Warbeast
Context
The 1963 books were an amusing and nostalgic revival of the style of comics from that period, with slight parodic overtones.
They provide excellent material for those seeking to populate the equivalent of the Silver Age of their campaign. Since Alan Moore’s creations are crafted to be reminiscent of the great Stan Lee icons of that era, yet have some uniqueness to them.
The never-published second half of the arc would have made the 1963 continuity the past of the Image, errr, protoverse. I think it was before Wildstorm clearly appeared.
Background
- Real Name: Probably N.A..
- Marital Status: N.A..
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: New York City (where else ?).
- Height: About 12 meters high. Weight: Likely around 50 tons.
- Eyes: Red Hair: N.A.
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Powers and Abilities
The Warbeast is a giant, mutant carnivorous dinosaur – likely an allosaurus or a T-rex. Its apparent mutations include :
- A blue skin.
- Opposable thumbs.
- The ability to speak.
- A third eye.
- A deformed cranium with a brain that is as extensive for Warbeast’s mass as a human brain to a human body.
This massive brain, in true rubber science fashion, gives the creature a very high intelligence and a number of psionic powers. Such as eyebeams shot from its third, or the ability to master language within minutes (through some form of telepathic scanning).
History
The creature referenced as Warbeast claims to be a mutant dinosaur born around Earth’s most famous mass extinction event . It once claimed to have been the one who brought the end of the dinosaurs by eating them.
This is likely an exaggeration based on preying on the survivors. Warbeast’s mutation may come from the extinction-bringing event, since the more kinetic hypotheses about it were still favoured in the early 1960s.
In unrevealed circumstances, the creature ended up trapped in ice. It was found in modern times in the Arctic. It was known to an apparently hostile civilisation known as the Antarcticans. These may have been an equivalent to one of the races in the Savage Land of Marvel’s Earth-616 .
Antarcticans saw the congealed reptile as an important relic of great potential danger and apparently, of some ritual and/or religious significance.
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Under the ice
The block of ice was somehow acquired by the law-enforcement organisation L.A.S.E.R.. Seemingly in violent circumstances involving an Antarctican named King Zero. It was encased in a special refrigerated container, then code-named Cargo X.
L.A.S.E.R. then believed the creature to be a corpse. Cargo X was thus brought to New York City. L.A.S.E.R.’s commander Sky Solo then enlisted the help of young super-hero the Fury to escort it.
The Fury thwarted an assault by men with jetpacks and laser rifles. Thanks to him, Cargo X was safely delivered to the L.A.S.E.R. research centre. But Warbeast soon broke free, killing L.A.S.E.R. soldiers and scientists. It psionically acquired an instant mastery of English.
No one escapes the Fury
Warbeast ran into the Fury as the lad was fighting a supervillain, the Voidoid. The panicking Voidoid tried to kill Warbeast, who flattened him with a mind-bolt.
The Fury, soon joined by Sky Solo and L.A.S.E.R. troops, engaged the beast. Using his superior agility, several pounds of tranquillisers from a nearby ambulance, and Voidoid’s gear, the Fury managed to plunge the Warbeast into the East River.
There, the tranqs finally took effect. That allowed L.A.S.E.R. to recapture the monster and detain it much more securely.
Description
See illustrations.
Personality
Warbeast likes to kill and eat things, mostly, and affirms its mutant superiority by killing and eating everything. It has a Stan Lee villain-esque dialogue, as illustrated by the typical quotes.
Quotes
“What destroyed the dinosaurs ? That’s easy… I DID !”
“Ahhh… violence… I like that in a species ! It makes them so much more appetising, don’t you think ?”
“You insufferable gnat ! I’ll rend you limb from limb ! Insolent cur ! You mock the length of my arms ?! You, who do not even possess… a TAIL ?!” (unexpectedly hits the Fury with his tail)
“You tail-less rodents disgust me ! You’re so easy to kill ! At least the stegosaurus and the triceratops put up a fight when they realised they had a killer mutant in their midst !”
“Do you really think you tail-less rats can stand against me ? The great reptiles could not stop me ! The long ice barely slowed me down ?”
“Flight ? You think the power of flight is new to me ?! I, who tore the great pteranodons from out of the air… or cooked them as they flew !” (ZZAAAZZAT !)
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Warbeast
| Dex: 04 | Str: 10 | Bod: 12 | Motivation: Power |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Mutant dinosaur |
| Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: N.A. |
| Init: 015 | HP: 035 |
Powers:
Comprehend Languages: 08, Growth: 09, Mental blast: 11, Mind blast: 07, Suspension: 21
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Growth is Always On and Already Factored In.
- Suspension only when exposed to extreme cold or encased in ice.
Skills:
Scientist (analysis)*: 05
Advantages:
None demonstrated, but quite possibly Slowed Ageing or even Immortal.
Connections:
None.
Drawbacks:
Strange Appearance, Serious Rage, MPR (can’t swim), MPR (short arms), Partial Attack Vulnerability (toxins and drugs, -2CS RV ; cold, -2CS RV).
Source of Character: 1963 stories by affable Al Moore and sturdy Steve Bissette.
Helper(s): KalEl el Vigilante.