While we are getting the "I dunno how many'est" version of Superman, Batman and yadda-yadaa Lantern, there are still oh so many more or less popular characters out there that are still waiting impatiently for their Heroclix debut.

Today I will be talking about the last missing member of a classic team: The Doom Patrol's own ...

Negative Man, aka Larry Trainor, gained his powers when he flew a test plane through a radioactive field in the upper atmosphere. He has the ability to release a Negative Energy being from his body, but at a horrible cost: he is radioactive! In order to protect those around him, he is forced to wear special protective bandages. A proper freak, he joined the Chief, Robotman and Elasti-Girl to form the Doom Patrol, the World's Strangest Heroes!

Why clix him? Negative Man completes the original Doom Patrol lineup! If that weren't reason enough, he also has a rather unique power which could make some interesting designs. He's a close combat fighter who wraps himself around his opponents, tying them up or destroying them with his negative energy. The fact that he leaves his human host body helplessly behind could make for some interesting special powers or traits.

Who would he play with? The Doom Patrol of course! He could also play on a team of energy beings like Stardust, Wildfire, Zzaxx and others! Or he could be on an ersatz Mummy team with Negative Woman and Hush!

What would his dial look like? Well, apart from any special powers he might have to represent the separation of Negative being from his human body, there are quite a few powers that seem to be appropriate:

Energy Form (Phasing)
Negative Energy (Poison)
Can't Escape N-Man! (Plasticity)
Wrapping up the bad guys (Incapacitate)

As with other Doom Patrol members, he would likely have the Outsiders Team Ability.

As far as his special ability, it seems that a separable Human form could be detached, allowing the Negative being to go kick some butt, but leaving the body relatively vulnerable.

What would your Negative Man dial look like? Share it here!

And then join me in two weeks when I showcase another Unclixed DC character!

If anyone stood out as a perfect candidate for a Removable Object in DC, it's Negative Man. Make his character immobile while the spirit zips around and you've nailed it.

He has not been made yet because of he is so negative. I bet that a positive man would be made instantly.


And it is a travesty that he has not been made. He seems a good candidate for the removable object similar to redwing, but in reverse. As he leaves his body the pog stays there and the dial moves.

Come one WK, make it happen.

I've been feeling the lack of this one for a long time.

Hmm, I neglected to mention likely keywords-- Doom Patrol, Soldier... anything else?

That's a really clever idea!

Definitely one we've been lacking, and probably one that's best been left until a time of Special Powers and Traits anyway.

As you've each suggested, some means of leaving Larry's body behind is essential, and I believe the designer needs to factor that vulnerability into the cost. Since the static, inert form (which could even be represented by a single-click bystander, the energy form should be more powerful than its points would suggest -- rather much like legitimately dusting off Nightcrawler levels of power/cost. It wouldn't have anything like the teleportation/pseudo-carry element, but it should be able to zip around the board at great speeds and be extremely difficult to hit and damage, and he should ignore other characters and terrain for movement purposes. The ability to destroy an object or a square of blocking terrain along his path of movement should be tossed in there, too.

It does call for two dials, though, as Larry's human form has no powers, and there should be an auto-damage element to Larry himself for each turn that passes without his energy form returning to his body. IIRC he had a -- perhaps window of a minute or so his energy form could be separated from his body. At some point after I stopped following the character he apparently started to gain the ability to manifest the Negative Energy form in his own body, but IMHO that's something probably left buried with the pre-Flashpoint DCU, as it moves him toward generic super-herodom.

It's an interesting bag of tricks and circumstances to ponder.

Neither dial should be deep. Maybe the energy form should be the one with a pog's static set of stats, and is considered to have just returned to Larry's body if KOed, with Larry's physical form taking a click of damage for it? This is probably the neatest of the solutions, such that it could be handled just as the other detachable creatures (Redwing & Monkey Joe) were with a separate set of stats and powers on the back of Larry's card. The opponent will only score points once Larry's human form is KOed.

Perfectly addresses my concern with making the human the "pog end" of the deal. If you KO the human pog, which is a freaking pog, the wraith's not supposed to be able to go on KOing your force. Larry has to be a figure and the wraith the "squirrel." (Hee-hee.)

Mystical?

Yeah, I'd love to have this guy......and Danny the Street as their ATA! Once per turn, give a DP member a power action, and they can make a CCA against an opposing character occupying or adjacent to hindering terrain within their range, minimum of 6 range. Doom Patrol would be so cool!

I love all these ideas, but I would even be happy with a slightly boosted version of Negative Woman's dial. Just give us Larry!

Btw, a new Robotman would be nice too.

Negative Man is the most glaring absence of all the unclixed DC characters.

Best Idea!!! Love it!!!

Definitively- I think this would capture the character really well.

Positive Man was made... Here's Proof!*



*Not a link to Richard Simmons