Rich McGee

Yeah, some of those ring a bell all right, particularly the "junker" from one of the Chassis & Crossbow articles.

These may have appeared in ADQ.
 

Space Gamer? No, Autoduel Quarterly? Yes.

"Those gloves start wandering and I'm high-sticking this guy."
 
I find myself wondering which feature story is being illustrated there.  I suppose it's Meet Miss Jones, given the relative scarcity of ice hockey players south of the Mason-Dixon line in this era, much less the Rio Grande.
  
Monty Python spent a whole skit warning us about blancmanges invading from space, when all along it was actually omelets we needed to look out for.
 

 
Even with the eyes it's still more appetizing than anything I ever had at Denny's back in my youth.

And now there's a class action suit filed against Boeing on behalf of the passengers on the flight.  It was only a matter of when.
 
There's also serious allegations here:
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/12/1223936777/a-recent-lawsuit-alleges-excessive-defects-at-boeing-parts-supplier

Game Designer Jenell Jaquays Passes

Is this to be a Weird-Off!? 

Mystery Mustache Monday
The Coverage
[Opening shot of a newsroom, the banner "Breaking News: Mystery Mustache Monday" flashing at the bottom of the screen. Poppy McCauley, a seasoned news anchor with a professional demeanor and bright blonde mustache, sits at the desk. Despite the gravity of her role, there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes as she adjusts the papers in front of her. The camera zooms in.]
Poppy McCauley:
"Good morning, I’m Poppy McCauley, and this is Retropolis Now. In an unprecedented event that has citizens baffled and barbers busy, a mysterious phenomenon has occurred citywide. At precisely 9:03 am today, people across a 25-mile radius found themselves sporting a brand-new mustache. Yes, you heard that right—a mustache. From the young to the old, regardless of gender or previous facial hair proclivities, everyone now has what can only be described as an overnight lip toupee."
[Cut to a series of images showing a diverse array of people, all with mustaches, ranging from the pencil-thin to the full handlebar. Some are laughing, taking selfies; others look bewildered, even annoyed.]
Poppy McCauley:
"Folks on social media have named it #MysteryMustacheMonday, and it's the top trending topic worldwide. Local businesses are seizing the moment, with pop-up mustache grooming stations appearing on street corners and in malls, offering styling, trimming, and, for those not so fond of their new facial accessories, swift removal."
[A video plays showing a queue outside a barber shop, a street vendor selling mustache combs, and a group of teenagers comparing their mustaches and laughing.]
Poppy McCauley:
"While the cause of this follicular phenomenon is currently unknown, Hemlock Creed suggests magical mischief may be afoot. He is urging the public to remain calm and is assuring everyone that he is working tirelessly to uncover the source of this spell—if indeed it is a spell—and how to reverse it."
[The screen splits, showing Poppy on one side and a live feed of Hemlock Creed on the other, surrounded by ancient tomes and magical detectors.]
Hemlock Creed:
"The transmutation of hair across a cityscape is no trivial matter. While some may find humor in the bewilderment of a mustachioed morning, let us not forget the underlying currents of power at play. Such a widespread enchantment speaks to a potent and mischievous source, one that must be approached with caution and a keen understanding of the arcane. Rest assured, the Council and I are delving into the weave of magic that has spun this unexpected tapestry upon the faces of the unsuspecting. We will seek to unravel this spell, ensuring that the personal sovereignty of our citizens remains unviolated by whimsical sorcery."
Poppy McCauley:
"As we continue our coverage, we ask our viewers to share their mustache stories and photos with us. Local heroes are on high alert and investigating the situation. If this is the work of a rogue spellcaster, rest assured, they will face some serious questions, not least of which will be: Why mustaches?"
[Poppy smiles, the broadcast returning to full frame on her.]
Poppy McCauley:
"For now, Retropolis, whether you love your new 'stache or hate it, it seems we're all in this together. We'll keep you updated with any developments. For Retropolis Now, I'm Poppy McCauley. Stay brave, stay bewhiskered, and stay tuned."
[The camera zooms out, fading to a commercial break, leaving the image of Poppy McCauley trying—and failing—to maintain a completely straight face.]
 
