Psyche-Out
| Strength 6d |
Agility 4d |
Intellect 7d |
Willpower 6c |
| Hand Size: Edge: |
4 (25) 2 |
Origin:
As are most of his fellows on the GI Joe team, Psyche-Out is naught but a normal human - at least, in a strictly physical sense. He does have access to highly advanced radio wave transmission gear, however, which could technically make him count as a high tech hero.
Powers:
(none)
Hindrances / Augmentations:
(none)
Equipment:
Knife (s): stored in a convenient hip sheath when not in use, Psyche-Out always carries a blade in the field. Made from m.s. 13 materials, it can be used to cut through up to like m.s. items, given the time, or to inflict +2 slashing damage in melee combat.
Radio Wave Equipment (i): Psyche-Out carries a rig of highly advanced radio wave transmission gear with him on missions. It consists of a primary emitter he can use to beam signals at a specific target, who is bombarded with ultra low frequency radio waves.
A successful device check with these intensity 10 radio waves, opposed by the target's Willpower, induces extreme paranoia. Those affected by ULF waves can attempt to resume normalcy despite what the signals are doing to their very brains on each subsequent exchange.
In addition to this, Psyche-Out has additional gear that allows him to serve as an 'RF bomb' of sorts. Thanks to a back mounted generator, along with control circuitry on his chest and various emitters he can strap onto his body, he can transmit radio frequency 'noise' in all directions.
This is an effective Electronic Counter Measure, which can easily jam radar units and communication signals equally well, doing so with intensity 10 ability. Such systems have to overcome Psyche-Out's interference to function at all, though they'll still be less than fully effective.
Sidearm (a): handy should one of his targets get wise to Psyche-Out's trickery, this firearm is good for putting down most opposition. It can either discharge one round to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, or several to inflict his Agility +5 in damage.
Skills:
Boxing (s): all members of the military are trained in the art of self-defense, and Psyche-Out is no exception. Whenever he engages in unarmed melee, Psyche-Out may divide his pre-card play action score between two attacks, the last of which occurs as a contingent action.
Guns (a): though direct action isn't his primary specialty, Psyche-Out can still readily shoot conventional firearms should the need become apparent. Whether it's a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol, Psyche-Out can fire it at a reduced difficulty.
Manipulation (w): in addition to his psychological training, Psyche-Out is well-versed in the fine art of convincing people to do what he wants - often without them even knowing it. He should receive a reduced difficulty in all efforts to manipulate others, whether covertly or overtly.
Military / United States (w): he gained his degree before enlisting, but Psyche-Out saw that the Army was the way to go for his future. Having been properly indoctrinated, he has an instinctual understanding of the SOP, and can easily function in a martial environment.
Psychology (i): the source of his college study, Psyche-Out is an expert in the human mind and how it operates. He should receive a reduced difficulty on any actions required when predicting the behavior of others, which comes in handy while deciding how to manipulate them.
Contacts:
Psyche-Out is a reliable member of the GI Joe team, and most of them like having him along on covert ops because he tends to make their job so much easier. He has additional contacts in military and academic circles, particularly those of a psychological bent.
Calling:
Explorer: Psyche-Out is always trying to figure out just what makes people tick. Of course, this can cause the man some difficulties, especially when he starts analyzing his teammates' actions and behavior while he's supposed to be reasoning out Cobra's!
Costume:
Psyche-Out's first GI Joe uniform is somewhat odd. It includes a long-sleeved, light gray shirt beneath a padded green T-shirt, dark gray trousers, black gloves, black leather boots, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, and all of his various strap-on RF devices.
Personality:
Psyche-Out is a very smart individual, who can't help but exert his knowledge of the human mind upon others. He thinks in symbolism and is inherently duplicitous, not because he's a shady person but because he's always trying to think 'ahead' of his enemies by several steps.
Real Name: Kenneth D. Rich, Grade O-2 (later O-3)
Occupation: psy-ops expert, counselor
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: GI Joe, Night Force (GI Joe sub-group), Super-sonic Fighters (GI Joe sub-group)
Height: 5' 10"
Hair: blonde
Eyes: blue
Weight: 165 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none
Story:
Psyche-Out got his start at the University of Berkley, where he received his degree in psychology, particularly in deceptive warfare. You can kind of get a hint at the nature of his work by his doctoral thesis: 'the Use of T-Shirt Slogans in Enemy Troop Demoralization.'
