A Selection of Delightfully Cheesy Villains

as Seen in the Hostess Comicbook Ads of the 1970s and 80s

Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Fanbook

A Word From the Author

My obsession with superhero comicbooks began in 1978, after reading my fathers assortment of Marvel titles that he had collected throughout the 1960s and early 70s. Before long, I was peddling my trusty bicycle to all the local stores that carried comics in an effort to start my own collection. Spider-Man, The Avengers, Team-Up, The Fantastic Four, Captain America, Daredevil, The Defenders no Marvel comic was safe from my grubby little paws. I pored over each issue I bought, carefully examining every single page within. Even the ads -- or perhaps especially the ads. Ads for cereal, ads for action figures, ads for candy and ads for Hostess snack cakes. Ads for snack cakes? Ads for snack cakes that featured my favorite heroes? Sign me the heck up! I loved seeing my favorite heroes save the day. I loved seeing the various types of delicious treats. I loved the whiz-bang fun of the whole thing. But most of all, I loved those silly, over the top villains that were inevitably felled by their addiction to snack cakes. Thus began my love affair with the old one-page Hostess advertisements; a love affair that lasts to this very day, more than three decades later. Since that time, I have statted many of the villains up for various role-playing games and have even created customized Heroclix figures for a few of them. For whatever reason, I fear Im stuck with this irrational fondness of these baddies for the rest of my life. Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I hope Im stuck with it. In closing, I would like to thank Patrick Sullivan, Stephen Shepherd and Greg Kirkpatrick, who created all new artwork for this product without even asking for so much as a single penny. They are class acts of the highest order. I hope you enjoy the results of our work! ---- Cynthia Celeste Miller

About This Fanbook

Presented here are MHRP write-ups for nineteen villains that have appeared in the Hostess ads. Most of them were never seen again, though one (Icemaster) later appeared in The Thunderbolts, albeit briefly. A handful of them made a cameo appearance in The Fin Fang Four Return, where they are depicted as still being in prison. It is from this issue that many of their real names were revealed. The original ads can all be found online. The two best sources are www.seanbaby.com and www. tomheroes.com. I encourage you to read as many of them as possible, not just because it will provide some insight on the villains found in this book, but also because theyre just a ton of fun. Finally, I want to stress the fact that this is NOT an official product from Margaret Weis Productions or Marvel Comics. It is simply a free fan-made product intended to offer Watchers and players something a little different for their games of Marvel Heroic Roleplaying.

Absent-Minded Mac
Quick Bio
All it takes is one look to realize that Absent-Minded Mac isnt exactly right in the head -- from the crazed look in his eyes to the ridiculous scissor spoon apparatus he attacks his enemies with. In addition to whatever mental illnesses plague him, ol Mac lives up to his absent-minded moniker in spades. This fact infuriates him to the point that he has become obsessed with making others as daft as he is, via a massive net that covers entire neighborhoods and makes anyone beneath it forgetful.

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Forgetful Insane Inventor Old Man

Power Sets FORGET-ME-NET

Enhanced Durability Mind Control SFX: Area. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. Limit: Forgetfulness. Forget-Me-Net can only be used to make targets become temporarily forgetful and disoriented. Limit: Gear. Shut down Forget-Me-Net and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

SCISSOR-SPOONS

Weapon Limit: Gear. Shut down Scissor-Spoons and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Tech Expert
Art: Patrick Sullivan

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk in -- Forget-Me-Net (1977)

Big Mouth
Quick Bio

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict All Mouth Slippery

Big Mouth is a large disembodied mouth with two vestigial hands. It can fly or hover in mid-air, chomping away at anything in his path, organic and inorganic alike. It doesnt matter. If its there, this dopey critter can bite the hell out of it. Big Mouth is quite sentient, but his level of intelligence is questionable, as evidenced by his manner of speech (You goofed! You goofed! Capt. Marvel is a big goof!). Its a cinch that the being isnt exactly Steven Hawking.

Power Sets DISEMBODIED MOUTH

Toothy Bite Enhanced Durability Flight SFX: Area Attack. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. SFX: Extradimensional Gullet. If a character suffers physical trauma as a result of Toothy Bite, the Watcher may spend a die from the doom pool to have the character swallowed and transported to a pocket dimension. Limit: Repercussions. Both 1 and 2 on your dice count as opportunities when using a Disembodied Mouth power.

