In a world where Heroclix is hounded by set after set of DC or Marvel characters, let’s take a moment to stop and dwell on the potential of the Indy sets. We’ve seen Yu-Gi-Oh, we’ve seen lord of the Rings. What could be lurking around the next corner? So many sets from the serious to the wacky remain to be explored! In this edition, the spotlight is on Underworld!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Underworld is a movie series centered around a clandestine war between two groups of immortal beings, Lycans(Werewolves) and Vampires. The main character of the series is Selene, a Vampire Deathdealer, someone specialized in hunting and killing lycans. However, her world begins to change when she encounters Michael Corvin, a human with a rare genetic condition that allows him to inherit the traits of both species. This makes Michael powerful, but also a threat to both sides. It’s a world of Vampires, Werewolves and things that go bump in the night, what’s lurking in this potential set?




What would the set look like? Maybe something like this . . .
Common
001 Deathdealer
002 Vampire warrior
003a Lycan
003b Lycan
004 Feral Lycan
005 Corvinus Clan
006 Detective Sebastian
007a Dr. Jacob Lane
008b Dr. Jacob Lane
008 Kraven
009 David
010 Thomas
Uncommon
011a Raze
011b Raze
012 Tanis
013 Viktor
014 Kahn
015a Lucian
015b Lucian
016 Amelia
017 Sonja
Rare
018a Quint Lane
018b Quint Lane
019 Marcus Corvinus
020 William Corvinus
021 Eve
Chase
022 Selene
023 Michael Corvin
024 Alexander Corvinus

Potential powers and Traits: There are two major trends here to follow between the Lycans and the vampires. Heroclix has already provided us with a trait for both. I am personally a huge fan of the vampire dial, where such characters can heal past their starting dial via Steal Energy, allowing them to ‘charge up.’ I see no reason why this couldn’t work with the vampires of this set as well. However, the werewolves present a slightly different problem, the werewolves we already got in the Amazing Spider-man had an ability that was based off chance, effectually simulating whether or not the moon was up. Where as the Lycans of Underworld can control their ability and change at will. So it could be done the same with a single character with two dials and a free or power action to switch between the two, however my preferred if less likely method, would be to have an alternative for each Lycan that can transform. As a longtime player of Jason Blood/Etrigan pieces I know the joy of being able to slam down the more imposing figure where the tiny human used to be.

There would also be some difference amongst melee and ranged attackers, take the vampire figures of Deathdealer and Vampire warrior. In the story of Underworld they are essentialy the same order, the footsoldiers of the vampires, but the warriors existed in a medieval era and fought with the weapons of the age, swords, armor, bows. As such abilities like Blades/Claws/Fangs, and Exploit Weakness would be far more expected with them than their modern counterparts the Deathdealers who use specialized guns and explosives, hence Penetrating/Psychic Blast or Percision Strike.




Keywords: Well gee lets think what keyword would fit nearly every piece in this set? Oh yeah, Monster. As we saw in Amazing Spider-man the monster theme team can be quite powerful and has a long history of support in Heroclix, Galatactic Gauardian Mole Man anyone? Beyond the very general Monster there would quite likely be keywords for both Vampires and Lycan, with some specialization therein with Warrior, Deathdealer, and Scientist.

Character Spotlight
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Selene
Selene begins the series as a very powerful warrior and Deathdealer. But during the events of the second film she encounters Alexander Corvinus, the progenitor of both Vampires and Lycans, though he was neither. By drinking his blood Selene becomes something far more than a normal vampire. She becomes stronger, faster, able to endure sunlight, a vampire 2.0 if you will. As such is befitting said abiltiies I’d like to see Selene with some stronger stats and powers. Maybe start of with Charge and Running Shot coupled with Penetrating/Psychic Blast but build into Hypersonic Speed and Super Strength through the vampire Steal Energy ability. I would also like to see a Deathdealer trait that would give her a buff against werewolves, though that might have to be pushed back to a simple unique power as I would also like to see a trait for the Blood of Corvinus, just to mark out the characters who are touched by this significant bloodline and the power it brings. That trait might impart Regeneration or another plain ability, but I could also see a Phoenix-esque like effect that brings them back once on a low click when they would normally die, as anyone who’s familiar with the movies may know, the blood of Corvinus tend to die hard.









Don’t ask me why he’s blue. I’ve always wondered that and have never quite come to a good answer. . .

Michael Corvin
Michael Corvin is the final descendant of Alexander Corvinus, the first immortal. Michael carries a strain of the virus that mutated into the Lycans and Vampires, though because it is an unmutated strain allows him to gain the powers of each. Being a hybrid comes along with a number of great perks like being pretty darn close to indestructible, very strong, and rapid healing. As a click I see him with some very strong defensive abilities like Invincible or Impervious, maybe not so much as armor but considering some of the blows that he comes back from. Then Super Strength, obviously Blades/Claws/Fangs and maybe Flurry. Of course I would see him with The Blood of Corvinus and the vampire dial mechanic as well.









