade name “Blockbuster”, Woolrich worked in New York City, which was going through waves of gentrification. Some real estate developers simply had men like Woolrich torch working class buildings. They would then buy the ruins and redevelop the block for much higher rents.
Woolrich was sent after a predominantly Jewish area in West Brooklyn. There his first fire spread very quickly and trapped the residents. Steve Rogers was living across the street with his friend Bernie Rosenthal, and Captain America thus immediately intervened. Though all residents were saved, a fireman was killed while helping Cap get out of the building.
The developer started getting cold feet, but Woolrich convinced him to let the contract continue.
Suspecting he might run into Cap again, Blockbuster made the standard deal with Justin Hammer’s organisation. Thus he became a super-villain, getting a suit of armour in exchange for a 50% cut.
The house is burned, the children are gone
Blockbuster did run into Cap during another arson raid. After the star-spangled Avenger carried the unconscious Blockbuster out of a burning warehouse, Woolrich attempted to shoot him in the back. However, the criminal was taken down by firemen.
Blockbuster agreed to plea-bargain in return for the name of his employer. As a result, he got a reduced sentence. He became a minor super-villain, whose activities included attacking money transfer trucks. He used part of his profits to keep his suit upgraded. Woolrich also changed his monicker to Heat-Ray – perhaps to avoid a conflict with Michael Baer of the Marauders.
In 1992 Heat-Ray ran into Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson)’s duplicate, the Blue Marvel. The Blue Marvel swiftly defeated Heat-Ray. He would have executed Woolrich had not Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) intervened.
Oh yes a change has come
By 1993, Heat-Ray was with a team of mercenaries called the Fangs and working for the Viper (Ophelia Sarkissian). His colleagues were Bludgeon, Slither and Razorblade.
When the Viper and the Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) had a disagreement, the Fangs killed the Skull’s agent the Iron Monger after he assaulted and wounded the Viper.
The Viper and her Fangs were then attacked by Captain America, Battlestar and Silver Sable – and defeated. Heat-Ray hasn’t been seen since.
Description
See illustrations.
Personality
Ruthless criminal and casual killer. His rep is a big thing for him, and he’d very much like to be a big-time villain. However, while he’s mean and sufficiently violent, he lacks the right stuff and can’t go the distance.
Quotes
“You shouldn’t have shown up at that brownstone I torched last night, Avenger ! People don’t live too long when they get in the way of… Blockbuster !”
“Only the broad has a gun ! No way they can withstand us !”
DC Universe History
Perhaps he could team up with the Firebug and Bonfire and form a team of Arson Assassins ? 🙂
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Heat-Ray
| Dex: 04 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Mercenary |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Mercenary, arsonist |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 03 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 013 | HP: 020 |
Skills:
Charisma (Intimidation)*: 04, Military science (Demolition)*: 04, Vehicles (Land): 03, Weaponry (Firearms): 04, Weaponry (Blockbuster suit): 06
Advantages:
Expertise (Arson), Familiarity (Military equipment and protocols).
Connections:
Street (Low), Underworld (Low).
Drawbacks:
Minor Rage.
Equipment:
- He always carry a handgun [BODY 04, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 13, R#02], even inside his Blockbuster suit.
- BLOCKBUSTER SUIT [/STR/ 09 /BODY/ 06, Cold immunity: 03, Energy blast: 08, Flame immunity: 06, Flame project: 08, Flight: 03, Growth: 01, Heat vision: 09, Radar sense: 03, Sealed systems: 10, Shade: 03, Shockwave: 06, Skin armor: 03, Limitation : Growth is Always On and Already Factored In. Note that Heat Vision wasn’t installed by his first appearance.]
Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Heat-Ray aka Blockbuster — Averaged PL 7.4
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX | FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 (09) | 01 | 01 | 02 | 02 | 02 | 00 | 01 |
Devices
Blockbuster suit ● 52 points (Removable) ● Descriptor: Technology
– Strength augmentation — Enhanced Strength 8, Quirk (makes the wearer large and bulky).
– Protection — Immunity 8 (Disease, poison, environmental cold/heat, environmental radiation, suffocation, bright lights), Second chance (Hazards from a fire).
– Armoured — Impervious Protection 8 (Limited 1 to Physical Impacts).
– Insulation — Impervious Protection 12, Impervious Enhanced Fortitude 10 (both Limited 3 to fire/heat).
– Insulation — Impervious Protection 6, Impervious Enhanced Fortitude 5 (both Limited 3 to cold).
– Flight 2.
– Radar — Senses 2 (Visual Counters Concealment (vs. smoke/fog and glare)).
– Attacks (Array)
- Concussive beam — Ranged Blunt Damage 7, Diminished Range 1.
- Flamethrower — Ranged Flame Damage 8, Diminished Range 2.
- Microwave beam — Ranged Heat Damage 8, Diminished Range 1 (was installed after his original appearance).
- Ground punch — Burst Area Affliction 10 (resisted by Fortitude, one degree of failure is Dazed and two is Prone, Limited degree), Quirk (requires standing on a suitable surface).
Combat Advantages
Close Attack 1, Defensive Roll 1, Ranged Attack 4.
Other Advantages
Equipment 2.
Skills
Athletics 2 (+2), Close combat (Unarmed) 2 (+5), Deception 1 (+2), Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+6), Expertise (Arsonist) 8 (+10), Insight 2 (+3), Intimidation 3 (+4), Perception 3 (+3), Persuasion 1 (+2), Ranged Combat (Blockbuster suit) 3 (+9), Vehicles 2 (+4) (Limited 2 to common land vehicles).
Equipment
Light pistol — Ranged Ballistic Damage 3 ● 6 points
Offense
| Initiative +1 |
| Unarmed +5, Close, Damage 0 (9 w/suit) |
| Firearms +6, Ranged, Damage varies by type |
| Blockbuster suit wapons +9, Ranged, Damage varies by weapon |
Defense
| Dodge | 5 | Fortitude | 3 |
| Parry | 6 | Toughness | 10**/2/1* |
| Will | 3 |
* Without suit or Defensive Roll
** With suit and Defensive Roll
Complications
- Temper
- Power Loss The Blockbuster suit is not too hard to damage given sufficient force, and one such blow is likely to put the entire suit offline.
Power levels
- Trade-off areas Attack/Effect PL 9, Dodge/Toughness PL 9, Parry/Toughness PL 9, Fort/Will PL 3.
- Point total 104. Abilities 18, Defences 13, Skills 15, Powers 0, Devices 52, Advantages 8. Equiv. PL 7
Source of Character: Marvel Universe (chiefly Captain America vol. 1 #258).