Once he had his degree, Psyche-Out became involved with all kinds of experiments involving the inducement of paranoia using ultra low frequency (ULF) radio waves, a methodology all too familiar to the military, who has dealt with similar Cobra technology in the past.
From there Psyche-Out enlisted in the armed forces, and was quickly put to work at Fort Bragg, where he became a leading expert and pioneer on broadcast-based behavioral modification. This bleeding edge work got him noticed by the powers that be, however.
It wasn't long before this psy-ops expert was recruited onto the GI Joe team. Once he'd managed to survive their entrance exam, Psyche-Out was mixed in with the rest of the Joes, though they were in the process of building their new base in the time, and somewhat paranoid.
Investigating this with Chuckles, Psyche-Out inadvertently discovered the Joes' newest secret: the Defiant space complex! The two were finally 'cleared' shortly after this, though, and quickly got to work with their new teammates against various international terrorists.
Psyche-Out's specific job involved a lot of highly classified, Special Missions work. His role was to anticipate Cobra actions in the face of various threats and events, usually helping the rest of a field group to perform some action or another against them without their knowledge.
He continued on with the Joes for years, slowly becoming more and more vital to the team. He's worked with the Night Force, and developed experimental gadgetry both for his own use and for the team's 'Sonic Fighters' experimental weapons group.
When the Joes folded temporarily in '94, Psyche-Out continued his work with conventional military forces, as the Army can always use men like him to do predictive analysis on the enemy. He remained there in this capacity even after the Joes were reactivated a few years later.
(Historical Divergence)
Of course, when the Joes have need of him, Psyche-Out is always ready to lend his specialized assistance to his team, as he did both during the second Cobra Island Civil War - and, of course, World War III itself, helping to narrowly avoid a Cobra takeover of the entire world!
1988 Variations
Costume:
Psyche-Out's Night Force uniform is a variation on his first. It includes a long-sleeved, light gray shirt beneath a padded gray T-shirt, light brown trousers, black gloves, black leather boots, a black leather belt with a black buckle, and all of his various strap-on RF devices.
1991 Variations
Equipment:
Helmet (s): Psyche-Out recently started wearing this sturdy headgear while at work - it beat his old headband, after all. It provides him intensity 8, or +2, protection against attacks striking his cranium, and allows him to observe data from his radio wave equipment.
Costume:
Psyche-Out's third GI Joe uniform is all-new. It includes a light blue jacket worn over a black turtleneck sweater, light blue trousers, black leather boots and gloves, a black leather belt, a chromed thigh holster for his pistol, and a black, device-laden helmet.
2013 Variations
Equipment:
M-16 (a): upon GI Joe's reactivation, Psyche-Out began carrying heavier weaponry, with which he can discharge a single round to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, a burst of such to inflict his Agility +5 in damage, or fire continuously to inflict his Agility +6 in damage.
Supplementing this firepower is an M-203 underslung grenade launcher. This weapon can bloop grenades anywhere within far missile distance of Psyche-Out, which detonate on contact to inflict intensity 10 slashing damage within near missile distance of where they explode.
Costume:
Psyche-Out's second Night Force uniform is a variation on his first. It includes a gray T-shirt under a black vest, dark green trousers, black leather gloves, boots, and knee pads, a black leather belt with a black buckle, and all of his various strap-on RF devices.
2015 Variations
Equipment:
Submachine Gun (a): Psyche-Out replaced his M-16 with a smaller weapon soon enough, with which he can discharge a single round to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, a burst of such to inflict his Agility +5 in damage, or fire continuously to inflict his Agility +6 in damage.
Costume:
Psyche-Out's fifth uniform is almost identical to his first. It includes a long-sleeved, light gray shirt beneath a padded green T-shirt, dark gray trousers, black leather gloves, boots, and knee pads, a black leather belt with a black buckle, and all of his strap-on RF devices.
2018 Variations
Equipment:
Submachine Gun (a): Psyche-Out replaced his M-16 with a smaller weapon soon enough, with which he can discharge a single round to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, a burst of such to inflict his Agility +5 in damage, or fire continuously to inflict his Agility +6 in damage.
Costume:
Psyche-Out's Tiger Force uniform is a variation on his fifth. It includes a long-sleeved gray shirt beneath an orange T-shirt with black tiger stripes, blue jeans, black leather boots, gray gloves, blue knee pads, a large metal belt, and all of his strap-on RF devices.
Extra Goodies:
GI Joe directories featuring a version of Psyche-Out:
| 1987 | 1988 | 1991 | 2013 | 2015 | 2018 |
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