Isambard Prince
Context
LEXX was a TV series that aired from 1997 to 2002. It was a quirky, messy, less-than-serious science-fiction show with oddball characters.
It seems to have been a “love it or hate it” deal with the public.
Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Marital Status: Widowed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Citizens of planet Fire (earlier), The ATF (later).
- Base Of Operations: The planet Fire, later the USA, Earth.
- Height: 6’1” Weight: 200 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond
Advertisement
Powers and Abilities
Prince is an exceptionally charismatic and manipulative evil man, a smooth and calm talker. He prefers to accomplish feats by using others to do his work for him.
Being long-lived, he has several other useful skills. He seems to have access to spiritual knowledge, including karmic principles, reincarnation and even the geography of the afterlife. He knows several tricks that appear to be supernatural. In DC Heroes RPG terms he *could* also have Occultist of 7 APs or so, but that has not been shown.
Additionally, being used to dying, he is also used to pain.
He seems to be able to always find a solution to his problems. Furthermore, Prince has an uncanny knack for turning up on the LEXX’s command bridge with a new deal in mind for Captain Stanley H. Tweedle (or Xev or Kai or 790).
Immortality and the theology of fire and ice
Everyone on the planets Fire and Water reincarnate immediately upon death. They take the form of a grown-up human being, identical to the previous body. So has it always been and so will it always be.
The natural laws governing these events is not known, but the selection of planet tend to follow karmic principles. The evil go to Fire and the good go to Water. The result is thus a hot planet filled with dangerous psychopaths and a cool, smooth planet with the good and kind.
Advertisement
All denizens thus have a form serial immortality as part of the genre rules (high Invulnerability). It seems that any newcomers to the planets become part of this system as well without them knowing it, but the circumstances are most unusual!
The location of the new form will be anywhere on Fire and Water (planet-wide Teleportation). All memories of the last life will be forgotten.
The principle of reincarnation is not generally known on either planet. A select few are aware of it (like Prince’s rivals Duke and Queen). Fewer still can control where they will incarnate next (except that the planet cannot be consciously controlled; karma still applies) and can retain their memories.
This could be Heaven
Religion does not seem to be widespread on Fire and Water. Regardless, the whole setup resembles Hell and Heaven from Christianity, mixed with Hindu principles of reincarnation. There were hints that people could be reincarnated into worse forms as well on Fire and Water.
The best way to defeat an enemy is to keep him imprisoned, since killing him, in fact, sets him free to return soon again.
It all raises some interesting theological story possibilities, which Stan did. Perhaps all the denizens of Fire and Water were deceased people who materialized in what is perceived as Heaven and Hell, with no memories, and identical physical reincarnation is a fact because there is no escaping eternal Heaven and Hell?
The destruction of Fire and Water might give the expression “there is no more room in Hell” a new meaning. And then we know what that would make Prince into. The twin planets were on the opposite side of the Earth, just like Marvel’s counter-Earth. This may also suggest a tie with Earth beliefs.
Princely knowledge
Prince knows about these reincarnations. He can choose the location of his next incarnation – but only on Fire, though he once reincarnated onboard the LEXX in orbit around Fire. He retains his full memories. And he can break one more rule: he can choose his appearance in his next incarnation. He once returned in the form of Kai, and another time as Xev.
He also knows what awaits in-between the worlds after you die. There is a trial which decides which planet you are going to incarnate on. The subject is then sent to purgatory in the afterlife to wait for reincarnation, after which he will be reincarnated where he belongs. Prince could even speed up the reincarnation process of others.
Prince does participate at the in-between trials on occasion, tricking the accused. He also knows his way perfectly well around the dimension of the Afterlife, and can enter there by dying, and then return at will to Fire (he’s the only one capable of doing so). All of this pertains to his Miscellaneous advantage, his Area Knowledge and Scholar advantages.
In the end, once Fire and Water were destroyed, everyone on both planets seems to have migrated and reincarnated on Earth instead. It seems likely that many of his old henchmen would be reincarnated on Earth to work within the organization of the ATF. According to Prince, most if not all, went to Earth.
