League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1980s

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Action campaign idea:

OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
(from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
be summoned?)

He enters: "I am your host, Mr. Roark. I have called
you all here because of the aliens that have recently
come to our planet. They claim to come in peace. I hope
that it is so. But I have my doubts about these...
Visitors."
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

"Dan Childers" <dchilders@cablespeed.com> wrote:
> Action campaign idea:
>
> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
> (from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
> mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
> be summoned?)

It needs to be characters whose skills complement each other rather than
overlap. Try a team like:

John Rambo
Colt Severs (The Fall Guy)
Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)
Doc Brown and Marty (Back to the Future)
Michael Knight and KITT (Knight Rider)

You really should have CJ from Baywatch too, but unfortunately it's just
outside the 80s...


--
David Meadows
I've got nothing to say today
I used my words up yesterday
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

David Meadows wrote:
> "Dan Childers" <dchilders@cablespeed.com> wrote:
>
>>Action campaign idea:
>>
>>OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
>>(from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
>>mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
>>be summoned?)
>
>
> It needs to be characters whose skills complement each other rather than
> overlap. Try a team like:
>
> John Rambo
> Colt Severs (The Fall Guy)
> Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)
> Doc Brown and Marty (Back to the Future)
> Michael Knight and KITT (Knight Rider)
>
> You really should have CJ from Baywatch too, but unfortunately it's just
> outside the 80s...

Or by catagory. There is of course some overlap:

TOUGH GUY
John McLane (Die Hard)
'Dirty' Harry Callahan (The Dead Pool version)
Lt. Hiram Coffey (the Navy SEAL from The Abyss)

MORE THEN HUMAN
The Terminator (Terminator)
The Predator (Predator)
Micheal Myers (Halloween)

TOYS
Ralph Hanley (The Greatest American Hero)
Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)

BRAINS
Angus Macgyver (Macgyver)
Rollie Tyler and Leo McCarthy (F/X)
Chris Knight (Val Kilmer's character in Real Genius)

GUMSHOE
Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI)
Maddie Hayes and David Addison (Moonlighting)
Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs (Miami Vice)

etc, etc, etc...

MSH
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

MSH wrote:


> etc, etc, etc...

Oh yea, and technically you could have the whole Battlestar Galatica crew:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0080221/

But really the 80's were bad enough without bringing in dreck like that.

Proving I've watched entirely too much TV...
MSH
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:00:03 -0800, MSH <mshaslam@drizzle.com> wrote:

>MSH wrote:
>
>
>> etc, etc, etc...
>
>Oh yea, and technically you could have the whole Battlestar Galatica crew:
> http://imdb.com/title/tt0080221/
>
>But really the 80's were bad enough without bringing in dreck like that.
>
>Proving I've watched entirely too much TV...

Actually having the Galactica be the ones who are arriving might be a
bit more interesting than having the Vulcans arrive. It would after
all, be a crisis.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

rgormannospam@telusplanet.net (David Johnston) wrote in
news:419a9612.198061122@news.telusplanet.net:

> On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:00:03 -0800, MSH <mshaslam@drizzle.com> wrote:
>
>>MSH wrote:

>>Oh yea, and technically you could have the whole Battlestar Galatica
>>crew:
>
> Actually having the Galactica be the ones who are arriving might be a
> bit more interesting than having the Vulcans arrive. It would after
> all, be a crisis.

Not Vulcans, Visitors (from the V miniseries, yes?)

JSwing
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

MSH <mshaslam@drizzle.com> wrote on 17 marras 2004:
> David Meadows wrote:


>> John Rambo
>> Colt Severs (The Fall Guy)
>> Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)
>> Doc Brown and Marty (Back to the Future)
>> Michael Knight and KITT (Knight Rider)

> John McLane (Die Hard)
> The Terminator (Terminator)
> Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)
> Angus Macgyver (Macgyver)
> Maddie Hayes and David Addison (Moonlighting)
> Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs (Miami Vice)

I'd pay $10/issue for casts like these, even if the writing was only
middling.

