Sportsmaster [MHR]

Sportsmaster
Solo d10 Buddy d8 Team d6

The Light's Enforcer
Rotten Father Figure
Sport-Themed Criminal

Powersets:

Sports Arsenal
      Enhanced Durability d8
      Weapon d8

SFX: Slap Shot. Against a single target, step up or double Weapon. Remove the highest rolling die and use three dice for the total.

SFX: That’s Not Regulation. Against multiple targets, for each additional target add a d6 and keep an additional effect die.

SFX: Unnecessary Roughness. Step back the highest die in an attack action pool to add a d6 and step up physical stress inflicted.

SFX: Trick Shot. When inflicting a complication on a target, add a d6 and step up the effect die.

Limit: Gear Shutdown Sports Arsenal and gain 1 Doom Die. Recover by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts
     Enhanced Reflexes d8
     Enhanced Senses d8
     Enhanced Stamina d8

SFX: Focus. If a pool includes a Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts power, replace two dice of equal size with one stepped-up die.

SFX: Score On The Rebound. If a pool includes a Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts power, spend a doom die to reroll.

Limit: Head In The Game. If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts. Recover Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Master of Sports-Based Martial Arts until trauma is recovered.

Specialties
Acrobatics Expert
Crime Expert
Covert Expert
Combat Master
Menace Master

Mammoth and Shimmer [MHR]

Mammoth
Solo d6 Buddy d8 Team d4

Kobra-Venom Serum
Kobra’s Champion

Powersets:

Kobra-Venom Serum
     Superhuman Durability d10  
     Superhuman Strength d10
     Superhuman Stamina d10

SFX: Mammoth Smash! Spend d6 from the Doom Pool to double Superhuman Strength for one action.

SFX: Invulnerable. Spend d6 from the doom pool to ignore physical stress or physical trauma unless caused by chemical-based attacks.

Limit: Kobra Fanatic. Step up emotional stress based on failing Kobra to step up the lowest die in the doom pool or add a d6 doom die.

Specialties
Combat Expert
Menace Expert

Shimmer
Solo d6 Buddy d8 Team d4

Kobra Cultist

Powersets:

Elite Minion 
Enhanced Reflexes d8

SFX: Minion Commander. In a roll including Team or Buddy, double or step up that Affiliation die. If the roll fails, remove a d6 from the doom pool or step back the highest doom die.

SFX: Lieutenant. In a support action, add a d6 and step up the effect die.

Limit: Kobra Fanatic. Step up emotional stress based on failing Kobra to step up the lowest die in the doom pool or add a d6 doom die.

Specialties
Crime Expert
Combat Expert

Kobra [MHR]

Kobra
Solo d8 Buddy d6 Team d4

Lord Naga-Naga
Evil Genius
Aloof

Powersets:

Self-Proclaimed God
     Enhanced Reflexes d8
     Enhanced Speed d8
     Enhanced Stamina d8
     Enhanced Strength d8

SFX: When he does get into the fight…On a reaction against a Physical attack action, inflict Physical Stress with your effect die at no Doom Pool cost or spend a Doom Die to step it up by +1.

SFX: Second Chance. Spend 1 Doom Die to reroll when using any Self Proclaimed God power

SFX: Focus. If a pool includes a Self-Proclaimed God power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.

Limit: Mortal Flesh. If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Self-Proclaimed God. Recover Self-Proclaimed God when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Self-Proclaimed God until trauma is recovered.

Specialties
Covert Master
Crime Master
Combat Master
Mystic Master
Science Master

Kobra Cultists
Team 5d6

Fanatical Devotion to Kobra

Agent Traits:
Guns d8
Martial Arts d8

SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for each additional target add d6 and keep an additional effect die.

Limit: Unit Cohesion. Defeat Team dice (with d8 stress) to reduce Team rating. 

Design Notes: Nothing really to add except that there's an excellent arc in the Young Justice tie-in comic with Kobra as the villain and it's pretty epic.

Bane [MHR]

Bane
Solo d8 Buddy d4 Team D6

Ruler of Santa Prisca
Enhanced By Venom
Criminal Mastermind

Powersets:
Venom Mechanism
     Enhanced Durability d8
     Enhanced Strength d8
     Enhanced Stamina d8
     Enhanced Reflexes d8

SFX: Venom Pump. If a pool includes a Venom Mechanism power, you may replace two dice of equal size with one die +1 step larger.

