Undertow
| Strength 7d |
Agility 4a+ |
Intellect 4d |
Willpower 7d |
| Hand Size: Edge: |
2 (10) 0 |
Origin:
Undertow lack special powers for the most part, but try telling that to their many foes. These undersea demons thrive in the murkiest, most polluted of waters, and dislodging them from such environs is more than a little tricky, thanks to their intense training and advanced gear.
Powers:
Resistance to Disease and Poisons (s): not quite a super-power, this knack is possessed by those Iron Grenadiers who survive the Undertow training process. Thanks to repeated and excessive exposure to these threats, Undertow may resist them both at intensity 4, or +1.
Hindrances / Augmentations:
(none)
Equipment:
Diving Gear (s): Undertow all possess the equipment necessary to perform their duties underwater. This gear includes their distinctive wet suit, an air tank, underwater breathing mask, and flippers, allowing them to function for up to eight hours beneath the waves.
Explosives (i): whether to sink ships or to collapse undersea structures, Undertow carry explosives with them on the job. They can set these devices to inflict intensity 13 fragmentary damage throughout the area they detonate inside, usually to devastating effect.
Knife (s): backup weapons for each Undertow, these blades are made from rust-resistant metals of m.s. 13. They can be used by an Undertow to inflict +2 slashing damage in melee, or to instead cut through items of up to a like m.s., given enough time.
Laser Pistol (a): a highly advanced sidearm, this weapon serves as a backup piece for Undertow on the surface. They may fire a beam of coherent photons from it at their foes to inflict their Agility +4 in Armor Piercing energy damage, doing so six times per charged power pack.
Trident (s): their main weapon, torpedo aside, Undertow all carry tridents with them on the job. Made from m.s. 13 materials, Undertow can stab foes with these three-pronged weapons to inflict their Strength +5 in sharp, pointy damage.
Undersea Sled (i): most of the time, Undertow have a small, submersible sled with them during underwater missions. If stealth isn't an issue, they can use it to glide through the water at intensity 1 speed (30 miles per hour), and make use of this bonus feature:
* Torpedo (i): in addition to rapidly shuttling Undertow around beneath the waves, their undersea sleds are armed with a single, powerful propelled explosive! This torpoedo can strike anything on the surface or underwater, and inflicts intensity 10 fragmentary damage on impact.
Skills:
Advanced Guns (a): like all other Iron Grenadiers, Undertow are well-trained in the proper usage of advanced weaponry. Whether handling coherent laser emitters, ionized particle blasters, or any other energy caster, an Undertow may do so at a reduced difficulty.
Boating (a): while their work usually sees them busy below the waves, Undertow are often assigned conventional duties on vessels they are housed within. Thus, they can typically operate most ships and submarines, and may reduce the difficulty on applicable card play while doing so.
Boxing (s): while heavily armed, Undertow can competently defend themselves even without their special toys. They may divide their pre-card play action score between two unarmed melee assaults, the second of which they may attempt as a contingent action
Demolitions (a): their main job, Undertow are naturally skilled saboteurs. With enough time and equipment, they can destroy anything, though in a pinch an Undertow can rig together a spectacular demise for a vehicle or structure with almost no supplies at hand. Almost, anyway.
Detective / Espionage (i): another of their assigned tasks, Undertow are well-versed in various subversive techniques. They use this skill to spy on and sabotage the nations targeted by Destro, destabilizing entire regions to bolster the arms sales of the MARS corporation.
Guns (a): the better to demonstrate their use to prospective clients, Undertow are continuously drilled in the use of all modern firearms. Whether standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic, an Undertow may reduce the difficulty of card play called for when discharging firearms.
Military (w): the Iron Grenadiers are highly disciplined, with most developing such via some military outfit or another, and Destro supplements this with his own training regimen. As a result, his Undertow invariably function well in a fighting unit, whether Destro's or any other.
Underwater Combat (a): while there aren't too many opponents they might actually face under the waves, Undertow are nonetheless trained in the art of deep sea combat. They may attempt offensive and defensive maneuvers beneath the sea without penalty, unlike most other people.
