DC Villains #14: Operation: Atlantis
DC Villains
Episode 14:
"Operation: Atlantis"
[Partly based on the DC Heroes adventure "Operation: Atlantis" by Stephan R. Crow]
Roll Call:
Bucky
Captain Republican
Chemical Lad
Mr. Roboto
Amanda Waller gathered her Suicide Squad for a briefing. "I hope you're all strong swimmers, boys...you're heading for Atlantis." More specifically, she explained, the city-state of Poseidonis, formerly ruled by Aquaman and currently run by his successor, King Vulko. A U.S. delegation, led by Congresswoman Barbara Gordon, arrived there yesterday with the aim of establishing diplomatic relations.
However, it seems someone wasn't happy to have the Americans as guests; an explosion ruptured the sealed quarters where they were staying. One aide was killed, and two others injured. The Atlanteans said the explosion was caused by a malfunctioning heating pipe, but Gordon didn't believe it and neither did Waller. Incognito, the Squad were to join the delegation, allegedly as bodyguards, but in fact to find out who was trying to derail the negotiations. They were given underwater breathing devices to use, but as a backup they were also injected with "Serum X", which would give them the ability to breathe water for the next few days. "The Atlanteans came up with this stuff, and they don't know we have it," Waller explained. "So try not to let on that you don't need the breathing masks."
Arriving via diving bell to the sunken city of Poseidonis, the team were introduced to Gordon and her delegation, and then to King Vulko and his right-hand man, Chief Scientist Serbus. Serbus gave the Americans a quick tour of the city, and then returned them to their repaired quarters to prepare for dinner at the Royal Palace that evening.
King Vulko welcomed the surface-dwellers to the Royal Dining Hall, which had been pumped out and filled with air for the occasion. The Atlanteans served up a hearty feast (Chemical Lad: "I thought we'd gotten away from seafood after quitting the Penguin..."), but before they could dig in, a loud alarm interrupted. King Vulko indicated that something was going on at the main power plant, and excused himself to go deal with it. No sooner had he left than the Americans realized that the floor was getting wet -- one of the airlocks had sprung a leak, and the chamber was flooding rapidly. The delegates started to put on their breathing masks, but Congresswoman Gordon realized that hers had developed a large hole in the side. Captain Republican offered to give her his mask, and then the Squad rushed to follow Vulko out the other airlock before she could ask too many questions.
Reaching the Power Plant, the team saw the building being evacuated, and Vulko consulting with some of the plant workers. They explained that the main generator had malfunctioned, and was in danger of overloading. The controls were jammed, preventing them from turning the generator off. The only way to stop it from exploding would be to manually disengage the main turbine, but that would require tremendous force. "Brute force is our specialty," Captain Republican assured Vulko, and the team swam inside. The building's security systems had gone berserk as well, attacking them with lasers, but the Squad managed to wrench the turbine free, preventing an explosion that would've taken out half the city.
[Loot Drops: Generator Turbine (Heals Power Points).]
Vulko thanked them, and promised there would be a full investigation of how the malfunction occurred. The team met back up with Gordon, who had examined her damaged breathing mask and determined that the hole had been caused by some kind of acid. Chemical Lad confirmed it, and added that it was a type he'd never seen before.
The next day, Vulko and Gordon were scheduled for a one-on-one meeting, no aides allowed. The team cooled their heels outside the meeting room along with Vulko's bodyguards, who eyed them with suspicion. At one point, a servant arrived bearing a tray of drinks and snacks, saying they'd been summoned by Vulko. The guards hesitated to let them pass, since Vulko's instructions to them were to let no one in under any circumstances. While they debated, Chemical Lad looked over the refreshments and realized one of the goblets of wine was poisoned. The servant swore they knew nothing about it, but a quick pat-down revealed a vial in their pocket with traces of the same poison. The commotion outside drew Vulko and Gordon out of the chamber. Upon learning what happened, Gordon decided that, since their safety could clearly not be guaranteed, the negotiations were hereby suspended, and the delegation would be leaving as soon as transport to the surface could be arranged.
The Americans returned to their quarters and began packing, only to hear more alarms going off all across the city. The protective dome surrounding Poseidonis had been breached, and a veritable army of sea-life was pouring through the gap, lead by a trio of villains: The psychic Marine Marauder, lizard-like Dagon, and Fire-Haired Karla. They claimed (somewhat unconvincingly) to have been sent by Russia, and demanded that Congresswoman Gordon be turned over to them, or they would destroy the city. Not inclined to negotiate, the Squad moved to attack. Realizing that the Marauder was the one controlling the sharks and other sea creatures, the team concentrated their attacks on him first, taking him out in short order. The fish continued to attack for a short time after, but eventually began to wander off. Dagon, with his ability to turn water into solid shapes, and Karla, with her somehow-burns-underwater flaming hair, took longer to defeat, but eventually fell as well. The Squad interrogated the invaders, and eventually Karla cracked and revealed that their employer was none other than Chief Scientist Serbus.
[Loot Drops: Karla's Wig (Flame Blast), Whale Bone (user can make ramming attacks with double damage, while only taking half damage themselves).]
