The Claw
Real name: Todd Ticket
Affiliation: The Claw and Intellect Defense Temperament: ON THE STREET: Calm, publicly shy, determined, stumbles over words, likable, funny, good-natured, kind, but unlucky with girls. AS THE CLAW: Steel-worker turned gymnast, strong, agile, brave, unafraid of heights, quick-thinking/reflexes, and persistent. Preferred Strike: Both claw blades fully extended to grapple the target when he lands on them from above. A young, 3rd generation steel worker who’d lost his wife to a lab accident and blames the newly established science companies for his problems. He believes the accident was cause by a mysteriously masked winged crusader, donned with various blades and wearing a blue outfit and red cape (Death Watch). When he lost his job decided to take his frustrations and anger out on one of the scientific companies that put his company out of business. To make a statement, he drove his car randomly through the front lobby of one of the many scientific companies in the city. Strong from years of steel work he was barely stopped. Fortunately, it was Prof. Cloward’s Intellect Defense company. Prof. Cloward listened to his side of the story before turning him over to the police. His story touched his heart and instigated him to action. Prof. Cloward also believed that the science companies should give back to the community for putting the varying local steel companies out of business. Prof. Cloward created a strong connection with the chief of police Random Bishop as they tried to find ways to help solve the crime problem but they could only do so much. They eventually realized they needed extra help… under the table. Prof. Cloward dropped the charges against Todd and with Random Bishop’s help they sprung him from prison on the condition that he would work for them. But the job description was to be listed as top secret and he becomes one of their ‘under the table’ employees: The Claw – a vigilante designed to support the over-taxed law enforcement agencies with the increase in crime due to the massive layoffs. Given his previous background, Todd agrees… with the secret motivation to find the source of his wife’s super villain killer! After many adventures Ticket gains the scientific know-how from an enemy who is strong in the various sciences and who has mental powers. He was given scientific knowledge from a mental bond-gone wrong during a battle with Mind Wipe. In his adventures and travels he also procured an alien-based, laser weapon system of an unknown power source. Little does he know his biggest challenge is coming at him-from the skies and deep in space! |
OVERALL FUNCTIONALITY:
PROJECT SCRAPED. This version of the L.A.W. weapon system was prone to malfunctions, breakdowns, and sabotage. It seriously deprived Todd of his athletic and gymnastic abilities. On more than one occasion it almost cost Todd his life. When The Claw fell over he was completely paralyzed; unable to right himself by himself. Mobility was also extremely limited, despite its designs to improve travel. The Claw required a highly reinforced, armored van to transport him. Phase 2
Weapons/Equipment:
CLAW: Retractable uni claw, able to fire and connected to the housing unit by a magnetic-bond version of a tractor beam. Claw contains multiple dual-directions ‘hinges’ for versatility. TRACTOR BEAMS: Claw is fired off with a combination of electromagnetic/harmonic repulsors. The repulsors are specifically tuned to the claw’s harmonic frequency so that they will pull back or launch out, instead of attracting/retracting anything else. BLADED BOOTS: Dual blades in both, front and aft, are intended to allow The Claw to climb smooth and even concrete surfaces. ION CANNON 'SHOCK BALLS': Interior of housing unit also contains 1 rapid-firing ion cannon, capable of rendering electronic equipment worthless and living tissue unconscious. HELMET: Helmet includes various filtering/analyzing/sensory-boosting/scanning equipment. Ticket can target with his eyes by looking at his target. External speakers and internal functions are all voice activated. ADDITIONAL WEAPONS: Dual, wrist mini-LAW’s on chains under his street clothes. Strange, alien-based laser rifle. |
Prototype
Weapons/Equipment:
UNI-CLAW: Highly dense, hydrolic-powered claw with the strength of crushing a car's engine. RETRACTABLE CHAIN: Super-forged and bonded metallic alloy cable, one mile in length, attached to a turbine-powered retractable motor. Multiple firing ports activate launch. Top recall time at full length: 10 seconds. BLADED BOOTS: Dual blades in both, front and aft, are intended to allow The Claw to climb smooth and even concrete surfaces. They are also designed to provide additional anchor support when The Claw fires off his L.A.W.'s primary claw weapon. VOICE ACTIVATED COMMUNICATOR/SCANNER: Unit includes various filtering/analyzing/sensory-boosting/scanning equipment. External speakers and internal functions are all voice activated. ANCHOR SYSTEM: Retractable cables in both front and aft of suit are fired into the ground prior to launching the L.A.W.'s primary claw weapon to keep Ticket from falling over. OVERALL FUNCTIONALITY:
