New class of scif badass: THE OV3R1T

The OV3R1T. Overwrites. The Overwritten. Many ways to say it, but they all describe the forgotten "reformed" and paroled prisoners (of a biological persuasion) that have been released back into the galactic population. Once hardened criminals, these neuro-reprogrammed ex-cons are given a chance to restart their lives after (sometimes hundreds of) solar cycles in solitary behavioral modification chambers.

Often, an OV3R1T faces challenges in reintegrating into society. As a result, many opt to take on the life of an adventurer-for-hire as a means to meaningful and lucrative employment. As you might have already guessed, sometimes code-rot, incomplete persona wipes, or data breaches occur and you've got a Simon Phoenix on your hands!

Don't do the crime...
Roll 1d20 for your criminal offense and implied, related skills and background (i.e., the reason you were locked up):

1. Unlicensed Psionic Spice Sales and/or Distribution
2. Sentient Species Trafficking
3. Fencing Illegal Space Salvage
4. Disintegration - First Degree
5. Mandroidslaughter or Dismemberment
6. Grand Theft Autobot
7. Genetic Identity Theft 
8. Kidnapping, (Somebody Really Important)
9. Manufacture Methane-Based-Lifeform Narcotics
10. Planetary Eco-terrorism (Especially if it was a nice planet like that one in Avatar)
11. Theft by Cosmic Swindle (Wanna' buy a jumpgate on New Brooklyn?)
12. Falsifying MIDC data for Space Settlement Stipend Payments
13. Space Vampirism While in the Nude
14. Unauthorized Detonation of a Solar or Planetary Body Within a Populated System
15. Cutting in Line at Space Chipotle
16. Theft of Central Space Command Property (or the nearest sovereign space authority)
17. Selling, Distribution, and/or Marketing of the Xenobiological Parasites known as "Tribbles"
18. Possessing or Operating a Particle Beam Weapon Without a License
19. Tampering with the Temporal Spacetime Continuum
20. Other (Fill in with your own heinous infraction of Galactic Law and/or disrespect for sentient lifeforms.)

...If you can't do the cryo-time!

You've served your sentence, now go in peace and start a new life using your recently-downloaded vocational programming. Roll randomly on the 1d12 table below, to overwrite your forbidden skillset.

1. Repair Repair Droids - Fix things that fix other things.
2. Xenolinguistics (dead languages only) 
3. Art History - With time, you could become Captain of the Docents.
4. Automat Quality ControlvMonitor
5. Pizza Delivery Drone Pilot - Work at Starr-Mart, Galactic Outfitters, or even Kwarq-Trip Convenience Stores.
6. Crowdfunding Campaign Promotion
7. Flying Taxi Driver
8. Extrasolar Missionary
9. Dewback Grooming - Handy with a nail file.
10. Space Barrista 
11. Everything There is to Know About Power Converters
12. Power Knitting - Complete projects in 70% less time than a normal human. (This is secretly a hack - all previous criminal skills are enhanced by two levels or you've picked up 2 new ones at one level each.)

Your new skillset will take effect immediately, and at a higher level than you might expect! (Typically +2 per level).

Corporate Malfeasance 101

PSIVILITY, the neuromedical research conglomerate that makes all the propriety software for cryo-prisons in the known galaxy, has encountered several severe bugs. The patches are released as quickly as possible through data-nodes at Galactic Security Outposts, but the file sizes are so huge that it's taken several decades to download them from one node to the next. PSIVILITY has had cutbacks and the entire Data-Integrity Division was let go approximately two centuries ago, so buyer beware.