--
Samy Merchi | samy@iki.fi | http://www.iki.fi/samy | #152235689
Reader of superhero comic books, writer of superhero fanfiction
"*Astrolabe*...whirls...*twirls*!"
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

JSwing <JSwing@no.spam.please> wrote in message news:<Xns95A3ADD6D443CthreeMusketeers@216.168.3.50>...
> Not Vulcans, Visitors (from the V miniseries, yes?)
>

Correct. They make great main villains for this idea.
 
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MSH <mshaslam@drizzle.com> wrote in message news:<cne0hm$u8q$1@gnus01.u.washington.edu>...
> David Meadows wrote:

A lot of suggestions


OK: so it's John Rambo, Bruce Leeroy (I liked "The Last
Dragon" a lot, plus it is the most 80s thing I ever
saw in my life); add McGyver, Axel Foley, John McLane,
the Ghostbusters. And Crockett and Tubbs, just because
their show was so hot back then and so forgotten now.

Ooh, how about Airwolf? And Jonathon and
Jennifer Hart (Hart to Hart)?

The A-Team would probably be allies, of the "heroes
meet and fight and then team up" sort. In fact,
the LXG80s might at first be trying to apprehend
them--they are technically fugitives from justice,
after all.

The Terminator, Predators, and Michael Myers are
all villains. "Foo with the mask on won't stay
down! Worse'n *you*, McLane!"

And a nice plot idea: the team eventually has
to have Doc Brown and Marty soup up B.A.
Barracus' van (because it is hella cool) and
go back in time to foil the Visitors.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Dan Childers wrote:
> Action campaign idea:
>
> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
> (from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
> mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
> be summoned?)

You need fast transportation. Stringfellow Hawke and Dominic Santini,
Airwolf.


>
> He enters: "I am your host, Mr. Roark. I have called
> you all here because of the aliens that have recently
> come to our planet. They claim to come in peace. I hope
> that it is so. But I have my doubts about these...
> Visitors."

Don't worry, you can get some help from the Newcomers.



--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/seawasp/
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Interesting idea and a lot of interesting ideas. I think using characters
from period drama produced during the 1980s could be interesting and would
give the group a little more depth. More left field would be interesting...

My take your be a group brought together by an aged professor (only
identified as Professor Jones) and led by an embittered Vitnam vet - a
former army journalist who has been sidelined by the establishment for
investigating whatever it is that Jones has brought the group together to
fight. (Prof Jones aka Indiana Jones and the guy from Full Metal Jacket -
Joker?)

Egon from Ghostbusters would be interesting. You'd have to had at least
one movie/tv action hero I'd probably go with a pairing of B.A. from
A-Team and Riggs from Lethal Weapon. You'd also need a token bastard/rogue
Rorhasch from the Watchmen graphic novel could do or one of the Blues
Brothers. Women characters from the 1980s are rather poor and I can't
think of way of getting Red Sonja into the group.

I think the group should face a conspiracy, a cabal of powerful companies
(including as many references from 80s sci-fi as you like) brought
together under the flag of the shadow Knight Foundation. The campaign
would then be a battle between Michael Knight (or his second replacement)
and a rather battered KITT, who is currently disguised as Professor Jones
Woody.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Jason Kirk wrote:

>Women characters from the 1980s are rather poor and I can't
>think of way of getting Red Sonja into the group.

Same way they got her into the modern day in Marvel Comics? She possessed a
modern-day descendant. (In Marvel's case, Mary Jane Watson.)

Phil
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

In article <c02c3b0f.0411170814.4824ee9d@posting.google.com>,
Dan Childers <dchilders@cablespeed.com> wrote:
>MSH <mshaslam@drizzle.com> wrote in message news:<cne0hm$u8q$1@gnus01.u.washington.edu>...
>> David Meadows wrote:
>
>A lot of suggestions
>
>
>OK: so it's John Rambo, Bruce Leeroy (I liked "The Last
>Dragon" a lot, plus it is the most 80s thing I ever
>saw in my life); add McGyver, Axel Foley, John McLane,
>the Ghostbusters. And Crockett and Tubbs, just because
>their show was so hot back then and so forgotten now.