Specialties
Menace Expert
First Appearance: Captain Marvel in -- Hes All Mouth (1977) Art: Patrick Sullivan

Blow Dryer
Quick Bio

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Nutty Hair-Do Jewel Robber

This beehived beauty is a tried and true criminal, but her most heinous crime may very well be her atrocious hairstyle. It really is that bad. She wields an oversized hair dryer capable of firing a concentrated blast of air powerful enough to nearly extinguish the Human Torchs flames. Still, she was no match for the power of Hostess cupcakes.

Power Sets SUPERSONIC HAIR DRYER

Hot Air Blast SFX: High Setting. Step up or double Heat Blast for one action. If the action fails, add a die to the doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die. Limit: Gear. Shut down Supersonic Hair Dryer and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Combat Expert Menace Expert Crime Expert

First Appearance: The Human Torch in -- Blown About (1980)

Art: Greg Kirkpatrick

Chairman
Quick Bio

Real Name: Windsor Glastonbury

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Youre in the Hotseat Now! Furniture Thief Arrogant Dandy

The Chairman is an odd fellow, to say the very least. He wields a gun that morphs people into chairs, he commits crimes involving chairs and he constantly hurls chair puns at anyone wholl listen. In other words, its a safe bet that hes obsessed with chairs. Despite this weirdness, Chairman can be quite dangerous. In fact, the only thing that saved Spider-Man from his wrath is that two kids clogged up the barrel of his gun with snack cakes, causing it to misfire and turn him into a chair.

Power Sets CHAIR GUN

Transmutation SFX: Wide Spray. Step up or double a Transmutation die against a single target. Remove the highest rolling die and add three dice for your total. Limit: Gear. Shut down Chair Gun and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover. Limit: Living Matters. Transmutation only affects organic substances. Limit: Chairs Only. Transmutation can only turn targets into straight-backed chairs; transformed targets can still speak.

Specialties
Crime Expert
First Appearance: Spider-Man vs. The Chairman (1977) Art: Greg Kirkpatrick

Demolition Derby
Quick Bio
Demolition Derby isnt a physical specimen, nor is he imbued with astonishing super powers. But he does have a hat that he can throw. And throw it, he does. To be fair, the hat isnt an ordinary hat, but one specially designed to cause serious bludgeoning damage to whomever or whatever gets whapped by it including brick walls. It also helps that Demolition Derby is very skilled at hurling the darn thing.

Real Name: Basil Mendelsohn

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Jewel Thief Gloats A Lot

Power Sets THROWING DERBY

Enhanced Durability Weapon SFX: Area Attack. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. SFX: Ricochet. Step up or double Weapon die against a single target. Remove highest-rolling die and add an additional die to your total. Limit: Gear. Shut down Throwing Derby and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Combat Expert Crime Expert
Art: Greg Kirkpatrick First Appearance: Spider-Man and the Demolition Derby (1979)

Home Wrecker
Quick Bio

Real Name: Matthew Mitchell

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Destructive Stout Physique

While the Home Wreckers background and motivations are complete mysteries, one thing is for certain: this big, muscle-headed palooka loves to see that big black ball take its toll of walls. He utilizes heavy machinery (primarily a wrecking ball crane) to demolish buildings, apparently just for the sake of causing total destruction. Beyond that, the guys a total enigma.

Power Sets WRECKING BALL CRANE

Enhanced Durability Wrecking Ball Strike Limit: Gear. Shut down Wrecking Ball Crane and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Combat Expert Vehicle Expert
Art: Stephen Shepherd

First Appearance: Spider-Man Meets the Home Wrecker (1978)

Hotshot
Quick Bio
Hotshot is a costumed fireballslinging miscreant who has apparently plagued Spider-Man enough to be considered his old enemy. He wears a fancyschmancy costume, but he looks more impressive than he actually is. Unlike many flame-based superhumans, the only feat Hotshot is capable of is generating fireballs and throwing them at his enemies. No flame control, no flame body, no novablast just simple fireballs.

