Czonk the Baffler
Context
Czonk was part of the colourful cast of minor costumed criminals featured in DC comics written by Chuck Dixon during the 1990s.
These characters tend to be handy in street-level games, straightforward and fun to play.
Background
- Real Name: Titus Czonka.
- Other Aliases: The Baffler, Headbanger.
- Marital Status: Presumably single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Occasional partner of the Cluemaster.
- Base Of Operations: Gotham City.
- Height: 6’4” Weight: 265 lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Bald
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Powers and Abilities
Czonk’s strength seems to be in the low superhuman range, and he’s a good brawler.
On the other hand he has sometimes been called the dumbest felon in Gotham. But then there is a lot of competition for that spot.
Czonk is handy with a gun, especially shotguns. But he’d never use one when he’s wearing a costume. He wants to be a four-colour supervillain and those don’t have guns !
History
Titus Czonka is a former member of the Gotham City road crews – a jackhammer operator. He sought to put his considerable size and slightly superhuman strength to a flashier and more lucrative use. He became a criminal and super-criminal wannabe.
Unfortunately, his planning skills are abysmal. And he’s about as smart and bursting with initiative as a dead platypus with an ear infection.
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Get a clue
“Czonk” has become something of a henchman for the Cluemaster, a C-list Gotham criminal. He has accompanied him in at least two breakouts from Blackgate prison.
However, while Czonk was OK with being just muscle, what he really wanted was to be a cool supervillain with a costume, a gimmick and a code name. Maybe like the Signalman.
When the Cluemaster was cured of his compulsion with leaving clues, Czonk saw an opening. He made himself a garish costume, and became… the Baffler, Master of Mysteries !
Consternation and bafflement
He would use Cluemaster’s old gimmick of sending clues to the police, since it was no longer taken. Thus, Czonk discreetly sent some crude picture puzzles to the police regarding the crime they were planning with Cluemaster and the Electrocutioner.
The Cluemaster explained to Czonka that if he had stopped sending clues to the cops, it was because it was *stupid*. Czonk was baffled by this. But he followed the advice and changed his name and costume to Headbanger.
His pictorial clues, though, had alerted the police. Czonk and his allies were nearly arrested. Drawing the clues on paper with the letterhead of their hotel wasn’t bright.
Robin (Tim Drake) and Spoiler followed up on the police’s attempt to stop Cluemaster’s crew. They were successful.
Return of… the Baffler ! Mwahahahahahahaha !
Czonk escaped the police a few weeks later. Having apparently forgotten Cluemaster’s warning, he decided to make another attempt at being the Baffler. He sent “cryptic” letters to Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler, the Cluemaster’s daughter. Thus, he could challenge and defeat a genuine superheroine !
Although the letters seemed penned by a six-year-old, Spoiler investigated. But she wasn’t expecting anything serious. She thus fell into a trap Czonk had set up in a building scheduled for demolition. Robin, who was looking for Spoiler, was also ambushed and captured by… the Baffler !!
Once he had the two teenagers solidly bound, the Baffler went on a grandiose (if confused) villainous monologue. However he accidentally banged his head on an overhead steel pipe. And knocked himself out by falling head first on another pipe.
Robin managed to escape his bonds. He and Spoiler took the Baffler to safety while the building was being demolished. Czonk was handed over to the police.
Let’s hang out at the mall
Czonk was also part of the small band led by the Cluemaster that escaped Blackgate. They attempted to loot a mall during the quake in Gotham. They were opposed by Spoiler and the Huntress, and defeated.
Description
See illustration for Czonk’s Baffler costume.
Out of costume Czonk is a huge, muscular bald White guy with a paunch.
Personality
Czonk is really dumb, uneducated and easily confused.
He can follow a very simple plan with some eagerness. But if the unexpected occurs it is best to shout him orders. Otherwise, he’ll either lose a Phase or two being confused or do something rash and quite stupid. It seems likely that he has a mild mental handicap.
Czonk is not really a bad guy. He’s not truly homicidal. His actual motivation is that he wants be a comic book character.
He even considered being a superhero. After Robin and Spoiler got him out of a collapsing building, he was so excited he wanted to start a team with them. He had completely forgotten that his plan was to kill them.
His plan to murder the young heroes was fuzzy and sloppy. Czonk hadn’t really thought things out in advance. He was not certain of what to do once he had them captured. It is likely that talking him out of committing murder would have been trivial.
Quotes
“You’ll *rue* the day you crossed the path of… THE BAFFLER ! Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah aaargh coff coff coff snort snort.”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
The Baffler, Master of Mysteries !!1!
| Dex: 04 | Str: 06 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Mercenary |
| Int: 02 | Wil: 01 | Min: 03 | Occupation: Professional criminal |
| Inf: 02 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 02 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
| Init: 008 | HP: 010 |
Skills:
Vehicles (Land): 02, Weaponry (Firearms): 04
Advantages:
None demonstrated.
Connections:
Cluemaster (Low).
Drawbacks:
Unluck, Uncertainty, Misc.: Czonk has next to no education – his spelling is catastrophic, and he has very little general knowledge (10 pts).
Source of Character: Batman comics.