The NEW Vanguard! Haunt Issue #5

"Cannonballllll!!!!!!" The Haunt yells, turning himself into one and jumping down the shaft like a diver doing a cannonball off the diving board.

It may be booby-trapped and probably is but maybe his speed falling will bypass it, also using his stretching to help absorb any physical damage.



btw - my Grandmother died on Thursday. It was fairly sudden, they thought she had a few more weeks to live but she died while they were changing her position in her bed so she wouldn't get bed sores. Took a couple of deep breaths and died. She was 103.

OOC Ah nuts that's not great, but 103? Wow, that's quite an innings. My commiserations nonetheless...

Haunt pinged and ponged like a solid rubber ball down the shaft and felt a number of security systems go off behind him in his wake! Clearly he was travelling too fast and the defences were more meant to counter someone scaling down at a more sedate pace!

Haunt lost count of the number of floors he'd dropped. More than half a dozen, clearly stretching down into the depths below the streets of London! He landed at the bottom, reforming into his familiar form. Light shone from beneath the crack of the elevator door and something else carried too... distant screams??? What exactly was going on here?

He tested the door. Locked. Alarmed. He could see the glimmer of laser beam security criss crossing across the door too. Looking up he knew that the security would be looking for him in the lift shaft, so he wouldn't have long to do what he was doing!

Use locking picking skills to bypass the system and if that doesn't work, turn arms into crowbars and force the doors. Also let the fog out, should help with seeing lasers and such and hide my movements.

"Why am I getting flashbacks of under the Thames," he mutters to himself as he works to doors.

Haunt uses every scrap of his impressive ability to think like a Thief - and more importantly, outfox even the smartest thief - to make his way through and around the security system...

OOC Dex 9 plus Roll(6d10)+0: 5,7,3,9,4,8,+0 Total:26 vs TN11 + Security level of this place 12 (23) = +2 Effect. Dex 9 +2 (11) vs RV 12 = FAIL!!!

Suddenly alarms blare and metal shutters slam down on the inside of the lift shaft, sectioning it off and followed seconds later by some kind of gas issuing forth, spewing out and intending to render any intruder unconscious!

Haunt can hold his breath for a while but it was a case of minutes rather than hours, so he needed to figure out a way to get out of here - the question was, what would be waiting on the other side of these metal walls?

OOC I assume you pound away with giant white fists or do you have something sneakier in mind?

Use his feet to block the gas ports while using his hands to pry away at the walls. Time for hard since sneaky didn't work too well.

Oozing like white slime to cover the gas vents with his extended feet, Haunt turned his attention to the walls, doing the same with his hands to find gaps and prize at the panels with his superhuman strength!

OOC The walls are fairly solid and reinforced, but enough to withstand Haunt? Let's see. Strength 14 plus Roll(2d10)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7 (21) vs TN11 + RV12 (Steel wall) (23) Fail! The dice are being somewhat unkind to our hero so far...

Try as he might, Haunt couldn't find any weakness in the wall. As the gas began to seep around his toes, he looked to the doors. A weaker defence for this place?

OOC Strength 14 + Roll(2d10)+0: 3,6,+0 Total:9 (23) vs TN11 + RV7 (18) +3 effect (17EV) vs RV7.

Haunt gathers a fist, pulls it back and rams it clean through the lift shaft door, despite the metal skin over them! They clattered clear of the hinges and exploded into the room beyond...

...where what appeared to be suited goons waited, popping knuckles and rolling their necks! "TURN OFF THE GAS!" one shouted "HE'S COMING OUT!"

Another chuckled. Haunt counted. Five of them. Looking closer, he noted that their veins were very pronounced, the eyes bloodshot and there was a hint of foam at the edge of their mouths... What should have been simple might be a little trickier...

OOC Haunt wins initiative...

Let's see ... fog is still going so they will have a hard time hitting me. Let's go with the Haunt's Attack Number One - FEAR!

"I bring JUSTICE to Evildoers," The Haunt intones, activating his Fear Aura. "Know your place, mortals!"

actions: Fear, stay in fog as half-seen shape, advance far enough in room so the fog covers the room as well, then I will start stretching and punching [next round if any are still up] from different directions so that they can't see how I'm taking down their buddies - nothing like being attacked from all sides in a fog where you can't see your foes. heheheeh!

OOC Roll(2d10)+0: 2,1,+0 Total:3
Uhhhh you don't need to tell me that's a lousy roll! TN11+Infl 5 (16) vs AoF 9 + Roll 3 (12) = fail!