SFX: Full Dose. Step up or double any Venom Mechanism power for one action. . If the action fails, step back that power. Spend a doom die to recover that power.

Limit: Gear Shutdown Venom Mechanism and gain 1 Doom Die. Recover by activating an opportunity or during a Transition Scene.

Specialties:
Combat Master
Crime Master
Menace Master
Psych Expert

Bane’s Mercenary Squad
Team 5d6

Loyal to Bane
Santa Priscan Enforcer

Agent Traits:
Guns d8
Beat Down d8

SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for each additional target add d6 and keep an additional effect die.
Limit: Unit Cohesion. Defeat Team dice (with d8 stress) to reduce Team rating.

Young Justice S01-E04 - Drop Zone

Analysis from a RPG Perspective: This is the team's first real "Mission" - the covert ops adventures that Batman promised the team back in Episode 2. And with that comes something that we almost always see in superhero fiction, but not so often (as I've seen) in play - the team picking a leader. I'm glad they avoided the obvious choice of Robin, and gave a good reason for why he's not necessarily the best candidate and that Aqualad was. In my experience, RPG super-teams tend to default to the specialist taking charge when needed. (I.E. the crimefighter/detective taking charge when there's a crime to solve or the team magician taking charge when dealing with mystical situations.) Even when a player character makes someone with leadership skills, most gamers I've played with tend to bristle when someone is giving them orders. On the other hand, in a tabletop setting, players have lots of time to consider their actions and discuss them with the other players, while in the fictional world, fractions of seconds are passing and there's not really time for debate.

Young Justice also impressed me by making Sportsmaster, of all people, the enforcer for the Light. I really would never have pegged him as being such a badass, but they made him a scarily effective opponent - one who made life difficult for the whole team. This was also the team's first hint that the Light even existed.

Lastly, I liked that Batman approved of their actions, even though he knew the kids were sloppy and needed improvement. Too often, Batman's written as a jerk, but this one actually has people skills.

Watcher Datafiles:
     Bane
     Bane's Mercenaries
     Kobra
     Kobra Cultists
     Mammoth
     Shimmer
     Sportsmaster

Mount Justice and The Martian Bioship

Mount Justice

Qualities: Secret Lair, Living Quarters, Justice League Zeta Network, Trophy Room, Training Room, Garage







Martian Bioship
Living Ship
Martian Technology

Supersonic Flight d10
Cloaking Device d10
Superhuman Durability d10

SFX: Psychic Control. Spend one PP to step up the pilot's Vehicle Specialty for one round. At the end of the round, add a die equal to any stress taken by the ship or pilot to the Doom Pool. Additionally, characters with psychic powers can pilot the ship remotely at the cost of one PP.

Limit: Piloted Vessel. Your ship takes stress separately from you and is destroyed by taking more than d12 stress. Anyone opposing a roll made using a Martian Bioship power may use the ship’s stress or the pilot’s stress.

Design Notes: The Annihilation book has stat blocks for ships as two possible methods. The first is that the ship (or a squadron of fighters) is a separate entity. The second, which seems more aimed at ships the PCs fly around in, is having a powerset for a ship, and whoever is piloting gets to use the powerset. 

Mister Twister [MHR]

Mister Twister (Watcher Datafile)

Solo d8 Buddy d6 Team d4

Creation of T.O. Morrow and Brom Stick
Hunting Red Tornado
Arrogant Robot

Powersets

Robotic Body

Computer Senses d6
Superhuman Durability d10
Superhuman Stamina d10
Superhuman Strength d10

SFX: Computerized Intellect. When creating intellect-related assets, add a d6 and step up your effect die.

SFX: Immunity. Spend 1 doom die to ignore stress, trauma, or complications from psychic attacks.

Limit: Growing Dread. If a pool includes a Robotic Body power, both 1s and 2s on those dice count as opportunities, but only 1s are excluded from being used for totals or effect dice.

Limit: Robot. Increase the doom pool by 1 die when affected by robot specific Milestones and tech.

Aerokinesis

Air Blast d10
Air Control d10
Flight d8

SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for each additional target add a d6 and keep an additional effect die.

SFX: Reap the Whirlwind. On a reaction against a close combat attack action, inflict physical stress with the effect die. Spend a doom die to step it up.

