Adaptoids® Technology
The Adaptoids® (a registered trademark of Advanced Idea Mechanics) are a series of pseudo-biological androids, commonly called "synthezoids", that are designed to replicate the skills, powers, and occasionally equipment of various superhumans. They are produced by AIM for various clientele, including but not limited to the Nefaria family of the Maggia, various corporations, schools for superhumans, and law enforcement agencies. The exact means by which the Adaptoids® replicate the powers is a trade secret, but likely involves dynamic molecules.
The Adaptoid®'s body is designed with a metal or hard plastic skeleton surrounded by several layers of synthetic muscle; the innermost layer of muscle is designed to act as a pseudobiological computer. The power source for the Adaptoids® is currently unknown. Despite the lack of obvious optic, auditory, and olfactory sensors, the Adaptoids® possess at a minimum the full human range of senses of vision, hearing, touch, and smell; some possess telescopic vision, the ability to see in infrared and ultraviolet spectra, hear in subsonic and ultrasonic frequencies, and analyze chemicals in the air. They stand close to six feet tall, weigh about two hundred fifty pounds, and are stronger than they look, although not superhumanly strong unless mimicking a power set that includes superhuman strength.
Physically, the Adaptoids® appear as humanoids composed of a flexible polymer with featureless heads. While the artificial skin colors vary greatly (various advertisements claim "sixteen million different colors", although this is most likely an exaggeration), most appear in one of ten standard colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, white, black, or gray. Other known colors include brown, gold, silver, florescent orange, and hot pink; various flesh tones are less common, but not unheard of. All of them have a large circle of a contrasting color on their heads and chest; most of the time the circle is either white or black.
The first generation of Adaptoids® were created in the late 1980s and are still the primary Adaptoids® on the market. These Adaptoids® are each programmed with up to five different power sets, which can only be used one at a time. The first generation Adaptoids® possess only rudimentary AI, requiring external commands from a computer to designate targets and select the active power set. Some are equipped with a speaker roughly where the mouth is located; most so equipped are simply programmed to state whose power set is being mimicked with a statement of "Accessing:" followed by the super in question. Some are programmed to reply to various stimuli, mimicking in-combat banter that is common among the super-set, but all such replies are delivered in a robotic monotone.
The second generation is, pardon the expression, more adaptable. This generation includes not only a larger database of superhumans to choose from, but is also able to analyze and duplicate powers used in their vicinity. The power analyzer is located in their head. Like their predecessors, these Adaptoids® can only have one power set active at a time. The AI in the second generation is slightly more advanced, enabling it to respond to voice commands from a designated commander. Neither generation of Adaptoid have AIs with self-awareness.
All Adaptoids® are programmed to be able to fight using their powers.
The first known appearance of the Adaptoids® occurred in the late 1980s on an artificial island built by AIM for HYDRA's use when the island was invaded by the outlaw hero team known as the Shadowguard. During the fracas, the Adaptoids® replicated the powers of the World War Two heroes Spitfire, the android Human Torch, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Miss America, and Blue Diamond; the First Line heroes Yankee Clipper, Yeti, and Rapunzel; and someone named Logan, who may have been Wolverine of the Renegades prior to his amnesia. According to some reports, the villain team called the Terrors later included an Adaptoid® as one of its members; this first-generaton Adaptoid® had apparently either somehow developed self-awareness or was programmed to support the team.
In the 21st Century, several Adaptoids® were used by various HYDRA cells and by AIM itself when facing off against CIA agent Nick Fury and his allies. Others were used by Count Lucino Nefaria as bodyguards when he came into conflict with Iron Man. More recently, a number of first-gen Adaptoids® were purchased by the NYPD's special anti-superhuman task force, Code: BLUE, for training purposes; others are known to be used by New York's Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, the Massachusetts Academy, and San Francisco's Champions Academy in their respective "Danger Rooms".
The prototype for a third generation of Adaptoid®, designed to be able to mix and match powers it analyzed, was programmed with self-awareness; whether this self-awareness was intentional or accidental due to differences in the design of the processing and storage layer from prior generations is currently under investigation. Abandoning its creators, this prototype has since become known as the Super-Adaptoid, and has come into confrontation with the Avengers and X-Men.
