(T20) Troubleseeker (81-82)
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Heroes hate this Power but it does tend to get an adventure going quickly. The Power combines Teleportation with automatically functioning Mental and Detection Powers. The hero subconsciously detects a crisis somewhere within his range and automatically teleports to the vicinity. The maximum range for detection and Teleportation is shown on column E of the Range Table.

The hero has no control over the Power. He usually arrives without any idea of what the problem is that drew him. His only warning is the dreaded feel of the Power beginning to function. (A brief tingle, a muttered "Here I go again," and poof!)

Nothing in the Marvel Universe can prevent the hero from teleporting into a crisis area. His unwanted appearance can only be prevented by nullifying the Power before it functions. This can be accomplished by negating either the detection, analyzing, or transportational aspects of the Power (more on this later).

Once he is drawn to the scene, the hero can move freely about. He must remain within 10 areas of the initial attraction. If the hero goes beyond that limit, he is instantly teleported back to his starting place. Only when the crisis has been dealt with can the Troubleseeker leave the area. (Of course, the Power is also free to draw him to a new crisis elsewhere.)

To compensate for the constant demands the Power places on the hero, it increase the hero's Endurance by this Power's rank number. At Amazing rank, the hero gains the additional Power of Self Teleportation. The 10-area limit remains in effect. The Power automatically transports anything the hero considers part of his self image. This can be extended to include clothing, equipment, and even companions. The additional weight is limited to the number of pounds equal to the Power rank number.

Example: The Troubleseeker known only as The Medic possesses a CL3000 rank. This allows him to transport 1.5 tons of additional mass. This is represented by a hut full of equipment and at least two (sometimes unwilling) passengers.

What attracts the Troubleseeker? The Detection aspects of the Power operate on an Empathic basis. The crisis that attracts it is one that generates extreme levels of turbulent emotions (fear, hate, pure evil, general anguish, and so on). An event that doesn't directly affect anyone will not attract the Troubleseeker. A screening mechanism prevents the hero from traveling to "false alarms" such as a distressed accountant who just lost his ledgers.

If the hero possesses Dimension Travel, it is automatically incorporated into this Power to extend its range. The result is that the Troubleseeker can be drawn to crises on an infinity of alternate worlds.

If the hero possesses Time Travel, the Power can usurp control of this as well. The hero travels to a random location in time and then teleports to a crisis occurring within that time place.

The Power does allow the hero to rest between missions. The Power will not function again until 1-10 days after the successful conclusion of the previous mission. If the mission was unsuccessful, the Power functions again 1-10 hours after the hero's defeat.

The hero has a -1CS resistance to Emotion attacks. Even worse, a perfect simulation of the emotions that accompany extreme distress can serve as a trap to lure and hold the Troubleseeker. The Troubleseeker cannot leave the 10 area limit until he has discovered the deception and neutralized the source of the spurious emotions.

The Troubleseeker resents his Power and often feels he is a puppet dancing at the whim of an unseen master. The Power is controlled by a force beyond the hero's discovery. Whatever its nature, the Power will never try to get the hero killed. The screening mechanism never draws the hero to a crisis that is beyond his ability to handle, though he might not think so at the time. If the hero admits or suffers total defeat, the Power may even allow him to escape. If the hero is in a fatal situation with absolutely no way out, the Judge rolls a red Power FEAT. Success means the hero is teleported to safety, at the loss of all his Karma.

The Power works against the Trouble-seeker's opponents if they try to carry him away from the area. Such attempts to hijack the hero proceed normally until the 10-area limit is reached. At that point the hero immediately teleports back to his starting place, minus whatever had carried him away.

As mentioned earlier, the only way to prevent the Troubleseeker's unwanted appearance is to somehow prevent the Power from initially functioning. The detection aspect can be temporarily blinded by such means as Mental Invisibility or Force Field vs. either Mental or Emotional Attack. If the villain operates so covertly that no one gets distressed, this will also do. The key is prevent the hero from receiving the broadcast emotions.

The second mode of prevention deals with the analysis aspect. Anything that can reduce the hero's Reason or Intuition to below Typical can prevent him from recognizing distress as something that demands his attention. Means to this end include Hypnotic Control, Emotion, Control, Induced Sleep, Mind Drain, and Psionic Vampirism.