Bazooka
Strength 8d |
Agility 5b |
Intellect 4x |
Willpower 5d |
Hand Size: Edge: |
4 (25) 2 |
Origin:
Though crafty and clever, Bazooka has no super-human traits to call his own. He wasn't bitten by radioactive fauna, possesses no enchanted doo-dad, and never drank from the well of eternal youth. No, all he has to rely on in battle are his skills and his heavy ordnance.
Powers:
(none)
Hindrances / Augmentations:
(none)
Equipment:
Helmet (s): a must in his line of work, Bazooka always wears his helmet while on the job - you never know when something big is going to blow up by you. It provides him intensity 8 (+2) protection from physical attacks that happen to strike him in the cranium.
Missile Launcher (i): not quite his namesake, this light anti-tank missile launcher is an implement Bazooka can use to disable most enemy armor - on top of enemy morale and personnel, as well. These missiles inflict intensity 10 damage to all within near missile range of where they hit.
Sidearm (a): in the event that his missile launcher fails, or, more likely, he uses all his ammunition, Bazooka keeps this backup piece on him at all times. He can fire it to inflict his Agility +4 in damage in a single shot, +5 in a short, controlled burst.
Skills:
Boxing (s): a skill he learned as a part of his Army basic, Bazooka can also defend himself should he find himself completely unarmed. He may divide his pre-card play action score between two unarmed attacks, the last of which will occur as a contingent action.
Demolitions (a): Bazooka knows explosives. How to use them, how to counter them. A fully qualified EOD, he's also quite good as a combat engineer, being skilled in the use of explosives to downgrade a structure from its current state into a smoldering pile of rubble.
Guns: another skill everyone learns in the Army these days, Bazooka has mastered the fine art of ventilating the opposition with firearms. Whether he's wielding a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol, Bazooka does so at a reduced difficulty.
Marksman (a): a skill he picked up following both his original and current occupational path, Bazooka has been trained in the use of most line-of-sight weaponry. Whether it be a portable missile launcher or a tank turret, Bazooka may fire it at a reduced difficulty.
Military / United States (w): serving both as an origin of sorts and an employer, this talent describes Bazooka's chosen career path. It is the source of his other skills, and details his innate understanding of the Standard Operating Procedure (you know, the Army Way).
Contacts:
Bazooka is a long-standing member of the GI Joe team, and as such he can rely upon anyone who was a Joe in the past for assistance should he only ask; the group looks after its own. He may also count several conventional military operatives as reliable contacts as well.
Calling:
Soldier, with a secondary calling of Peace of Mind: Bazooka enjoys his place in the Army and among his fellow Joes, happy to do his part in the seemingly endless fight against Cobra. However, he believes in excelling at what he does - and practices what he preaches.
Costume:
While acting as a member of GI Joe, and any other time, really, Bazooka wears comfortable dress. It consists of Army green, loose fitting trousers, a red T-shirt with a blue and white '14' printed on the front, black leather boots, green arm bands, a green belt, and a green helmet.
Personality:
Bazooka comes across as 'slow' or 'thick' when talking to him, but he's actually a very decisive, fast thinker when it comes down to it. Having a true survivor's mentality, he is quick to do everything he can to place himself in a winning position - no matter the cost.
Real Name: David L. Katzenbogen, Grade E-5
Occupation: missile specialist, tank driver
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: GI Joe, Tiger Force (GI Joe sub-team)
Height: 6'
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Weight: 200 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Bazooka usually wears a thick black moustache at all times.
Story:
An avid fisherman, Bazooka truly loves his Minnesota home, only having left it to join the military. His exact reasons for enlisting are unknown, but Bazooka has made a name for himself in the Army - starting with his time in the Third Horde (Third Armored Division).
Bazooka proved himself a more than effective tank driver, but 'saw the light' one day when he realized that an uneducated dimwit with minimal training and a two hundred dollar rocket launcher can easily disable multi-million dollar tanks with just one good shot.
Filing for a transfer immediately, Bazooka became a missile specialist, thinking he'd like to be the guy knocking out seven-digit hardware with a well-aimed shot, instead. His multiple specialties and curious, survivalist mentality got him noticed even more.
