Maverick
(Christopher Nord) (Profile #2)
Sequence
This is chapter #2 in a series of three articles, to be read in order. It goes :
- Maverick (Christoph Nord) part #1. Start there.
- Maverick (Christoph Nord) part #2. This here article.
- Agent Zero (Christoph Nord).
Advertisement
History (part 3)
Nord was then targeted by a conspiracy. They sought to create a cure for the Legacy Virus – using Weapon X genetic material.
Being already infected, Maverick was an ideal target. But he laid down enough gunfire to escape, even though the hit team was led by Slayback.
In so doing, he learned that his opponents had already captured Deadpool.
Herr Nord returned to the X-Mansion to enlist Wolverine (James Howlett) in rescuing Deadpool. That was :
- In part because Deadpool was a former Weapon X subject and comrade-in-arms.
- In part in the vague hope that Deadpool’s mutated healing factorThe power to heal wounds and regrow tissues, like Wolverine was actually a cure for the Virus.
- In part to prove to himself that he could still fight despite his sickness.
Chasing the cure
Maverick and Wolverine managed to free Deadpool. They soon lost him, but he mailed them samples of his blood and tissues for the Beast (Dr. Henry McCoy) to analyze. This was his gift to Maverick.
Deadpool’s DNA wasn’t the cure. But Maverick was reenergized by having fought along with his old comrades-in-arms. He set out to find a remedy for the virus.
But despite his extensive contacts and experience, no lead more serious than Deadpool’s blood ever came up.
Palliative treatment
Maverick checked himself in one of the few clinics providing palliativeRelieving pain without dealing with the cause of the condition. treatment to sick mutants. The doctors there tried heavy cocktails of prescription drugs to slow down the damage from the virus.
This clinic was routinely besieged by anti-mutant protesters. Eventually, armed militants cornered another Legacy Virus mutant victim, young Chris Bradley, in a nearby back alley.
Maverick took the terrorists out. He then disarmed the explosives prepared against the clinic. Bradley helped with his electrical powers.
The other Chris
Bradley and his family soon ran into more problems with anti-mutant militia. After the assassination of Presidential candidate Graydon Creed, these organizations stepped up their activities. The harassment of the Bradleys escalated to arson.
Chris was impressed by Maverick’s tough guy attitude and big guns. He preferred to ally with him, rejecting help offered by another mutant friend, Iceman (Robert Drake).
Nord, going through a depressive phase, initially rejected Bradley. But he then noticed heavily-armed mutant-killers tracking the young man. Iceman and Wolverine also intervened, swatting the militia away from the weakened Maverick.
The dying soldier decided to give Bradley what the X-Men could not — friendship in face of death. Calling on CIA contacts, he had the Bradleys relocated – witness protection program-style. Maverick stayed in touch with Chris to provide moral support.
Elena
Now well into the final stages of the disease, Maverick was simultaneously found by :
- Elena Ivanovna. She wanted to enlist him in her quest to kill Sabretooth.
- Omega Red (Arkady Rossovitch). He had learned that Nord knew the location of the C-Synthesizer needed to maintain his powers.
Thanks to John Wraith, Maverick and Elena escaped from Omega Red – then took him down. After the dust cleared, Elena remained with Maverick to facilitate his passing.
Although he thought he would die within days, Nord survived for months, perhaps due to Elena’s support. He used that time to start clearing his caches, so his weapons would not fall into the wrong hands.
A new lease on life
Maverick then died. Elena first tried to resuscitate him through CPR, then attempted to telepathically reboot his brain.
This worked beyond all hope, likely due to the Weapon X genetic modifications. Not only did Maverick revive, but :
- His lost powers came back and further mutated.
- Ferro’s memory implants were destroyed. This allowed Nord a much truer recollection of his life.
- He became the first person to ever beat the Legacy Virus, though the remission was unstable.
- His face, hands and other disease-mangled tissues fully healed within days of the telepathic shock.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
History (part 4)
Maverick and Elena were soon captured by their enemy, crime lord Ivan Pushkin.
Using the drugged Elena’s powers, he implanted new Aldo Ferro-style false memories in Maverick. In particular, he convinced him that former Team X case officer, Major Barrington, was responsible for the death of Ginetta Barsalini Nord.