Crockett and Tubbs can be doing an investigation that ties into the
main plot. More than a cameo but not main characters.

>Ooh, how about Airwolf? And Jonathon and
>Jennifer Hart (Hart to Hart)?

Airwolf can appear near the end as reinforcements. Not sure how you'd
get the Harts to fit in without duplicating people already in place.

>The A-Team would probably be allies, of the "heroes
>meet and fight and then team up" sort. In fact,
>the LXG80s might at first be trying to apprehend
>them--they are technically fugitives from justice,
>after all.

Maybe even in a few scenes where we do not follow the A-Team's
mission, except when it directly interacts with the main plot. Sort
of like how both Dr Who and Blakes's 7 had a crossover (both ont eh
same space station at the same time), but expect for the one "passing
at a crosspoint in the hallways", the two groups never met even though
the actions of the others were refected in both stories ("unexplained
unseen events" that occurs in the other show).

>The Terminator, Predators, and Michael Myers are
>all villains. "Foo with the mask on won't stay
>down! Worse'n *you*, McLane!"

Agreed, too powerful. Unless this was a series intead of a single
movie, then they could be a "villain of the week".

>And a nice plot idea: the team eventually has
>to have Doc Brown and Marty soup up B.A.
>Barracus' van (because it is hella cool) and
>go back in time to foil the Visitors.

Again, nice idea, especially for the ending, but it would take too
long for a single movie.

Wayne


--
_ __ _ __ | I see the girls walk by dressed in
' ) / // / / ) / | their summer clothes; I have to turn
/ / / o // __/ / __. __ __/ | my head until my darkness goes...
(_(_/ <_</_(_/ (__/ (_/|_/ (_(_/_ | -Rolling Stones, "Paint It Black"
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Jason Kirk <usenet@captain.custard.org> wrote:

>Egon from Ghostbusters would be interesting.

He would be, as would Peter Venkmann. But does Ghostbusters
really fit into the concept? If you're going to posit a world
where all these characters co-exist without already knowing
about each other, it might be best to stick to low-key characters.
James Bond, Indiana Jones, Michael Knight, Airwolf, the A-Team,
John McClane, most of the others who've been mentioned, they all
have huge adventures but the average joe on the street will have
never heard of them. The stuff the Ghostbusters did would've been
front-page news.

Or maybe I'm thinking about this too much.

>You'd also need a token bastard/rogue
>Rorhasch from the Watchmen graphic novel could do or one of the Blues
>Brothers.

The Blues Brothers would be absolutely perfect. At least have Elwood
as the team's driver. Jake could still be in prison if you want to
keep him out of it.

> Women characters from the 1980s are rather poor and I can't
>think of way of getting Red Sonja into the group.

Sarah Connor from the Terminator would work. Between the first
and second movies, she went from helpless victim to kick-ass
heroine. This adventure could be one of her stops along the way.

I'm trying to think of other 80's-era female characters that
could fit. I'm sure there are any number, but damned if my
brain will let me remember any of them. If you're looking
for action/combat types, they were definitely thin on the
ground in the 80's.

Clarice Starling first appeared in movies during the early
90's, but the book was a few years older.

Laurie Strode - Jamie Lee Curtis' character from Halloween -
could be interesting. Largely a blank slate character who
could be developed far more than she was in the movies.

Other than that, I got nothing.

Pete
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Peter Meilinger wrote:

