Last night I played in a game and a question came up:

Can a Super Strength character who has an object adjacent to him pick up the object and immediately throw it at an opponent as an action?

We read through the rules and it appeared as if the character would first have to move to pick the object up. That is the way we ruled it. So rather than picking up the object and throwing it I had to pick up the object and wait until my next turn to throw it. Did we do it right?

I think so. Either way Normalview or someone else will shortly give you a definitive answer complete with rulebook quotes, I imagine.

Well, I'd hate to dissappoint, so...

From the Universe Rule Book (page 23):
RANGED COMBAT
A character with Super Strength can throw an object at an opposing character, as shown in Figure 18. To throw an object, give the character a ranged combat action, even if its range value is 0. A light object can be thrown 6 squares, and the target of a successful attack is dealt 2 damage. A heavy object can be thrown 4 squares, and the target of a successful attack is dealt 3 damage.

So unless the figure can move *and* make a ranged combat action (currently, only Runnig Shot allows this. HSS only greants a ranged combat *attack*), you would have to wait until your next turn to throw the object.

Which, on the bright side, is more people than you'd expect.

All of the giant Yellowjackets can do it on their first click, although the rookie is the only one who gets any obvious benefit from it (the 6 range of a thrown light object is further than his 4 range).

Warbird can do it, and while she loses range she does gain damage if she's throwing a heavy object.

Gladiator, Ultraman, Captain Atom, Major Force e&v, CT Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Dimitri Buhkharin, Supergirl e&v and Blastaar all can do it, but since their ranges and damages are at least equal to (if not far surpassing) the range & damage of a thrown object, the only reason I could see doing this with them is to get rid of objects on the field while still making an attack.

Yes you ruled in correctly. But since no one posted the actual rule on it, I will:

And there you have it. So you cannot p/u the object them make an Attack, you have to 1) already be holding the object or 2) P/U the object, wait to either push or clear next turn, then Attack.

So does that mean that a RS throw or close combat of an object is impossible? After all, it IS the same turn that they are given the close/ranged combat action... (heck it's even during the same action!)

RS is a Power Action that grants a free Ranged Combat Action. In the above rules quote it says "Any time during a turn in which a character is given a move action, power action, or free action and moves, it may pick up an object in a square the character occupies or in an adjacent square." Running Shot qualifies.

Yes but it grants a Ranged combat action, which is free, but it is a Ranged combat action nonetheless. Basically, the character is given both a Power action and a Ranged Combat Action the same turn. Now, the quote of BBGG clearly states that an object cannot be picked up the same turn a character is given a ranged combat action (it doesnt say that it cannot be picked up dduring that action, only that on the same turn, it's a no-no)

Kinda contradictory isn't it?

It means that E Moonknight can't sit on an object, protected by Stealth, then just declare a Ranged Combat Action and throw his hiding spot at someone. A Ranged Combat Action all by itself can't be used to pick up the object; there has to be some kind of mevement to pick up an object. Now whether that movement is part of a Move, Power, or Free Action doesn't matter, but there needs to be movement in involved (even if it is just a zero Move Action). There is *never* any movement involved with a plain ol' Ranged Combat Action. To meet the movement requirements prior to the Ranged Combat Action, you need something like Running Shot (which then gives a Free Action, which just happens to be a Ranged Combat Action).

So someone with SS/HSS can't run, pick up an object and then throw it?

No. Throwing an object is a Ranged Combat *Action*. HSS option 1 only grants a free Close or Ranged Combat *Attack*.