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Fighting: |
Gd |
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Agility: |
Ty |
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Strength: |
Ty |
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Endurance: |
Rm |
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Reason: |
Gd |
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Intuition: |
Pr |
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Psyche: |
Pr |
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Health: |
52 |
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Karma: |
18 |
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Resources: |
None |
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Popularity: |
-14 |
Real Name: Anthony Masterson
Occupation: Former English teacher
Legal Status: Deceased citizen of the United States
Identity: Secret
Place of Birth: Tempe, Arizona
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Barbara (wife)
Base of Operations: Mobile
Past Group Affiliations: Servant of the Leader
Known Powers:
Energy Absorption: Half-life can drain the gamma-radiation spawned powers of any creature he touches, transferring those powers to himself. Each round he remains in contact with an individual, he transfers 5 points of each power (for example, after two rounds of contact with the Hulk, Half-life would have a total strength of 16 (his own 6 plus 10 drained from the Hulk), putting him in the Excellent range. The drained victim recovers half his Endurance in lost powers each round he is not in contact with Half-life, who loses the stolen powers at the same rate.
If Half-life drains over 25 points in Strength, any Distance Attack, or any Mental Power, he can use his power on any and all gamma- powered characters in the same area.
Half-life’s power acts differently when he touches someone without
gamma-radiation induced powers. In this case, his touch acts as a Remarkable
strength Energy attack, supplying Half-life with the life-force he needs to
sustain himself. Characters who have their Health reduced below zero in this
manner must make a Yellow Endurance roll or die immediately. If a victim makes
his roll, the normal penalties for having negative Health still apply.
Regenerative Immortality: Half-life is very difficult to kill.
Treat all “Kill” results in combat as Stuns. Reducing his Health to negative
numbers does not affect him; rather his Recovery is reduced to 10 until his
Health climbs to 0. If his arms are detached (which often happens) and he is
Stunned by an attack, they can act independently (though they are still under
his control). Since they can only crawl around on the ground at a rate of one
area every two rounds, Half-life usually instructs them to rejoin with his main
body.
Titanium Armor: When Half-life was a follower of the Leader, he
wore a suit of Monstrous strength material. This suit gave him Remarkable body
armor (except versus Aimed shots to his head) and prevented the Hulk from
ripping him apart.
Talents:
Half-life has an instinctive talent in Martial Arts C and Wrestling, giving him a +3cs in Grappling attacks. He is also well-read and receives a +1cs to any attempt at recognizing or remembering appropriate quotations from literature.
Contacts:
The Leader has used Half-life on one occasion, and would not be adverse to doing so again. Half-life is much too loyal to think of draining the Leader’s powers.
Role-Playing Notes:
Half-life is insane, believing himself to be have been killed in a gamma-bomb blast and resurrected. He seeks to drain enough power and life-force to resume his former teaching position and return to a normal life, a rather baroque goal for a mummified, green-skinned energy vampire. He has been known to kill women in his embrace, believing them to be his wife. It is unknown what he would do should he ever find her.
History:
Tony Masterson was a quiet college professor, humbly teaching English literature. He would have continued to do so for the rest of his life, had he not fallen victim to an experimental gamma bomb invented by Bruce Banner.
The bomb mutated Masterson, giving him strange vampiric powers while withering his skin and bleaching it a ghostly green. His mind unhinged, Masterson believed himself dead and only artificially animated. Calling himself Half-Life, he wandered about in a demented rampage.
He came across the gray-skinned Hulk (ironically, the alter ego of Dr. Banner) and found that his touch drained significant amounts of strength from the Hulk. Their fight ended when the Hulk ripped off Half-Life’s limbs and left.
Half-Life’s limbs returned to him, however. He was contacted shortly thereafter by the Leader, the Hulk’s greatest foe. The Leader provided Half-life with a shell of titanium armor which had a camera mounted on the chest, so that the Leader could ob serve the Hulk in combat. In this second battle, Half-life had all but killed his gray-skinned opponent, when the Hulk reminded him that his stolen powers would wear off and that he would grow weak and frail again. Half-Life revolted at this idea and tried to overtax his powers. He fell into a coma, mummified. The Leader, watching the fight, declared that Half-Life would not be getting up again soon, but whether Masterson will return or not is still unknown.