Cyclotronic Man
(Ned Creegan) (Profile #2)
Context
Ned Creegan is a very minor DC Comics character. But somehow, he’s had three different, superhuman identities over the decades. His successive profiles should thus be read in order. They go :
- Ned Creegan chapter 1 – Bag o’ Bones.
- Ned Creegan chapter 2 – The Cyclotronic Man.
- Ned Creegan chapter 3 – The One-Man Meltdown.
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Background
- Real Name: Ned Creegan.
- Former Aliases: Bag O’ Bones, The Spark-Spangled See-Through Man.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Metropolis (formerly Gotham City).
- Height: 6’ Weight: 175 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown
Powers & Abilities
Creegan now has Bronze Age -style “radiation powers”. These are way more powerful than his Silver Age static electricity powers were. His new ability include :
- Flight.
- Making his body burn with radiation (hot enough to burn off his clothes within seconds).
- Electron blasts shot from his hands.
- Using free atoms in the air to form a protective force field around himself, though he cannot do anything else but stand there and talk while it’s up.
- He can apparently enhance his strength, though not to superhuman levels, but not his durability.
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- Giving himself a strong positive charge (like during his Bag O’ Bones days) and other objects and persons a strong positive or negative charge to force them away from him or toward him.
- Blasts that speed up particles and make objects or persons age centuries within seconds. This was used for instance to turn solid concrete to dust. This rotting effect could harm even Superman (Clark Kent), albeit Supes soon shook off the effect.
Though very potent these cyclotronic blasts seem to be harder and more draining to employ than basic electron blasts, and the Cyclotronic Man only used this when he felt pressed.
It seemed that the Cyclotronic Man needed to reroute his energy from one power to the next. He did not use multiple powers at once (though assuming that he can’t would be reaching) and his tactics made more sense if he needed to focus on one power at a time.
History
While Creegan was serving a likely fatal 20-year sentence, the deadly criminal cartel The 100 remembered about him. They got him out of prison, and The 100’s scientists not only stabilised his condition — resetting his lifespan to something more acceptable — but also mutated and enhanced his powers.
Creegan’s abilities were likened to that of a human cyclotron. Thus, he changed his code name to match. He also got himself a costume.
In 1977, Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) made considerable trouble for The 100 in the Suicide Slum area. Meanwhile Jimmy Olsen (widely known as Superman’s Pal) also started investigating. The 100 unleashed the Cyclotronic Man and he nearly killed both targets, though Black Lightning narrowly punched him unconscious.
Superman then came in. He mistakenly thought that Black Lightning had attacked Olsen. During this misunderstanding, Creegan regained consciousness. He attacked Superman by surprise and sped up his particles, but Black Lightning intervened.
With his big attack foiled, Creegan collapsed the building on his three opponents, but that didn’t work either. Since Superman still insisted on treating Black Lightning like a criminal, the Cyclotronic Man nevertheless could flee.
However The 100 abandoned him for his failure. They even debated killing Creegan as a liability. Black Lightning and Superman soon found and arrested the now supportless Cyclotronic Man.
Description
At least the costume is simple. In his civilian identity Creegan wears a typical 1970s ensemble, looking quite garish by most subsequent sensibilities.
Personality
Creegan is very thankful toward The 100 and Tobias Whale. As a result he’s determined to serve them as best as he can as long as they are loyal toward him.
He’s very confident in his vast array of powers, but doesn’t have much actual experience with them. Thus, he isn’t as tough an opponent as his powers would suggest. His limited intelligence level also works against him.
He was shocked to discover that The 100 had dropped him like last week’s fish. This made him very willing to turn against them since he felt so betrayed.
Quotes
“Thanks to The 100 and Mr. Whale, I’m gonna live for a long time to come — a lot longer than any super-hero who gets in my way !”
“I’ve got more powers than Carter has peanuts.”
“Wondering about the pain ? That’s what happens when even *your* atomic particles are speeded up a millionfold ! I’m a human cyclotron, Superman — and I’m gonna scatter your atoms all over Metropolis !”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Cyclotronic Man
| Dex: 05 | Str: 02 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Mercenary |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 02 | Min: 03 | Occupation: Enforcer |
| Inf: 02 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 02 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 010 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Attraction/Repulsion: 03, Cell Rot: 12, Energy blast: 06, Flame Being: 00, Flight: 04, Force field: 00, Power Reserve (STR, all Powers): 03
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Attraction/Repulsion is performed by giving himself a strong positive electrical charge and other objects/people a strong negative or positive charge.
- Cell Rot has a Diminishing Range, but is Minor Marginal.
- Cell Rot is considered Killing Combat when used against a person.
- Cell Rot can affect non-organic materials has long as they degrade with age (BC +10).
- Flight weight capacity is limited by his base STR.
- Force field is Self Only, and the Cyclotronic Man cannot perform any Action during a Phase while the Field is up.
Skills:
Thief (Locks and safes, Stealth): 03, Weaponry (Firearms): 03
Advantages
None demonstrated.
Connections:
Street (Low), The 100 (Low).
Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.
Design notes
In many Mayfair and writeups.org profiles, the APs seem a bit low for fighting Superman.
The traditional assumption is that Supes’ opponents burn their Hero Points on some key attacks to score some RAPs against the Man of Steel, and maybe get a good roll or two.
Whereas Superman doesn’t really spend HPs, is surprised when he has to, and has various penalties (most notably to his OV) since he’s not fighting all-out.
For instance in Creegan’s case, the Cell Rot can be upped to 15 with the Power Reserve and he has the HPs to boost that high enough to get 15 RAPs even against Superman, possibly Stunning him on a good roll.
The Cyclotronic Man also unexpectedly attacked from behind, making OV moot.
Source of Character: Pre-Crisis DC Universe.
Helper(s): Darci.
Writeup revised on the 2nd of August, 2014.