Lamplighter
Context
DC Comics’ Lamplighter is an obscure Green Lantern villain. His main appearance was in 1968, though there were some additional glimpses.
The following are early notes, mostly concerned about game modelisation of his powers. For context, we also appended a biography copied from glcorps.com, in case it disappeared (which it did).
Still, rewriting the entry to more modern standards would be good. When we can. One day.
Background
- Real Name: Lee Carver.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None originally.
- Base Of Operations: Originally Evergreen City, then Littleville.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Red
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Powers and Abilities
The following is a list of all the feats that the Lamplighter performed with his prism cane.
- He paralyzed a normal person for ten minutes.
- He transformed a steel vault door into a molten steel door. That also lasted about ten minutes.
- He trapped at least three people inside giant diamonds.
- He transformed a homely woman into a beautiful girl (for 40 minutes) in order to distract her.
- He transformed all the glass in the jewel emporium into laser beams.
- He transformed a chandelier dropped by Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) into a flying giant buzz-saw.
- He created a concrete wall out of thin air.
- He flew away (slowly) in the form of helium.
- He solidified the air to create a temporary barrier.
- He created a stairway out of thin air. After GL changed the stairway into a slide, the Lamplighter changed the slide into a tall column.
- He created an iron weight out of thin air, which fell on top of Green Lantern.
- He created a “pall of absolute darkness”.
- He transformed himself into a tree (for “little more than half an hour”), after which he changed back into Lee Carver.
- He changed a large group of people into gold statues (presumably by covering them in gold). This group contained at least 18 people, though only five are definitively seen as becoming golden.
- He caused a fake Green Lantern ring to explode.
- He surrounded Green Lantern with gold.
- He then tried to turn Green Lantern’s hands into feathers. However, he missed and accidentally transformed a pile of money into feathers temporarily.
- He also at one time planned to shrink a ship full of treasure so that he could carry it away.
Oddly enough, his paralysis ray seemed to have a curative effect on its victim, who had been suffering from a fatal disease. I assumed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime random occurrence. However, if you wish to allow for this possibility, assume that the Paralysis power also causes a Systemic Antidote power of 12 APs to be activated on its victim.
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History
(Back-upped from www.glcorps.org/lampligh.html (defunct))).
Doctor Lee Carver was a nuclear researcher seeking a way of altering the molecular structure of matter. He invented a “molecularay” that could transform sand into diamonds. Unfortunately, some unknown fault in the ray prevented the change from being permanent. He continued to work on a way to stabilize the transmutation.
Tragedy struck when his experiment blew up in his face. Carver lived, but he was blinded.
A new light
Though he could not see, Carver continued his research. There was very little he could do, as the work was very delicate.
The researcher was accident prone in the laboratory. One day he smashed a few vials of chemicals, and was surprised to find his sight had returned. The combination of chemicals and the high frequency waves he was bombarding them with resulted in a new kind of light. The chemicals somehow affected his damaged optic nerves, permitting a more intense light to reach them.
Carver brushed the chemicals on the glass of an old lantern. With the ultra light, the researcher could see but not well enough for the precision work necessary in his advanced experiments. Carver resolved to find another way to reach his goals, even if the entire world had to suffer for it.
A new lantern
He built a cane with the lantern to give him sight and a prism to cause temporary changes in objects. With his weapon, Carver created a new identity as the Lamplighter, taken from a painting from colonial times.
Carver started his crime spree by robbing the Quickway Loan Company, giving his name as the Lamplighter. The next morning, claims adjustor Hal Jordan was sent to investigate the theft for the Evergreen Insurance Company. Jordan had an advantage, the might of Green Lantern’s power ring was pitted against the Lamplighter.
The colonially-clad villain struck again at the Elite Jewel Emporium. The molecularay prism froze the store’s customers inside giant diamonds. Green Lantern had finally tracked down his quarry. The Lamplighter escaped, changing into a tree.
After half an hour, the tree changed back to Dr. Lee Carver. Green Lantern had commanded his power ring to find the Lamplighter, but could not find the villain in his alternate identity.
A new fight
The Lamplighter chose a recovered sunken treasure ship as his next target. The old wooden ship carried gold bars and doubloons, and the Lamplighter intended to steal it all.
He was ready for Green Lantern’s next appearance. The prism cane blasted at Green Lantern’s right hand, destroying the power ring. A fist fight broke out between the two men, with Green Lantern as the victor.
The power ring had not been destroyed. The emerald gladiator knew the Lamplighter would attempt to nullify the ring, so he wore a false ring on his right hand and the real one invisibly on his left.
Where is your dog now?
Years later, the Lamplighter took part in a vacation resort featuring has-been supervillains. The villains “robbed” the pseudo-Bank of Littleville causing excitement for paying tourists. But another Green Lantern faced Lamplighter and the villains. His name was G’nort.
After learning the truth about Littleville, G’nort left to check it out with the Justice League. The current employment status of the villains in Littleville has yet to be revealed.