Barrington was to testify during a trial where Pushkin would be seriously incriminated. However, one of Maverick’s contacts, Isabel Ferguson, rescued Elena Ivanovna. Futhermore, Maverick broke the conditioning as he was about to kill Barrington.
Barrington was murdered by another of Pushkin’s men. But Maverick later accessed Pushkin’s files, thus verifying that Barrington had never been involved in the Barsalini deception.
Elena started a relationship with Maverick, though Christoph’s trust issues made him hard to handle.
Friends and loved ones
After a spat with Nord, Elena left to kill Sabretooth, a practically suicidal endeavour. Maverick narrowly managed to save her, but she was left in a coma. Ivanovna’s condition greatly worried Nord, who feared that she might never recover.
Ivanovna being in a coma also meant that the psi-link she had established with Nord was weakened. As it turned out, it had been critical in stabilising his remission.
Maverick also continued to be Chris Bradley’s best friend. He defended him against an assault from the Friends of Humanity, and spent what time he could with him.
Маленькие трагедии
Maverick continued to clash with Ivan “the Terrible” Pushkin. This led to Nord’s second known clash with the Confessor, now a freelance assassin.
Maverick lost, and was handed over to Pushkin. The crime lord was in the middle of a complex operation to amass then resell a huge stock of weaponry. It ranged from small arms to weapons of mass destruction and anthrax cultures.
Nord allied with another prisoner — Krassno Granitsky, a young man struggling to become the new Red Guardian.
Nord ruined Pushkin’s deal, and Granitsky destroyed the anthrax. The pair managed to handle even Omega Red, but another Pushkin mercenary named Scythe gouged out Maverick’s left eye.
The German operative was left stranded and badly wounded, high in the Alps. He had to cauterise his eye with his bare hands.
No man escapes Weapon X
Maverick made it back to the US. But by this point, the Weapon X organisation was being relaunched. They specifically sought to reassemble the old CIA death squad – Team X.
- They captured Wolverine (James Howlett), and promised that they would rebuilt his memories.
- They surgically enhanced Sabretooth and gave him a new adamantiumAn indestructible metal in Marvel comics-laced skeleton.
- They hired John Wraith.
Wraith informed Maverick that the Team X train would soon be rolling again. But Nord refused to be a part of that. Sabretooth responded by kidnapping him.
Maverick put up quite a fight. But, more powerful than ever, Sabretooth fatally wounded him.
Maverick was dragged to the main Weapon X medical centre. With only minutes left to live, Maverick reluctantly joined – in order to survive.
He was genetically modified to become Agent Zero.
Description
Maverick has a noticeable, but not heavy, Eastern German accent.
Personality
Maverick consistently gives the impression of a professional, hardened commando.
He comes across as a tough, confident, take-charge man, even if he actually is having doubts. This is meant to demoralize his enemies.
Here’s a man who lives a life of danger
While he dislikes killing and feels guilty about it, he’ll do it whenever necessary. Which happens fairly often in his line of work. He’ll even kill rather than knock out sentinels, knowing full well his conscience will make him bitterly regret this afterwards.
He will not kill defenceless targets, though. Such as opponents he just beat up into near-unconsciousness.
Though he’s pragmatic, he’s also extremely loyal toward his comrades-in-arms. Even if they are vicious murderers like Creed. Nord will take huge risks to protect them.
(It’s not that coherent in the books. In one story, Maverick insists on shooting Sabretooth like a dog because he’s wounded. I assume it was a continuity mistake.)
(The stories are also often set in a genre where non-lethal takedowns go from “easy and of no consequences”, as in most super-hero comics, to “unreasonable risk”).
Advertisement
Everywhere he goes, he stays – a stranger
Living in a world of death and deceit, and still traumatized by killing his wife, Nord has trust issues. He just assumes that folks are going to backstab and oppose him.
- He had difficulties in trusting even Elena, being haunted by Ginetta.
- He refused to use his positive relationships, such as with Chris or Elena, as crutches.
- He may have kept relationships with allies such as Wolverine full of tension and clashes because he didn’t feel that they could afford true friendship.
The long-lived Maverick occasionally makes outdated references. Say, a comparison from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to explain something to Elena. Who wasn’t even born when the movie came out.
He also prefers old-fashioned, typically German alcohols, foods, songs, etc. when he feels blau.