Contacts:
Like most Iron Grenadiers with a high-paying specialty, Undertow can reliably count on that organization for assistance should they need it. Destro typically invests a lot in each operative, after all, and will protect that investment if it is at all practical to do so.
Calling:
Greed: as is the case with most other Iron Grenadiers, Undertow aren't motivated by loyalty. Sure, they generally get along with their fellows, and work hard for Destro and his various causes, but they're really only in it for the money - lots and lots of money.
Costume:
Undertow wear a diving suit while in the field. This suit has a red upper body, a gray rebreather, a gray lower body, a green mask, gloves, and padding here and there on the chest and legs. They couple this with a gray breathing mask, one with a sinister red lens on the right eye.
Notes:
Those members of the Iron Grenadiers who either worked in the water in some capacity before joining up with Destro, or at the very least demonstrate considerable affinity for doing so once on the job, are often offered the opportunity to become his elite Undertow.
In addition to a remarkable pay raise, these Iron Grenadiers are trained in the fine art of undersea combat and demolitions, and undergo extensive conditioning to render them resistant to hostile biological hazards - usually by overwhelming exposure to build immunity.
Those Iron Grenadiers who survive become Undertow. Dreaded around the world, whether by conventional naval operatives or elite divers like those employed by both GI Joe and Cobra, Undertow excel in the theft of secrets and riches from industrialized nations.
And what they can't steal, Undertow destroy! Whether covering up the crimes of their thefts or simply denying others access to their own possessions, Undertow gleefully destroy just about anything they can while on the job, rarely returning to base with any explosives remaining.
Undertow are so vicious, in fact, that some are known to breed their own barracuda for use as pets - or, as is more often the case, as attack beasts beneath the waves!
2000 Variations
Costume:
The second Undertow field uniform is also a diving suit! Primarily blue in hue, this suit features a black rebreather, blue gloves with gray fingers, and gray padding here and there on the chest and legs. They couple this with a black breathing mask, one with a red lens on the right eye.
2002 Variations
Equipment:
Chainsaw (s): this gas-powered, motorized saw is a departure from the usual trident of the Undertow. Nonetheless, it is equipped with diamond-tipped blades, letting it cut through items of up to m.s. 16, and inflicts their Strength +4 in slashing damage.
Submachine Guns (a): when working on land, Undertow can discharge a single round from this firearm to inflict their Agility +4 in damage, a short burst of such to inflict their Agility +5 in damage, or fire it continuously to inflict their Agility +6 in damage.
Costume:
The third Undertow field uniform is also a diving suit! Primarily red in hue, this suit features a red rebreather, red gloves with gray fingers, and gray padding here and there on the chest and legs. They couple this with a gray breathing mask, one with a red lens on the right eye.
2009 Variations
Costume:
The fourth Undertow field uniform is also a diving suit! Primarily black, this suit features a gray and gold rebreather, gray gloves, and red padding here and there on the chest and legs. They couple this with a red breathing mask, one with a yellow lens on the right eye.
2015 Variations
Equipment:
Spear Gun (a): to attain a bit of ranged offense while underwater, Undertow began to carry a spear gun while at work. They fire a long, deadly barb which inflicts his Agility +5 in piercing damage to whatever they hit, though Undertow usually only get one shot with them.
Costume:
The fifth Undertow field uniform is also a diving suit! Primarily black, this suit features a gray rebreather, gray gloves, and red padding on the legs, and red and gray padding on the chest. They couple this with a red breathing mask, one with a yellow lens on the right eye.
Barracuda
| Strength 4x |
Agility 2x |
Intellect 1x |
Willpower 2x |
| Hand Size: Edge: |
2 (10) 0 |
Usually grown as large as possible before fielding them, the barracuda used by Undertow are typically six feet long. They have powerful Fangs, allowing them to inflict +2 Slashing damage, as well as intensity 1 Super Swimming for short bursts of speed.
Extra Goodies:
Cobra directories featuring a version of Undertow:
| 1990 | 2000 | 2002 | 2009 | 2015 |
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