V&V A to Z: Jackal

Character Name: Jackal     Secret ID: Hector Ruiz     Side: Evil

Gender: Male     Height: 5'9"     Weight: 160 lbs     Age: 17

        

Physical Description: A young Hispanic male with black hair and dark eyes.  In his superpowered form, he is covered in fur, most of which is light brown in color, but the fur on his back is a muted black.

STR: 12/19     END: 13/25     INT: 9     AGL: 12/26     CHA: 13

Level: 3rd     XP: 5,712     Basic Hits: 4     Hit Points: 9/48     Healing Rate: 1.2/2.8/day

Movement: 37/140"     Power: 46/79     Carrying Capacity: 242/749 lbs     

HTH Damage: 1d6/1d8     Damage Modifier: +1/+3     Accuracy: +1/+4     

Detect Hidden: 8/24%     Detect Danger: 12/36%     Inventing Points: 2.7     

Inventing: 27%     Reaction Modifier: -1 good/+1 evil     Training: Agility  

Powers/Talents

Transformation A (Animal Powers)

Heightened Agility A: +14

Heightened Endurance A: +12

Heightened Senses: x3 to Detect Hidden and Detect Danger

Heightened Strength A: +7

Natural Weaponry (claws): +2 to hit, +4 to damage

Speed Bonus: +70”

Drawback
Prejudice (cannibal)

Areas of Knowledge

Crime

Character Notes/Origin/Personality:  Hector grew up in a squalid neighborhood in the big city.   It was virtually a given that he, like so many other young men in the area, would wind up joining one of the many street gangs that battled for control of the local turf.  Hector joined the Sureños, a Mexican-American gang.

When he was 15, Hector had a dream in which a jackal-spirit came to him, offering him the power that was his birthright, but that to claim it he would have to consume the flesh of an enemy that he had slain in battle.  When he awoke, he was uncertain whether or not this was merely a dream, or something greater.

A few nights later, Hector killed for the first time, stabbing a rival gang member in the heart.  Seeing that no one else was around for the moment, he hesitantly sliced off a piece of the dead boy's flesh, and consumed it.  Hector discovered not only did he actually like the taste of human flesh, but he could feel a surge of power building up inside him.  He continued to feed.

When he was finished, the power welling up inside him manifested, transforming him into a jackal-man.  Hector prowled through the city night, testing his newfound abilities and senses.  He eventually returned to the sight where the dead boy still lay.  Transforming back into human form, Hector put on the tattered remains of his clothing that had been ripped apart during his initial transformation, and made his way back home.

A few days later, after he had gotten more comfortable with his new abilities, Hector went to his fellow gang members, and gave a demonstration of what he could now do.  It didn't go over quite like he had anticipated.  The gang leader wasn't crazy about superhumans to begin with, and he sure didn't like the idea of one of his followers now being more powerful than he was.  Things really went south when Hector told them about the flesh-eating; that was way past the line that they would not cross.  Enraged, Hector began attacking his former brothers; a few escaped, but most were killed that day.

Knowing that he could not go back to his family, or stay in the neighborhood, Hector decided that he didn't need anyone else, that his powers were more than enough to help him make a name for himself.  He worked as a solo supervillain for a bit, calling himself Jackal, and was eventually invited to join a local supervillain group.  However, when he tried to eat the flesh of a security guard he had slain, that was something that even most supervillains didn't want to contemplate.  He was quickly booted from the group.  Hector is once again acting solo for the moment, although he would love to join up with a group, one that would actually accept him among their ranks.

Campaign Use: As much as he would wish it otherwise, Jackal is currently a solo villain.  Most of his crimes are robberies, but he has also occasionally done assassinations for the right price.   He's not afraid to rumble with super-types, and would love to see if consuming the flesh of a slain superhuman would give him additional powers or not.