Haunt swung his cape about, rose up to be his most menacing, and pronounced in his most threatening tone "I bring JUSTICE to Evildoers, Know your place, mortals!"

They just stood there. One snarled, another chuckled. Yet another rolled his neck and popped his knuckles then all advanced!

Too stupid to feel fear? or was Haunt slightly overconfident and needed to put more 'oomph' into his performance?

The fog closed around him however, and the confusion started!

OOC Little chance in hitting Haunt but better check. No team attack as these morons know little about team work, only hitting and hurting! They ARE strong however, and there is a chance (on a good roll) they might hurt Haunt, however slight that is.

Attacks (5)
Roll(2d10)+0: 4,4,+0 Total:8 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d10)+0: 7,6,+0 Total:13 (21) HIT +3 EFFECT (from Str 9 to 12) vs RV 13 NO DAMAGE

Roll(2d10)+0: 8,4,+0 Total:12 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 4,8,+0 Total:12 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 9,6,+0 Total:15 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 8,2,+0 Total:10 MISS

Vs TN 11 +Dex 9 + Fog modifier +4 (24) Goons attack is Dex 7 + roll

One wild punch struck haunt on the arm as he calmly watched the muscle bound goons thrash about. Where they punched, concrete shattered and steel dented, but when the punch landed on Haunt there was a cry of "OUCH! Wassis guy made of?"

OOC Haunt is up again...

is there some sort of multi-target punch? If so, I would like to use that with points into making sure I hit.

If not, then the Haunt grabs the ankles of one of the goons and will use him as a club against the others, again, stretching to attack from a different direction.

OOC Haunt has no need to spend HP on dice when he uses his Weaponry and Omni Arm to attack with. He gets 5 extra dice when doing so and can multi attack all 6 of these goons...

Dex 7 Str 9 Body 10 Goons

Attack with Dex 9, Weapon +5 Dice, Omni Arm 14 into a melee weapon

Multi Attack on 6 OV now 13, RV now 16. Might take a decent roll...

Roll(7d10)+0: 10,4,5,4,3,10,10,+0 Total:20 DOUBLE boom, plus Roll(2d10)+0: 4,5,+0 Total:9 (29) + 9 (38) vs TN11 + 13 (24). +5 Effect. 19EV vs 16RV=3 damage apiece.

Haunt THWACKS all six with a jarring shot but is mildly annoyed to see them only staggered!

Three of them make ready to engage Haunt again, two others move around to the sides but don't attack, and the last shouts "I'LL GO FOR HELP" before charging off down the corridor!

OOC Three attacks from the front and two wrestle attempts one from each side. They aren't so smart, these guys...

Roll(2d10)+0: 6,9,+0 Total:15 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 1,9,+0 Total:10 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 3,4,+0 Total:7 MISS

Roll(2d10)+0: 2,6,+0 Total:8 MISS grapple

Roll(2d10)+0: 6,5,+0 Total:11 MISS grapple

Haunt is up. He faces five foes.

Did the guy who went to get help get out of the room? If not, going to grab him and then use him as a club against the others. [guess that is two rounds of action]

If he did get away, then do the same thing as before, multi-attack.

OOC Yup the guy used his movement to skedaddle. Means that at some point this place will get crowded again! Your best bet (by far) is to:

1. Make a Melee Weapon with Omni Arm
2. Use Weaponry to give you a pile of free dice
3. Use Critical Blow or Devastating Attack to pound these goons into mush. Crit Blow makes it hard to hit, Dev Attack makes it very hard, but the damage inflicted is boosted appropriately.

I assume you go for a Crit Blow this time round.

OV now 17 (28 to hit) RV reduced to 10

Roll(7d10)+0: 7,8,4,8,2,3,8,+0 DOUBLE 8 plus Roll(2d10)+0: 5,8,+0 Total:29 plus Dex 9 (38) vs TN28. +4 Effect (to 18) vs RV10. Everyone takes 8 damage. All take enough damage to go down!

Imagining a sound like pins being scattered by a strike, Haunt delivers a telling blow that flattens the adrenaline boosted goons as if they were mere cannon fodder!

Kneeling by one, he checked the pulse. Unconscious, but the pulse itself was erratic and strong! What on Earth had been administered to these men to boost their strength and durability so dramatically! Haunt was one of the strongest superhumans around, and yet even he'd had to take two swings to batter these guys into senselessness... and for how long would they stay down? He looked about. Nothing sprung to mind that could be used to secure them... unless... he glanced in the lift shaft and wondered if he had time to tear the cable out and use that.