Howdy stranger, mind if I smoke ?
Nord is a solid tactician, with extensive superhuman combat experience. When operating along with Elena, he swiftly integrated all the new possibilities her telepathy opened up in his tactics. Then used those creatively.
For an idealist who spent decades fighting against Soviet agents, the modern Maverick harbours no detectable trace of hostility toward Russians.
Quotes
“Maverick to central. This is going sour fast, Major. Logan doesn’t know what the hell’s happening to him. I’m gonna remix this party a bit !”
“Sorry ma’am — improvisation is the order of the day.”
“Command security is clear.”
“You’re so eager to mambo with Maverick ? Fine. I lead.”
“I’ve got your back, Deadpool. These morons haven’t figured out who they’re fighting yet…”
“You think I nearly died getting there just so you could finish me off ?”
“Go with your parents, kid. Get out of here. These gentlemen and I need to discuss the inappropriate use of explosives and nicknames.”
“Not a pretty sight, eh ? I’m in the final stages of a Legacy Virus infection. Some days I can’t even get up. The booze helps some, but mostly it’s just a world of pain. How am I supposed to help anyone ? And what kind of help do you want ? Revenge ? Honey, when you are looking at the reaper dead in the eye, revenge doesn’t seem so important. It seems like a… waste.”
(Shortly before the detonation of a Paveway bomb ) “Put your hands over your ears and open your mouth.”
“My apologies for the rough treatment on your teammate — but she left herself wide open for that. There are no rules here. This is no game.”
(To Elena) “Let’s face it. My life is a mess — filled with so many lies and half-truth that I can’t even tell what’s right from wrong anymore. Dredging up the whole Ginetta business has me rattled. I feel… vulnerable, and I don’t like it.”
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Maverick
| Dex: 07 | Str: 04 | Bod: 05 |
| Int: 07 | Wil: 06 | Min: 06 |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 05 |
| Init: 021 | HP: 050 |
Powers:
Damage absorption (to STR, Heat Vision): 12, Heat vision: 00
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Damage Absorption only vs. non-Killing Combat. But note his ARMOUR’s Blunting APs.
- Damage Absorption only vs. Descriptors such as Blunt/Bludgeoning, Structural, Unarmed.
- The duration of the Damage Absorption enhancement to STR is only a third the APs (round down). So the maximum is 12/3=4 APs, or one minute (16 Phases).
- The total APs of Absorbed damage redistributed to STR or Heat vision can never be above the APs of Damage Absorption. I assume this is the way the Power is supposed to work, but this is not clear.
- Damage absorption has a R# of 04. If he rolls below, the Power stills works but Maverick will involuntarily release heat from his hands within the next ten Phases (GM’s call) — or perhaps even a blast or an explosion. It’s a sequel of his Legacy Virus infection.
Skills:
Acrobatics (Climbing): 05, Animal handling (Horses): 04, Charisma (Intimidation, interrogation): 05, Gadgetry (Identify gadgets): 05, Martial artist: 06, Medicine (First aid): 05, Military science (Demolition): 04, Military science (Camouflage, cartography): 07, Scientist (Computers, research): 05, Thief (Security systems, stealth): 06, Vehicles (Air, land): 05, Weaponry (Firearms, infantry weapons): 08
Advantages:
Expertise (CIA operations during the Cold War, general espionage/mercenary/military lore), Language (German, Italian, Japanese, Russian), Sharp Eye, Schtick (Paired firearms), Slowed Aging.
Connections:
Mercenary scene (Low), X-Men (Low), Wolverine (High), other Weapon X subjects (including John Wraith and Deadpool, Low), CIA (Low), US military intelligence agencies (Low), CSIS (Canadian Intelligence, Low), Executive Elite (and thus Bashur aka Commcast aka Black Box) (Low), Elena Ivanova (High), Isabel Ferguson (High), MI-6 (Low), Bundesnachrichtendienst (aka BND, German Intelligence, Low), Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (aka BfZ, German Counter-Intelligence, Low), Dr. James Keller (Handicapped Navy physician attached to the SEAL units, High), Gregor Kokoschka (ex-KGB cartographer, Low).
Drawbacks:
Dependent (Chris Bradley), MIA toward Loyalty toward his comrade-in-arms, Misc.: Legacy Virus (see below).