Real Name: Abraham James

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict All Fired Up Good Aim

Power Sets FLAME HURLING

Flame Blast SFX: Area Attack. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. Limit: Extinguished. Shut down Flame-Hurling and step up or gain d6 to the doom pool. Activate an opportunity to recover.

Specialties
Combat Expert Crime Expert

First Appearance: Spider-Man in -- Hotshot on the Block (1979)

Art: Greg Kirkpatrick

The Human Computer

Quick Bio
Despite his rather misleading moniker, the Human Computer is not a computer at all. Hes just a guy in high-tech armor -- a fact he tries to hide. The armor itself is quite impressive though. Not only does it offer him physical protection and bolstered strength, it also had the capability to make all the comp u t e r s across the city malfunction to various degrees. Solo Buddy Team

Real Name: Conrad Turing

Affiliations

Distinctions
Programmed to Love Snack Cakes Ambitious Super-Genius Ive Got Your Number

Power Sets COMPUTER-LIKE ARMOR

Laser Pistol Technology Control Enhanced Strength Superhuman Durability SFX: Power Allocation. Step up or double any Computer-Like Armor power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to the doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die. Limit: Gear. Shut down Computer-Like Armor and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Tech Expert

First Appearance: Spider-Man Vs. the Human Computer (1981)

Art: Stephen Shepherd

The Hungry Battleaxe

Quick Bio
Battleaxe is a smalltime criminal with ambitions that often surpass his ability to fulfill them. That is, he typically bites off more than he can chew. Nevertheless, he is a formidable foe, thanks to his battleaxe and high-tech armor that has been fashioned to look like medieval plate mail. The latter heightens his strength significantly, allowing him to break through concrete walls and similar structures with a single swipe of his axe.

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Out of My Way! Belligerent

Power Sets HIGH-TECH KNIGHT GEAR

Battleaxe Enhanced Durability Superhuman Strength SFX: Berserk. Add a die from the doom pool to one or more attack actions. Step up doom pool die by +1 for each action; return it to doom pool when done Limit: Gear. Shut down High-Tech Knight Gear and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Combat Expert
First Appearance: Iron Man in -- The Hungry Battleaxe (1979) Art: Greg Kirkpatrick

Icemaster
Quick Bio

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Ambitious Schemer Heart of Ice

The Icemaster has complete control over ice and is even capable of generating it from his own body. From an offensive standpoint, he can turn his limbs into ice weapons (most notably a spiked mace) and shoot ice and cold-based projectiles from afar. On the defensive side of thing, he can generate walls of ice to block incoming attacks. His skin is also harmfully frigid to the touch; its said to be lifestealing cold. As a side note, Icemaster is one of the few Hostess villains to appear in a full comicbook story.

Power Sets ICE COMMAND

Ice Blast Ice Wall Ice Control Mastery Shapeshifting SFX: Area Attack. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. SFX: Ice Constructs. Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when using Ice Generation/Manipulation powers to create assets. SFX: Ice Weapon Creation. Add a d6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back the highest die in pool by 1. Step up physical stress inflicted by +1. SFX: Frigid Skin. On a successful reaction against a physical attack action, inflict physical stress with your effect die at no doom die cost or step it up +1 for 1 doom die. Limit: Heat Vulnerability. Add a D6 to the doom pool and step up physical stress by +1 when attack is heat or fire-based. Limit: Limbs Only. Shapeshifting can only be used to alter Icemasters arms or legs.

Specialties
Combat Expert Menace Expert
Art: Stephen Shepherd

First Appearance: The Human Torch in -- The Icemaster Cometh (1979)

June Jitsui
Quick Bio
June Jitsui is a gorgeous but evil master of karate, kung fu and other martial arts. She tends to be quiet and focused while in combat, as she has to maintain her concentration in order to channel her chi into devastating attacks. Her chi mastery and martial arts abilities enabled her to nearly defeat Spider-Man until he distracted her with Twinkies.

