Devil-Slayer Anti-Hero
Real Name: Eric Simon Payne.
Occupation: Adventurer, former marine, former criminal hitman.
Identity: Secret.
Legal Status: Citizen of the United States with a criminal record.
Other Aliases: Reaper of Souls.
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Marital Status: Divorced.
Known Relatives: Cory (ex-wife).
Group Affiliation: Former member of the Cult of Harvester of Eyes and the Maggia; formerly the United States Marine Corps.
Base of Operations: Mobile, formerly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
First Post-Reboot Appearance: DOCTOR STRANGE: SORCERER SUPREME #
History: Eric Simon Payne grew up in poverty, joining the US Marine Corps right out of high school in order to get out of the slums. He has said that during his time in the service as a sniper he did little he was actually proud of; he was ultimately court-martialed and dishonorably discharged for injuring a number of civilians during a firefight against Taliban forces.
Once he served his time in a military prison, he found his prospects for employment extremely slim. In desperation, he took a job working as a hitman for the Philadelphia Maggia. He deluded himself into thinking his targets were other criminals and crooked police on the payroll of rival cartels. However, the hit that changed his life was that of police officer Frank Castle, perhaps one of the few officers who was trying to bring down the cartel. It was Payne who was responsible for car-bombing Castle's family. Disgusted with himself, he left town.
Almost immediately after, he was recruited by the half-demon cult leader calling herself Vera Gemini to act as one of her Harvester of Souls, the cult's enforcers and assassins. He stayed with Gemini's cult, the Cult of the Harvester of Eyes, long enough to gain information on their plans before using the Shadow Cloak they'd given him to flee, seeking assistance in bringing them down.
This assistance he found in Doctor Strange, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, and Strange's apprentice Clea, who assisted Payne in bringing a halt to Gemini's plans. Payne himself was the one who defeated Gemini by sending her through myriad dimensions with his Shadow Cloak. Although he briefly considered taking control of the Cult in order to forge it into a force for good rather than extradimensional evil, he ultimately decided to work toward dismantling the Cult's operations worldwide.
Payne, now calling himself Devil-Slayer, was next seen among those adventurers who gathered to fight the Zodiac Cartel when the Zodiac formed an energy dome over Manhattan. During this time, Castle discovered what Payne had done in the past; though the two fought side by side against the Zodiac's forces, Castle told Payne to keep looking over his shoulder. Payne then shocked everyone by pulling an assault carbine out of the Shadow Cloak, handing it to Castle, and putting the barrel against his own head, daring Castle to pull the trigger right there and end it, explaining his entire past and saying he deserved it. Castle, however, found himself unable to do the deed, having come to respect Payne, and the two parted on respectful terms.
Payne's current whereabouts are unknown.
Age: 36.
Height: 6' 1".
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Brown.
Uniform: Blue-black bodysuit, red-orange gloves, red-orange boots, blue-black cowl that leaves the entire face visible, red-orange cloak with a yellow-gold interior held with a gold clasp, red-orange belt, red-orange crossed straps over the chest.
Strength Level: Devil-Slayer possesses the normal human strength of a man his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise.
Known Superhuman Powers: Devil-Slayer possesses minor psychic abilities. He can telepathically cloud the perceptions of others to appear as though he's wearing normal clothes or to hide completely from the sight of others, although cameras will always pick him up (if anyone in his vicinity is watching the camera's feed, however, they will perceive him as he wishes to be seen).
In addition, he is almost impossible to take by surprise, possessing an innate sense that lets him sense when he (or an ally) is in danger.
The origin of Devil-Slayer's psionic power is unknown; he does not register as a mutant.
Other Abilities: Eric Payne is a skilled hand to hand combatant and marksman familiar with most weapons.
Weapons and Paraphernalia: Devil-Slayer owns what is known as a Shadow Cloak, a magical garment which has a number of enchantments on it.
First, Devil-Slayer is able to use the Shadow Cloak to pull any weapon from across space and time he can visualize into his hands through the folds in the cloak. These weapons may be normal or enchanted, from the distant past into the far future. He has summoned enchanted swords, Asgardian uru axes, modern assault carbines, and even a laser pistol. Placing the weapon back into the folds of the cloak sends it back where it came from.
Furthermore, the Shadow Cloak can be used to teleport Payne and up to four other people through another dimension to any place on Earth. He is not able to use the cloak to teleport inside places warded by magic. He claims to be able to traverse all the dimensions, but the full extent of this ability is unknown. The teleport may not be instantaneous, and Payne and any passengers he is carrying may use the dimension connected to the cloak as a kind of way-station, remaining indefinitely if they so choose.
Finally, the Cloak responds to Devil-Slayer's thoughts, moving as if another pair of arms to grapple others Payne may specify. He is able to mentally control the Shadow Cloak from afar, though it's unknown if this is because he has a psychic link with the Cloak or if the Cloak is itself self-aware.
Devil-Slayer's Shadow Cloak is not the only one of its kind, as there are reportedly a number of these cloaks in existence. During the late '80s, Bellona of the Shadowguard reportedly retrieved a Shadow Cloak from an alternate timeline during one of that team's adventures. The Cult of the Harvester of Eyes reportedly owned several of these Shadow Cloaks, worn by their Agents of Fortune (thieves) and Reapers of Souls (assassins). It's unknown just how many of these Cloaks are in existence, nor their relationship with Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation.
552 points
| ST: 14 [40] | HP: 14 [0] | Speed:7.00 [0] |
| DX: 14 [80] | Will: 13 [10] | Move: 7 [0] |
| IQ: 11 [20] | Per: 13 [10] | |
| HT: 14 [40] | FP: 14 [0] | SM: 0 |
| Dmg: 1d/2d | BL: 39 lbs. | |
| Dodge: 11 | Parry: 12 | DR: 12/4* (uniform) |
| Block: 11 | ||
Languages: Afghan Persian (Accented) [4]; English (Native) (Native Language) [0]; Pashto (Broken) [2].