> Jason Kirk <usenet@captain.custard.org> wrote:
>
>
>>Egon from Ghostbusters would be interesting.
>
>
> He would be, as would Peter Venkmann. But does Ghostbusters
> really fit into the concept? If you're going to posit a world
> where all these characters co-exist without already knowing
> about each other, it might be best to stick to low-key characters.
> James Bond, Indiana Jones, Michael Knight, Airwolf, the A-Team,
> John McClane, most of the others who've been mentioned, they all
> have huge adventures but the average joe on the street will have
> never heard of them. The stuff the Ghostbusters did would've been
> front-page news.
>
> Or maybe I'm thinking about this too much.
>
>
>>You'd also need a token bastard/rogue
>>Rorhasch from the Watchmen graphic novel could do or one of the Blues
>>Brothers.
>
>
> The Blues Brothers would be absolutely perfect. At least have Elwood
> as the team's driver. Jake could still be in prison if you want to
> keep him out of it.
>
>
>>Women characters from the 1980s are rather poor and I can't
>>think of way of getting Red Sonja into the group.
>
>
> Sarah Connor from the Terminator would work. Between the first
> and second movies, she went from helpless victim to kick-ass
> heroine. This adventure could be one of her stops along the way.
>
> I'm trying to think of other 80's-era female characters that
> could fit. I'm sure there are any number, but damned if my
> brain will let me remember any of them. If you're looking
> for action/combat types, they were definitely thin on the
> ground in the 80's.
>
> Clarice Starling first appeared in movies during the early
> 90's, but the book was a few years older.
>
> Laurie Strode - Jamie Lee Curtis' character from Halloween -
> could be interesting. Largely a blank slate character who
> could be developed far more than she was in the movies.
>
> Other than that, I got nothing.

What about Charlie's Angels? Granted, the show started in the
70's, but you could go with Chris, Tiffany, and Julie... Bosley,
of course. And it wouldn't surprise me if Mr. Roark and Charlie
had crossed paths before...

Arne
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

"Wayne S Garmil" wrote:
> Sort
> of like how both Dr Who and Blakes's 7 had a crossover (both ont eh
> same space station at the same time), but expect for the one "passing
> at a crosspoint in the hallways", the two groups never met even though
> the actions of the others were refected in both stories ("unexplained
> unseen events" that occurs in the other show).

When was that, exactly? I can't recall it from either show.


--
David Meadows
I've got nothing to say today
I used my words up yesterday
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

In article <419d1213$0$33640$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net>,
David Meadows <david@no.spam.here.uk> wrote:
>"Wayne S Garmil" wrote:
>> Sort
>> of like how both Dr Who and Blakes's 7 had a crossover (both ont eh
>> same space station at the same time), but expect for the one "passing
>> at a crosspoint in the hallways", the two groups never met even though
>> the actions of the others were refected in both stories ("unexplained
>> unseen events" that occurs in the other show).
>
>When was that, exactly? I can't recall it from either show.

I'm pretty sure some of the props made a cross over (the Police helmets
from the first B7 appear in Dr Who (I don't recall which episode))



--
Michael
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NPC rights activist | Nameless Abominations are people too.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:17:20 GMT, Sea Wasp
<seaobviouswasp@sgeobviousinc.com> wrote:

>Dan Childers wrote:
>> Action campaign idea:
>>
>> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
>> (from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
>> mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
>> be summoned?)
>
> You need fast transportation. Stringfellow Hawke and Dominic Santini,
>Airwolf.

Not to mention air support from Blue Thunder and Goose & Maverick's
F-16.

And for funky transport... how about the aircraft carrier from "The
Final Countdown" with Kirk Douglas? A time-travelling carrier is my
personal dream...

-----
"There'll be someone else sitting here for Comedy Central.
And that person... or woman... will have to face the fact
that this is the network built on... South Park."
- Craig Kilborn, The Daily Show
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

MSH wrote:
> BRAINS
> ***** Macgyver (Macgyver)

Finally someone able to spell MacGyver's name almost
correctly, although it still bothers me when people reveal
his first name, since it is such a well kept secret.

> Rollie Tyler and Leo McCarthy (F/X)

Angela Ramirez was quite useful in the TV show, although
IIRC she didn't do much in the original movies (to the point
where she might not even have had a last name).

--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Dan Childers wrote:
> Action campaign idea:
>
> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy
> (from "The Last Dragon") have been summoned by a
> mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on who else might
> be summoned?)
>
> He enters: "I am your host, Mr. Roark. I have called
> you all here because of the aliens that have recently
> come to our planet. They claim to come in peace. I hope
> that it is so. But I have my doubts about these...
> Visitors."

