Shakedown
Context
This profile is intended to be read after the Masters of Disaster team profile.
Which explains all the context.
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Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Masters of Disaster.
- Base of Operations: Mobile.
- Height: 6’4″ (1.93m). Weight: 700 lbs. (318 Kg.).
- Eyes: Brown. Hair: Black.
Powers and Abilities
Shakedown is big.
He’s also superhumanly strong and tough – about “Class 10”.
- He seems roughly as brawny as contemporary Geo-Force (Brion Markov).
- He likely can withstand small arms rounds.
- Technically, he can still be hurt by human-level strength. But it takes an exceptional martial artist such as Katana (Yamashiro Tatsu). And all she can achieve is some pain – and maybe daze him for a second.
- He might be less durable when not in contact with the ground. It’s unclear.
- He’s also markedly more vulnerable to slashing attacks, such as Katana’s swords or shuriken.
- On the other hand, Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce)’ electricity didn’t, in the words of Shania Twain, impress him much .
- He also proved quite resistant to Starman (Jack Knight)’s star-rod.
Though Shakedown isn’t terribly fast, he’s a solid hand-to-hand fighter. But not as competent as Geo-Force.
Shake your bon-bon
His power is controlling the force of an earthquake. At first, he could only vibrate items he was touching. But by his second appearance he could project his destructive vibrations through the air.
Applications include :
- Destroying obstacles and opponents by making them vibrate. This seems more efficient than punching.
- Suddenly opening large crevasses.
- Immobilising opponents in a vibratory field. They can still act, but are pinned in place. As a variant he can catch them in a mini-earthquake.
- Using his vibration blast to hurl people backward (or upward). In DC Heroes RPG terms, this is a Planned Knockback Attack.
I feel a mad connection with your body
Shakedown’s weight was initially listed at 280lbs (127 Kg.). But he was weighing 700 lbs at the time of his death. This may have been his power evolving.
Furthermore, he seemed way more muscular, stronger and tougher when glimpsed in 1998. He seemed stronger than Jake “Bobo” Benetti, who from my old notes is well into “Class 50”.
And his resilience to energy attacks seemed even higher.
History
See the team entry for the bulk of the history.
Tremors and discrepancies in Opal City
In 1998, Shakedown was briefly seen working solo in Opal City. He was opposed by Starman (Jack Knight), Jake “Bobo” Benetti and the OCPD, including Matthew and Mason O’Dare.
But Shakedown thrashed everyone, sending them to the hospital.
Shakedown, Heatstroke and Coldsnap soon had a rematch with Benetti, who easily beat them all.
Proposed No-Prize HypothesisA made-up explanation to plug a plot hole :
- The three Masters had stolen tech, which Shakedown’s abilities could power, to cure Heatstroke and Coldsnap.
- It failed, but supercharged Shakedown for a while. He thus easily beat back his opponents.
- Then came the energy backdraft, leaving all three Masters weakened. And thus an easy prey for Benetti.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
Good vibrations
In 2000, Shakedown was once again held at the Slab super-prison.
He didn’t mind being there much. But Warden Dunahy was running illegal, clandestine experiments about the inmates’ powers. These amounted to torture.
Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) accidentally discovered this. He stopped Dunahy and had him arrested.
Appreciating this, Shakedown gave GL information that saved a life.
The end… or maybe not, because, like, y’know
In 2002, Shakedown worked kidnapping with New-Wave again.
However, he forgot to check their target’s finances – despite having New-Wave remind him to do so. The father of the kidnapped child had just gone bankrupt.
New-Wave killed Shakedown in a fit of rage, drowning him.
However, one should never underestimate the wonders of DC Comics editing Nekron tampering with the dead. Therefore :
- Shakedown was back in 2004. He escaped from prison along with Heatstroke and Coldsnap. They rampaged in downtown Metropolis. But they were defeated by Mister Majestic.
