Locus
Context
An obscure villainess in 1990s X-Force books.
Locus was introduced long after Rob Liefeld left Marvel. She was a member of Reignfire’s reimagined Mutant Liberation Front.
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Background
- Real Name: Rayna Piper.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Mutant Liberation Front.
- Base of Operations: Mobile.
- Height: 5’6″ (1.67m). Weight: 105 lbs. (47 Kg.).
- Eyes: Unrevealed. Hair: Blonde (later black).
Powers & Abilities
Locus is able to:
- Fly under her own power by unknown means.
- Teleport herself and others (up to an entire team) with no apparent range limitation.
- Teleport into other dimensionsOther realms of existence that are not our universe..
- Reportedly chronoportTravel through time. into the past.
However, she can only reach places that she, or one of her victims, has previously traveled to. For instance, she needed to enter the home of an intended victim as a fake pizza-delivery girl so she could teleport inside later.
She also possesses a “Rending Teleport” attack. That is, she can teleport away with but pieces of a person, slicing off portions of the bodies of her victims.
This appears to be quite powerful, killing a cyborg who troubled the rest of the MLF. But of course it never quite manages to hit an important, named character. Like most “killing attacks”.
History
Reignfire recruited Locus for his reimagined Mutant Liberation Front. She appeared alongside Danielle Moonstar (acting as a mole).
She seemed fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, so it is *possible* that she’s Brazilian.
Acting homicidally, she slices off limbs and murders people with her powers. Locus also helps her team kidnap Henry Peter Gyrich, a noted anti-mutant agent in the U.S. government.
During the subsequent MLF/X-Force fight, Locus attacks the heroes. But a psionic arrow from Moonstar hits her by mistake, causing a massive power eruption.
Both Locus and Sunspot (Roberto da Costa) are taken away into a portal, disappearing for ages.
There were so many places and times Sunspot could have returned to (including AsgardThe reality of the Old Norse gods, such as Thor., a Dyson Sphere on the other end of the galaxy, various alien planets as part of the “Fallen Angels”…) that locating him was unfeasible.
Returns
She reappeared much later as part of a new MLF. But she quit the team after Wildside (who’d flirted with her in the first arc, being enamored with her murderous nature) slapped her.
Working with Reignfire once more, Locus helped capture Sunspot. But her powers interacted oddly with X-Force member Skids’. Both were sent to Latveria, where the sorceress Pandemonia forced them to serve in her personal army.
X-Force and Jennifer Kale saved both Locus and Skids.
Final (?) return
The Weapon X program later recruited Locus, as they needed a teleporter.
But an enraged Sabretooth invaded the program. He killed Locus just to spite them.
Description
Locus sports a long, blonde ponytail. And an outfit so tight it looks painted on, which is not unusual for the era.
At first she was White, then when she returned she was Black. That was never explained.
Personality
Locus appears sadistic and cunning. She’s perfectly willing to sever limbs and cut people apart in her missions.
She is snarky and professional, doing exactly what she’s told, and appears to be loyal… up to a point.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Locus
| Dex: 05 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 03 |
| Init: 014 | HP: 025 |
Powers:
Claws: 10, Dimension travel: 07, Flight: 04, Teleportation: 60
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Claws has a Range of 00 APs.
- Claws and Dimension Travel are both Contingent Upon Teleportation.
- Dimension Travel is Travel Only.
- Both Teleportation and Dimension Travel are limited to places she or a passenger have already been to.
Skills:
Accuracy (Forced Teleportation attempt): 06, Acrobatics (Athletics, Dodging): 04, Artist (Actress): 03, Charisma (Intimidation): 04, Evasion (must be airborne): 06, Martial artist: 04
Advantages:
Language (Portuguese).
Connections:
MLF (Low).
Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.
Motivation:
Uphold Mutants.
Occupation:
Terrorist.
Wealth:
004
Design Notes
Here again we hit the problem of Teleportation APs having many roles, which creates issues for characters who can cross interstellar ranges.
But having the Power not sub for AV (as per our usual) solves the biggest issue. And she’s such a minor, textureless character that the rest is unlikely to matter.
DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Locus
PL 10 (157)
Created By: Fabian Nicieza & Mat Broome.
First Appearance: X-Force #27 (Aug. 1993).
Role: Teleporter, Psycho Chick.
Group Affiliations: The Mutant Liberation Front.
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | 01 | 03 | 00 |
| FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
| 05 | 01 | 01 | 01 |
Powers:
Flight & Teleportation ● 103 points ● Descriptor: Mutant
– “Rending Attack” — Damage 10 (Feats: Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating) [22]
– Flight 5 (60 mph).
– Movement 3 (Space Travel) (Extras: Instantaneous) (Flaws: Limited to Locations She Or Target Has Been) (6) [10].
– Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction, Increased Mass 3, Reach 2) (Extras: Attack +0, Accurate, Extended) (Flaws: Limited to Locations She Or Target Has Been -½) [35].
– Teleport 10 (Feats: Change Direction, Increased Mass 3) (Extras: Accurate, Extended) (Flaws: Limited to Locations She Or Target Has Been -½) (35) — [36]
Combat Advantages:
Favoured Environment (Airborne).
Other Advantages:
Languages (Portuguese).
Skills:
Aerobatics 3 (+6), Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+6), Close Combat (Rending Attack) 3 (+8), Deception 5 (+6), Expertise (Terrorist) 4 (+5), Intimidation 5 (+6), Investigation 4 (+4), Perception 4 (+4).
Offence:
| Initiative +4 |
| Unarmed +8, Close, Damage 1 (DC 16). |
| Teleport attack +10 (DC 20). |
| Rending attack +8, Close, Damage 10 (DC 20). |
Defence:
| Dodge | +10 (DC 20) |
| Fortitude | +3 |
| Parry | Parry +8 (DC 18) |
| Toughness | +1 |
| Will | +3 |
Complications:
- Motivation Mutant Pride.
Design Notes
Locus is very dangerous in the right hands. Mixing a common Teleporter build with a far nastier Damage-based one, she’s got a few tricks.
Her Teleport is as long-range as it GETS (allowing her to hit a huge swath of area- even more if her powers go out of control or if she pushes it). Cable noted in their search for Sunspot that he could LITERALLY be almost anywhere, from Asgard to a Dyson Sphere in the far side of the Universe, given the New Mutants’ antics.
Increased Mass lets her teleport a team. Accurate means she doesn’t have to see her target, and Attack lets her involuntarily take others with her (note that in 3e, those are Linked Powers, and have to be taken separately).
For Flaws, she gets a Half-Flaw for the whole “only places I or the target have been” thing, since it’s not QUITE worth a mega-discount price. But is worse than your usual Drawback, almost negating the Accurate benefit.
The whole mess is Linked to “Rend”, an option in “Ultimate Power”, letting her cut a cyborg guard in half, for example, by teleporting a part of him away.
This is a REAL game-breaker in comics. But she only did it to a couple people. Likely under “if she uses it, the fight’s over and you’ve got a dead character on your hands” rules, like Persuader’s Axe in “Legion of Super-Heroes” stories. So it’s presumably hard to hit with it.
It goes out to ten feet, since the people she’s used it on were outside of melee by a bit. And it is Penetrating because of the nature of the attack.
This is all fairly pricey, but since these are her only tricks, and she’s a useless fighter with low Toughness, Saves, Skills & Advantages otherwise, it works well for her. She’s fundamentally PL 9 in combat, but a PL 10 Teleporter.
Source of Character: Marvel Comics (mostly X-Force).
Helper(s): What Sébastien Andrivet is cooking.
Writeup completed on the 4th of August, 2020.