If you can't wait that long, you can always attempt to reprogram an OV3R1T yourself using the following procedure:

• Roll a programming attempt for each number of infractions the OV3R1T has committed during the session. (Target numbers should be set to DIFFICULT or comparable high level.)
• Any failure will create a bug that will enhance one of the OV3RiT's criminal skills by one level. Three failures will create a permanent firmware upgrade making any further attempts impossible.
• Success will bring your OV3R1T back into compliance, but with a personality quirk (roll or choose below):

1d10 Successful Reprogramming Attempt Quirks

1. OV3R1T demands to be the Captain of your vessel.
2. Can only eat expensive nanite "grey goo" as meal replacements.
3. Walks arrhythmically - slowed and noticeable when movement or stealth matters.
4. Will only speak to robots, not living beings.
5. Intelligence score plummets to lowest ranking.
6. Will or charisma soars attracting unwanted attention to the party.
7. Cries or laughs (your pick) uncontrollably when you use their name or address them.
8. Mocks anyone relentlessly within 3 meters.
9. Can't remember anyone's name or what's going on, so resorts to their Cryo-Skill.
10. Uncontrollable urges to commit crimes but completely inept at doing so (all attempts automatically fail spectacularly).

WARNING: Any paroled convict, sentenced under the Galactic Penal Code of 2402, found to be using prohibited skill sets may face re-incarceration, total mind wipe, scientific experimentation, and/or bodily disintegration. Prohibited skill sets are those defined as any skills that may cause physical harm, property loss or damage, mental or emotional distress to others, or other due harm. If you believe you have somehow acquired these illegal skills without your own doing or purposeful acknowledgment, it is your responsibility to turn yourself in for immediate assessment and incarceration.

Simon Says: "These space-age knitting needles have really been an eye-opener!"

Refining Rocket Raccoon for the big screen!

Marvel has dropped several new stills and illustrations (and a now redacted-from-the-web video) showcasing the next phase of their movie universe. From the look of this concept art for Guardians of the Galaxy, it appears my favorite interstellar rodentia, Rocket Raccoon is really starting to come along in the design process.

LITTLE PAWS. BIG GUN. BIGGER MOUTH.

I'm convinced! Now if they'd just tell us who's going to voice him. Here's another shot of RR with some of the other Guardians in a seedy space saloon...

Good stuff! Here are a few more of my favorites, including a couple'a spaceships from GotG...

Falcon spreads his (I'm guessing Ultimates-inspired?) wings in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier...

And here's a still from Thor 2: The Dark World. I really liked the first one--just the right amount of Silver Age fun and frivolity!

And I'm THRILLED that Ant-Man is actually happening! I've been a Pym fan for many years.But if we can get an Ultron showdown out of this, then we'd be REAL close to finally seeing my personal favorite superhero on-screen for Avengers 3: THE VISION!

I think they did right by his helmet, giving it a real old-school look. (I should clarify though that these stills are from live-action test footage. So it could change.)

One can only hope. Anyway, I need to get caught up on Guardians of the Galaxy comics ASAP!

• Scifi blog io9 has more GotG goodness. 
• Images courtesy Collider. There's even more at the link.

Rocket Raccoon = My New Hero

Sometimes you just have to buy a comic because of the cover.

RR and Groot on a recent issue of The Annihilators

Nevermind the fact that I currently don't read this series and couldn't care about the other characters. It has a picture of a ray-gun wielding anthropomorphic raccoon on the front, with rocket ships and some sort of wooden dude in the background.

$3.99? Sold--I can't get my debit card out fast enough.

Image: OHotMU

I vaguely remember reading about Rocket Raccoon in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (OHotMU) series from the late 80s. I thought he was a little childish then. I was into Star Wars and Avengers comics, so I couldn't be bothered with "kiddie" comics.

Part of my prejudice may be blamed on Howard the Duck. Not the laudable comic book, but the dismal movie that was relegated to cinematic shovelware as soon as it hit theaters. I'm not gonna lie, I looked at the raccoon and saw a man in a duck costume. 

Was I ever wrong. RR is about as pulpy-adventure as it gets. The  latest Annihilators issue (pictured above) has a solo adventure that's not to be missed.

"WHO SAYS I DIG THROUGH TRASH? 

Rocket's comeback is now in full swing. At San Diego Comic Con, Hasbro revealed that they're giving the lil' guy an action figure--which is like saying "you are now worthy to be duplicated thousands of times and lost in playground sandboxes all over the country". And really, that's something special.