SFX: Summon Tornado. When using Air Control to create assets, add a d6 and step up the effect die.

SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Aerokinesis power for one action. If the action fails, step back that power. Spend a doom die to recover that power.

Limit: Conscious Activation. If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Aerokinesis. Recover Aerokinesis when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Aerokinesis until trauma is recovered.

Specialties

Combat Master
Tech Expert

Design Notes: I started with Red Tornado and beefed him up a little. 

Red Tornado [MHR]

Red Tornado [Watcher Datafile]


Solo d10 Buddy d6 Team D8

Creation of T.O. Morrow
Free-Willed Android
Student of Humanity

Powersets

Robotic Body
Computer Senses d6
Enhanced Durability d8 Enhanced Strength d8
Superhuman Stamina d10


SFX: Computerized Intellect. When creating intellect-related assets, add a d6 and step up your effect die.

SFX: Robot Mind. Spend 1 doom die to ignore stress, trauma, or complications from psychic attacks.

Limit: Inexperienced with Emotion. Step up emotional stress in situations when you attempt to use or understand human emotions to gain 1 doom die.

Limit: Robot. Increase the doom pool by 1 die when affected by robot specific Milestones and tech.

Aerokinesis

Air Blast d8
Air Control d10
Flight d8

SFX: Area Attack. Against multiple targets, for each additional target add a d6 and keep an additional effect die.

SFX: Reap the Whirlwind. On a reaction against a close combat attack action, inflict physical stress with the effect die. Spend a doom die to step it up.

SFX: Summon Tornado. When using Air Control to create assets, add a d6 and step up the effect die.

SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Aerokinesis power for one action. If the action fails, step back that power. Spend a doom die to recover that power.

Limit: Conscious Activation. If stressed out, asleep, or unconscious, shutdown Aerokinesis. Recover Aerokinesis when stress is recovered or you awake. If Mental Trauma is taken, shutdown Aerokinesis until trauma is recovered.

Specialties

Combat Expert
Science Expert
Tech Expert

Design Notes: I referred to the Vision build in Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways to get the robot part right. There's not much else to Reddy except that his build is where I started when making Mister Twister, Red Volcano, Red Inferno and Red Torpedo. 

Brick [MHR]

Brick (Watcher Datafile)

Solo d8 Buddy d4 Team d6

Star City Crime Lord
Sharp Dressed Villain

Powersets

Metahuman Crimelord

Superhuman Durability d10
Superhuman Stamina d10
Superhuman Strength d10

SFX: Collateral Damage. Step back the highest die in the pool to add d6 to an attack action. Add the highest-rolling die to the doom pool before calculating the total.

SFX: Invulnerability. Spend a doom die from the doom pool to ignore physical stress or trauma.

Limit: Arrogance. If a pool includes a Metahuman Crimelord power, both 1s and 2s on those dice count as opportunities, but only 1s are excluded from being used for totals or effect dice

Specialties

Crime Expert d8
Combat Expert d8
Menace Expert d8

Design Notes: I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the DC Universe, but I have never heard of this guy until YJ. In the end, he's a generic "brick" villain. Strong and Tough and not much else.

Young Justice S01-E03 - Welcome to Happy Harbor

Analysis from a RPG Perspective: I found this episode a little weak, though in retrospective, once you learn about M'gann's obsession with "Hello, Megan" she isn't nearly as annoying. And it also kicks off the long-term Red Tornado subplot. I thought that the way the boys benched her after a mistake that any of them would have made was heavy handed, though it did lead to a satisfying payoff where Miss Martian's plan worked like a charm, not just impressing her teammates but tricking the master villain with shapeshifting, telekinesis and a little help from Kid Flash for the special effects.


And just from a tactical standpoint, I like how Marvel Heroic handles a powerful Controller using their powers defensively, even to the point that they kept throwing Reaction-based stress on the heroes. (I guess the Team was rolling lots of 1's for the first half, so Mister Twister could throw them around the way he did.)

Watcher Datafiles:
     Brick
     Mister Twister 
     Red Tornado

Resources:
     Mount Justice
     Martian Bioship

Blockbuster [MHR]

Doctor Desmond / Blockbuster (Watcher Datafile)

Solo d8 Buddy d6 Team d4

Soulless Scientist
Follows The Light
Genetically Enhanced Monster

Powersets:

Blockbuster Serum
     Superhuman Strength d10
     Superhuman Durability d10
     Superhuman Stamina d10

SFX: Blockbuster Smash! Spend d6 from the Doom Pool to double Superhuman Strength for one action.