Racing to confront Serbus in his laboratory, the Squad found him already being attacked by the cybernetic menaces called The Awesome Threesome: Hard-hitting Torpedo Man, super-strong Claw, and electric-powered Magneto. They were there to punish Serbus for his failure to kill Gordon, but they were happy to kill the Squad while they were at it. Claw grappled Captain Republican and tried to squeeze the life out of him, but the Regeneration item he'd picked up in a recent adventure, as well as the Power-healing Turbine he'd salvaged from the Atlantean generator, allowed him to offset the damage. Torpedo Man repeatedly rammed into Mr. Roboto, while Magneto harassed Chemical Lad with electric blasts, but with help from the invisible Bucky, the Threesome were eventually defeated. Under interrogation, they revealed that both they and Serbus were working for Aquaman's old enemy, the Ocean Master. Serbus pointed out the secret tunnel that would lead them to him, but declared that they would be too late. "With Aquaman out of the way, nothing will stop him from destroying Atlantis!"
[Loot Drops: Claw's Claw (Natural Weaponry), Magneto's Electrode (Electrical Bolt).]
Following the tunnel, the Squad reached the hidden civilization known as the Middle Realm. The primitive creatures there had been taken over by Ocean Master and his allies Black Manta and The Shark. Having failed in his attempt to provoke a war among Atlantis, America, and Russia, Ocean Master was now resorting to his backup plan: An ancient Atlantean "doomsday machine", designed to ionize the ocean's waters, killing all sea-life in the vicinity (and causing a disruption in the food chain that would lead to mass starvation on the surface as well). Ocean Master's energy-blasting spear, Black Manta's laser-projecting helmet, and The Shark's psychic force-bolts made them formidable foes, reinforced by the Disintegration beams fired by the Middle Realm soldiers. Captain Republican and Mr. Roboto were knocked out of the fight, but Chemical Lad [Heightened Defense] and Bucky [Invisibility] were more difficult targets, and they were finally victorious. They found and freed the captive Aquaman, and together they dismantled the ionizing device. Chemical Lad suggested that he might want to consider re-taking the throne of Atlantis, but Aquaman said that the realm had been no better off with him in charge, and he was happy to leave it to Vulko.
[Loot Drops: Jellyfish Salve (Healing), Middle Realm Soldier (temporary minion), Shark Gloves (Force Bolt).]
[The player characters earned 3 character points each, giving them a total of 142.]
[I had planned an additional encounter, between the Awesome Threesome and Ocean Master and co., involving Ayrn, the king of Middle Realm, but the game was running long, so we skipped it.]
Episode 14:
"Operation: Atlantis"
[Partly based on the DC Heroes adventure "Operation: Atlantis" by Stephan R. Crow]
Roll Call:
Bucky
Captain Republican
Chemical Lad
Mr. Roboto
Amanda Waller gathered her Suicide Squad for a briefing. "I hope you're all strong swimmers, boys...you're heading for Atlantis." More specifically, she explained, the city-state of Poseidonis, formerly ruled by Aquaman and currently run by his successor, King Vulko. A U.S. delegation, led by Congresswoman Barbara Gordon, arrived there yesterday with the aim of establishing diplomatic relations.
However, it seems someone wasn't happy to have the Americans as guests; an explosion ruptured the sealed quarters where they were staying. One aide was killed, and two others injured. The Atlanteans said the explosion was caused by a malfunctioning heating pipe, but Gordon didn't believe it and neither did Waller. Incognito, the Squad were to join the delegation, allegedly as bodyguards, but in fact to find out who was trying to derail the negotiations. They were given underwater breathing devices to use, but as a backup they were also injected with "Serum X", which would give them the ability to breathe water for the next few days. "The Atlanteans came up with this stuff, and they don't know we have it," Waller explained. "So try not to let on that you don't need the breathing masks."
Arriving via diving bell to the sunken city of Poseidonis, the team were introduced to Gordon and her delegation, and then to King Vulko and his right-hand man, Chief Scientist Serbus. Serbus gave the Americans a quick tour of the city, and then returned them to their repaired quarters to prepare for dinner at the Royal Palace that evening.
King Vulko welcomed the surface-dwellers to the Royal Dining Hall, which had been pumped out and filled with air for the occasion. The Atlanteans served up a hearty feast (Chemical Lad: "I thought we'd gotten away from seafood after quitting the Penguin..."), but before they could dig in, a loud alarm interrupted. King Vulko indicated that something was going on at the main power plant, and excused himself to go deal with it. No sooner had he left than the Americans realized that the floor was getting wet -- one of the airlocks had sprung a leak, and the chamber was flooding rapidly. The delegates started to put on their breathing masks, but Congresswoman Gordon realized that hers had developed a large hole in the side. Captain Republican offered to give her his mask, and then the Squad rushed to follow Vulko out the other airlock before she could ask too many questions.