It is not known if they all continue the previous cycles of reincarnation or not on Earth. Prince, at least, lets on, perhaps as a bluff, that it still applies to him. Given his many talents, it might be true.
Description
Prince is a well-built, tall blond male with blue eyes. He is most often clad in a trenchcoat, the style and color of which depends on the setting he appears in.
His body language is particularly confident, and his manners charming, manipulative or intimidating.
Personality
Prince was originally the ruler of the planet Fire. He has been waging a campaign against the planet Water for as long as anyone can remember. Not only is he completely evil, but he also possesses a host of mysterious abilities.
Prince is noted for being extraordinarily good with pain. He is thus is well-suited to mete out punishment to those who either cross or collaborate with him. In spite of this, however, he is in possession of a vast wealth of charm. After all, if you do your job, who’s to say you can’t enjoy yourself while doing it?
His exceptionally strong will helps him to deal with the bumbling idiots he’s surrounded by. In short, he wants to see planet Water destroyed and see to it that everyone suffers on planet Fire.
Death, of course, holds no fear for him. And dying is no problem either; “I am very good with pain,” is, in fact, one of his favorite sayings. He has often been portrayed by others as a mystery and an enigma.
Other traits
Prince very much likes to make deals, but he will probably screw you over somehow anyway. He will lie and cheat, but he, however, always keeps his word. If you seem to have evil intents he will listen to you well. To keep his sense of strategy sharp, he enjoys playing chess. He will, on occasion, bet high stakes on the outcome of such contests.
He is also exceptionally proud. He rules his underlings through fear, and was not below letting the President kiss his “pinky ring” (his hand, actually). He might also give a disobedient or disloyal henchman a thick ear, as if disciplining an unruly child. If asked why he killed someone, he will calmly explain that it was because he is evil.
After his resurrection on Earth, he had, being unique, not lost his memory of life on Fire and Water. He was as evil as ever, and pretended not to remember his old life when speaking with those who knew, like the crew of the LEXX. But he may now have become just a bit more mortal; the status of his ’unkillability‘ is uncertain.
Due to this uncertainty he preferred to not put himself in unnecessary danger. He would even be willing to deal to put himself in better position. He would present himself as Isambard Prince, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
His main goal now is to use LEXX to escape Earth, which he sees as doomed, and continue his evil activities elsewhere in the universe.
Quotes
“I rule this planet. I always have, and I always will.”
“You should have gone over to my side, but no, you’re a good person ! Which means you are my enemy, which means you have to die. Throw her overboard.”
“I want to destroy planet Water because they are all good, and I am evil. That’s all there is to it, I’m not a very complicated man really.”
“Physical threats are nothing to me. I’ve died many times, and if I die I may return anywhere and as whoever I choose.”
(Prince’s goons grab Stan’s neck and hold him at knife point)
Stanley Tweedle: “That hurts !”
Prince: “Does it ?”
Stanley Tweedle: “Yes, it does ! It hurts !”
Prince: “I’m very good with pain.”
(Prince sees a wave of energy approaching planet Fire)
Prince: “What is that ?”
Kai: “That’s the end of your planet.”
Prince: “I think I should be sad, but I am not.” (Fire is destroyed) “Thank you for releasing me.” (Prince’s spirit then takes control over LEXX and destroys Water to reset the balance, and moves to Earth instead)
DC Universe History
The LEXX and its crew, it would seem, would fit well in the Vegan Galaxy, taking parts in the adventures set around the Omega Men.
Also, given the high technology level, the LEXX with crew fits well in the Legion of Super-Heroes era, or even better directly after one the major world wars to have preceded that era had ended. It would have been an era that was until then ruled by the tyrannical Shadow, ruling many of the planets to later form the United Planets network.
Prince, OTOH, never belonged to the Order, and is actually more fitting as the devil in minor format. In a DCU campaign his mystical stats and Charisma should be increased.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Isambard Prince
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 03 | Motivation: Power Lust |
| Int: 09 | Wil: 07 | Min: 10 | Occupation: Ruler of planet Fire, Covert Ruler of the USA |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 07 | Spi: 09 | Resources {or Wealth}: N/A (Fire), and later 25 (USA) |
| Init: 019 | HP: 045 |
Powers:
Mind Probe: 06
Bonuses and Limitations:
Mind Probe has a Range of Touch only (-1) and can only be used to reproduce and read old memories in a subject (-1).
