Animal Man

Bernard "Buddy" Baker is in reality a superhero by the name of Animal Man.

Powers

 * Animal Mimicry: Buddy can mimic any abilities of any animal as a result of his encounter with a crashed alien spacecraft. He does this by either focusing on a specific animal near him, or, as he learned later, by drawing power from the animal kingdom in general (this enables him to even mimic animals that are extinct). The nature of these powers has been described in various ways, including the superficial "alien radiation" explanation of his early appearances, the reconstruction of his body by aliens with "morphogenetic grafts" at the cellular level, and currently, mystical access to a "morphogenetic field" created by all living creatures, also known as "the Red". He does not grow wings to fly as a bird (instead he flies in classic "Superman style"), nor does he form gills to breathe underwater when mimicking a fish, but he has occasionally been known to mimic the actual appearances of animals, such as adopting the claws of a wolverine temporarily. Among the "animal powers" Buddy has been known to use are:


 * The strength of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
 * The flight of a bird.
 * The swimming ability of a fish.
 * The speed of an ant.
 * The sonic blast of a pistol shrimp.
 * The sense of smell of a moth.
 * The agility of a snake.
 * The durability of a rhino.
 * The electricity of an electric eel.
 * The regeneration ability of a worm.
 * The wall-crawling of a spider.
 * The stench of a skunk.
 * The color changing of a chameleon.
 * The reproduction abilities of protozoa.

The level of Buddy's abilities are proportional to the size of the animal they are drawn from. Hence, drawing the jumping ability from a flea would allow him to cover great distances. However, taking the abilities of a larger animal does not result in diminished power for him.


 * Force Blasts: Tapping into the Red, Animal Man can also fire powerful blasts of force or unidentified energy. He can even use the primordial energies to start a new universe.


 * Animal Empathy: In addition to his mimic abilities, Animal Man can make contact with animals, empathize with, "talk" to and see their thoughts and memories. This ability to transfer his life essence has allowed him to survive even when his body has been killed.


 * Animal Control: Animal Man can, to a lesser degree, control animals by entering their minds. He can also transfer his mind to living animals of any kind, using their bodies as long as he wants to.

Abilities
Buddy is an expert stuntman and an actor.

Equipment
Buddy stores gear in his faux-leather jacket.

Appearance
DC Heroes role playing game