Real Name: June Hayashi

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Aggressive Combatant Focused

Power Sets MISTRESS OF CHI

Enhanced Reflexes Enhanced Stamina Speed Leaping SFX: Chi-Strike. Add a D6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back the highest die in the pool by 1. Step up physical stress inflicted by +1. SFX: Focus. If a pool includes a Mistress of Chi power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step higher. Limit: Conscious Activation. While stressed out, asleep or unconscious, shut down Mistress of Chi. Recover Mistress of Chi when you recover that stress or wake up. If you take mental trauma, shut down Mistress of Chi until you recover that trauma.

Specialties
Acrobatic Expert Combat Expert
Art: Greg Kirkpatrick First Appearance: Spider-Man Meets June Jitsui (1980)

Legal Eagle
Quick Bio
Smarmy lawyer Ralph G. Fake can transform himself into a winged griffon-like creature with sharp claws all the better to aid him in his quest to sabotage, destroy or take over the United States government. He wants power on a large scale and will stop at nothing to obtain it. Fortunately, his sole attempt to do so was thwarted by Spider-Man with the help of Hostess cup cakes.

Real Name: Ralph G. Fake

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Criminal Lawyer Griffon-Like Body

Power Sets BESTIAL TRANSFORMATION

Talon-Like Claws Enhanced Durability Flight SFX: Rend. Add a D6 to your dice pool for an attack action and step back the highest die in the pool by 1. Step up physical stress inflicted by +1. Limit: Conscious Activation. While stressed out, asleep or unconscious, shut down Bestial Transformation. Recover Bestial Transformation when you recover that stress or wake up. If you take emotional trauma, shut down Bestial Transformation until you recover that trauma.

Specialties
Crime Expert Psych Expert
Art: Stephen Shepherd

First Appearance: Spider-Man in -- Legal Eagle (1977)

The Living Building

Quick Bio
Very little is known about the construct the press has dubbed The Living Building. We know that it claims to be programmed to destroy, though the programmer remains a mystery. We also know that its capable of causing a massive chunk of property damage. And lastly, we know that it looks absurd. I mean, come on! Why does it look like a building? What, is it supposed to blend in with nearby buildings? Did the inventor honestly think nobody would notice the difference?

Real Name: Not Applicable

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Lumbering Giant Robot Programmed to Destroy Relentless

Power Sets BUILDING-LIKE ROBOT

Superhuman Durability Godlike Strength SFX: Invulnerable. Spend 1 doom die to ignore physical stress or trauma unless caused by vibratory attacks. SFX: Immunity. Spend 1 doom die to ignore stress, trauma or complications from poison, disease or mental attacks. Limit: Huge. Cant attack anyone smaller than a child, cant fit in narrow spaces and other such problems. Turn a Building-Shaped Robot power into a complication and add d6 doom. Spend d6 doom to recover.

Specialties
Menace Master
First Appearance: The Thing in -- Sunday Punch (1977) Art: Stephen Shepherd

Madam Web
Quick Bio
Madam Web is a romantic at heart... but rejection doesnt sit well with her and shell go to great lengths to get revenge on those who spurn her. For example, when Spider-Man told her to go take a hike (probably in much nicer words), she hatched an elaborate scheme to ruin his reputation and his good-standing with the law. In short, shes a crazy stalker type. Not exactly the sort of girl youd want to take home to meet your mother.

Real Name: Unknown (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Falls in Love Easily Cant Handle Rejection

Power Sets WEB CREATION

Godlike Durability Enhanced Stickiness Strength SFX: Constructs. Add a D6 to your dice pool and step up your effect die +1 when using Web Creation to create assets. SFX: Big-Ass Web. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. Limit: Hopeless Romantic. Add d6 to the doom pool when you step up stress or complications caused by romantic-based manipulation.

Specialties
Acrobatic Expert
First Appearance: Spider-Man And Madam Web (1977) Art: Greg Kirkpatrick

Monotony Man
Quick Bio
Some people are just no fun to be around. They grumble, they nay-say and they incessantly rain on parades. The man known as Monotony Man has always been one of those people. His constant negativity led others to reject him at every turn. Needless to say, this rejection didnt sit well with him and when he discovered that he possessed the ability to emit a blue-gray energy from his hands that could put anyone nearby in a negative state of mind, he decided to exact revenge.

