Sepulchre
(Jillian Woods profile #2)
Context
This profile is the second in a chronological series, and assumes that you have just read part one. So please read the Shadowoman character profile first.
Woods’ heroic name is “Sepulcre”. “Sepulchre” is the British spelling and is the one that has been used in recent years because she appeared in stories written in the UK.
Background
- Real Name: Jillian Marie Woods.
- Other Aliases: Sepulchre (British spelling of her name).
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: Unidentified parents.
- Group Affiliation: Employee of Roxxon Blackridge. Former member of the Shock Troop and the Secret Defenders.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile (formerly San Francisco, formerly Boston).
- Height: 5’9” Weight: 140 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue-green Hair: Black
Advertisement
Powers and Abilities
As Sepulcre, Jillian’s powers seem stronger and more offense-oriented than before. For instance, when in shadow form she can turn her hands into giant claws, elongate her arms, and has a degree of super-strength.
Her overall power output and resilience are noticeably higher.
During her 2007 appearance, Jillian had a Sepulcre costume in her wardrobe rather than creating one out of shadow stuff. She also preferred to wield darkness while remaining in human form. For instance, rather than be in shadow form and elongate her arms and enlarge her hands, she’d grab people using shadow tendrils summoned from her human hands.
Woods could instantly put her costume on, though. Perhaps it is stored in her shadow. These small changes are probably caused by her preferring to remain in organic form as much as possible for psychological or mystical reasons.
Woods seems to have become a competent occultist. A possible explanation is that she’s always been good but didn’t use her skills much since Dr. Druid was around. She can do research, enchantments, scrying, find and use artefacts, etc. though this seems to be slow investigation and research work.
History
Woods’ confrontation with Druid did not go anywhere. He convinced her to stand down, probably through mental influence, as he needed urgent help against the ancient demon Slorioth. Druid was partially corrupted by Slorioth, and thus opted for a pointlessly risked strategy which ended up allowing Slorioth to manifest on Earth.
The mystic protectors called the Cognoscenti reacted to this breach. They summoned the 1970s Defenders from the time stream to fight Slorioth, Sepulcre and other Druid agents. Meanwhile Druid schemed to steal Slorioth’s power for himself.
Advertisement
Druid’s attempt failed and he was defeated by his own dark side. As to Sepulcre her shadow form was absorbed by Slorioth as he became able to fully manifest on Earth. Druid, now wholly corrupt and having joined Slorioth, destroyed her as he blamed her for his fall.
However, the resistance of the Secret Defenders and the Defenders had bought enough time for the Cognoscenti to summon the Living Tribunal. The Tribunal dealt with Slorioth.
After this victory, the Cognoscenti resurrected Woods in her Sepulcre form, as they couldn’t simply watch her die before them. The two Secret Defenders, Sepulcre and Cadaver, weakly promised they could be counted on in case of another dire emergency. They then left and parted ways.
Defender no more
Woods’ subsequent activities and sources of income are unrevealed. It is possible her difficulties holding a job continued but that she used financial and mystical resources taken from Druid to live comfortably. She seldom if ever used her costumed identity, but continued to be involved in occult pursuits.
In 1996, she contacted private investigator Lindsay McCabe. Woods announce that she had located McCabe’s friend Jessica Drew, aka the original Spider-Woman, in another dimension.
Using spells and artefacts and enchanting Spider-Woman’s costume, Woods arranged for McCabe and the then-current Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) to rescue Drew from the dimension of the Void-Eater.
Woods’ motives and intents were not documented, but some bits of dialogue gave the tentative impression that she wanted to be the Dr. Druid-like organiser of a super-group.
Registration Act
The Superhuman Registration Act of 2006 was a problem for Woods. She felt uncomfortable with the direction her country was taking. She also didn’t think that she should register, as she hadn’t been active as a superhuman in years.