Cultural Familiarities: Central Asian [1]; Western (Native) [0].
Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; Danger Sense (Psionic, -10%) [14]; Elastic Skin (Accessibility: Affects Clothing Only, -50%; Glamour (Will-5), -5%; Psionic, -10%) [7]; Fit [5]; Hard to Kill 1 [2]; Hard to Subdue 1 [2]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Invisibility (Glamous (Will-5), -5%; Psionic, -10%) [34]; Temperature Tolerance 1 [1].
Shadow Cloak: Binding 15 (Constricting, +75%; Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Melee Attack: Dual, +10%; Melee Attack: Reach 1,2, -20%; One-Shot, -10%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Unbreakable, +40%; Magical, -10%) [45]; Jumper (Pocket Dimension) (Affects Others 4, +200%; Bewildering Landscape, -20%; Can Carry Objects (Medium Encumbrance), +20%; Faster Concentration 4, +20%; Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Gyroscopic, +10%; Improved, +10%; Magical, -10%; Alternative Ability, ×1/5) [62]; Jumper (World) (Affects Others 4, +200%; Can Carry Objects (Medium Encumbrance), +20%; Faster Concentration 4, +20%; Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Improved, +10%; Interplanar, +100%; Magical, -10%) [420]; Snatcher (Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Large Items, +50%; More Weight: 20 lbs.; Permanent, +300%; Reduced Time 4, +80%; Specialized: Weapons Only, -10%; Unpredictable, -25%; Magical, -10%; Alternative Ability, ×1/5) [78]; Warp (Affects Others 4, +200%; Blind, +50%; Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Stealth or Trickery, -20%; No Strain, +20%; Range Limit: 10,000 miles, -10%; Reliable +10, +50%; Tracking, +20%; Magical, -10%; Alternative Ability, ×1/5) [81].
Perks: Cloaked [1]; Style Familiarity (Sniper) [1]; Sure-Footed (Uneven) [1].
Disadvantages: Enemy (Cult of the Harvester of Eyes; Large Group, up to 1,000 people) (9) [-30]; On the Edge (12) [-15]; Secret Identity (Imprisonment) [-20]; Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) [-5]; Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5]; Wealth (Poor) [-15].
Quirks: Alcohol Intolerance [-1]; Cynical [-1]; Foul-Mouthed [-1]; Insensitive [-1]; Limited Hearing Loss (Low-Frequency) [-1].
Skills: Acting (A) IQ+1 [4] – 12; Axe/Mace (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4] – 16; Broadsword (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Climbing (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Cloak (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Computer Operation/TL8 (E) IQ+0 [1] – 11; Driving/TL8 (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX-1 [1] – 13; Driving/TL8 (Tracked) (A) DX-1 [1] – 13; Explosives/TL8 (Demolition) (A) IQ+1 [4] – 12; Fast-Draw (Longarm) (E) DX+2 [2] – 16*; Fast-Draw (Pistol) (E) DX+2 [2] – 16*; Fast-Draw (Sword) (E) DX+2 [2] – 16*; First Aid/TL8 (Human) (E) IQ+0 [1] – 11; Guns/TL8 (Light Anti-Armor Weapon) (E) DX+2 [4] – 16; Guns/TL8 (Pistol) (E) DX+2 [4] – 16; Guns/TL8 (Rifle) (E) DX+2 [4] – 16; Hiking (A) HT+0 [2] – 14; Judo (H) DX+0 [4] – 14; Jumping (E) DX+1 [2] – 15; Lifting (A) HT+0 [2] – 14; Liquid Projector/TL8 (Flamethrower) (E) DX+0 [1] – 14; NBC Suit/TL8 (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Observation (A) Per+1 [4] – 14; Parachuting/TL8 (E) DX+0 [1] – 14; Running (A) HT+0 [2] – 14; Savoir-Faire (Mafia) (E) IQ+1 [2] – 12; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ+1 [2] – 12; Shield (Shield) (E) DX+0 [1] – 14; Shortsword (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Soldier/TL8 (A) IQ+1 [4] – 12; Spear (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Staff (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Stealth (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Survival (Desert) (A) Per-1 [1] – 12; Survival (Mountain) (A) Per-1 [1] – 12; Swimming (E) HT+0 [1] – 14; Throwing (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Thrown Weapon (Knife) (E) DX+1 [2] – 15; Two-Handed Sword (A) DX+0 [2] – 14; Wrestling (A) DX+0 [2] – 14.
Starting Spending Money: $800 (20% of Starting Wealth).
* Includes +2 from Charisma.
† Includes +3 from Magery.
Role-Playing Notes:
Devil-Slayer is in many ways a haunted man who has done terrible things in his time, and is attempting to atone for them in much the only way he knows how. In a way, he wants to die, but he wants to fix things as best he can before he does. This does not stop him from taking life-threatening risks in combat.
| BRAWLING | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Reach | Parry | Cost | Weight | ST | Notes |
| – | Brawling Punch | 1d cr | C | 12 | – | – | 14 | |
| – | Brawling Kick | 1d+1 cr | C, 1 | n/a | – | – | 14 | |
Design Notes:
1. In the comics, Payne was not the hitman who killed Castle's family. In one of Payne's later appearances in the original run of Defenders, Payne was attacked by the journalist whose family he had killed in a manner similar to Castle's, which ultimately led him to reconcile with his wife (for a short time, at least, before they killed her off to get Payne active again).