There was a remake of Mission Impossible in the 80's. It
only ran for one or two seasons, IIRC, but was actually
pretty good.

--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Peter Meilinger wrote:
> Jason Kirk <usenet@captain.custard.org> wrote:
>>Women characters from the 1980s are rather poor and I can't
>>think of way of getting Red Sonja into the group.
>
> Sarah Connor from the Terminator would work. Between the first
> and second movies, she went from helpless victim to kick-ass
> heroine. This adventure could be one of her stops along the way.

She didn't "go". She "self-trained", all the way. Which
makes adding her in all the more valuable, since there are
*very* few interesting female characters from that area.

> I'm trying to think of other 80's-era female characters that
> could fit. I'm sure there are any number, but damned if my

I'm not sure there are.

> brain will let me remember any of them. If you're looking
> for action/combat types, they were definitely thin on the
> ground in the 80's.

What else would you look for?

> Clarice Starling first appeared in movies during the early
> 90's, but the book was a few years older.

Not many years, IIRC. I can go check, but I'd susepct the
book is from 1990. And anyway Clarice Starling isn't
particularly competent in Silence of the Lambs, she's just
driven (which in turn will make her competent in the third
book).

[comes back from < www.fantasticfiction.com >]

Oh, it's from 1988, so Starling can be used, even though
Lecter is an infinitely more interesting character -
especially in the 2nd book (he appears in three distinctly
different versions. I prefer the one in the 2nd book, which
also happens to be the one that is the least politically
correct).

--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 23:52:53 -0500, Human Liquid Balloon wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:17:20 GMT, Sea Wasp
> <seaobviouswasp@sgeobviousinc.com> wrote:
>
>>Dan Childers wrote:
>>> Action campaign idea:
>>>
>>> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy (from "The Last
>>> Dragon") have been summoned by a mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on
>>> who else might be summoned?)
>>
>> You need fast transportation. Stringfellow Hawke and Dominic Santini,
>>Airwolf.
>
> Not to mention air support from Blue Thunder and Goose & Maverick's F-16.

The F-16 Falcon isn't known for either having a two man crew or being
able to operate from an aircraft carrier[1].

Are you perhaps thinking of the F-14 Tomcat?


[1] Although the fighter that lost the contract to the F-16 can:
Further development of the YF-17 would result in it's adoption by the US
Navy as the F/A-18.

--
Phoenix
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:50:18 -0500, Rick Pikul <rwpikul@sympatico.ca>
wrote:

>On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 23:52:53 -0500, Human Liquid Balloon wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:17:20 GMT, Sea Wasp
>> <seaobviouswasp@sgeobviousinc.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Dan Childers wrote:
>>>> Action campaign idea:
>>>>
>>>> OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy (from "The Last
>>>> Dragon") have been summoned by a mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on
>>>> who else might be summoned?)
>>>
>>> You need fast transportation. Stringfellow Hawke and Dominic Santini,
>>>Airwolf.
>>
>> Not to mention air support from Blue Thunder and Goose & Maverick's F-16.
>
> The F-16 Falcon isn't known for either having a two man crew or being
>able to operate from an aircraft carrier[1].
>
> Are you perhaps thinking of the F-14 Tomcat?


Damn, yeah... that's the one I meant. Been a long time since I was
into military avionics.

-----
"There'll be someone else sitting here for Comedy Central.
And that person... or woman... will have to face the fact
that this is the network built on... South Park."
- Craig Kilborn, The Daily Show
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Rick Pikul wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 23:52:53 -0500, Human Liquid Balloon wrote:
>
>
>>On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:17:20 GMT, Sea Wasp
>><seaobviouswasp@sgeobviousinc.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Dan Childers wrote:
>>>
>>>>Action campaign idea:
>>>>
>>>>OK, so John Rambo, the A-Team, and Bruce Leeroy (from "The Last
>>>>Dragon") have been summoned by a mysterious patron. (Any suggestions on
>>>>who else might be summoned?)
>>>
>>> You need fast transportation. Stringfellow Hawke and Dominic Santini,
>>>Airwolf.
>>
>>Not to mention air support from Blue Thunder and Goose & Maverick's F-16.
>

You could have Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers too; there were several
Bionic Movies in the '80s.




