Taking direct inspiration from the works of the artist Yi Zhi Zhu, it’s time to get crabby with this new villain, Mal Costra.
Mal Costra As A Character
Mal was not born a villain, rather years of isolation and abandonment changed him as a person, only to finally be broken by the reality of his non-rescue. This manifests in a way that targets the very people he would have once considered colleagues along with those who harm the natural world and others. Ultimately, Mal Costra is a man in pain, who in his broken state lashes out in a way even he, at least deep down, knows is wrong.
Mal Costra As A Concept
Somewhere between Green Arrow, Iron Fist, and Moon Night, Mal Costra emerged. There are a host of heroes who were somehow abandoned, left for dead, or otherwise forgotten that overcome their hardships in order to become a hero. Mal Costra turns this concept into a villainous origin.
Mal Costra can serve the villainous role in a number of different types of campaigns. Silver Age or Comedic tone games can see the character played for laughs. Bronze and Extreme games may see him as more of a punch-clock villain, there to fill a storyline with flair. Introspective campaigns, particularly Pulp, Dark, or Cinematic Aged games might focus more on motivations, portraying Mal Costra as a more tragic villain and exploring him as someone who was broken by the events in their life.
Mal Costra Redeemed
It would seem like Mal Costra has an easy path to redemption. However, like the crustaceans he has modeled his armor around, it will be hard to reach Mal. His worldview has been reforged in bitterness and resentment. Perhaps more importantly, the fractured view of the world Mal Costra has developed is what has allowed him to survive the hardships he endured.
Because of Mal Costra’s hate of pirates, there is space for a team-up with heroes. Depending on the scenario, Mal Costra can even be poised to look like a hero at the start of the story, only for the heroes to find out later how broken his view of the world is, and what he will do to protect it. This might include turning his Clockwork Crustaceans on those who were attacked by the pirates, the heroes, or both.
The heart of a possible Mal Costra redemption will need to come from helping him see the person he was, the good that he did, and uncovering why he was abandoned for so long. Protecting marine biologists from an attack by Mal Costra can be a door into this arc, especially if one of the scientists knew Malcolm Kostyra before he disappeared.
Appearance
Standing at 215 centimeters or over seven feet inside his Lob-Star armor, the blue speckled carapace exposes Mal Costra’s face from behind a clear protective plate. The armor has a pair of massive claws that retract over the forearms allowing for fine motor control.
Gear: Lob-Star Suit
This amphibious power armor provides excellent protection and allows Mal Costra to mentally control a swarm of “Clockwork Crustaceans” automatons created from the shells of various malacostraca, primarily lobsters, but crabs and other sea life as well. Powered by tiny micro-servos and machine parts they live on to serve Mal Costra in his war against the imbalance of the natural world.
Playstyle: Swarmlord
Surrounded by his Clockwork Crustaceans Mal Costra will press into the thick of battle supporting his troops. This often takes the shape of targeting more elusive foes with his claws so that the Clockwork Crustaceans can swarm them more easily. It’s not a complicated game plan, but Mal Costra will adapt as needed in any given situation.
As Mal Costra focuses on the sea, this also gives him an easy means of escape should he find himself outmatched. By using the Clockwork Crustaceans as a Barrier (Tricky Willpower Feature) Mal Costra can easily leap into the ocean swimming out of range of foes he is unable to defeat.
Mal Costra
Power Level: Classic
- Attributes: Focused
- Talents: Competent
Concepts
Being abandoned at sea cracked his mind
In the sea nothing can be left to chance.
The natural balance is unbalanced, it is time for crustaceans to rise
Secret Origin
A marine biologist and his team are lost at sea after a hurricane carves through the ocean faster than anyone could anticipate. For days he clung to anything that could float before slamming into a nest of rocks and sand. The boat drifted ashore as well, but there were no other survivors. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The only other living creatures on the island were those brave enough to wade into the tidal pools for food or shelter.
Day after day, he tried to maintain himself by logging the coming and goings of these creatures. The crustaceans proving to be the most intriguing, their armored carapace, a home he so deeply long for.
It was years before anyone arrived. By then, the original science vessel had become his shell, a small fort against anything, and why not, had he not become a hermit himself? Why not become the crab? This was no rescue operations though. These were pirates, hoping to scavenge anything they could from the long though abandoned ship. Their vessel tore through the largest of the pools killing dozens of lobsters he had been breeding.
This was the moment that broke Malcolm Kostyra, and Mal Costra was born. The survivors of the tidal pools are well that evening as Mal Costra became the instrument of his own liberation. Using what he could salvage from the two vessels, Mal Costra forged the first Lob-Star suit. With his advanced understanding of science and engineering, he resurrected the butchered crustaceans as loyal servants before setting out into the vast ocean to seek his revenge on the world that had forgotten him.
