Quagmire
Context
Quagmire first appeared in 1985, in Squadron Supreme. Thus, he lives on another version of Earth. This world has a smaller population of heroes and villains than Marvel’s main Earth, and these quite resemble classic version of DC Comics’ characters.
Quagmire, originally a villain, has the general vibe of a Bronze Age Green Lantern villain. His power is an interesting one.
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Background
- Real Name: Jerome Myers.
- Other Aliases: Quaggy.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Institute of Evil ,Squadron Supreme.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile, Squadron City, Earth-S.
- Height: 6’2” Weight: 210 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Mohawk blond
Powers and Abilities
The thug known as Quagmire can draw practically unlimited amounts of a dark, glue-like matter from an otherdimensional source. This is done via a dimensional portal in his brain. He can then project it from any part of his body.
He has complete mental control over this matter, which resembles tar. He can use it like a glue entrapping or suffocating opponents. Quagmire can breath unhindered in the black matter.
He has later refined his powers to real dangerous levels. He thus became to travel between different dimensions on-route via the Black Gunk Dimension. He could also create shields (protective or reflective) and flying disks from his gunk.
As a former supercriminal he’s quite able at physical combat and an able field leader. Of course, he also possesses a number of criminal skills. Quagmire’s forceful personality is often used for intimidation of innocent civilians, as well as heroes.
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History
Unless you’ve already read the Squadron Supreme trade paperback I strongly recommend you to read this unusual story about superheroes. For a more detailed history about the place called Marvel’s Earth-S, see the other Squadron Supreme write-ups.
In short: Quagmire joined the Institute of Evil, a gang of criminals first organized by the time traveling Scarlet Centurion. As part of the group, and as its tactical leader, he performed numerous acts of crime against humanity for a very long time.
During the Squadron Supreme’s Utopia Program the entire Institute of Evil got caught, including Quagmire. They were ’reprogrammed‘ (basically brainwashed) to become good and productive citizens instead.
The accident
Quagmire served within the Squadron for a time until he accidentally inhaled a poisonous gas. This was during a response to a disaster, where he saved 30 factory workers from certain death.
He went into a coma and was placed in a life support machine in the hospital of Squadron City, under the supervision of former teammate Dr. Decibel. The dimensional portal that is contained within his brain suddenly got activated and he began creating extreme amounts of black gunk from his ears.
The entire hospital got filled with the gunk and Dr. Decibel drowned in it. The Squadron member and leader Hyperion entered the hospital through the gunk. He realized that the only way of stopping Quagmire from producing more gunk was by pulling his connection to the life support machine and thereby killing him.
He did so and the black gunk completely disappeared, but together with Quagmire himself.
Lost and found
Quagmire had, however, survived and not only appeared on the ordinary Marvel Earth, but also lost the programming he was under. Once again a thug, he fought the hero Quasar (Wendell Vaughn) on several occasions, but lost and escaped. He’s still at large and might appear on any of the two Earths.
Description
Quagmire looks like a muscular and tough thug with a punk motif. He has his blond hair either as a mohawk or as a ponytail, and is always seen with a goatee at the side of his right chin.
He wears lots of leather and metal ; leather trousers, leather boots, an open leather vest and large leather arm bands cover his body. He has metal spikes on the boots and the arm bands as well as on the shoulders of his vest. The belt is metal/leather and connected to a chain that extends to the leather collar around his neck.
Additional chains reach from the collar around both his arms. Going all the way from the belt up, and around his neck, down back to the belt, the vest consists of red color.
In the face, that often has a nasty grin, he wears a chain from the nose to his left ear. All in all, he looks nasty, thuggish and cruel.
Personality
Quagmire is a psychopath. As such he won’t hesitate to kill an opponent and loves to taunt and intimidate them. Being the evil man he is, he likes the pain of others and prefers to kill captured victims after they have served their purposes. He’s also a womanizer only he doesn’t use charm, but bullying and intimidation instead on them.
Quagmire speaks with a street lingo (actually a lot like the Thing) and much behaves like a real thug. Surprisingly he’s quite an able leader and used to be the tactical leader of the Institute of Evil. He’s also a good team player.
Quagmire and Foxfire were lovers, although the concept of faithfulness probably is unknown to him.
