CP77 Human Torch

Not every hero is born. Some have to be made, like the subject of today’s From Panel to Play. He is the first of the Marvels, a man created by a scientific genius and a great guy to have at a barbeque. It’s Jim Hammond, the Human Torch!

Jim Hammond’s existence began in the laboratory of Professor Phineas T. Horton in 1939. Horton was a pioneer of mechanical intelligence and robotics, and Hammond represented the triumph of his work: a synthetic human being capable of independent thought. Hammond was a true achievement, but Horton did not predict an unusual side-effect of the photoelectric Horton Cells that covered his entire body. When exposed to oxygen, Hammond’s body was wreathed in flames, making him the first Human Torch! As the Human Torch he earned a reputation as a crime fighter, and helped defend the world against Martians, mad scientists, and criminal masterminds in the early 20th century.

The Original Human Torch is a fireproof, flying beacon on the tabletop who can direct the raging inferno against his foes. In play this is represented by both of his attacks being beam attacks that can scorch a whole line of targets. Burn Baby Burn is a straightforward energy attack that can Incinerate his hapless opponents, but he can really turn up the heat (seriously! We’re talking a million degrees here!) with a Nova Burst. The superheated flame starts at Strength 4 for one power, the same as his normal attack, but he can spend up to seven additional Power, increasing his attack roll by 1 die for every Power he spends, Incinerating each target he hits. The Human Torch really spends a lot of energy to pull off a Nova Burst, though, so he takes 1 damage for each attack resolved.

The Human Torch is tricky to pin down in combat due to his powers of flight, and he favors Hit and Run attacks, using this active power to make an attack action followed by a move action once per turn. Not that anyone would want to get too close to the Human Torch—he is on fire, after all. In fact, not only can he superheat objective tokens to be Too Hot to Handle, forcing an enemy to drop what they’re holding, but his Like Touching a Stovetop reactive power lets him pay 2 Power when an enemy character tries to push or throw him, inflicting 1 damage after the effect is resolved.

When you’re wreathed in scorching flames like the Human Torch, you learn to appreciate the power of a good Controlled Burn. He thrives on the fire, allowing it to invigorate him. This innate power means that whenever the Human Torch ends an advance, he gains 1 Power for each character within Range 2 of him that currently has the Incinerate special condition!

That’s it for our first look at the OG Human Torch. Be sure to check back for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Pre-order your own copy of the Captain America & The Original Human Torch Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

CP75 Nick Fury SR., and howling Comandos

So, a man with an eyepatch, a circus strongman, and a jazz musician walk into a bar. Despite sounding like the set up to one, this isn’t a joke, but a common sight when you’re talking about the subject of today’s From Panel to Play: Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos!

For almost a century, Nicholas Joseph Fury has been a man in the shadows, an invisible monster who keeps even worse monsters at bay. A cigar-chomping special agent and leader of a crack unit of special forces, there is no enemy Nick Fury will not face. As the NCO of the First Attack Squad, better known as the Howling Commandos, Fury has entered into theaters of combat against the worst villains the world has ever known. The Howlers have foiled plots from the likes of the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, and Baron Strucker, using their wits, weapons, and skills to keep the world safe.

On the tabletop, Nick is joined by the Howling Commandos Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan and Gabriel Jones. The trio goes into battle with advanced Prototype Weapons that can lay down a barrage of Strength 5 firepower while the Howlers pursue their targets, using a rapid series of “shoot and scoot” maneuvers. If they need to clear targets out of an entrenched position, a salvo of Grenades leaves their foes blasted and Incinerated. When it comes time to finish the job, the Howling Commandos can decide The Show’s Over, going in for a Strength 6 attack that can be either Physical or Energy. Thanks to the special rule Pour it On, if the attack roll produces any wilds the Howling Commandos can follow up with an attack with their Prototype Weapons. Take that, Hydra!

Despite not being super powered, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos do have some fascinating powers on the tabletop that represent both their experience in battle and their close bond. Siblings in Arms demonstrates the Howling Commandos’ willingness to get stuck in to a tough situation if one of their allies is in peril, letting you choose an allied character within Range 2 and either place the Commandos in Range 1 of it as they rush in to help, or place the character within Range 1 of the Commandos as they pull a friendly out of the hot zone.

Got Your Back is how you know the Commandos never leave a man or woman behind. You can use this reactive power whenever an allied character is dazed or KO’ed by the enemy. The Commandos bring their weapons to bear and unleash a Prototype Weapons attack on the enemy responsible, possibly giving their injured companion a chance to get clear.

Last, but certainly not least, the Howling Commandos are used to covert operations performed deep behind enemy lines, which is represented by their Stealth innate power. Creeping under the cover of shadows, Nick Fury and the Commandos can secure a mission objective and get out before the hostile forces of the enemy know they were ever there.

That’s all for our first look at this trio of multi-talented war heroes. Be sure to check back for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Pre-order your own copy of the

Nick Fury & The Howling Commandos Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.