Bazooka was eventually nominated for a position on the GI Joe team, which he gladly accepted after surviving their entrance exams. For his final field exam, Bazooka was engaging in an exercise with fellow new Joes Airtight, Crank-Case, and Heavy Metal, led by Lady Jaye.
This exercise was interrupted by strange Cobra robots bearing even stranger, plant-based weaponry. A sort of entrance exam for a new Cobra, these things were all created by Dr. Mindbender, who was field testing them against the first Joes he could find - even if they were new.
Pooling their ingenuity, these new Joes managed to ultimately defeat Dr. Mindbender's toys and prove their mettle as Joes - and Bazooka quickly went on to participate in a series of hairy missions with the team, including their infamous invasion of Cobra's headquarters: Springfield!
Excelling as a Joe, Bazooka was even invited to join the elite Joe Tiger Force team, a special operations group within the GI Joe organization that uses fancy tactics and refurbished vehicles (both old Joe gear and captured Cobra tech) to face down terrorists directly.
(Historical Divergence)
Bazooka stayed with the team until it was shut down late in 1994, after which time he founded his own security company. Time was not kind to Bazooka, however, and he became grossly out of shape while he was living a life of relative luxury and relaxation.
When the GI Joe team was reassembled to face down a renewed Cobra threat, Bazooka began to work hard to get himself back into fighting condition, and though it took him a good long time, he was back just in time to participate in some of the team's most harrowing battles.
With Cobra seemingly crushed once and for all, at least for the moment, Bazooka is sticking with the Joes for as long as it takes to secure the world in the face of their final attempt to conquer it. That and he wants to help the team hunt down all remaining Cobra fugitives!
1988 Variations
Costume:
When working with Tiger Force, Bazooka wears a variant of his original uniform. It consists loose fitting green trousers with yellow tiger stripes, a white T-shirt with a blue and orange '14' printed on the front, brown leather boots, green arm bands, a brown belt, and a green helmet.
1993 Variations
Equipment:
Grenade Wrist-Launcher (i): Bazooka wears a curious wrist band ringed with J2J Pineapple grenades, which he can launch at an opponent. These explosives will inflict intensity 10 damage to any uncovered target within near missile range of where they detonate.
Machine Guns (a): intermediate hardware if something he encounters doesn't need explosives, Bazooka always has at least one heavy duty cannon with him 'on the job'. He can fire these to inflict his Agility +5 damage in a short burst, raised to +6 when fired 'rock 'n roll'.
Costume:
Bazooka's third GI Joe uniform is another reflection of his personality. It includes a red, long-sleeved shirt beneath a tan fly fishing vest, a tan fly fishing cap, blue and black camouflaged pants, black rubber boots, a black leather belt, and various handgun holsters.
2004 Variations
Equipment:
Flak Jacket (s): a recent addition to his uniform, Bazooka now wears this in addition to his helmet for protection in the field. It provides him intensity 8 (+2) protection to any physical attacks that strike him in the chest - but not in his back (front only).
the Quickstrike (i): upon his return to the GI Joe team, Bazooka was given a large armored vehicle to operate - not his first choice, but he was willing to take what he can get. This six-wheeled implement of destruction is described fully in its own vehicular entry.
Costume:
Bazooka's fourth GI Joe uniform is more practical than his previous suits. It includes green trousers, a green, long-sleeved shirt beneath a green padded vest, green belts and webbing for his gear, a green helmet, green gloves, dark green boots, and knee pads.
2005 Variations
Equipment:
Flak Jacket (s): a recent addition to his uniform, Bazooka now wears this in addition to his helmet for protection in the field. It provides him intensity 8 (+2) protection to any physical attacks that strike him in the chest - but not in his back (front only).
Costume:
Bazooka's fifth GI Joe uniform is a variation on his fourth. It includes green trousers, a green, long-sleeved shirt beneath a tan padded vest, green belts and webbing for his gear, a green helmet, brown gloves, black leather boots, and dark green knee pads.
2015 Variations
Costume:
Bazooka's sixth GI Joe field uniform is another variation on his first. It includes loose fitting, camouflage blue trousers, a baby blue T-shirt with a black and blue '14' printed on the front, Navy blue leather boots and gloves, a Navy blue belt, and a blue helmet.
Extra Goodies:
GI Joe directories featuring a version of Bazooka:
1985 | 1988 | 1993 | 2004 | 2005 | 2015 |
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