Foxbat | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Hero Games |
In-story information | |
Full name | Frederick Fosgood |
Species | Homo sapiens |
Place of origin | Earth |
Notable aliases | The Flying Fox, Raven Gold |
Abilities | Gadgeteer |
Foxbat is a supervillain associated with the role playing game Champions. A lunatic who believes that he is living in a comic book, Foxbat is notorious for convoluted and absurd "master plans" that make sense only to himself. Foxbat was designed by Bruce Harlick based on Mark William's artwork on the cover of Enemies II.
Foxbat is an example of what is referred to in superhero RPGs as a "super-normal": a character with no actual powers who uses training and equipment to meet superheroes on equal ground. He is a superb combatant, although he did not study any particular martial art, uses a "Ping-Pong Ball Gun" for various effects, and his costume has a pair of small flaps which he uses to glide. His greatest ability is his intellect, which is tinged with more than a little madness and enables him to come up with device after device and scheme after scheme.
Because his schemes are usually so absurd and his personality so over-the-top, Foxbat is frequently used as comedy relief in Champions campaigns and settings—a villain who poses no real threat but tends to be really annoying. He has clashed with many superteams in the past, and his habit of being a fly in the ointment has earned him the enmity of such powerful villains as Doctor Destroyer. The only things predictable about him are his devotion to comic-book cliche and his unpredictability concerning everything else.
Foxbat claims these crimes play a crucial part in a "Master Plan" he's devised, although his Master Plan seems to change every time he appears.
Foxbat first appeared as one of the villains in Enemies II, a collection of Champions villains published in 1982. Since he was considered somewhat underpowered, Hero Games included a comic strip in their Champions II rules supplement offering players the opportunity to send their unused experience points to Foxbat. After that, interest in the character took off and he has been a fixture of all versions of Champions since.
Foxbat made his first comic book appearance in the six-issue Champions limited series published by Eclipse Comics. The Champions comic books were subsequently taken on by Heroic Publishing, and Foxbat has since appeared in Champions (vol. 2) #4-6 and 8, Champions (vol. 3) #41-42, Flare First Edition #9, Flare (vol. 2) #3-4, Tales of the Champions #1, and The League of Champions #13. Under Bruce Harlick's request, Heroic stopped using the name "Foxbat" in 1993, and has since published the character under the name "The Flying Fox".