From down and around the corridor he could hear shouts and the thud of feet. He had a number of options.

1. Truss the guards up - but chances were it would take a while
2. Go down the corridor and round the corner to meet them head on
3. Hide. What? Hide? The Haunt? Ha!
4. Nip into one of the rooms off the corridor. There were two doors on either side, and the first two (what he could see) had no nameplate or markings on.
5. Something else...

OOC The Fog is still in effect at any rate.

hmmm ... need to find Pratorius. Keeping Fog up. Try for door number one, if not air tight, slip in through the cracks. If air tight, try the knob. If locked, use superstrength to break lock and open door.

The door proved too tight for Haunt to ooze through and there was no keyhole - rather there was a keypad on the side.

However there was a slide hatch about eye level. Haunt opened up, then oozed inside.

The occupant of the room look dishevelled, unshaven and unwashed. "Who... who is it? I told you I won't make more freaks for you! Messing with genetics... it's not natural! It's dangerous! Those booster shots are insane! The others shouldn't work for you... I won't!"

It wasn't Praetorius but was clearly another scientist who seemed to have been made to work against his will, presumably helping to create the serum that turned ordinary men (and women, presumably) into superhuman powerhouses, the likes of which he'd pummelled into submission only moments before!

The scientist looked up at the oozing form. "No! What... who... are you?" he cried. "Noooooo!"

Haunt glanced up. A video camera was recording the scientist but probably hadn't seen Haunt yet because of the angle it was pointed at.

"Great Googely Moogely," The Haunt mutters to himself.

With the fog billowing around him, the Haunt reaches up and destroys the camera.

"I had hoped to rescue one and get out," he says quietly to the other man, "but now I find more mortals in need. Be ready mortal, I shall provide you with a chance to escape and for you bring your mortal law enforcement to here. So swears the Haunt! Spirit of Justice!"


actions: Step back into the corridor, use Fear and then start pounding on the foes. If there is a break in the action, smash down the others doors in this corridor, the Haunt believes other captives are being held behind them.

Haunt was pretty terrifying to this scientist who'd been forced to perform genetic deviltry on other human beings, knowing full well the consequences would be fatal!

That said, when the hero spoke his piece then whirled his cape about dramatically, the Scientist spluttered "you... you're here to help?!"

Haunt stepped out into the fog wreathed corridor. He could see clearly, and saw half a dozen huge super steroid influenced mountains of staggering muscle bouncing off walls and shouting as they fumbled through the gloom. "Who turned the lights out?" yelled one. The rest swore in a manner that suggested Haunt should teach them some manners!

There was something different about one at the back though. Dressed in the rags, mere remnants of what had been a suit, he practically filled the corridor and made the vein popping muscle heads around him seem like 90lb weaklings!

"I can see him!" he snarled. His eyes seemed to be glowing, and Haunt wondered... was this man able to see in the dark, or heat signatures at least? What else had been done to him?

The giant brushed the others aside as if they were wheat, ignoring their shouts, and crashed down the corridor, messing the plaster and walls wherever a hulking tree trunk of an arm brushed! As he got closer Haunt saw something definitely bestial about him - fangs had enlarged into tusks, eyes were slitted, like a cats, and his skin looked to be scaly, like a snake!

"We need to get out of here!" yelled the scientist! "Those meatheads they use as guards were only the tester! Phase two combined the traits of animals and greatly magnified the strength, endurance and agility of the recipient, as well as a lizards ability to recuperate! They are making an army of super villains, right here in London! The authorities won't know what hit them! They even plan to attack the UKChampions!"

The Scientist paused, breathless "Where did all this fog come from, and where is the way out?"

Haunt didn't mess about and unleashed his fear effect on his foes!

OOC This should be easy enough...

Roll(2d10)+0: 5,6,+0 Total:11 +Fear 9 (20) vs TN11 + Int 4 (15) +3 Effect. 12EV vs 7RV= 5 Raps
Against the big guy Fear attack 20 vs TN11 + Int 6 (17)= +2 Effect. 11EV vs RV17= 0 Raps

Haunt 'saw' the big 'man' stop for a moment, as if confused... What? Had his mind gone too far from human to be affected by Haunts Fear or did he simply need to 'try harder'? The others ran as quick as they could to flee the scene, and left the behemoth blocking the corridor! Moving surprisingly fast for his size, and restructuring the shape of the corridor, he seemed to run by alternating between feet and all fours! like a rhino, the oncoming behemoth intended to splatter Haunt!