Near the end of that era, he briefly acquired a MPR (Missing one eye). But he apparently soon had it replaced with a cybernetic implant, since no MPR was apparent in the following appearances.
Motivation:
Mercenary.
Occupation:
Special agent.
Wealth:
005
Main equipment:
- MAVERICK BODY ARMOUR [BODY 08, Blunting: 05, Flame immunity: 02, Flash (steady illumination only): 03, Radio communications: 12, Sealed systems: 05, Shade: 02, Skin armour: 02, Thermal vision: 04, Note: Skin armour works on both energy and kinetic attacks but not Descriptors such as Blunt/Bludgeoning, Structural, Unarmed].
- Futuristic heavy assault rifle w/dual ammo clips [BODY 05, Projectile weapons: 07, Ammo: 16, Telescopic vision: 02, Rec. STR 03, Advantage: Autofire, Note: can use the suit’s Thermal vision through the rifle’s Telescopic vision].
- Grenade launcher [BODY 04, Range: 06, Ammo: 03. This short launcher can be loaded with any of his grenades, in any order]. Railed under the assault rifle when deployed.
- Dart launcher [BODY 04, Projectile weapon (Bashing): 05, Sharpness (Projectile Weapons): 07, Poison touch (Bashing): 12, Ammo: 08, Bonus: Dart Bonus, Bonus: Projectile weapons and Poison touch are Combined (but Projectile weapons must inflict pre-LDD RAPs ; on the other hand the Dart Bonus applies to both), Drawback: Dart Bonus can only be used if the shooter has 6+APs in Weaponry (firearms) or similar, Limitation: Regeneration acts as Systemic antidote against Poison Touch, and any Systemic Antidote APs are linearly doubled]. Railed under the assault rifle when deployed, even if there’s also his grenade launcher on.
- Futuristic combat pistol [BODY 04, Projectile weapons: 05, Ammo: 14, Rec. STR 02].
Grenades:
- Incendiary grenades (x2) [BODY 03, Flame Project (No Range, Explosive Radius): 08, R#2, Grenade Drawback].
- Offensive grenades (x2) [BODY 04, EV 07 (Area of Effect 0 APs), Grenade drawback].
- Smoke grenades (x4) [BODY 03, Fog: 06, R#2, Grenade Drawback. The smoke does not interfere with his suit’s Thermal Vision.]
- Neural gas grenades (x2) [BODY 03, Fog: 05, Poison touch: 06, R#2, Bonus: Fog and Poison Touch are Combined (with Poison Touch being active throughout the Fog), Drawback: Grenade Drawback.]
Other equipment:
- Maverick occasionally wields a pair of High-Capacity Machine Pistols instead of his rifle (x2) [BODY 04, Projectile weapons: 05, Ammo: 12, Advantage: Autofire].
- He was twice seen using Leptons Accelerator Heavy Pistols instead of the Machine Pistols (x2) [BODY 04, Energy blast: 06, R#03].
- Breaching charge (x2) [BODY 02, EV 12 (area of effect 0 APs), Misc.: Take a full Phase to set up, Grenade Drawback.]
- Scent suppression kit [BODY 02, Obscure: 09, Ammo: 04, Limitation: Obscure only vs. Analytical smell/tracking scent].
- Telescoping wand [BODY 01, Stretching: 00, Limitation – Stretching doesn’t transmit the wielder’s STR.]
- “Chatterbox” [BODY 03, Radio communications (Encrypted): 12, Thief (Stealth): 08, R#2, Limitation: Thief (Stealth) only against interception/eavesdropping.]
- In some of his safehouses, he had a Skycycle.
Ferguson prototypes (seen once):
- Gauntlet-mounted launchers [BODY 03, Projectile weapons: 05, Sharpness (projectile weapon): 04, Lightning (No Range, Continuing Damage): 08, Limitation: Projectile weapons and Lightning are Combined (but Projectile weapons must inflict pre-LDD RAPs), Lightning can ride the Range of the Projectile Weapons].
- Booster field [BODY 03, Power reserve (STR): 03, Limitation: APs of STR from Power Reserve can only be engaged if a similar number of RAPs from Damage Absorption are currently available].