Description
He dresses like a man from colonial times. He wears a blue hat, a blue and purple coat over a white vest and shirt, white pants, and purple boots. His red hair is tied in a colonial-style ponytail.
His prism cane is brown, with pink accents (the lantern lenses and prism). He also wears a blue domino mask.
Personality
All he seems to be interested in is money, though he manages to avoid hurting anyone permanently during his crime spree.
Quotes
“Instead of setting a flame to help mankind— I’ll ignite a criminal blaze to stun the world !”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
The Lamplighter
| Dex: 06 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Money Lust |
| Int: 07 | Wil: 04 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Criminal |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 018 | HP: 035 |
Powers:
Ultra Vision: 08
Bonuses and Limitations:
Ultra Vision does not allow the Lamplighter to see unless he is in the presence of “ultra-light”. Note that since “ultra-light” is a “new form of light,” no other character is able to see it (although possibly other people with superhuman senses would be able to detect it).
Furthermore, this Ultra Vision does not allow the Lamplighter to see “quite well enough for the close and precision work that’s involved in my advanced experiments !” On the other hand, he is able to invent his Prism Cane with no penalties. The GM should decide when this limitation applies, but use it sparingly.
Skills:
Gadgetry: 09, Scientist: 07, Weaponry (Exotic): 09
Advantages:
Scholar (nuclear science, transformations).
Drawbacks:
CPR (blind).
Equipment:
Prism Cane [BODY 05, Flash: 01, Paralysis: 08, Matter Manipulation: 12, Chameleon: 12, Energy Blast: 09, Molecular Chameleon: 08, Force Manipulation: 08, Shape Change: 09, Darkness: 09, Shrinking: 16, Insta-Change. Bonuses and Limitations for the Prism Cane :
- Flash can only provide illumination. Flash produces “ultra-light” instead of normal light (see above). Flash is Always On.
- Chameleon is Usable on Others, ie, it can change someone else’s appearance. If the target wishes to resist, use Weaponry/Chameleon as AV/EV versus DEX/BODY as OV/RV. Full RAPs are needed for success. While the Lamplighter never used Chameleon on himself, it fits the concept of the Prism Cane that he would be able to do so.
RAPS represent the Duration of the change. Presumably this is the power that he was using when he attempted to turn Green Lantern’s fists into harmless feathers. - To use Energy Blast, the Lamplighter must have an object available to be Matter Manipulated because he turns objects into laser beams. How this works: first, he must succeed at a Matter Manipulation die roll on a particular object. If that is successful, he can then use Energy Blast. Both the Matter Manipulation and the Energy Blast die rolls count as only one Dice Action, so he can do all of this in one phase and still have two Automatic Actions left.
- Matter Manipulation may be used on objects created via (even someone else’s) Force Manipulation. Matter Manipulation can also be used to give the appearance of a different power being used; for example, he changed a vault door into what looked like a melted vault door, thus giving the appearance that he had used an energy attack on the door. The temporary duration of changes made via Matter Manipulation is a large part of the Lamplighter’s concept and should not be underplayed; for example, the vault door returned to normal after the Lamplighter left. Most effects wear off after 8 APs of time, but some may remain for up to 10 APs. Another use of Matter Manipulation is to cover someone with a sheath of metal, effectively turning them into a statue. To do this, he makes a Trick Shot using Weaponry/Matter Manipulation as AV/EV and DEX/0 as OV/RV, since air has an RV of 0. If a RAP is scored, the target is held immobile by the material used, but can free himself using STR/STR vs BODY/BODY of the material. Matter Manipulation may also be used to make an object harmlessly explode, destroying the object; treat this as an attempt to turn the object into air.
- Molecular Chameleon does not require touching the substance to transform into. Furthermore, it does not appear to change the Lamplighter’s coloration when used to transform into helium. Furthermore, it is likely that no change can last for more APs of time than his APs of power. The Lamplighter never used this power except to change into helium; however, it seems likely that the power is not limited in this way.
- Force Manipulation represents the ability to “solidify air” and therefore requires air to be present. Furthermore, it seems that only simple shapes (such as a small rectangular barrier) may be created. It is likely that no created object can last for more APs of time than his APs of power.
- Shape Change allows the Lamplighter to transform into plants as well as animals. While he was never seen changing into an animal form, it seems reasonable that he could do so. No change made by this power will last for more APs of time than his APs of power; when time runs out, he has the option to use Insta-Change to change back to his normal identity. Note that all of his clothes and possessions (including the prism cane) transform with him. Furthermore, it is likely that he could use this power on others (See Chameleon.)
- Darkness, of course, does not stop “ultra-light”
- Shrinking was never used, but he prepared to use it on an object. Presumably, he could also use this power himself, though he never did. Presumably, when using Shrinking on another target, he would have to overcome its BODY (see Chameleon above) and the effect would have a temporary duration
- Note that the Prism Cane has two separate features: the prism on the top causes temporary changes in objects, while the lantern knob below the prism gives off ultra-light]
Source of Character: DC comics.