OOC Unlikely! He may be quick but Haunt is agile, strong, tough, bendy, scary...

BEHEMOTH
D 8 S 12 B 11
Int 6 W 7 M 9
Inf 7 A 7 Sp 7
Skin Armour 5
Mind Field 8 (Animal bestiality - when this is in effect cannot communicate with other humans rationally)
Regeneration 6
Thermal Vision 8
Sonar 3
Claws 14 (Animal bestiality - when this is in effect cannot communicate with other humans rationally)
Jumping 6
Analytical Smell/Tracking Scent 9 (Animal bestiality - when this is in effect cannot communicate with other humans rationally)
Martial Artist 5


(There for my reference as switching between computers means I lose track of where I put notes...)

Roll(5d10)+0: 7,9,10,8,6,+0 Total:19 Great roll but no doubles!

Dex 8 + 19 (28) vs TN 11 + Dex 9 (20) = hit +4 Effect with Claws (18) vs Haunts Body 13= 5 damage!

Haunt gasps and grits his teeth as razor sharp claws - easily enough to scythe through steel like paper - cut into his steel hard form! Immediately blood soaks into his white costume but his skin starts to clot and knot together practically instantly. The costume will too, given time, and the stain would vanish completely, one of the miracles of Praetorious' design! Though he was under attack, Haunt knew that the creature in front of him MUST have some of Praetorious' hand in his design - the others had been brutish, clumsy, strong and durable, but this? This was elevation of human into superhuman, and took a level of genius that could be numbered amongst the worlds best! His friend qualified as that, for sure.

The creature roared and raised brutish arms, smashing through the ceiling and threatening to come down on Haunt! It seemed more animal than man now, and clearly whilst his fear effect *might* get through, Haunt had other weapons at his disposal that might be far more effective!

Behind him the Scientist collapsed in a gibbering heap, screaming for all his worth, and from the smell of him, soiling himself too!

OOC Roll(2d10)+0: 8 Haunt + 25,10 Behemoth +21, Haunt acts first

OOPS! Forgot to leave the Fear for bad guys only.

Just want to try something here. I will not attack but use my Stretching to help absorb the blow and see just how strong this guy is. I believe stretching used this way prevents me from attacking this round but will do it anyways. I'm envisioning being smashed flat and coming back up like a cartoon character smashed and coming back from in an accordion kind of way - up and down, up and down.

Haunt prepares to cushion himself from the blow, much like a sphere filled with water except this one wouldn't pop, but instead 'squeak' from under the behemoths' fists and flow upwards and behind him!

The hero is pretty confident that it will work - his experience and knowledge of his powers have thus far seen him right, even against those demonic ....

"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUSSSSSHHHHHH!" roared the creature in front of him.

Haunt grinned under his mask. This creature was trying to scare him? The Haunt? Ha! It would soon... wait...

"What?" muttered the hero as he blinked and looked up at the looming mass as it raised ham sized fists ready to strike.

Was that...

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUSSSSSSHHHHH!!!!" it roared again!

No! It can't be!?!? Surely not!

Those fiends! They'd...

The Haunt took an involuntary step backwards as the slavering monstrosity that was part animal, part human, and HAD BEEN RUSH KINGs BEST FRIEND, DOCTOR PRAETORIUS, prepared to strike!



OOC Hope the picture comes out ok on the screen. Thought I'd have a little fun with one of Comic-Dom's oldest twists.

END OF ISSUE 5!

I will post you HP reward in here then fire up issue 6 as our Hero faces off against the man who knows all his secrets, and the Haunt must ask himself - in order to defeat his enemy must he KILL his friend???

By the way, without digging, I couldn't remember the guy you based Haunts appearance from, so picked 'The Phantom Rider' from Marvel and in this case a fan made figure. Hope the likeness is something as you imagine!

Also a NO Prize for spotting the uh, deliberate mistake on the cover!

ooc: Cool cover!!!!!!!
And yeah, he is based off the Western Ghost Rider/Phantom Rider in looks. Oh! No Prize! Finally get one! The apostrophe is in the wrong place.

Fog engulfing the two figures, the Haunt changes into a giant octopus form and tries to wrap himself around his friend in a tentacle embrace. "Doc, what happened to you," he mutters. "Who did this? Why?"