Real Name: Unrevealed (Secret)

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Party Pooper Vengeful Grayscale Skin

Power Sets NEGATIVITY EMISSION

Mind Control SFX: Area. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. Limit: Downer. Negativity Emission can only be used to instill boredom and feelings of negativity in targets. Limit: Conscious Activation. While stressed out, asleep or unconscious, shut down Negativity Emission. Recover Negativity Emission when you recover that stress or wake up. If you take emotional trauma, shut down Negativity Emission until you recover that trauma.

Specialties
Psych Expert
First Appearance: Iron Man in -- A Dull Pain (1977) Art: Patrick Sullivan

Photoman
Quick Bio
Photoman is a photographer who uses a special camera to immobilize his subjects so that he can snatch their valuables. No, really. Thats what he does. That and he wears a doofy brown hat that makes him look like a Hee-Haw reject. His motivation appears to be simple greed, though he may have a deeper, more meaningful psychological reason for doing what he does. Nah, its probably just greed.

Real Name: Vincent Charles

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Photographer Gullible

Power Sets IMMOBILIZATION CAMERA

Mind Control SFX: Area. Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target. Limit: Freeze Frame. Mind Control can only be used to make targets freeze in place. Limit: Say Cheese. Targets must look into the camera for Mind Control to work. Limit: Gear. Shut down Immobilization Camera and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Crime Expert Tech Expert
Art: Patrick Sullivan

First Appearance: Spider-Man Puts Himself in the Picture (1978)

Printout Man
Quick Bio
The criminal mastermind known as Printout Man possesses no powers to speak of, but he makes up for that with his mad computers that he has installed in various hiding places throughout Manhattan. These computers actrively jam up other computer systems, making them malfunction in numerous ways and create chaos in general.

Real Name: Windsor Babbage

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Youll Never Catch Me! Scheming Hacker

Power Sets MAD COMPUTERS

Technology Control Limit: Computers Only. Technology Control only works on computer systems. Limit: Gear. Shut down Mad Computers and step up or add D6 to the doom pool. Spend D6 from doom pool to recover.

Specialties
Business Expert Crime Expert Covert Expert Tech Expert
Art: Patrick Sullivan

First Appearance: Spider-Man in -- Break the Bank (1977)

The Ricochet Monster

Quick Bio
Always at the beck and call of his malevolent masters from the outer galaxy (whoever the hell they are), the Ricochet Monster is a force to be reckoned with. He is practically invulnerable to physical harm as long as he can maintain his concentration. Beyond that, he can even reflect ranged attacks back at his attacker (hence his name) and he possesses immense strength too. This eight-foot tall creature has no motivations of his own; he is merely carries out the orders of his aforementioned masters.

Real Name: Not Applicable

Affiliations
Solo Buddy Team

Distinctions
Snack Cake Addict Nearly-Mindless Brute Relentless

Power Sets INTERSTELLAR CREATURE

Godlike Durability Superhuman Strength

SFX: Right Back At You. On a reaction against a physical attack action,

Superhuman Stamina Interstellar Flight

inflict physical stress with you effect die at no cost. Spend 1 doom die to step it up by +1. SFX: Immunity. Spend 1 doom die to ignore stress, trauma or complications from ranged physical or energy attacks. SFX: Space-Worthy. Can survive in outer space unaided. Limit: Conscious Activation. While stressed out, asleep or unconscious, shut down Interstellar Creature. Recover Interstellar Creature when you recover that stress or wake up. If you take emotional trauma, shut down Interstellar Creature until you recover that trauma.

Specialties
Menace Expert
First Appearance: Thor Meets the Ricochet Monster (1980) Art: Patrick Sullivan

Roller Disco Devils

Quick Bio
This gaudily dressed street gang takes over neighborhoods, terrorizing the residents by zipping around on roller skates while blasting loud, obnoxious disco music over their gigantic boom boxes. Did we mention that theyre gaudily dressed?

Affiliations
Team

Distinctions
Hooligans Terrible Fashion Sense Loud Boom Boxes

Power Sets MOB TRAITS

Roller Skates Grab Swarm SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add d6 and keep +1 effect die. Limit: Mob Cohesion. Defeat team dice (with d8 stress) to reduce mob.
Art: Stephen Shepherd

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk vs. The Roller Disco Devils (1980)