New campaign help...

[Ebon Shar]

I've been thinking lately of starting an M&M campaign using heroes plucked from literature and history. I'd really like them to have something about them that makes them somewhat "super" in a modern 4-color comic sense. I've been able to think of a few and I'll list them as examples of what I'm looking for. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Gilgamesh - super-strength
Achilles - invulnerability

So, you see what I'm talking about. It's not hard to think of literary or historical figures that would be recognizable by my players, but it is hard coming up with ways that these figures would be "super". Thanks in advance for any ideas you throw my way.

 

[Walking Dad]

Robin Hood would make a good 'super-archer', like Green Arrow or Hawkeye.

Merlin as your Dr Fate / Dr Strange.

 

[The_Hanged_Man]

You might take a look at the graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It mainly focuses on Victorian age literary heroes, but makes them "super" in a comic book way. Or you could just watch the movie (*shudder*) too I guess.

 

[garrowolf]

What if you went the other way with it? What if the characters were not supers to start with in the literature but the same process that brings them out of the page into the real world also causes them to have new powers. So it would not only be a fish out of water story but also a discovery of power story at the same time. Maybe their nature of being immortal characters from literature makes them literally immortal as well as having some other new powers.

 

[Ebon Shar]

Great suggestions, guys. Thanks. I love the Merlin idea and I'm not sure why I didn't think of that one. I was more focused on the knights and how I could use them. Robin Hood is another great idea.

Garrowolf, I love your suggestion. Thanks.

How about a female protagonist from history/literature? I would prefer to dip into a particular piece of literature only once, but The Lady of the Lake is an idea, or maybe a witch from MacBeth. Any other suggestions?

 

[Dodavehu]

The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen is a great place to look. Also, check out the comic series Fables for more fairy tale related characters.

Beast, before he found his beauty, could be interesting. (Swap the intellect of the X-Men's Beast for charm.)
Baba Yaga. (Or any witch, really, but she's my favorite.)
Tin Woodsman. (You could make him an android or translate it to a battlesuit.)
Snow White. She was beautiful enough to be supernatural (fairest in the land and all).
Jack (he's nimble) could be a speedster.
Aladin is probably the best thief ever, plus he has a magical minion. Speaking of Aladin, Sinbad could be a good alt if you flavor him more nautically.
Mowgli of the Jungle Book or Tarzan would be good all around fighters.
--

 

[Ebon Shar]

The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen is a great place to look. Also, check out the comic series Fables for more fairy tale related characters.

Beast, before he found his beauty, could be interesting. (Swap the intellect of the X-Men's Beast for charm.)
Baba Yaga. (Or any witch, really, but she's my favorite.)
Tin Woodsman. (You could make him an android or translate it to a battlesuit.)
Snow White. She was beautiful enough to be supernatural (fairest in the land and all).
Jack (he's nimble) could be a speedster.
Aladin is probably the best thief ever, plus he has a magical minion. Speaking of Aladin, Sinbad could be a good alt if you flavor him more nautically.
Mowgli of the Jungle Book or Tarzan would be good all around fighters.
--

Wonderful suggestions. I especially like the Baba Yaga and Tin Woodsman ideas. Beast is also intriguing. Thanks again!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Sherlock Holmes or any other great detective...because you know you want one. Super observant & rational.

Jack the Ripper, the world's most famous serial killer. Perhaps he has a power that lets him evade capture and detection, like becoming fog...perfect for London.

King Arthur, great swordsman and defender of fair play...living under aliases that are all variants of his name- Arthur König, Artie Kang, etc.

John Henry, fastest sledgehammer in the west. Great strength and speed mixed with superhuman endurance

Atalanta, super speed & endurance

Hansel & Gretel, witch hunters

The Seven Chinese Brothers, actually one guy who can create duplicates of himself.

 

[thejc]

Love this THREAD!

how about

some Vigillante types

Edmund Dantez from Count of Monte Cristo

Alex from A Clockwork Orange(you can go villain or a flawed anti hero)

Some Bricks

Jean ValJean

Frankensteins monster

Grendel
Some magic types

Medea(wife of Jason, witch or priestess of Hecate)

Virgil(spirit guide)
Some rangey people

Arjuna(an archer but you could make him a blaster)

Roland Deschain of Gilead

William Tell


VILLAINS!

Helen Grayle: She could after all make a Bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window; charm emotion manipulation.


Shere Kahn: Actually a were-Tiger Rakshasa type

Long John Silver: Just because

Mrs. Coulter: She's the chief "gobbler" of children

Claire Quilty: Enchanted Huntress!

Quilp: How can you resist a morbid mouthed little dwarf from Dickens

Svengali: Hypnotist

Hannibal Lecter: The literary version much more creepy

Barrabas: Murderer

Samuel Whiskers: He's a rat monster that dwells in chimneys!

ahhh I could do this all day....but alas work calls!

 

[Walking Dad]

Morgan le Fay - Great as magical villain

Golem - the original construct. Would be a great Brick.

Big Bad Wolf - maybe a Were-Wolf?