Roxxon Blackridge, the security contractor arm of Roxxon, identified her as a potential recruit. At this point, they were approaching superhumans likely to get in trouble with the registration laws. Jillian didn’t particularly want to work in security, and the phone call from Roxxon was on the sinister side. But she chose to keep her options open.
As fate would have it, on her way to the Roxxon interview Woods was caught in a superhuman fight. Thus, she breached the Registration Act.
The government’s Thunderbolts assaulted unregistered vigilante the Steel Spider to arrest him. Thunderbolts member Venom started manhandling passerbies. Woods reflexively attacked Venom to prevent him from harming people.
Another unregistered superhuman, the redoubtable American Eagle, was also caught in the fray. Sepulcre and the Eagle worked well together. They helped the Steel Spider to put an end to the situation. Steel Spider lost an arm to Venom, but Sepulcre and Eagle fought their way out.
Expatriate
Having seen what happened to unregistered crime-fighters and now being a prominent one after fighting the Thunderbolts, Jillian rushed to the Roxxon office where the interview was to take place. She told them that she was taking whatever the job was as long as they got her out of the US ASAP.
Sepulcre apparently worked abroad for several years, but was back by 2010 after the fall of the Osborn regime.
Description
Jillian mostly wears black. But she now wears mainstream clothing rather than the occult-themed garb she preferred as Druid’s companion.
Personality
During her initial hours as Sepulcre she was tough, aggressive and angry. But that was almost entirely a reaction to Druid’s betrayals and manipulations.
Jillian seems mostly concerned with building herself a normal life despite her curses. She continues to pick guys up in bars and to try to hold a job, without much success.
She no longer seems to be a super-heroine. Yet she wants to do the right thing and will certainly leap into action if she sees people in danger.
Quotes
“Curse you, Anthony ! Curse you for what you’ve made of me ! Curse you for what I’ve become !”
(Trying to pick American Eagle up) “I’m a permanent conduit to the Darkforce, and yet I can’t get a job or keep a guy. Busy tonight ?”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Sepulcre
| Dex: 06 | Str: 06 | Bod: 07 | Motivation: Responsibility |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 03 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Bodyguard |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 06 | Resources {or Wealth}: 004 |
| Init: 018 | HP: 050 |
Powers:
Claws: 08, Darkness (Self-Linked): 10, Dimension Travel (Banishing) Being: 10, Dispersal: 05, Enchantment: 04, Energy Absorption: 10, Flight: 10, Invulnerability: 10, Mental blast: 10, Stretching: 02
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Dispersal is Contingent on Darkness (Self-Linked).
- Energy Absorption is limited to Darkforce, and perhaps very similar shadow energies.
- Dimensional Travel (Banishing) Being is Contingent on her Energy Absorption.
- Dimensional Travel (Banishing) Being is only effective against things and entities made of Darkforce, and perhaps very similar shadow energies.
- Invulnerability allows for a special Desperation Recovery Roll as soon as it drags back Sepulcre’s BODY to 00 or above, at no Hero Points cost.
- Enchantment requires Sepulcre to stay Dispersed within the subject as long as she wants the Enchantment to last.
- Enchantment requires all of her Actions to maintain and has but two possible uses:
- to Enchant creatures with Self-Link (Animate dead), Self-Link (Darkness) or similarly powered and sustained by negative or ’dark‘ energy (-2).
- to Enchant a Dimension Travel Power whose destination is the Darkforce Dimension.
Skills:
Accuracy (Mental blast): 05, Occultist: 05, Thief (Escape artist): 12, Vehicles (Land): 02
Bonuses and Limitations:
Thief is a Powered Skill, is Contingent on Dispersal, and only works on Mystical and Mystic-Linked restraints.
Advantages:
Insta-change, Misc.: Sepulcre is not considered to be a living being for most effects that specifically target those. It was also implied she has the Immortal Advantage.
Connections:
Cadaver (Low).
