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What is the lore of Shadow Destroyer?

Shadow Destroyer overpowered the fallen angel, Therakiel, during the Vibora Bay apocalypse; destroyed all superheroes and created his own dystopian empire in Resistance and held the original Dr. Destroyer captive; is an incredibly powerful boss in Nemcon, so on and so forth.

He seems like an incredibly powerful being overall, which I'm tempted to say that he's perhaps the most powerful villain in the Champions Universe?

What does the PnP lore say about Shadow Destroyer?

Comments

  • bulgarexbulgarex Posts: 2,310 Arc User
    As extensively described in Champions Villains Vol. 1: Master Villains, Shadow Destroyer is Multifarian Earth's version of James Harmon IV, aka Defender on Champions Earth. On the Multifarian Harmon is scion of a family long adept in both technology and sorcery. His studies in the occult led his mind to contact (it's hard say "communicate" with such alien minds) mighty Qliphothic entities which he called "the Presences Beyond." Through his contact with them Harmon's knowledge and power grew, culminating in a vision of how to create the mighty armor he now permanently wears.

    While extremely powerful compared to Earthly supervillains -- essentially a match for Dr. Destroyer -- there are "cosmic" villains written up for the PnP game who could twist Shadow Destroyer like a pretzel. However,
    now that he's become the Eidolon of Destruction in the Qliphothic Warzone, his might may have grown even greater.
  • bulgarexbulgarex Posts: 2,310 Arc User
    True in principle; but if we want to discuss the default power level of a character as he appears in Champions Online, or in Champions PnP, since those games have mechanics to quantify power it's possible to assess where a character stands on a relative scale at any given time.
  • bulgarexbulgarex Posts: 2,310 Arc User
    The lore does highlight what IMHO is one significant difference between Dr. Destroyer and Shadow Destroyer: for all his power, Shadow D is a servant. He's devoted to his patrons, the Presences Beyond, and does what he believes will please them so they will grant him more power and knowledge. Dr. Destroyer serves no one, because he believes no one and nothing is greater than himself. His knowledge and power is the product of his own genius, not granted from anyone else.
  • omnilord#8416 omnilord Posts: 348 Arc User
    Another difference in their smarts pointed out by the game itself is that Shadow D stole Dr. D's destroid army and commanded it for what, years? And never found or dealt with the override command that gave Dr. D back his army like 20 minutes after he got his armor back.
  • flyingfinnflyingfinn Posts: 8,408 Arc User
    It's the default in every supervillains dna. The one thing that gives heroes/partners/whatever a chance to defeat/overpower the villain. Sometimes varies depended of situations. Or maybe it's just the Midichlorians.
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  • nephtnepht Posts: 6,883 Arc User
    Shadow Destroyer is basically CO Dr Doom.
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  • championshewolfchampionshewolf Posts: 4,375 Arc User
    nepht said:

    Shadow Destroyer is basically CO Dr Doom.

    You're thinking Doctor Destroyer. Shadow Destroyer is more of his hillbilly cousin.
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  • bulgarexbulgarex Posts: 2,310 Arc User
    In neither case is it a complete correspondence. With his scientific genius, resources, ego, and reputation within the setting, Dr. Destroyer is the closest thing in the CU to Dr. Doom. OTOH DD is a pure science-based villain, actually despising magic; whereas Shadow Destroyer is a master of both sorcery and technology. But stat-wise both of them wield more raw personal power compared to other Champions characters, than Doom is usually displayed as having. Dr. Doom also holds to a strong code of honor, which both Destroyers lack.

    In his previous incarnation for an earlier edition of the Champions Universe, Dr. Destroyer had a disfigured face like Dr. Doom, making him a more obvious Doom surrogate; but Steve Long eliminated that from his background for this iteration of DD.
  • championshewolfchampionshewolf Posts: 4,375 Arc User
    Well my reference to Shadow D as his hillybilly cousin is the simple fact that Shadow D isn't really a strategist. He doesn't think long term, and his plans revolve around serving his masters and jumping at their command, which neither Destroyer or Doom would even stoop so low as to have a master. Loosest terms, Doctor Destroyer is closest to Doctor Doom, but Doom is willing to work with magic and has combined his science and technology together, where as Destroyer has just created super powerful technology.

    In short, foiling Shadow D is essentially just stopping him, there is no worry of a planned contingency that even if he loses he wins scenario where Doctor Destroyer and Doctor Doom would both plan for. At best, Shadow D would use the Thanatos Gambit, IE if you kill him then everyone is going to die in the process, but beyond that he doesn't have a web of intrigue that can span multiple threads of plot that end up revealing some grand diabolical scheme.
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  • omnilord#8416 omnilord Posts: 348 Arc User
    True Nightmare Scenario: The Destroyers work together.

    However, I know that their egos would eventually sabotage themselves in some way or another. Even clichéd. I think if I was to place my money on who would be the one to really muck up their plans; it would be Shadow Destroyer.

    I think if Dr. Destroyer actually gave his word to cooperate he would hold himself to it even if he started to regret it. Though that probably wouldn't extend very far before Dr. D just straight up disintegrate a ****. lol.
  • bulgarexbulgarex Posts: 2,310 Arc User
    As per his PnP book description, Dr. Destroyer likes to present himself as a man of honor, but in truth will betray anyone the moment it's to his advantage. His past is littered with erstwhile allies he back-stabbed.

    I don't completely agree with CSW that Shadow Destroyer doesn't plan long-term or make contingencies. His history in Champions Villains Vol. 1 reveals that when Luther Black, founder of DEMON, unintentionally accessed Multifarian Earth, it was SD who guided him to the Liber Terribilis, the lore in which enabled him to enact his apotheosis scheme. SD anticipated that Black would fail, but that Black's preparations could be turned to his masters' purposes. It was to take advantage of DEMON's activities that SD followed Black to Champions Earth.
  • championshewolfchampionshewolf Posts: 4,375 Arc User
    I don't see that as a master strategist as much as manipulating people to an end goal. It was a short goal that was easily attainable, versus say Doctor Destroyer or Doctor Doom who make plans that can take months, years or even decades to come to fruition.
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  • doctorevilfacedoctorevilface Posts: 91 Arc User

    True Nightmare Scenario: The Destroyers work together.

    However, I know that their egos would eventually sabotage themselves in some way or another. Even clichéd. I think if I was to place my money on who would be the one to really muck up their plans; it would be Shadow Destroyer.

    I think if Dr. Destroyer actually gave his word to cooperate he would hold himself to it even if he started to regret it. Though that probably wouldn't extend very far before Dr. D just straight up disintegrate a ****. lol.

    Probably a good thing they despise one another. Dr. Destroyer can't stand magic, and believes only he is worthy of the mantle of Destroyer. Not to mention Shadow Destroyer humiliated him by holding him prisoner.

    Shadow on the other hand wants to feed Dr. Destroyer to his masters, and probably isn't too happy about losing control over New Harmon thanks to him.

    But hypothetically, even if they could put aside their differences and work together, it would only be because both Destroyers felt they could use each other to further their own respective plans. More than likely they both would have thought of ways to betray each other as soon as they shook hands.
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  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Posts: 4,915 Arc User
    And also made contingency plans for in case they get betrayed in turn.
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