- A few months later, he was part of a small army of super-villains. These again rampaged in Metropolis as Superman was rumoured to be weakened. Several other rioters had been killed years ago, as they had seemingly been picked at random from the 1980s Who’s Who in the Universe.
Description
Shakedown has a mild stutter.
Personality
Left to himself, he’s not particularly awful. He often feels remorse over the violent and murderous acts he performs as one of the Masters. When events do not go his way, he’s way more likely to be confused than to be angry.
What makes him dangerous is New-Wave riding him hard.
Shakedown seems to have a mild mental handicap. He behaves more like a nerdy, shy 12-year-old with an IQ in the low 90s.
Other traits
He’s proud of his powers. Shakedown enjoys showing off the new effects he learned to do.
He has a crush on Windfall, but it doesn’t seem to be sexual. It might not even be romantic. He just likes her and wants to give her gifts. Like a little boy would.
Shakedown is fond of small, potted plants. He finds them beautiful and soothing. Perhaps his earth-aspected powers make him see them differently ? Or perhaps he has an obsession about botany. If he stays in any place for any significant time, he’ll add such plants.
Quotes
“I-it’s a p-plant that was l-left behind. I thought you m-might like it.”
(Encouraging his leader) “You t-tell him, New-Wave !”
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Shakedown
| Dex: 05 | Str: 09 | Bod: 08 |
| Int: 02 | Wil: 02 | Min: 04 |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 04 |
| Init: 009 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Earth control: 11, Glue: 12, Lightning immunity: 03, Skin armour: 02, Vibe: 10
Bonuses and Limitations:
- All Powers are Contingent Upon Earth control.
- Earth Control can only move volumes of earth. It might even be limited to opening crevasses.
- Glue only reduces movement speed, not OV and AV.
- Glue can maintain the target in place even if they’re in the air.
- Glue can be Combined With Vibe. But it can only be used Combined with Vibe, and ceases working when Shakedown stops using Vibe.
- Skin armour seems suspended when he’s not in contact with the ground.
- Vibe and Glue have Multi-Attack 1.
- Vibe is Diminishing. It originally had a Range of Touch.
Skills:
Accuracy (Vibe): 06
Advantages:
Familiarity (Plants care).
Connections:
Underworld (Low).
Drawbacks:
Partial Attack vulnerability (-2CS RV vs. Slashing Descriptor), Socially Inept (Minor – stuttering hampers communication and credibility with most people).
Motivation:
Mercenary.
Occupation:
Mercenary.
Wealth:
004
Design notes
I’m assuming Physical Attributes at about 6/9/9 for Geo-Force during the 1980s.
I tried to inherit Mayfair stats as with New-Wave. But that didn’t work at all. Heck, I almost threw out the Earth Control to just give him Digging…
Shakedown once manages to grab Katana. But I’m pretty sure she was Pressing the Attack in order to try a Critical.
There’s more B&L verbiage than I’d like. But the ability to remotely hold his opponents in place whilst attacking is neither simple nor minor.
That his Glue doesn’t lower OV is indirect observation. If it did it would be a no-brainer for Heatstroke and Coldnap to open fire on Glued opponents. And/or for Shakedown to attempt a Critical with his Vibe Power. But they don’t.
In fact observation suggests that it’s harder for those other than Shakedown to hit Glued opponents. But this thing’s verbose enough already.
1998 appearance
We only have three pages of material. But from those I’d say Shakedown was right powerful – DEX 06 STR 14 BOD 12.
He also had Density Increase: 02, Always On and Already Factored In.
His Lightning Immunity had likely broadened to all forms of energy, and was now at 05 APs. It is *possible* that he was already resilient to all energy rather than just lightning before 1998. But it’s unsubstantiated.
He likely had 50 Hero Points by that point.
Some regenerative power while in contact with the ground is a faint possibility.
Source of Character: DC Universe.
Helper(s): Darci, mykey3000.com (now cosmicteams ), Michael Andrew, Mayfair Games stats, Ethan Roe.
Writeup revised on the 12th of December, 2019.