Skills:
Artist (Actor): 05, Charisma: 08, Thief (Stealth): 05, Weaponry (Missile): 05, Vehicles (Air, Space): 05
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (the planet Fire, the Afterlife), Gift of Gab, Iron Nerves, Leadership, Misc. Controlled reincarnations on Fire (see below), Scholar (Reincarnation), Schtick (Intimidating the Meek, Pain management (Medium)).
Connections:
Henchmen on planet Fire (High).
Drawbacks:
Apparently none.
Interrogating the meek
Prince enjoys intimidating people, and uses this for gathering information. His methods, though, are subtle and insidious, and he is a master of the gift of gab. After a short discussion he will, in most cases, use body language and voice intonation to provoke an intimidating effect.
On occasion, for extra effect, he will see red by quickly raising a part of his clothing around his head like a lizard, by the application of some hidden mechanism.
This effect, combined with a grimace, will provoke an additional -1 CS OV/RV on his Intimidation effect the first time it is used on an unsuspecting victim (consider it the use a one-time HP cost-free Schtick, suitably named Intimidating the Meek). Intimidating the same target again will not benefit from the Schtick in any way.
Once a target has been Intimidated he will Interrogate them with a small bonus as per the standard rules (plus any Boni from the use of Gift of Gab).
On Earth, he is more likely to start intimidating new victims with a threat about him being the chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
He is also a very charismatic man. With women he will subtly use seduction to lower their guards by Persuasion, which is then followed by Interrogation, which also gains a small Bonus as per the standard rules (plus any Boni gained from the use of Gift of Gab).
In addition, he would persuade people into performing foolish acts that would lead to their deaths, much enjoying this. He would also persuade the kind people of the planet Water to do something foolish enough to die and then be reincarnated on the evil planet Fire instead. The best advice is, don’t listen to him once he starts to talk to you; he will trick you.
Isambard Prince, the leader
Prince is the official ruler of the planet Fire in Season 3. He was by no means popular, but he was generally respected and obeyed. There would be the occasional coup attempted, but he always managed to wrestle back his power soon thereafter.
Leading Fire demands a hard man for the job, and Prince fits that bill perfectly. He would use any resources on the planet or off-planet to finish off the eternal enemy, everyone on planet Water. Other than that there are no economies on Fire and Water; Water would have an abundance of everything and Fire would have hardly anything at all.
Prince would also corrupt citizens of Water, then see to it that they died, after which they would become citizens on Fire instead. And so the ranks of his underlings grew.
Earthling
After the destruction of the planet Fire, Prince was reincarnated on Earth in season 4. He was first shown as the chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). In actuality he was the covert ruler of the United States of America, controlling through a puppet president.
The ATF is one more intelligence agency along the rest, and seems to work against all types of alien threats among other things. But doesn’t seem to be a very popular one among the others. As such, he had credentials enough to pull off mostly any act in the States. Any resources were his to be used and any agency heeded his call.
It seems likely that several of his old henchmen from planet Fire were working within the ATF organization.
If a puppet president did not behave himself, he would be voted out of office, and another one reinserted instead.
Changes to game stats during this period, season 4, would include: Credentials (The White House, High), a Connection to the ATF (High) and to the White House (High), The Intelligence Community (High), and Forced Exile (to Earth) would be added.
During this period, the status of his reincarnation ability is most uncertain. It is either lost completely, replaced with slow regenerative abilities that are capable of eventually restoring him to life.
In DCH these would be Invulnerability 16, Limitation: Invulnerability Roll is delayed for 5 APs of time during which he will appear to be dead (-1), or Regeneration 08, Bonus: Regeneration works even after death (+3)), or he might lack any such abilities altogether.
Whatever the case, he is somewhat more mortal on Earth than he was on Fire.
Source of Character: Lexx TV-series, Character played by Nigel Bennett.
Helper(s): wikipedia.org, imdb.com .