The Truth
The Imp casts a spell that causes everyone in a 40km radius to grow a mustache at 9:03 am on a Monday morning. The spell cast by The Imp would result in a cascade of effects across the 25-mile radius, causing widespread astonishment and confusion. Here are some possible outcomes:
Public Reaction: Residents would wake up to find themselves with sudden mustaches, leading to shock and bewilderment. Social media would explode with selfies and videos, and the phenomenon would likely trend globally as #MysteryMustacheMonday.
News Coverage: Local and international news outlets would rush to cover the story, with reporters on the ground interviewing mustached citizens and speculating about the cause of this bizarre event.
Economic Impact: Razor and shaving cream sales could skyrocket as people scramble to remove their unexpected facial hair. Conversely, some might embrace the change, leading to a pop-up industry of mustache grooming products and styling services.
Workplace Disruptions: Offices might encounter a drop in productivity as employees deal with their new facial hair, with some taking the day off due to the distraction or embarrassment. Others might find humor in the situation, leading to a more lighthearted work atmosphere.
Emergency Services: Hospitals and clinics could be overwhelmed with people seeking explanations or solutions. Meanwhile, emergency services would need to ensure that the mustache spell hasn't caused any health issues or accidents due to impaired vision or distraction.
Political and Social Discussions: Debates would arise about personal autonomy and the ethics of widespread magical effects. Activists might protest against unsolicited magical interference, while some political figures could call for regulations on magic use.
Cultural Impact: The event would become part of the cultural lexicon, potentially changing attitudes towards mustaches. It could inspire themed parties, art, and even influence fashion trends.
Scientific Inquiry: Scientists and experts in the supernatural would seek to study the phenomenon, attempting to understand how such a spell was cast and whether it could be replicated or reversed.
Hero Response: Local heroes might attempt to find the source of the spell to prevent further magical mischief. This could lead to an encounter with The Imp, resulting in either a confrontation or a negotiation to end the spell.
Long-Term Effects: Depending on whether the mustaches are permanent or temporary, there could be long-term social effects. Relationships might be tested, individuals might undergo personal growth or crisis, and the collective experience could either bring the community together or sow discord based on the reaction to the change.
 
Mass Mustache
The mustache spell would be remembered as a peculiar but defining moment, illustrating the unpredictable nature of living in a world where characters like The Imp wield their powers with a whimsical touch, challenging the mundane reality of Monday mornings in your Champions campaign. I used it as a slot in her Variable Power Pool. 
 
Mass Mustache:  Cosmetic Transform 8d6 (Clean-shaven person to person with Mustache, Shaving the mustache off), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), MegaScale (1m = 10 km; +1 1/4) (60 Active Points) Real Cost: 60

HERO is so good at representing everything and anything in mechanical terms that I think it's easy to slide into thinking that everything *must* have a mechanical representation, paid for with points on a character sheet. I can unfortunately imagine an exchange something like this:
 
Rubber Band Man's Player: "The Sun Stone could be a source of limitless energy! I need to get it back to my lab to study."
 
GM: "How do you plan on moving it? Like the name says, it's as hot as the surface of the Sun. It isn
't burning anything right now because it's magnetically levitated. If you take it out of the starship engine, it won't be."
 
I'm On Fire Guy's Player: "My costume doesn't burn up when use my Damage Shield, so let's make a bag from my costume. We can carry it that way."
 
GM: <fixes glittering eye on player> "Oh? And did you spend points on your costume being fireproof all the time? If it's not on the character sheet, it doesn't exist."
 
Now, I think The GM is being a jerk. Players should be rewarded for clever use of resources and capabilities. Sketchpad found the phrase I was looking for before: Using the costume this way is a *power stunt,* which is a thing in HERO but mentioned so briefly that it's easy to forget about it. And even that's been "mechanic-ized" by adding the Power skill, with rules for your chance to fail depending on the Active Points of the stunt effect.
 
