The Book of Crime-Master

[Ronin]

The Book of Crime-Master

C3G MARVEL WAVE 34
WEB OF VENOM


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Earth X set.
Its model number and name are #020 / Crime Master.

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Character Bio - Crime-Master is none other than Bennett Brant, the long-thought-dead brother of Betty Brant. Bennett was seemingly killed after getting in over his head with organized crime, but a mysterious organization revived him to take on the mantle of the Crime-Master. He set up a criminal empire and established a reputation as an arms-dealer. He managed to escape the notice of most superheroes, but eventually wound up on Venom's radar.

After learning Venom's secret identity, Crime-Master blackmailed him into helping acquire the Toxin symbiote, which he saw as a potentially lucrative asset. Crime-Master forcibly bonded Toxin to Eddie Brock in order to conscript the two of them into a cadre of supervillains known as the Savage Six.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Marvel figure, Crime-Master has these Marvel Synergies.
• As a figure with a secret identity, Crime-Master has these Secret Identity Synergies.
• As a Human, Crime-Master has these Human Synergies.
• As a Crime Lord, Crime-Master has these Crime Lord Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• Crime-Master may choose a Unique Symbiote Hero that has a secret identity to become Savage with his Symbiote Asset special power.
• Crime-Master can boost the attacks of, and recover Order Markers from, Savage Unique Heroes.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As a figure with a secret identity, Crime-Master interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a Human, Crime-Master interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a Crime Lord, Crime-Master interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a figure with a special attack, Crime-Master interacts differently with these special powers.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: Ronin
• Second playtest: Lord Pyre
• Third playtest: Arch-vile
• Fourth playtest: IAmBatman
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Soundwarp SG-1
• Bennett Brant and the Crime-Master persona created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
• Bennett Brant as Crime-Master introduced by Rick Remender and Tony Moore
• Comic art by Tony Moore

[Ronin]

NAME = CRIME-MASTER
SECRET IDENTITY = BENNETT BRANT

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CRIME LORD
PERSONALITY = PRAGMATIC

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 4

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4

POINTS = 160

SYMBIOTE ASSET
At the start of the game, you may choose a Unique Symbiote Hero you control that has a secret identity. While there is at least one Order Marker on this card, the chosen Hero is considered to have the Savage personality in addition to what is listed on its card.

SAVAGE SIX
Once per turn, when attacking normally with a Savage Unique Hero you control, you may roll 1 additional attack die if there is at least one Order Marker on this card. When a Savage Unique Hero you control is destroyed, you may move any unrevealed Order Markers from its Army Card to any other card in your army.

SECRET WEAPON SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 3. Attack 3.
Figures roll 3 fewer defense dice against this special attack. This special attack may only be used once per game.

[Ronin]

Comic art:

Spoiler Alert!

Mini:

Spoiler Alert!

Background:
You usually see him in some kind of gangster hideout. Here are a couple pages to give an idea of his general aesthetic:

Spoiler Alert!

[Ronin]

@japes @johnny139 @Lord Pyre @Soundwarp SG-1 @Yodaking

So here's the latest Venom thing I'm excited about! Just been over him a bit in the LCW, but still open to thoughts.

[IAmBatman]

So, what's the secret weapon?

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

So, what's the secret weapon?

He's an arms dealer, so he has stuff in stock. Traffics in anti-metal bullets, has a sonic gun for dealing with Venom, etc. Made sense to me to keep it vague and just let him "gotcha" anybody once a game.

[johnny139]

I think he's good to go!

Sidebar: having read this Venom run way before the Lee & Ditko Spider-Man, it's crazy to me that they plucked Bennett Brant for this guy. Like, honestly, he seems like a pretty decent dude in ASM! Kind of a weird choice to make him such a cold bastard.

[IAmBatman]

Gotcha. Sounds interesting. There goes my "SuperSoaker full of acid" theory, though.

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by johnny139

I think he's good to go!

Sidebar: having read this Venom run way before the Lee & Ditko Spider-Man, it's crazy to me that they plucked Bennett Brant for this guy. Like, honestly, he seems like a pretty decent dude in ASM! Kind of a weird choice to make him such a cold bastard.

Yeah, I think they were mainly trying to add a little gravity to the climax with Betty/Bennett/Flash, and Bennett's relationship with Betty was driving the choice more than anything about his personality.

It's also a crazy pull for just how far back they went - for the unfamiliar, Bennett had been dead since Amazing Spider-Man #11 (published in 1964) before they brought him back as the Crime-Master in 2012.

ASM #13-15 introduced Mysterio, the Green Goblin, and Kraven the Hunter; Bennett had been dead longer than those characters had existed when they brought him back!

[Yodaking]

-3 def. opened my eyes, but at once per game I'm okay with it. Kind of feel like the Saved OM should go onto his card or to someone with a Savage Personality instead of just anyone you happen to team up with. Just keeps the theme tighter and makes any old stat boosting types less attractive additions to the army.

[Ronin]

I thought about restricting where the OMs go to just Savage figures, but I wanted him to have the option of easily mixing in Crime Lord synergy units... especially Street Thugs. (Which doesn't mean that we couldn't restrict it somewhat, just that I wouldn't want to go all the way to just Savage figures getting the OMs)

[Lord Pyre]

Still looks great! Should the secret weapon be able to bypass spider/symbiote senses somehow?

Otherwise I love it.