Jawbreakers
Context
These minor characters primarily appeared in one 2014 Batgirl story.
So that’s after the Flashpoint and New 52 thingies, and during the Batgirl of Burnside soft rebootContinuity changes that just happen, without huge causes or consequences. era.
They’re convenient opponents with some potential to ’em.
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Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Other Aliases: Katsura Yuki and Katsura Yuri ; Kuchi-shi Futago (“Mouth-death twins”, so something like 口死双子 but I’m prolly butchering it).
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Each other.
- Base of Operations: Burnside.
- Height: 5’4″ (1.62m). Weight: 120 lbs. (54 Kg.).
- Eyes: Brown. Hair: Dyed in blues ; dyed in pinks.
Powers & Abilities
The Jawbreakers are remarkably skilled motorcyclists. They can manoeuvre at high speed in confined surroundings, perform unusually sharp slide turns, stay on their bike in difficult conditions, etc..
They are also adept at mounted sword strikes. And seem to know some kenjutsu for when they’re dismounted.
When seen, they rode stolen prototype crotch rockets. These were taken from an university robotics lab. Apparently, these are loaded with software that adjust the engine’s workings and the exact shape of the chassis in real time for maximum performances.
These also have jet boosters, presumably for enhanced acceleration.
Both Jawbreakers have a katana, an integral helmet and kneepads.
Concept art by the series’ artist, Babs Tarr .
Soundtrack
Early 1980s Japanese hardcore punk would be logical here.
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History
The Jawbreakers are a pair of cosplayers.
Their characters are from an old (fictional) animé – Science Battle Hero Nuclea, which was translabutchered in the US as Atomina. The heroine of this cartoon is a girl robot who evokes classics such as Astroboy or Megaman/Rockman.
The Jawbreakers are, in the cartoon, enemies of Atomina. They seem modelled after bōsōzoku (outlaw biker) gangs as they were during the early 1980s. But with a much more punk-like look… and pastel colours.
By 2014, Atomina was obscure. It apparently never was very popular.
In their local animé enthusiast community, the Jawbreakers are known for always being in-character. This makes them unpopular despite their devotion to their craft. Since the Mouth-Death Twins are brutish thugs who always try to intimidate people.
Tomorrow cries danger !
In 2014, the Jawbreakers were contacted by somebody claiming to be Batgirl. A half-mil just showed up on their bank account, with a promise that they’d get another once Batgirl would be dead.
They then received assistance in stealing a pair of high-tech bikes. The latter apparently are what convinced them to go with the contract.
Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) twice clashed with the Jawbreakers. During the second fight she became overwhelmed by the bikes’ speed.
Mind the wire
But her perfect memory allowed her to recall that Atomina episode (which she had seen at age 7). She thus managed to take down both riders using her grapple line gun, much like Nuclea had done in the animé.
A year later, they participated in The Fugue (Vinton Burwell)’s attack on Batgirl. However, the Jawbreakers were swiftly taken down by Spoiler (Stephanie Brown) and Bluebird (Harper Row).
Description
! 絵を見て
Personality
They’ll normally be in-character as angry, cruel thugs. Though as far as we can tell, it’s also their actual personality. They like to threaten and intimidate.
Whenever it’s vaguely relevant they’ll cry “Tomorrow cries danger !”. This was apparently the Jawbreakers’ battle cry in the cartoon.
Yes, it very much sounds like poorly translated Japanese.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Jawbreakers (both have the same stats)
| Dex: 04 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 |
| Int: 03 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 03 |
| Init: 014 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Sort of. See below.
Skills:
Martial Artist: 05, Vehicles (Motorbikes): 05, Weaponry (Katana): 05
Advantages:
Expertise (Science Battle Hero Nuclea lore), Familiarity (Vintage animé, Cosplaying), Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
None.
Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.
Motivation:
Mercenary.
Occupation:
Presumably students.
Wealth:
003
Equipment:
- Katana [BODY 05, Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 06), Descriptor: Slashing, piercing].
- PROTOTYPE BIKE [STR 03 BODY 05, Enhance (Vehicles (Land): 01 (cap is 07), Flash (steady): 03, Running: 07]. If using Acceleration rules, these have a A value of 6.2. So hang on tight.
- HELMET [BODY 04, Enhance (Structural RV): 02 (cap is 09), Enhance (RV against Unarmed, Critical, Devastation and doubles): 03 (cap is 08), Enhance (Facial attacks RV): 02 (cap is 08), Shade (Audial): 01, Drawback: Audial Perception rolls have +2CS to their OV/RV].
In the vintage animé.
Jawbreaker Rolling Scissor Attack !
The DEX and Weaponry values of the Jawbreakers greatly increase if their bikes give them a speed advantage over their opposition.
Technically, they have high scores with a complex Loss Vulnerability lowering it when they’re not mounted. For clarity’s sake, we’ll present it the other way around :
- Their DEX and Weaponry can rise up to 09, but only when they’re riding a motorbike.
- This is Contingent Upon their Vehicles (Motorbikes) Skill. The cap is that they cannot have more APs of DEX and Weaponry than their Vehicles (Motorbike) APs. So that’s 05 baseline, or 06 with the PROTOTYPE BIKE’s Enhance.
- This cap is raised by every AP their ground speed (07 on most sports bike) is above their opponents’. Most Characters cannot go higher than 04.
- This bonus replaces the Team Attack Combat Manoeuvre.
Thus, they are capable of engaging even high-end fighters. They could force Batgirl into a full defensive posture — Dodging and burning Hero Points — since the bikes were just too fast.
Source of Character: Batgirl (2011 volume/2014 softboot).
Helper(s): Darci.
Writeup completed on the 20th of November, 2018.