- AIR RESERVE [BODY 02, Sealed Systems: 08, Note: Can only be used to replace the normal Sealed systems of the Maverick suit.]
The man from C.E.L.L. S.I.X.
During his early career as a “freedom fighter”, Nord had one less AP in all of his Attributes (except for his STR and BODY) and Skills.
He also had but a shadow of his future powers. Skin armour: 02 and Invulnerability: 05, both of which only applied against blunt impacts larger than a man’s hand.
This allowed him to survive several falls from tall buildings, and possibly some car crashes.
His full powers blossomed during the Team X days. Possibly due to DNA engineering using Wolverine’s genetic material.
The man from T.E.A.M. X
Maverick supposedly lost his kinetic absorption powers sometimes after Team X disbanded. The mid-1980s, maybe.
There are serious continuity issues with this.
During his encounter with Warhawk he both laments the loss of his powers… and seems to use them. Maverick survives a superhuman sucker punch from behind, then punches him back with obviously super-human strength.
Later, when rescuing Deadpool along with Wolverine, he clearly has his powers (they save his life several times), albeit diminished by the disease. Yet he later states that he had lost them for years.
Our No-Prize Hypothesis – he never lost his powers. Memory implants from Aldo Ferro only made him think that he had. These included mind blocks preventing him from realising their existence, even as he reflexively used them.
(Incidentally, this hypothesis could also explain why Sabretooth seemed much less powerful during the 1970s and 1980s).
Stats during this era :
Powers:
Damage absorption (to STR): 06
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Damage Absorption only vs. non-Killing Combat. But note his ARMOUR’s Blunting APs.
- Damage Absorption ony vs. Descriptors such as Blunt/Bludgeoning, Structural, Unarmed.
- The duration of the Damage Absorption enhancement to STR is only half the APs (round down). So the maximum is 6/2=3 APs, or about 30 seconds (8 Phases)
- The total APs of Absorbed damage redistributed to STR or Heat vision can never be above the APs of Damage Absorption.
Shake the disease (part 1)
After he caught the Legacy Virus, Maverick was considerably diminished.
His body had a R# of 03. Whenever he rolled a 3 or below for a physical Action, he would experience violent, bloody coughing and wracking pain. These reduced his Attributes, Powers and Skills to 0. He had to Recover normally from this damage.
Those fits usually resulted in unconsciousness (GM’s call).
If the roll is a 4 or 5, bursts of pain and wracking coughs lowered all his AVs to zero APs. This could happen for Actions that aren’t strictly physical (once, an Intimidation attempt).
His Damage Absorption (as described in “The man from T.E.A.M. X” above) had but 3 APs. And no longer could feed his STR.
This is partly due to the virus, and partly due to the heavy medication cocktails he has been prescribed to slow down the damage.
Shake the disease (part 2)
Once he became seriously infected the constant pain, discomfort and psychological distress induced a -1CS penalty to all of his AVs.
The Legacy Virus also started disfiguring him – a Distinct Appearance Drawback. Maverick responded by nearly always wearing his faceplate. Or wrapping the upper half of his face in cloth if not feasible – for instance while sleeping.
Even after he was revived by Elena, his remission was unstable. The virus would occasionally make his revitalized, enhanced powers act up (Power Complication Subplot). He no longer had the permanent -1CS penalty or the Distinct Appearance — but once his power inflicted third degree burns to his hands.
After Elena became comatose, Maverick’s body had a R# of 03 again. But a “breakdown” would only occur if the action involved significant physical exertion, and only reduced his AVs to 0 for a Phase. A roll of 4 or 5 no longer induced a breakdown.
Broken mirrors
Maverick does not, technically, have the Unluck Drawback. There are no clear instances of him inexplicably failing at something.
However, it certainly has small-u unluck. The Fates seem to really hate his sorry guts.
Therefore, terrible things should regularly befall to Maverick. Of course, he does get Hero Points from those Subplots, but said Subplots are so harsh that he keeps burning those HPs just to survive.
Design notes
The Languages listed — especially Italian — can only be tentative.
For instance in one appearance he explicitly doesn’t speak Japanese. Yet he’s entirely fluent by the next.
Source of Character: Various X-titles and his own series.
Helper(s): Roy Cowan.
Writeup overhauled on the 12th of April, 2021.