Lord Vulcanus has some pretty lofty ambitions, so here’s another villain whose goals are much more down-to-earth.
Hench
“I’m the best in the business, mate. If you want a minion, you can’t do better than me.”
Alias: Henry Hengstmann
Approach: Skilled
Archetype: Indomitable
Health: 35 + (
× 5)
Powers
Awareness 
Deduction 
Strength 
Qualities
Alertness
Criminal Underworld Info
Fitness
Henchman Extraordinaire
Leadership
Technology
Status: Constant
Always
Abilities
Analytic Preparation (A): Boost yourself using Alertness and use your Max die. That bonus is persistent and exclusive.
Counterstrike (R): When Attacked, Defend yourself by rolling your single Fitness die. Deal that much damage to another target.
Jack of All Trades (A): Take any basic action using your Max die. Recover Health equal to your Mid die.- Tough Minion (I): Reduce damage dealt to you by 2.
- (U) Criminal Associates (A): Replenish your minion squad up to .
(M) Master Mercenary (I): If you have been given a contract to perform a specific task, automatically succeed at an Overcome in a situation where the difference is getting paid and not getting paid.
Hench
Alias: Henry Hengstmann
Gender: Male
Age: 30s
Height: 6’1"
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Black
Skin: Light
Build: Muscular
Costume/Equipment: A black-and-white striped shirt, black trousers and suspenders, and a black bowler hat.
Approach: Skilled
Archetype: Indomitable
Biography
Henry Hengstmann started out his criminal career as a fresh-faced new recruit in a small-time street gang. Things started to go well for the gang, they pulled off a number of robberies, and Hengstmann started to climb the ranks of the gang. But that was all shattered when the gang was rounded up by police and jailed. After Hengstmann got out, he decided to start his own gang, with him as the boss. He reasoned that the only reason his old gang got caught was because the boss was incompetent. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
Hengstmann gathered several crooks, and his new gang began to take shape. Under Hengstmann’s leadership, they managed to pull a number of successful heists, and things were once again looking up. But being the leader of such a successful outfit put a target on Hengstmann’s back from both law enforcement and rival criminals. That mounting stress proved to be a hindrance to Hengstmann’s efficacy and made him paranoid. And his paranoia resulted in his gang getting taken apart by a rival gang. Only Hengstmann escaped.
Hengstmann had had enough of gang-work. It was too risky, being tied down to one place and one group like that. Plus he didn’t like having someone else be his boss and not let him go about operations the way he wanted to, and nor did like having to deal with all the stress of being a boss himself. So Henry Hengstmann turned to mercenary work, taking the moniker of Hench. This, being a henchman for hire, suited him far better. He could stay on the move, making him a hard target to catch, and he was free to go about jobs the way he wanted, and without worrying about being in charge.
Capabilities and Motivations
Hench is a consummate henchman. His skills are very versatile, and he is possessed of a muscled physique, a sharp mind, and alert senses. He is equally adept at breaking legs, hacking into automated security systems, leading groups of minions, and using his criminal underworld contacts to get anything his employer needs. This versatility is often his main selling-point for employers, as he is neither dumb muscle nor a frail genius, but the best of both.
Upgrades
Hench’s extended workings with the criminal underworld have caused him to make many associates and acquaintances, many of whom owe him. Hench doesn’t hesitate to call on these crooked acquaintances when his employer has tasked him with a particularly difficult job.
Editor’s Notes
Hench is designed to be the quintessential Genius Bruiser. That was pretty much my whole inspiration for him: he’s the best henchman ever 'cause he’s both strong and smart. His combat heuristic is fairly simply, at first glance:
- On the first round, use Analytic Preparation to get a big persistent bonus.
- Use Jack of All Trades every round thereafter.
(I suppose a possible exception would be if the heroes destroyed his persistent bonus, he might want to make another.)
But the complexity of Hench comes from which basic actions he decides to take, which will depend on his goal. Overcomes for stealing or infiltrating, Attacks for fighting, Defends for bodyguarding, Boosts for leading, etc.