The Soviet Simian

Apes – gorillas, chimpanzees, and even orangutans have long been staples of the comic book genre, appearing as either enemies or allies of the protagonists and sometimes (as is the case for Detective Chimp or the Marvel Apes storyline) the protagonists themselves.  Earth-218 is no stranger to the apes-as-characters trope.  I hereby present to you a brief history of the Soviet Simian.  The characters in my current campaign will eventually cross paths with the Soviet Simian or one of the other characters from superhero campaigns I have run over the years.  Perhaps, as is traditional in most of their crossovers, the two groups will fight and then become allies to battle some villainous plot together.  Who knows?  I don't. I haven't planned that far ahead yet.

Soviet Simian (Ivan Ape)                           CR11

Male Anthromorphic Ape Gadgeteer 5/Warrior 4
LN Medium Humanoid
Init +5; Senses: Listen +2, Search +8, Spot +2
Languages: Read/Write and Speak English and Russian
AC: 21 (+3 Costume, +3 Natural, +5 Dex); t: 15; ff: 16, DR6 vs. firearms, DR4 vs. kinetic
Hp: 114 (11HD)
Immune: - -
Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +10

Spd: 30’ (6 sqaures), climb 30’

Melee +14 Iron Hammer: 1d10+16 (1d10+23 two-handed)
Melee +13 2 Claws 1d8+14 and +11 Bite 1d6+7
Ranged +13 Electrical Blast (from Iron Hammer) 4d6 Ref ½ DC19, max range 600’
Ranged +13 6P35 Pistol 2d6
Ranged +13 AN-94 Assault Rifle 2d8
Ranged +13 6G-30 Grenade launcher: damage by grenade type

Base Atk +8; Grap +22

Combat Gear: Costume (see below), Iron Hammer (see below), Silenced 6P35 Russian 9mm Double Action Autoloader Pistol and 2 clips w/ 18 rounds each; AN-94 Russian 5.45 mm Assault Rifle and 3 clips w/ 30 rounds each; 6G-30 Russian 40mm Rotary Grenade Launcher w/ 6 Fragmentation Grenades (3d6, 10’ burst, Ref ½ DC15), Soviet Military PMG KM-16A Gas Mask w/ 3 spare filters

Str 39, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 10

SA/SQ: Mutant abilities

Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency; Aircraft Operation (Helicopters); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Grenade Launchers) (b); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Rocket Launchers) (b); Improved Natural Attack (Claws); Multiattack; Weapon Focus (Maul) (b), Weapon Specialization (Maul) (b)

Skills: Climb +27, Concentration +13, Craft (Gadgetry) +11, Drive +13, Intimidate +5, Jump +19, Knowledge (Mathematics) +11, Knowledge (Military Protocol) +8, Knowledge (Superhumans) +11, Pilot +9, Science (Genetics) +11, Science (Metallurgy) +11, Search +8

Racial Abilities: Anthromorphic Ape: Racial HD (2d8), Darkvision 60’, +8 racial bonus to Climb checks (may always take 10, even if rushed or threatened), +3 natural armor, Natural Attacks (2 Claws and 1 Bite), ECL +2

               Mutant: Gain three “levels” worth of powers (3 Standard or 1 Improved and 1 Standard).  Optional Charisma penalty (-3 Cha in exchange for 1 additional “level” of power); +4 bonus on their initial Energy scores, LA +1; Gains Metahuman as a preferred class for multiclass purposes

Powers:

• Improved Brawn (+20 Str/DR4 vs. kinetic attacks, use the lower of Strength or Dexterity to determine attack bonus)

• Standard Meta-Constitution (+4 Con)
• Improved Damage Resistance (damage from all attacks reduced by 1/3)

Iron Hammer (9 energy, recharges 1 point/hour)

• Standard Energy Attack (Electrical): Long range; Energy cost: 1 – When activated, a bolt of red lightning bursts from the head of the hammer with a thunderous roar and brilliant flash of light.
• Standard Flight: (Level 5: fly 60’, average maneuverability, can hover, uses 1 energy/50 minutes)

Costume (Red Kevlar/Titanium Chain Reinforced Tunic with Golden Hammer and Sickle emblem above heart, Red Pants; Black Leather “Gloves” for feet) (provides 2-point DR vs. firearms and converts half of the remaining damage to nonlethal damage; +2 save vs. fire attacks)

Weakness:

• Physical Limitation: Cannot swim
• Social Stigma: Obvious Mutant (-3 Cha)

Birthplace: Skuhumi Research Station, Province of Abkhazia, Democratic Republic of Georgia, USSR

Sex: Male     Age: 81 (physically 24; cryogenically frozen from 1953 – 2010)
Birthrank: 1 of 3; born March 10^th, 1930     # of Siblings: 2 “brothers” (Comrade Chimp, Red Ape, both deceased)
Height: 6’     Weight: 500 lbs.     Hair: Black     Eyes: Brown
Appearance: Ivan’s body is covered in a coat of dark grey or black flecked with grey hair. He has massive, broad shoulders, a huge chest and upper abdomen and powerful arms. His legs are short and slim, ending in feet with a divergent big toe.  His head slopes back to a distinct crest — similar to the gorilla — and there appears to be a bony ridge above the eyes. Ivan’s mouth is small, his eyes are set wide apart and his nose is distinctly humanoid. When angry or startled, Ivan exposes his teeth — revealing oddly broad incisors and prominent, long canine teeth.  Ivan wears a close-fitting red bodysuit and carries a massive technologically-advanced sledgehammer.

• 10 Mar 1930: Test Subject B23-942 is the only surviving result of Ilya Ivanov's Human/Chimp Crossbreeding program.  He is born at the Skuhumi Research Station, Province of Abkhazia, Democratic Republic of Georgia. He was given the nickname "Ivan" but when he entered military service he was designated with the codename "Soviet Simian". He has two “brothers” who are designated Comrade Chimp and the Red Ape. Ivan is a devoted Communist and patriot in the service of Josef Stalin's Russia.

• 06 Apr 1941 – 08 May 1945: Ivan fights Germans all along the Eastern Front during the Second World War.  His valor and devotion to service are lauded by his fully human "handlers".  As the fighting drags on, the Soviet Simian works alongside Nikolai Tesla and develops a powerful weapon to use against the Nazi menace. The Iron Hammer, as it is soon dubbed, proves to be formidable in combat and helps save many loyal Russian soldiers and grinds the German advance to a halt.

• 09 May 1945 -05 Mar 1953: After World War II ends, Ivan is assigned to serve as Josef Stalin’s personal bodyguard.  He spends the next several years protecting him from superhuman threats.

• 09 May 1953: Several of Stalin's supporters smuggle Ivan out of Moscow and back to the Skuhumi Research Station where he was created due to rumors that Nikita Khrushchev would have Ivan put to death as a symbolic act to end Stalin's regime of fear and paranoia. Ivan is taken to a hidden area in the research station and placed in cryogenic stasis to be revived when it is safe to do so.  However, Stalin's supporters are correct in the fears they harbor regarding Krushchev's intentions and are promptly arrested and executed for crimes against the state.

• 10 May 1953 – 15 Jun 2008: While in the cryogenic pod, Ivan receives a daily "upload" of world news and other developments from the supercomputers that oversee the monitoring of his vital functions.  Fail safes programmed into the Soviet Simian's life support pod revive him after nearly 60 years of suspended animation. Ivan escapes from the facility and into Eastern Europe where he tries to plan his next move. He eventually comes to the attention of Interpol and is approached by several agents who offer him a position within the organization that would allow him to protect civilians from superhuman threats and terrorists.