Since that time, Mal’s armor and horde of animatronic creatures have only become more advanced. Mal Costra takes particular delight in targeting science ships, much like his own, along with anyone he sees as threatening crustacean life.
Attributes
History 10 Strength 4 Dexterity 5 Constitution 5 Sense 6
Fortune 6 Wisdom 8 Intelligence 15 Mental 12 Expression 5
Backgrounds
Origin Empowered – Collector 10
Catalyst: trapped At Sea 8
Drive: Rebuild The word for decapods 5
Background: Former Oceanographer 3
Talents
Computers 2 Cryptography 12 (1 AP) Education 9 Engineering 9 Forensics 9 Hold Breath 9 Movement: Swimming 2 Perception 9 Research 9 Science 12 (1 AP) (S) Geoscience 5 (1 AP) (S) Life Science 6 (Origin) Survival 9
Boons
Gear MA19 (Empowered MA7) MA12
Science Supports Offense MA
Tools: Actual Tools, Hidden Weapon TY
Cost: 24 + 2 + 1 = 27 AP
Gear
Lob-Star Suit 12
- Parent Attribute: Intelligence
- Primary Role: Defense
Armor (Boost Armor, Impervious) MA3
Passive Defense MA
Secondary Role: Support: Constitution (Full Role) MA2
Backup: Clockwork Crustaceans (More Back Up 2, Powerful Backup: Reinforced, Striker, Tough 5) MA8
Control: Nephropidae (Boost Control) MA2
New: Communication: Radio TY
Secondary Role: Offense (Full Role) MA2
Devastating MA
Extra Stamina TY
No Need for Breathing TY
Sealed Body TY
(S) Grappling 10
Cost: 14 + 18 + 6 + 12 + 48 + 12 + 3 + 12 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 12 = 152 / Gear (8) = MA19
Stamina 13 (Lob-Star Suit 7)
Willpower 5 / 10
Starting AP 30
Attributes + Talents 3 + Boons 27 + Powers – Drawbacks
Action Scene Notes
Initiative: 24 (Intelligence 15 + Perception 9) Dice 3
Defense
Surprised Defense: 18 (Fortune 6 + Lob-Star 12) Dice 3 Armor 8
Normal Defense: 27 (Intelligence 15 + Lob-Star 12) Dice 3 Armor 8
Mental Defense: 12 (Mental 12) Dice 2 Armor 4 Notes Research, Science Advantages
Defense Notes:
Cryptography: Gain 4 free levels of Armor whenever an Opponent repeats an attack.
Perception: Once per session, use Perception (9) as a Supporting Characteristic for Normal Defense.
Geoscience: Once per session, use their Geoscience (5) as a Supporting Characteristic when resisting environmental hazards.
Offense
Favored Attack: Lob-Star Punch 33 (Intelligence 15 + Lob-Star 12 + Secondary: Science 6) Dice 4 Range Close Damage 10 Notes
Secondary Attack: Lob-Star Claw 33 / 43 (Intelligence 15 + Lob-Star 12 + Secondary: Science 6 + (S) Grappling – Maneuver Penalty 10) Dice 5 Range Close Damage – / 12 Notes Initiating a grapple causes no Damage, but follow up crush attacks gain the values after the slash.
Offense Notes:
Education: Once per session, spend 1 Action to advise an Ally. The ally may use half the character’s Education (4) as a Supporting Characteristic for their next Action.
Engineering: Add 2 Damage when Attacking an inanimate object.
Forensics: Once per session, use Forensics (9) as a Supporting Characteristic for Bypass Armor and a follow up Attack.
Life Science: Once per session, use Life Science (6) as a Supporting Characteristic on an Attack roll against living creatures. Explain how Life Science Talent adds to their attack.
Survival: Once per session, set a Trap. Pay 1 Willpower to “Retcon” a Trap. This Trap is triggered with a Wisdom (8) + Survival (9) roll versus the Target’s Surprised Defense and treats Survival as a Typical Trapping Power. When Triggered, the player describes the Trap.
Clockwork Crustaceans
Single Clockwork Crustaceans (Reinforced, Striker, Tough)
Basic Rolls 13 + 2d6
Stamina 24
Defense 19 Dice 3 Armor 7
Offense Ranged 13 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 8
Offense Melee 19 Dice 3 Range Close Damage 14
Clockwork Crustaceans (Reinforced, Striker, Tough) (Typical Mob)
Basic Rolls 13 + 2d6
Stamina 24/24
Defense 19 Dice 3 Armor 9/11
Offense Ranged 18/23 Dice 2 Range Short Damage 8
Offense Melee 24/29 Dice 3 Range Close Damage 14