Eve
Eve is the child of Selene and Michael, as might be expected she is also a hybrid as her father and has some of the Vampire 2.0 abilities of her mother. The technical term here is Freakin Powerful. However, she is limited somewhat by her age and temperament. Both Selene and Michael were captured and cryogenically frozen. Eve was raised as a test subject, so emotionally she is not the most stable. She does share a sort of sympathetic bond with her mother that allows them to see out of each other’s eyes. As a click I really want this to come out. In addition to my afore mentioned Blood of Corvinus idea, I’d like an ability for Selene and Eve to draw lines of fire from each other’s squares, which gives a lot of versatility, though some abilities might need to be added to make it a little more usable, i.e. Outwit or Perplex. Then something along the lines of Blades/Claws/Fangs and/or Flurry like her father. However, I wouldn’t want her to be too melee powerful. Despite her abilities she is still a little girl, but she does have moments of pretty severe destruction. I could see this as expressed in the vampire dial mechanic, or her powering up to a few clicks that show her true power.








William's the giant werewolf on the left, just in case you were confused and you know. . . wondering.

William Corvinus
William is the father of the Lycans, though in a roundabout sense. Consumed by his nature William is incapable of returning to his human form and all he bites are the same, savage feral monsters, only later generations of Lycans gained the ability to control themselves. As a click I see William being a really big Blades/Claws/Fangs, Super Strength, and Flurry tank that Charges your opponent and just sort of gets to work tearing them up. He is a son of Corvinus so yes, again, Blood of Corvinus, but I’d really like to see his whole father of the werewolves thing. I could see this coming out as whenever he KO’s an enemy he can spawn a Feral Lycan in its space. Who wouldn’t have fun charging a giant white werewolf into an opponents team and slowly turn the tide against them by raising a Lycan army?









Marcus Corvinus
Marcus is the father of all Vampires, though through the events of the movies he becomes a hybrid like Michael. However, unlike Micheal, Marcus began as a vampire. So instead of becoming like Michael or Eve, Marcus much more resembles a bat, giant wings, large ears and that sort of pinched up nose things. As a click he would have Flying, which would be somewhat unique in this set, but more additionally, the Blood of Corvinus and a vampire mechanic dial. After that I see him as a little more precise than the others above, so Exploit Weakness and/or Precision Strike. Lower damage perhaps, but a more artful. I would also add a Stealth, Outwit or Perplex as he is a very clever enemy often lying in ambush or pysching his opponents out.







Why would Wizkids even attempt this?
Underworld is a fairly popular franchise, and there is a new installment that is supposed to come out next year. So if Wizkids decided to jump in on this now is a good time to draw in players alongside the film. Beyond that Wizkids has shown a certain love of the Monster keyword, if you do not belive me look at the line up of Amazing Spider-man. This would be a set of Monsters, all monsters. It would be a total influx of monsters to a glorious and destructive degree.

Didn't see the set the way you wanted to see it? Have an idea for a set in the future? Are you secretly a vampire or werewolf seeking your own kind? Then please feel free to relax in the conveniently placed comment section below.

I think this would be a interesting project for Wizkids. Would they do it, I don't believe so since I feel the time to have made this set has passed.

As far as your list goes I do like it. But I would not have put the main character as a chase. For players to enjoy this possible set to its fullest. Selene would need to have been more readily available then only once per 3 gravity feed boxes. Maybe drop one of the lesser characters from your list and have two versions of her. The first one maybe uncommon or rare with her dial representing her prior to drinking Alex's blood. Then I could see the more powerful version showing up as the chase.

Would be a cool set, but I'd rather see a walking dead set.

I'd go for it if Selene wasn't a chase.

I'm really surprised that someone named "lycanthropos" came up with this idea. It is a VERY good idea, though. I'd buy that for a dollar.

Ah 'Underworld', the most '90s property of the 2000s.

All the cool characters are Chases. Nuuuu

I miss when this franchise was going somewhere though. It was a lot of fun.

Fun fact, the guy who wrote underworld (the giant black guy with the whips) also wrote the New Warriors that had Jubilee a number of years ago. (Post No More Mutants/Pre Vampire)

I'd buy it

2 very interesting points about Raze.

1) He is played by the creator of Underworld

2) His ridiculous deep voice is not enhanced at all. He actually sounds like that in real life

Love this film series and would love a HeroClix set! Thanks for a great article.