SFX: Invulnerable. Spend d6 from the doom pool to ignore physical stress or physical trauma unless caused by chemical-based attacks.

Limit: Bull in A China Shop. Step up any emotional stress caused by mockery by +1 step.

Specialties:
Combat Expert d8
Menace Expert d8
Science Master d10

Design Notes: I went back and forth on Blockbuster being in the Godlike tier of strength. I do see him as stronger than Superboy, but just not up to Superman's level. 

Superman [MHR]

Superman(Watcher Datafile)

Last Son of Krypton
Truth, Justice and the American Way
Man of Steel

Powersets:

Kryptonian
    Flight d10
    Godlike Strength d12
    Godlike Durability d12
    Godlike Resistance d12
    Heat Vision d10
    Super-Breath d8
    Superhuman Reflexes d10
    Superhuman Senses d10

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Kryptonian powers in a single dice pool at -1 step for each additional power.

SFX: World of Cardboard. In a reaction against an opponent with a Strength power trait, spend 1 Doom Die or step up your mental stress to add a die equal to the opponent’s Strength to your dice pool.

SFX: Area Attack. Target multiple opponents. For every additional target, add d6 and keep +1 effect die.

SFX: Invulnerable. Spend 1 PP to ignore Physical Stress or Trauma unless caused by Magic.

Limit: Kryptonite. Shut down Kryptonian Power Set when exposed to Kryptonite. Additionally, Kryptonite-based Complications or Assets inflict Physical Stress equal to their rating. Activate an Opportunity or remove the Kryptonite.

Limit: Red Sun. When exposed to a Red Sun Radiation Complication, Shut Down Kryptonian. Activate an opportunity to remove the Complication.

Specialties
Combat Expert
Crime Expert

Design Notes:  Not really that much to say. He's Superman. I'll just note here that I thought that it was interesting that they made Superman so freaked out by Connor's existence, and Batman (traditionally the guy who doesn't play well with others) the one who was so good with the kids. (Even if he is scary.)

Martian Manhunter [MHR]

Martian Manhunter (Watcher Datafile)

Solo d8 Buddy d6 Team d10

Ambassador from Mars
Ethical Psychic
Soul of the Justice League

Powersets:
Martian Physiology:
     Flight d8
     Invisibility d10
     Intangibility d10
     Shapeshifting d10
     Stretching d6
     Superhuman Strength d10
     Superhuman Stamina d10
     Telepathy d10

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Martian Physiology powers in a single dice pool at -1 step for each additional power.

SFX: Flexible. Split a Martian Physiology power into 2d at –1 step, or 3d at –2 steps.

Limit: Vulnerable to Fire. Shutdown any Martian power and gain 1 PP when affected by a heat-based complication. Recover by removing the complication.

Specialties:
Combat Expert
Cosmic Expert
Crime Expert
Psych Expert
Science Expert

Design Notes: J'onn is a crazy powerful character, one almost more suited for a cosmic-level game than the Justice League. But his weakness to fire is a huge limitation, and he's an ethical telepath, something he obviously didn't instill too much of in his "niece." 

Superboy [MHR]

Superboy
Solo d10 Buddy d6 Team d8

Clone of Superman
Has Knowledge but not Experience
Angry Young Man

Powersets
Project Kr
     Leap Tall Buildings in a Single bound d10
     Superhuman Durability d10
     Superhuman Senses d10
     Superhuman Stamina d10
     Superhuman Strength d10

SFX: Invulnerable. Spend 1 PP to ignore Physical Stress or Trauma unless caused by Magic.

SFX: Unleashed. Step up or double any Project Kr power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.

Limit: Kryptonite. Step up stress or complications caused by kryptonite and gain 1 PP.

Specialties 

Combat Expert d8
Vehicle Expert d8

Milestones 

Clone of Steel
1 XP: When a Watcher character compares you to Superman.
3 XP: When attempt to seek approval from Superman or someone he respects.
10 XP: When Superman accepts you or completely rejects you.

