Dsummer, I'm pretty much done with Thunderbolt's activities until; I get a prompt or somesuch. Its approaching a year since I started and I'm still not with the rest of the party so I'll leave it to you to intro when its convenient.
Got a question... I've never actually played a sit-down game of V&V so I'm unclear on how far I can go with electrical control - specifically its machine control abilities. I do not want to post something and be told No you can't do that. I'd rather not look stupid if avoidable!
I only have the Villains and Vigilantes - Superhero Role Play softback booklet written by Jeff Dee & Jack Herman, Illustrated by Jeff Dee from Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc - copyright 1982... not even a ISBN number on it!
So if TB can control machines... is there no reason he cannot follow through with his - not lightly given threat to Mr. Leonetti's thug Anvil and plague Mr. Leonetti's electronic back records with irregularities that set off IRS auditing flags and just plain wipe, transfer or donate to charities the bulk of any 'official' wealth he has in any computer? I'm talking about not only moving electronic wealth but canceling credit cards, filling up his credit record with bad mark labeling him a 'credit risk', suspending his driver's license, charging HUGE long-distance fees to his phone bills, disconecting his power as their records list him as late in his payments {thunderbolt does not care if Mr. Leonetti has phones or power turned off his electrical control makes reliance on such things unnecessary TB can provide power and connection himself} etc... all matter of electronic harassment and mischief that anyone who has ever had such problems knows is waaaay more troubling than just simple harassment. If that does not get Mr. Leonetti's attention and make him take notice TB goes after his henchmen's records as well putting arrest warrants out for them electronically, wiping their bank accounts ...until the message is clearly understood... THUNDERBOLT will RUIN him if he does not STOP pushing Boost on the streets!!!
Thunderbolt will continue to knock over drug deals and shipments he gets ear of but its now a VERY personal war and he is widening the lines of the conflict to Mr. Leonetti and his cronies.
As far as I can tell there is no other power in the V&V rules that can do this... Mind Control is against characters or... sentient machines like A.I.s.
I know there are a myriad or ways to have wealth that is not 'officially' on the books ...but the government watchdogs are looking for such 'backdoors' as well and most of them are shady at best and set off flags of IRS and Government agencies ...that I'm sure Mr. Leonetti will NOT want them looking at on any regular basis! The point is to make the cost of 'doing business' so high that it is no longer profitable.
Is there any reason Thunderbolt cannot do this with the powers at his disposal? I didn't want to go and post something like this if it was not within the scope of his abilities... its seems to be so in my opinion but you're more familiar with the game than me.
Its just fine with me if we leave it at TB is making a REAL Hassle of himself to Mr. Leonetti and his cronies and they have a HUGE $2 Million bounty on his head - wanted D.E.A.D. in no terms mired in subtlety!