Foxbat (RPG character)

Foxbat
Publication information
Publisher	Hero Games
In-story information
Species	Homo sapiens
Place of origin	Earth
Abilities	Gadgeteer

Foxbat is a supervillain associated with the role playing game Champions. A lunatic who believes that he is living in a comic book, Foxbat is notorious for convoluted and absurd "master plans" that make sense only to himself. Foxbat was designed by Bruce Harlick based on Mark William's artwork on the cover of Enemies II.

Powers and abilities

Foxbat is an example of what is referred to in superhero RPGs as a "super-normal": a character with no actual powers who uses training and equipment to meet superheroes on equal ground. He is a superb combatant, although he did not study any particular martial art, uses a "Ping-Pong Ball Gun" for various effects, and his costume has a pair of small flaps which he uses to glide. His greatest ability is his intellect, which is tinged with more than a little madness and enables him to come up with device after device and scheme after scheme.

Role in the setting

Because his schemes are usually so absurd and his perosnailty so over-the-top, Foxbat is frequently used as comedy relief in Champions campaigns and settings—a villain who poses no real threat but tends to be really annoying. He has clashed with many superteams in the past, and his habit of being a fly in the ointment has earned him the enmity of such powerful villains as Doctor Destroyer. The only things predicatable about him are his devotion to comic-book cliche and his unpredictability.

Foxbat claims these crimes play a crucial part in a "Master Plan" he's devised, although his Master Plan seems to change every time he appears.

Publication history

Foxbat first appeared as one of the villains in Enemies II, a collection of Champions villains published in 1982. Since he was considered somewhat underpowered, Hero Games included a comic strip in their Champions II rules supplement offering players the opportunity to send their unused Experience Points to Foxbat. After that, interest in the character took off and he has been a fixture of all versions of Champions since.

Foxbat became one of the featured villains in the notorious Champions comic books.

In the background of the New Millennium continuity, the original Foxbat gave his life on the side of good fighting the invasion of a powerful interdimensional entity known as The Proprietor and the mantle was taken up by one of his nephews. The new Foxbat was more of a team player, leading a group of like-minded villains, but was just as insane as the original.

In the current Champions Universe, there was no Proprietor War and the original Foxbat is still making a nuisance of himself.

The success of Foxbat may have had a role in the creation of other comedy relief villains of the Champions Universe such as the Gweenies and CLOWN. These have disappeared from current continuity, but Foxbat remains.

Referenes

• Harlick, Bruce (1982). Enemies II. Hero Games.
• Bennie, Scott et al. (1989). Classic Enemies. Iron Crown Enterprises.
• MacDonald, George and Bruce Harlick (1995). Enemies Assemble!. Iron Crown Enterprises.
• Long, Steven (2002). Conquerors, Killers and Crooks. DOJ.
• Brooks, Alison (1996). Foxbat Unhinged. Atlas Games.
• Champions vol. 2 #8