(One way, and not the only one, in which I think earlier editions were better *because* they were looser.)
 
Dean Shomshak

A toast for David Bowie, Lynchpin of Reality!

In memory of Tom Tyler, aka Vincent Markowski, of Hamtramck, Michigan, whose birthday was today, 1903. His family was Lithuanian. One of his film roles was the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel, widely regarded as one of the finest serials ever produced. He also starred as The Phantom, and appeared in more than 150 movies.
A champion weightlifter, he qualified for the 1928 Olympics, the same year that he won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) heavyweight weightlifting championship, lifting 760 pounds (340 kg)—a record that stood for fourteen years.
Tom developed a rare disease, scleroderma, costing him his looks, his marriage, his livelihood and his life.

Duke it’s not 2nd Ed. so of course you’re going to be disappointed! 😜

"Torn limb from limb by a furious mandrill at the opera premiere, you say?  How dreadful."

"Torn limb from limb by a furious mandrill at the opera premiere, you say?  How dreadful."

14,184 words later, ARL (i.e. METE) is done. Next up is The Blood, which will take some time. Then The Circle, and then... The Wanderers.

The Wanderers are a team of cosmic level supers. The file is very complete (mainly because Aaron made them a Rogues Gallery entry)and I think they would make a nice addition to the other three groups.

"Torn limb from limb by a furious mandrill at the opera premiere, you say?  How dreadful."

That outfit just _screams_ "waiting for the police to arrive and tell me that my wealthy husband has died under mysterious circumstances...."
 
 

The novel Braking Day had a sport involving teams from different hab-rings of a generation ship piloting customized EVA craft in a sort of obstacle derby race, although I think the "course" was a VR creation rather physical for safety reasons.  Running one of these little souped-up one-man worker bees into one another was an acceptable risk, but ploughing into a ring itself not so much.  Pretty much an STL long-hauler community's version of motocross, I guess.  The sport proper plays a very minor role in the plot so the specifics aren't made 100% clear.  There's also some less involved competition involving individual zero-gee maneuvering skills inside the ships themselves, since transiting between hab-rings is generally done by simply jumping after calculating a route with internal software running on your cybernetics (which are universal-from-childhood, to the point where few things operate manually any more - the POV characters struggle to understand how a hand-cranked plumbing cutoff valve works at one point, they're so used to interfacing with everything wirelessly).
 
Pretty great read for an author's debut (and so far only) scifi novel.

Seems fine to me, but I have a lifelong bias in favor of stretchy heroes.  Been playing Malleable Man here for over two years now and having fun with the skewed twist on what elasticity actually is.  "It's not me warping, it's the universe."
 
No point in even playing a stretchy if you're not going to do the giant hands thing now and then.   

Who's that girl!
 
 
 
Power up-  The sensory overload suggest maybe a Mental Illusion.  And it would fit.  Also a bit more Martial Arts would not be out of line!
 
 
 

I don't think Araki actually used a Rush song or album title yet ..

For all of you RUSH fans out there, I just wanted to let you know that Aaron Allston's Strike Force Universe had a hero named By-Tor and another (a canine) named Snow Dog.

I know that. But the references to Rush songs...

In Meta-Earth, we make armor from Bronsonite (3rPD/3rED), Collapsium (18rPD/18rED), Durium (15rPD/15rED), Flexalloy (10rPD/10rED), Orichalcum (12rPD/12rED), Questite (10rPD/10rED and it is comprised of dizzy molecules and fibers of raw confusion. It adapts to a meta-human’s power and abilities), Talosium (It has 20rPD/20rED and tends to hum Ronnie James Dio tunes when it thinks you aren’t listening.), Turgenevite (8rPD/8rED), Onyxium (9rPD/12rED and is totally blacker than black, providing Stealth levels in the right circumstances), and Multifarian Memory Metal (15rPD/15rED and is totally weird, often phoning up at night to ask if you're thinking of it). There are also generic materials that cover values in between these. 
 
And... none of the stuff never gets torn up in any meaningful way. I'm too 1970s to scratch the paint.