Once reformed by the Behavior Modification Device, he became a playful, valiant and self-sacrificing hero. Some time after he left Earth-S, he returned to his original personality, that is the psychopathic thug.
Basically he should be played as a superpowered thug with a nasty personality. Once he realizes that he’s overpowered he will flee by using his dimensional teleportation powers.
Quotes
“Yeah, looks like. Am I ever glad to see you, Frass-Face ! We got ourselves some unfinished bee’s wax !”
“Shake this bootie !” (kicking opponent)
“Hey, if we got no more use for Goldie, can I put ’im outta his misery with a well-placed slime-ball ?‘”
DC Universe History
The Squadron Supreme are copies of the JLA. Thus, there are two options; either use the JLA in your adventure or use the entire Squadron Supreme instead. Quagmire has, AFAIK, no clear counterpart in the DC Universe, but perhaps Major Force is closest.
Since he has dimension traveling abilities he could be placed in the DC Universe. Keep his unknown Marvel origin intact, but give him a purely DC Universe-based origin he could have been part of the project that gave Captain Atom and Major Force their powers. He just uses his quantum connection and projected matter in a different way.
He would probably be on good terms with Major Force so that insertion and cooperation is fully possible. They would make quite a team; one glues the opponents to the ground and the other pummels them…all the while both are laughing and taunting the opponents.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Quagmire
| Dex: 07 | Str: 04 | Bod: 06 | Motivation: Psychopath |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 06 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Criminal, ex-Squadron Member |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
| Init: 017 | HP: 060 |
Powers:
Dimension Travel: 05, Force Manipulation: 05, Glue: 11, Matter Manipulation: 06, Projectile Weapons: 06, Sealed Systems: 00, Snare: 11
Bonuses and Limitations:
- All effects of Glue and Snare are Permanent (or as long as he wishes) and Cumulative (that is their effects are added up, AP-wise, every round of continuous use ; that means he’s up at 12 APs after 2 rounds, 13 APs after 4 rounds and so on).
- Glue, Snare and Projectile Weapon powers have Area Effect Bonus.
- The Range of Glue and Snare powers may be increased by 1 AP per round up to a maximum of 4 APs ; thereafter the range must be increased by Pushing the power up to a given maximum as decided by the GM.
- Matter Manipulation can only be used for creating theoretically unlimited additional black gunk out of the Black Gunk Dimension (OV/RV 02 ; he’s considered to have the Bottomless Reserve Advantage with this power only). Any RAPs gained are added AP-wise to the APs of both the Glue and Snare powers.
- Sealed Systems does not protect against radiation or gas attacks, and is only active against the Black Gunk (aka Dark Force Stuff) that he produces.
- All powers are Elementally Linked to the Dimension Travel power.
- Force Manipulation represents his fine manipulation of Black Gunk which can be used for example for flying discs, reflective glue, shields, etc..
- Projectile Weapons describes the Gunk Storms he can create.
- Matter Manipulation is a way to attempt to increase the production of Black Gunk beyond what the Snare and Glue powers can do (basically Pushing with a different mechanism).
Skills:
Charisma (Intimidation): 06, Military Science (Field Command): 03, Thief: 05
Advantages:
Iron Nerves.
Connections:
Institute of Evil (High).
Drawbacks:
Minor Rage.
Previous Stats (during his days as a Squadron member)
| Dex: 06 | Str: 03 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Responsibility of Power |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 05 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Criminal, ex-Squadron Member |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 025 (in Squadron) |
| Init: 016 | HP: 055 |
All Powers, Bonuses, Limitations and Skills were the same.
Additional Limitations:
Dimension Travel used for Traveling and Banishing is non-controllable, can only work with Earth-like dimensions and the Black Gunk Dimension (Travel Value 2) and will only work spontaneously when Quagmire has been completely immersed in his black gunk.
Additional Advantages:
Expansive Headquarters (Squadron City), Free Access (Squadron Card), Security Clearance (High).
Additional Connections:
Squadron Supreme (Low), US Government (Low).
Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Quagmire — Averaged PL 10
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX | FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | 04 | 02 | 01 | 05 | 02 | 01 | 02 |
Powers
Darkforce stuff ● 78 points ● Descriptors: Dimensional, Darkforce
– Darkforce Gate — Movement (Dimension Travel 2); Immunity 1 (black gunk effects).