Drawbacks:
Partial Attack Vulnerability (-1CS RV vs. emotional manipulation), MIA toward Dr. Druid, MIA toward Alcohol, Secret Identity, Power Loss (INF and AUR drop to 02/01 when it comes to developing lasting and positive relationships), Unluck (Character Interaction rolls where her Power Loss applies). After accepting the Roxxon offer, she gets the Exile (involuntary) Drawback.
Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Sepulcre — Averaged PL 9.6
| STR | STA | AGL | DEX | FGT | INT | AWE | PRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 (05) | 00 (05) | 01 (02) | 02 | 04 | 01 | 01 | 01 |
Powers
Augmented vitality ● 20 points ● Descriptor: Shade nature
– Enhanced Strength 5, Enhanced Stamina 5, Enhanced Agility 1, Enhanced Fortitude 5.
– Immortality 10 (Limited 1 – doesn’t work if her link to the Darkforce is severed).
– Defensive Roll 2.
– Feature (can instantly change to her costume), Feature (Jillian is not considered a living being for those effects that only affect the living).
Darkforce powers ● 83 points ● Descriptor: Shade nature, Darkforce
– Expanding herself into a darkness field — Insubstantial 2 Linked w/Burst Area 2 Concealment Attack 5 (all Visual senses, Concentration Flaw).
– Darkforce blasts — Ranged Damage 9.
– Giant clawed hands — Strength-based Close Slashing Damage 3.
– Elongated arms or shadow tendrils — Improved grab, Elongation 2.
– Flight 9, Move-by Action.
– Darkforce-proof — Protection 10 and Enhanced Fortitude 10 (both Limited 3 to Darkforce and similar energies), Second Chance (Darkforce).
– Slippery, shadowy, silent — Sleight of hand 18 (+19).
Darkforce dimension interface Array ● 9 points ● Descriptor: Shade nature
- Dark energy infusion — Enhanced trait 4, Affects Only Other, Concentration, Can be applied to any trait with a Descriptor such as Darkforce, Shadow, Dark Energy, Necromancy, Undead, etc.
- Suck back to the Darkforce dimension — Movement 1 (Dimensional travel to Darkforce dimension), Reaction, Attack, Limited 2 (Only affects creatures from the Darkforce dimension or a very similar one).
Combat Advantages
Close attack 2, Defensive Roll 2 (3), Move-by Action.
Other Advantages
Second Chance (Darkforce), Ritualist.
Skills
Athletics 2 (+7), Deception 2 (+3), Expertise (Occultism) 8 (+9), Insight 2 (+3), Perception 3 (+4), Persuasion 1 (+2), Ranged combat (Darkforce blasts) 6 (+8), Sleight of hand 18 (+19), Vehicles 2 (+3) (Limited 2 to common land vehicles).
Offense
| Initiative +2 |
| Unarmed +10, Close (Elongated 2), Damage 5 |
| Giant claws +10, Close (Elongated 2), Damage 8 Slashing |
| Darkforce blasts +8, Ranged, Damage 9 |
Defense
| Dodge | 10 | Fortitude | 10 |
| Parry | 10 | Toughness | 8/5* |
| Will | 8 |
* Without Defensive Roll
Complications
- Vulnerability Jillian craves companionship and is thus easily manipulated.
- Identity Weak secret ID.
- Disability Jillian has some mystical property that makes most people dislike her.
- Exile For several years Jillian fled the US and worked for Roxxon to avoid registration.
- Addiction Something of an alcohol problem.
Power levels
- Trade-off areas Attack & Effect PL 9, Dodge/Toughness PL 9, Parry/Toughness PL 9, Fort & Will PL 9.
- Point total 169. Abilities 20, Defences 21, Skills 11, Powers 112, Devices 0, Advantages 5. Equiv. PL 12.
Source of Character: Marvel Universe.
Helper(s): Darci, Kal El el Vigilante, Chris Cottingham.