
Pallas
Context
The Graveyard Faction are an obscure, low-powered team of super-mercenaries. They appeared in 2014 issues of The Movement, by Gail Simone for DC Comics.
There is little material about them. But they’re exactly the kind of foes needed in many super-hero tabletop RPG campaigns.
So this sort tends to have writeups.org profiles, even if that means tiny articles where the stats are mostly guesses.
Powers & Abilities
Pallas is huge, with a massive (perhaps superhuman) physique. His strength seems to be in the “Class 25” range, with matching durability.
He carries an enormous weapon called the omni-gun. Pallas will usually use it as a combination mace/quarterstaff, but it can also emit a powerful energy ray.
Pallas seems markedly more powerful than the rest of the Graveyard Faction, though Monster Baby’s upper limits are unrevealed.
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History
The Graveyard Faction was hired by a Coral City patron. They were to raid the headquarters of the Movement, a grassroots organisation in a broken neighbourhood. They were given a jammer to approach unseen. Their orders were to kill a few people then leave.
Prior to the invasion they took down and hospitalised Movement member Mouse. However, the attack was derailed by Movement member Vengeance Moth, who also destroyed their jammer. Then they ran into Burden. This allowed other Movement to come in.
The Graveyard Faction was forced out by Movement leader Virtue. They then told their employer that they were pulling out of the contract, as the opposition was considerably stronger than indicated.
Sound of da Pallas
Pallas asserted that he was the son of a god. The name presumably ties him to Ancient Greek mythology.
Though the word is mostly known as describing an aspect of the goddess Athena, it is actually the name of a Titan . He and his children were war gods, a portfolio Athena and Ares took over after the Titanomachy . Three obscure DC characters (Zelus, Bia and Kratos) are named after some of the Titan Pallas’ children.
Pallas’ appearance is a series of Jack Kirby references. His weapon is straight from the Fourth World, and its beams are surrounded by Kirby dots . Furthermore, his costume is that of a semi-obscure Kirby character called Atlas.
This costume is also worn by a character in the possible Kingdom Come future. But his appearance is different from Pallas’.
Description
Pallas seems to have a thin beard, though it’s not consistent from panel to panel.
Personality
Pallas considers himself a hero, and tends to act like one. He doesn’t seem willing to admit that Anguish (and perhaps Arson and Monster Baby) is evil.
For instance, he was reluctant to attack Vengeance Moth, since Moth was in a wheelchair.
It seems possible that Anguish is manipulating him through peer pressure, and/or that the GF team are his only friends.
Demons, come on, you’ve got a vision
He also has a thing about demons, and was uncharacteristically aggressive when fighting Burden.
Which doesn’t necessarily means anything. He might just consider that as an alleged hero of allegedly divine descent, fighting demons should be his thing.
He tends to act in a grand and thunderous manner. But he isn’t as collected as Monster Baby (a bunch of rats getting into his unmentionables unnerved him), and he’ll reliably follow Anguish’s orders unless they seem too evil.
Quotes
“Why not face a god, demon ? Why not face Pallas ?”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Pallas
Dex: 05 | Str: 11 | Bod: 08 | Motivation: Mercenary |
Int: 03 | Wil: 03 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Mercenary |
Inf: 04 | Aur: 03 | Spi: 04 | Wealth: 004 |
Init: 012 | HP: 025 |
Skills:
Weaponry*: 05
Advantages:
*Possibly* an ageing-related Advantage.
Connections:
None demonstrated.
Drawbacks:
MIH of demons.
Equipment:
Omni-Gun [BODY 16, Energy blast: 13, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 16), Descriptor: Bludgeon]. I’m assuming Fourth World-level technology here. This weapon was so powerful that using it underground led to collateral landslides.
Design Notes
Some stats are arbitrary, obvs.
Source of Character: DC Comics’ The Movement.
Helper(s): Chris Cottingham.
Writeup completed on the 12th of November, 2018.