In any case, RR is okay in my book.

• Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (on Wikipedia)
• Official RR Marvel page. (FYI, Marvel's website is strewn with broken and bad links)
• Rocket's plant buddy, Groot

Props to Cool Toy Review for taking great photos ad SDCC '11.

Luke Skywalker is a Psionic Monster

This is a great Twillight Zone meets Star Wars mash-up. It'd be an interesting take on a psionic character or monster, yes?

POLL RESULTS: What sci-fi character do you typically play?

Last week I asked readers "What sci-fi character do you typically play?" in a poll on the top of the blog. Here are the results:

Click to embiggen

If you didn't get a chance to participate, you can still comment here. In fact, the more input the merrier!

What Sci-Fi character type do you usually play?

I'm doing a little anecdotal research and thought I'd do a quick poll. Go ahead and cast a vote and if your vote requires explanation, please comment on this post. Include any notes (maybe it's a combo of two or why you like playing that character).

I'll post the results after the holiday weekend.

Thanks for participating!

Far Out Space Fantasy PCs

After a few miniature buying binges, a fever of Rientsian Star Wars inspiration, and multiple, late night viewings of Message From Space on Netflix, my brain spit out a these far-out, space fantasy guys.

It actually all started this past summer when I found an old Star Wars rip off action figure case that I'd been remembering from childhood but never owned until recently:

I know it's terrible, but man, I'm diggin' that artwork! I also wonder how Johnny Quest's dad in the corner got mixed up with those wacky space dudes (is that a wookiee Mama Cass holding a socket wrench?).

Fast forward to present day and I'm hunting down some of the more zany, vintage metal minis from Gamma World, Star Frontiers, and other off-brand sci-fi lines. I've been having fun coming up with bios based on them.

Here's what I've worked up so far:

Scam Zolo

Scam is what happens when Han Solo doesn't go to the Imperial Academy. He's basically a low-life (smuggler, gambler, career criminal) for hire. I'd been wondering about the type of character Greedo might have become had he been on Han's crew, rather than on the business end of a blaster. I imagine he'd be the Steve Buscemi of the galaxy. He's also a  bit of a mutant which is fitting since he's more than a few steps removed from our favorite Corellian captain.

King Tusken

Owing much to the figure's actual size (squarely @ 28mm)  King Tusken lives up to his namesake. I'd like to think that when the raiders need to pick a chieftain, there's some sort of mystical ceremony that transforms him into a dire sand person (wookie sized with actual ram horns). KT travels across the Jundland Wastes and Dune Sea with an entourage of the toughest raiders, acting as a combination of warlord, judge, pimp, and tribal medicine man. He's also the best sharpshooter in the tribes (how do you think he got to be king?) and that bantha blaster he carries is custom made from "salvaged" Imperial tech.

Volcan Voxx

What if Darth Vader had Boba Fett's job? Volcan is an intergalactic badass of few words (much like Darth and Boba) but he's parlayed his cosmic Sith-like intuition and lifelong battle-hardened attitude into being truly worthy of "the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy". Cursed with having to wear a breathing apparatus after a job-gone-wrong, Voxx pursues his quarry with vicious vigor--as if each of them were payback for his terrible deformities. Speaking of which, this fig came without a left hand. I'm still deciding if that's backstory worthy, or if I should give him a second weapon like a screw-on bionic hand or interchangeable weapons like Trapjaw.

Xarth Raiden

I've often been amused with Kenner's gaffe in the 80s when they confused Lucasfilm's notes for 4-LOM and Zuckuss (and who hasn't really?) and swapped their names on the action figure cardbacks. Basically, Xarth is a recasting of Vader using both bounty hunters. He's an insectoid, alien, warlock, more cold and calculating than the Sith Lord ever was. His environment suit is a hefty upgrade over the "prison" Anakin Skywalker endured. Xarth's threads are customized cyborg implants with all manner of sensors to amplify his inherited insect abilities and learned psionic talents.
 
Apologies for the craptastic photos, but you get the idea.