First Post-Reboot Appearance: (first generation: SHADOWGUARD #; (second generation) SECRET AGENT NICK FURY #
34,462 points
| ST: 15 [50] | HP: 15 [0] | Speed: 8.00 [40] |
| DX: 12 [40] | Will: 20 [50] | Move: 5 [-15] |
| IQ: 10 [0] | Per: 12 [10] | |
| HT: 12 [20] | FP: 12 [0] | SM: 0 |
| Dmg: 1d+1/2d+1 | BL: 45 lbs. | |
| Dodge: 12 | Parry: 11 | DR: 3* (Tough Skin) |
Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].
Cultural Familiarities: None [-1].
Advantages: Absolute Direction (Requires Signal, -20%) [4]; AI [32]; Ambidexterity [5]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Damage Resistance 3 (No Signature, +20%; Tough Skin, -40%) [12]; Doesn't Breathe [20]; Doesn't Eat or Drink [10]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Indomitable [15]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood; No Eyes; No Vitals; Unliving) [35]; Modular Abilities (Cosmic Power; 2,000 Points of Abilities) (Accessibility: Can Only Have One Power Set Active at a Time, -10%; Physical and Mental, +100%; Trait Limited: Advantages Only, -10%; Superscience, -10%) [34,000]; Pressure Support 1 [5]; Sealed [15]; Telecommunications (Radio) (Secure, +20%; Video, +40%; Electronic, -30%) [13]; Unfazeable [15]; Vacuum Support [5].
Disadvantages: Disturbing Voice [-10]; Low Empathy [-20]; No Sense of Humor [-10]; Oblivious [-5]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property) [-10]; Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25].
Quirks: No Mouth [-1]; Sexless [-1].
Skills: Acrobatics (H) DX-2 [1] – 10; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4] – 14; Climbing (A) DX+0 [2] – 12; Computer Operation/TL8 (E) IQ+0 [1] – 10; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Security) (A) IQ+2 [8] – 12; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Sensors) (A) IQ+2 [8] – 12; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Surveillance) (A) IQ+2 [8] – 12; Forced Entry (E) DX+0 [1] – 12; Gesture (E) IQ+2 [4] – 12; Guns/TL8 (Rifle) (E) DX+2 [4] – 14; Innate Attack (Beam) (E) DX+2 [4] – 14; Innate Attack (Gaze) (E) DX+2 [3] – 14*; Innate Attack (Projectile) (E) DX+2 [3] – 14*; Jumping (E) DX+0 [1] – 12; Lifting (A) HT+0 [2] – 12; Observation (A) Per+0 [2] – 12; Running (A) HT+0 [2] – 12; Search (A) Per+0 [2] – 12; Soldier/TL8 (A) IQ+0 [2] – 12; Speed-Reading (A) IQ+8 [32] – 18; Sumo Wrestling (A) DX+2 [8] – 14; Swimming (E) HT+0 [1] – 12; Throwing (A) DX+2 [8] – 14; Wrestling (A) DX+2 [8] – 14.
Starting Spending Money: $0.
Lenses:
Enhanced Sensor Suite (+78 points): add Discriminatory Smell (Profiling, +50%) [23]; Hyperspectral Vision [25]; Subsonic Hearing [5]; Telescopic Vision 4 [20]; and Ultrahearing [5].
Second-Generation (+35 points): add Detect Powers (Analyzing, +100%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Superscience, -10%) [35].
* Defaulted from Innate Attack (Beam).
Role-Playing Notes:
Adaptoids® have no personality to speak of; most are controlled by a central control program. (Nowadays, this program can be run on a tablet or possibly even a smartphone; back in the '80s it required a mainframe.) They have no independent thought, receiving their orders and following them to the best of their ability.
Only in extremely rare occasions should an Adaptoid® be suitable for use as a PC; point values are given solely for its use as an Ally.
| BRAWLING | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Reach | Parry | Cost | Weight | ST |
| – | Brawling Punch | 1d+1 cr | C | 11 | – | – | 15 |
| – | Brawling Kick | 1d+2 cr | C, 1 | n/a | – | – | 15 |