Reaching the Power Plant, the team saw the building being evacuated, and Vulko consulting with some of the plant workers. They explained that the main generator had malfunctioned, and was in danger of overloading. The controls were jammed, preventing them from turning the generator off. The only way to stop it from exploding would be to manually disengage the main turbine, but that would require tremendous force. "Brute force is our specialty," Captain Republican assured Vulko, and the team swam inside. The building's security systems had gone berserk as well, attacking them with lasers, but the Squad managed to wrench the turbine free, preventing an explosion that would've taken out half the city.
[Loot Drops: Generator Turbine (Heals Power Points).]
Vulko thanked them, and promised there would be a full investigation of how the malfunction occurred. The team met back up with Gordon, who had examined her damaged breathing mask and determined that the hole had been caused by some kind of acid. Chemical Lad confirmed it, and added that it was a type he'd never seen before.
The next day, Vulko and Gordon were scheduled for a one-on-one meeting, no aides allowed. The team cooled their heels outside the meeting room along with Vulko's bodyguards, who eyed them with suspicion. At one point, a servant arrived bearing a tray of drinks and snacks, saying they'd been summoned by Vulko. The guards hesitated to let them pass, since Vulko's instructions to them were to let no one in under any circumstances. While they debated, Chemical Lad looked over the refreshments and realized one of the goblets of wine was poisoned. The servant swore they knew nothing about it, but a quick pat-down revealed a vial in their pocket with traces of the same poison. The commotion outside drew Vulko and Gordon out of the chamber. Upon learning what happened, Gordon decided that, since their safety could clearly not be guaranteed, the negotiations were hereby suspended, and the delegation would be leaving as soon as transport to the surface could be arranged.
The Americans returned to their quarters and began packing, only to hear more alarms going off all across the city. The protective dome surrounding Poseidonis had been breached, and a veritable army of sea-life was pouring through the gap, lead by a trio of villains: The psychic Marine Marauder, lizard-like Dagon, and Fire-Haired Karla. They claimed (somewhat unconvincingly) to have been sent by Russia, and demanded that Congresswoman Gordon be turned over to them, or they would destroy the city. Not inclined to negotiate, the Squad moved to attack. Realizing that the Marauder was the one controlling the sharks and other sea creatures, the team concentrated their attacks on him first, taking him out in short order. The fish continued to attack for a short time after, but eventually began to wander off. Dagon, with his ability to turn water into solid shapes, and Karla, with her somehow-burns-underwater flaming hair, took longer to defeat, but eventually fell as well. The Squad interrogated the invaders, and eventually Karla cracked and revealed that their employer was none other than Chief Scientist Serbus.
[Loot Drops: Karla's Wig (Flame Blast), Whale Bone (user can make ramming attacks with double damage, while only taking half damage themselves).]
Racing to confront Serbus in his laboratory, the Squad found him already being attacked by the cybernetic menaces called The Awesome Threesome: Hard-hitting Torpedo Man, super-strong Claw, and electric-powered Magneto. They were there to punish Serbus for his failure to kill Gordon, but they were happy to kill the Squad while they were at it. Claw grappled Captain Republican and tried to squeeze the life out of him, but the Regeneration item he'd picked up in a recent adventure, as well as the Power-healing Turbine he'd salvaged from the Atlantean generator, allowed him to offset the damage. Torpedo Man repeatedly rammed into Mr. Roboto, while Magneto harassed Chemical Lad with electric blasts, but with help from the invisible Bucky, the Threesome were eventually defeated. Under interrogation, they revealed that both they and Serbus were working for Aquaman's old enemy, the Ocean Master. Serbus pointed out the secret tunnel that would lead them to him, but declared that they would be too late. "With Aquaman out of the way, nothing will stop him from destroying Atlantis!"
[Loot Drops: Claw's Claw (Natural Weaponry), Magneto's Electrode (Electrical Bolt).]
Following the tunnel, the Squad reached the hidden civilization known as the Middle Realm. The primitive creatures there had been taken over by Ocean Master and his allies Black Manta and The Shark. Having failed in his attempt to provoke a war among Atlantis, America, and Russia, Ocean Master was now resorting to his backup plan: An ancient Atlantean "doomsday machine", designed to ionize the ocean's waters, killing all sea-life in the vicinity (and causing a disruption in the food chain that would lead to mass starvation on the surface as well). Ocean Master's energy-blasting spear, Black Manta's laser-projecting helmet, and The Shark's psychic force-bolts made them formidable foes, reinforced by the Disintegration beams fired by the Middle Realm soldiers. Captain Republican and Mr. Roboto were knocked out of the fight, but Chemical Lad [Heightened Defense] and Bucky [Invisibility] were more difficult targets, and they were finally victorious. They found and freed the captive Aquaman, and together they dismantled the ionizing device. Chemical Lad suggested that he might want to consider re-taking the throne of Atlantis, but Aquaman said that the realm had been no better off with him in charge, and he was happy to leave it to Vulko.
[Loot Drops: Jellyfish Salve (Healing), Middle Realm Soldier (temporary minion), Shark Gloves (Force Bolt).]
[The player characters earned 3 character points each, giving them a total of 142.]
[I had planned an additional encounter, between the Awesome Threesome and Ocean Master and co., involving Ayrn, the king of Middle Realm, but the game was running long, so we skipped it.]