Strays Follow Him Home 
 1 XP: When you encounter a non-human Watcher character that might make a good pet.
3 XP: When you bring a stray home to Mount Justice.
10 XP: When the stray becomes an allied Watcher character or he is set free.

Miss Martian [MHR]

Miss Martian 

Solo d8 Buddy d6 Team d10


Hello, Megan!
“Martian Manhunter’s Niece”
Untapped Potential

Powersets

Martian Physiology 
Flight D6
Shapeshifting d8
Invisibility d10
Telepathy d8
Telekinetic Control d10

SFX: Multipower. Use two or more Martial Physiology powers in a single dice pool at -1 step for each additional power.

SFX: Untapped Potential. Step up or double any Martian Physiology power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.

Limit: Vulnerable to Heat. Shutdown any Martian power and gain 1 PP when affected by a heat-based complication. Recover by removing the complication.

Specialties

Cosmic Expert
Tech Expert
Vehicle Expert

Milestones

Raised on Television
1 XP: When you rely on television for a cultural reference.
3 XP: When you attempt to recreate an event from “Hello, Megan.”
10 XP: When you make a significant change in another character to make them fit into a role from the show or you give up on using television.

Not Really J’onn’s Niece
1 XP: When you lie about your White Martian Heritage..
3 XP: When you inflict stress or a complication on a character in order to cover up your White Martian Heritage.
10 XP: When you either inflict Trauma on a teammate to cover up your heritage or reveal your heritage to your teammates.

Design Notes: Miss Martian is going to have the biggest change, in terms of stats between Seasons 1 and 2, but right now, this seems to fit. I could see breaking her powers into shapeshifting and telepathic powersets, but like other aliens (Superman, J'onn, Icon), it really seems like they should have just the single set, with Multipower so they can mix and match powers. 

Young Justice S1-02 Fireworks

Analysis from a RPG Perspective: Adding Superboy to the team this way makes for an interesting mix. In some ways, he's almost like the Sentry Unlockable from the Breakout Mini-Event. Of course, he's also a main character so perhaps the hypothetical GM said "hey, I want to tie your origin to the villains of the arc - do you mind if your character starts out in a stasis tube for the first half of the opening adventure?" Either way, this Superboy is an interesting mix of various versions of Superboy. He is a Cadmus Clone like the version introduced in the post-Death of Superman era. And, like that version, he's revealed to have Lex Luthor's DNA as well. But, that version had different powers, all stemming out of a "tactile telekinesis" field that let him fly and simulate super-strength. Our Superboy is more like early seasons of Smallville Clark Kent. No flight, no heat vision, etc. And, unlike ALL of the other previous incarnations of Superboy, this one is an Angry Young Man. Now, that was certainly necessary, just from a balance of personalities. The Cadmus Clone Superboy started out as a young horndog, like the Young Justice Kid Flash, and then kind of grew up a little, getting much more serious in the Geoff Johns Teen Titans, where he learned his human DNA was Lex's. (Originally, his human DNA came from the director of Cadmus, who wasn't Doctor Desmond / Blockbuster, but another guy. That's another way that Young Justice connected almost all of the villains to The Light.)

Anyway, we have the captured then escape sequence (a use of the 2d12 Doom Pool mechanic, if I've ever seen one), and the reveal of the Boss Villain that the burgeoning team has to defeat. Blockbuster was certainly too tough to just beat down. The way that Robin sussed out a way to collapse the building on Blockbuster seemed like Robin created the asset, the rest of the team made it bigger, and once they built it to a d12, they used it to beat Blockbuster. The building coming down seemed like a nice set of scenery.

And then the Justice League showed up to clean up the mess. Just seeing ALL the members was a pretty impressive sight, and the comics geek in me immediately twigged that, if Zatara was a member of the League, then it meant that we were going to see Zatanna on the team down the line.

The end scene where Miss Martian walks in was kind of disappointing, and I wished that they'd maybe held back one of the other members (Kid Flash or Aqualad, since Robin is the most recognizable member to the general population) and let M'gann shine in the first episode. I get that the idea was "let's introduce the team slowly, so the first episodes aren't overloaded" but it was unfortunately that they held back the two female characters the way they did. (And from a RPG perspective, Miss Martian's player probably couldn't make the game at the last minute and they just started without her.)

Player Character Datafiles
Miss Martian
Superboy

Watcher Datafiles
Blockbuster
Martian Manhunter
Superman