– Black Gunk — Create 5, Continuous, Innate; Enhanced Black Gunk 6, Limited (may only add one rank per round for each round he maintains it as a standard action after the first).
– Quagmire — Snare 11, Area (burst).
– Gunk Storm — Area (burst) Ranged Damage 5.
Combat Advantages
Close Attack 4, Defensive Roll 3, Leadership, Second Chance (Fear/intimidation).
Other Advantages
None demonstrated.
Skills
Athletics 5 (+7), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+10), Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation 4 (+6), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 2 (+4), Sleight of Hand 6 (+7), Stealth 6 (+8), Technology 5 (+7) (Limited 2 to Security).
Offense
| Initiative +2 |
| Unarmed +11, Close, Damage 2 |
| Quagmire, Area (burst) Ranged, Affliction 11 |
| Gunk storm, Area (burst), Ranged, Damage 5 |
Defense
| Dodge | 11 | Fortitude | 9 |
| Parry | 11 | Toughness | 7/4* |
| Will | 8 |
* Without Defensive Roll
Complications
- Sociopath Quagmire is an amoral, cruel person.
- Rage Quagmire occasionally flies off the handle, attacking with deadly force and little regard for his own safety.
- Black Gunk Everywhere As shown in the events of the Utopia crisis, if he loses consciousness while his powers are active, or he somehow activates them in a delirium, they will manifest as Uncontrolled.
Power levels
- Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 11, Dodge/Toughness PL 9, Parry/Toughness PL 9, Fort & Will PL 9.
- Point total 178. Abilities 38, Defences 27, Skills 26, Powers 78, Devices 0, Advantages 9. Equiv. PL 12.
Notes
Quagmire’s ability create black gunk is essentially unlimited, making him far more dangerous than he might appear at first glance. In seven rounds, he can entirely fill a space the size of a tiny room or a large closet with viscous, durable (Toughness 11) goo, and it will persist until he banishes it. His ability to create barriers and shields means that his defensive capabilities may be stronger than his strict PL.
As a Squadron Supreme member
Quagmire (Squadron) — Averaged PL 9.4
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX | FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | 03 | 02 | 01 | 04 | 02 | 01 | 02 |
Powers
Darkforce stuff ● 75 points ● Dimensional, Dark Force
– Dark Force Gate — Movement (Dimension Travel 1), Uncontrolled; Immunity 1 (black gunk effects).
– Black Gunk — Create 5, Continuous, Innate; Enhanced Black Gunk 6, Limited (may only add one rank per round for each round he maintains it as a standard action after the first).
– Quagmire — Snare 11, Area (burst).
– Gunk Storm — Area (burst) Ranged Damage 5.
Combat Advantages
Close Attack 4, Defensive Roll 3, Leadership, Second Chance (Fear/intimidation).
Other Advantages
Connected.
Skills
Athletics 3 (+5), Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+10), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise (Criminal) 8 (+10), Insight 3 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+6), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 2 (+4), Sleight of Hand 6 (+7), Stealth 6 (+8), Technology 5 (+7) (Limited 2 to Security).
Offense
| Initiative +2 |
| Unarmed +10, Close, Damage 2 |
| Quagmire, Area (burst) Ranged, Affliction 11 |
| Gunk storm, Area (burst), Ranged, Damage 5 |
Defense
| Dodge | 10 | Fortitude | 8 |
| Parry | 10 | Toughness | 6/3* |
| Will | 8 |
* Without Defensive Roll
Complications
- Responsibility of Power Quagmire responds to the needs of others.
- Rage Quagmire occasionally flies off the handle, attacking with deadly force and little regard for his own safety.
- Black Gunk Everywhere As shown in the events of the Utopia crisis, if he loses consciousness while his powers are active, or he somehow activates them in a delirium, they will manifest as Uncontrolled.
Power levels
- Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 11, Dodge/Toughness PL 8, Parry/Toughness PL 8, Fort & Will PL 8.
- Point total 172. Abilities 34, Defences 27, Skills 26, Powers 75, Devices 0, Advantages 10. Equiv. PL 12.
Source of Character: Squadron Supreme comics, Marvel Universe.
Helper(s): John Colagioia, Sébastien Andrivet. DCA stats by Pawsplay.