PROJECT IMPROVED BUT REQUIRES DESIGN RECONSTRUCTION AND UPGRADES This version of the L.A.W. weapon system was greatly improved but still lacked the general design features as first visualized. While the weapon systems of the tri-L.A.W. barrel greatly enhanced the efficiency of Todd's grappling and gymnastic abilities, as well as improved his mobility, it still did not provide him the transportation options he required. Also, the addition of the alien laser system was a huge liability, both legally and in the eyes of the public, which boasted of lethal power. Having such a powerful, and unknown, tool in The Claw's arsenal was a constant temptation to Ticket and a concern for Prof. Cloward. |
Phase 3
Weapons/Equipment:
CLAWS: Retractable twin drill/claws, one on each hand, able to fire from each hand and connected by a ionic-bond version of a magnetic tractor beam. Able to drill through solid metal with diamond-tipped drills and crush car engines with hydraulic claws. Claw ‘blades’ contain multiple dual-directions ‘hinges’ for versatility. TRACTOR BEAMS: Claws are fired off with a combination of electromagnetic/harmonic repulsors. The repulsors are specifically tuned to the claw’s harmonic frequency so that they will pull back or launch out, instead of attracting/retracting anything else. IONIC BOND: Interior of claws and bottom of boots contain alien ionic bonding substance, enabling him to stick to surfaces. ION CANNON 'SHOCK BALLS': Interior of claws also contain ionic-bond firing ion cannons, capable of rendering electronic equipment worthless and living tissue unconscious. Later will be able to fire a liquid ionic-bond for trapping targets in place. HELMET: Helmet includes various filtering/analyzing/sensory-boosting/scanning equipment. Ticket can target with his eyes by looking at his target. External speakers and internal functions are all voice activated. ADDITIONAL WEAPONS: Dual, wrist mini-LAW’s on chains under his street clothes. Preferred Strike: Double, claw-extended swipe. BACKSTORY: Why be a superhero? For my fallen, my beloved... my wife. She was my driving force for good in this life. Now that hers is over... she still is. Todd's wife was name Theresa. She was a lab assistant for a wealthy and large scientific company that was in the process of unveiling a new, prototype, special something. There were many rival companies already in town that could benefit from this special something not working. Security was tight but something got through. Halfway through the testing process something went wrong. Todd was there along with dozens of people, including the president and CEO of the company. Todd was injured but his precious Theresa was killed, along with the CEO and dozens of others. He held her as she died and spied something moving out of the corner of his eye, something large, dark, and mysterious. He chased the thing down to the edge of the rooftops where it jumped off and sailed away. Todd could only recognize it as a super villain - and he swore that he'd make those responsible pay. Industrial sabotage was quickly determined as the motive but when they located the cause of the malfunction the damage was as such that they could not determine the source. Blood was everywhere on the equipment and something had torn it apart. This did not bode well on Todd's conscience and after Theresa's funeral he attacked the first scientific company he came across, driving his car into the lobby in violent protest of what the scientific companies had done to him, his family, and his communities. Fortunately, for him, it the the facility of Professor Carter. Made into The Claw by Professor Carter, Ticket now secretly hunts for and searches for the dark, tall man he saw the night his wife was killed... for vengeance. Here is the rest of the story: The dark man Ticket saw the night his wife was killed was actually Blood Hunter. He was there, hunting one of his own evil nemesis's, a dark man in a black, pin-stripped suit who has successfully found a way to breed, house, and control his people's feared Blood Prowlers. This nemesis was actually using one of his rival's own testing grounds as a way to kill him. He was not interested in his new technology but found it the perfect way to assassinate him without making it look like industrial sabotage. Ticket followed Blood Hunter to the roof, where he sailed away, but Ticket completely neglected to see Blood Hunter's nemesis standing behind him in the shadows with one of his trained, and dulled, pet Blood Prowlers with one of his own assassins. His assassin was ready to take Ticket out with his long, sup-ed up sniper rifle but Blood Hunter's nemesis bade him to leave Ticket alone - recognizing that even a 'mere mortal' can still raise the 'call to arms' against their enemy; which would make him their friend... as long as he didn't know the truth. Years later, Ticket, as The Claw, would again come face to face with Blood Hunter and be forced to use every ounce of skill, talent, strength, and restraint from killing him... to learn the truth behind his wife's death. |