--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/seawasp/
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

A couple of philosophical notes: To capture the spirit of Moore's LXG,
it's probably a good idea to collect solo heroes, rather than ensemble
casts or portions of them. Getting these individualists to work together
(or not) is a major theme of the original comic, and one that could work
well with 1980s heroes too.

Ideally, you'd also want well-known heroes, archetypes if possible.
LXG's appeal relies heavily on name recognition, so the "bigger" the
better. In general, I'd go with a bigger name over a better fit, because
a bit of internal strife is entirely appropriate.

MSH wrote:
> TOUGH GUY
> John McLane (Die Hard)
> 'Dirty' Harry Callahan (The Dead Pool version)
> Lt. Hiram Coffey (the Navy SEAL from The Abyss)

I'd drop Coffey (not famous enough) and add Martin Riggs (Lethal
Weapon). McLane, Dirty Harry, and Riggs are all great examples of the
tough, tenacious, loose cannon cop. Alas, Riggs is a buddy-movie
character who might not work transplanted to a new team. McLane is my
personal favorite, but Dirty Harry is probably better for the LXG gag,
because he has the best name recognition. On the other hand, Dirty Harry
might overlap Rambo too much.

If you just want tough, without the renegade cop angle, Rocky Balboa
would make a great pick. However, with Rambo that'd give you "Stallone's
Greatest Hits," which would unbalance the story.

> MORE THEN HUMAN
> The Terminator (Terminator)
> The Predator (Predator)
> Micheal Myers (Halloween)

Only the Terminator works as a potential hero, and the Connor family is
integral to his story. I'd recommend Johnny Smith (The Dead Zone) or
maybe an "everyman" superhero like Peter Parker (Spiderman).

> TOYS
> Ralph Hanley (The Greatest American Hero)
> Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)

Bruce Wayne (Batman) looks like a great archetypal choice for a gadgets
guy with strong investigative skills. Also, the Bat offers an Alan Moore
homage element; Moore re-defined the character in the 80s.

> BRAINS
> Angus Macgyver (Macgyver)
> Rollie Tyler and Leo McCarthy (F/X)
> Chris Knight (Val Kilmer's character in Real Genius)

All good characters, but only MacGyver has major name recognition, and
he'd overlap significantly with the "toys" category. To emphasize
differences, it'd be better to go with a purely deductive, locked-room-
mystery hero, a modern Sherlock Holmes. While I don't particularly like
their shows, Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) and Ben Matlock
(Matlock) are better examples of the archetype, with less niche
invasion. Columbo would be a great choice if he were a 1980s hero, but
the show seems to faded away in the late 70s, with a 90s revival.

> GUMSHOE
> Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI)
> Maddie Hayes and David Addison (Moonlighting)
> Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs (Miami Vice)

Magnum is the closest to a solo hero here, and even he has a strong
"buddy" element to his show. The 1980s didn't go for the solo detective
much, preferring odd couples (Moonlighting, Miami Vice, Remington
Steele) and ensembles (Magnum, many cop dramas). Dunno if there are any
examples good enough to fill the archetype without overlapping one of
the other characters.

The team should also have some kind of stealthy hero (like the Invisible
Man) or an exotic hero (like Captain Nemo). Wayne and McLane may cover
the stealthy angle well enough already, so an exotic hero would offer
more diversity. Ideally, you'd want some combination of male, non-white,
non-American, and anti-hero. Unfortunately, I can't think of any good
examples from the 1980s.

Here's one possible team:

John Rambo (First Blood) - angry hero
John McLane (Die Hard) - tough, wisecracking hero
Johnny Smith (Dead Zone) - supernatural hero
Bruce Wayne (Batman) - resourceful hero with a secret
Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) - smart hero and "token female"
? - exotic hero

Of course, the story would begin when McLane decides to take a Christmas
vacation someplace quiet, well away from terrorists, like Cabot Cove,
Maine.
--
Bradd W. Szonye
http://www.szonye.com/bradd
 
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