Line #68 TabletopGame/Wasteland2010


1	[[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b00c8cc488b341be6648497c7337f84d.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:298:''"[[TagLine The future is not bright.]]"'']]
3
4	''Wasteland 2010'' is one of the series books from ''TabletopGame/CartoonActionHour: Season 3''.
5	The book was written by ''CAH'' creator Cynthia Celeste Miller, and the series is a tribute to her favorite cartoon, ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian''.
6
7	The premise: In 1981, a dimensional rift called "The Tear" opens over Earth, causing "The Changing", a series of disasters that turns the world into "an untamed planet of ruined cities, mutated creatures, [[ManEatingPlant man-eating plants]] and powerful magic." Fast forward to 2010: things are worse than ever, but the Utopian League, "an organization of scientists, civic leaders and scholars", is working to restore civilization. The League has several field agents who explore the post-apocalyptic world and deal with its many threats; the best of these are the team of Zolgar the barbarian, Lady Mistra the sorceress and Bogg the mutated GeniusBruiser. These three heroes travel the remnants of America, protecting the innocent from an endless variety of monsters and supervillains.
8
9	No direct relation to the video game ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'' - while both are set AfterTheEnd, the game is set after a nuclear war rather than the book's magical catastrophe.
10
11	!!Wastetropes 2010:
12	* AchillesHeel: The Crimson Overlord can pump chemicals into his body that give him temporary SuperStrength (a la [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bane]]), but if he overuses them he suffers "a debilitating headache".
13	* ActionGirl: All the female characters. Lady Mistra and DarkActionGirl Eve-L are skilled magic users, Cammie is a JunglePrincess, and Dr. Vanessa Stahl is a ScienceHero.
14	* AfterTheEnd: "Society has fallen completely apart, unless you count the small pockets of civilization scattered across the globe."
15	* AIIsACrapshoot: Krome started as one of ten experimental intelligent robots. While the others were deactivated by the Tear, Krome [[LastOfHisKind survived]] due to modifications only he possessed and became a KillerRobot who wants to destroy all organic life.
16	%%* JustForFun/ApocalypseDayPlanner: What, you don't remember the world being destroyed in 1981? By now, even the series' "futuristic" setting is AlternateHistory.
17	* ApocalypseHow: Planetary Societal Collapse.
18	%%* BadassCrew: The three heroes.
19	* BaldOfEvil: The Crimson Overlord.
20	* BarbarianHero: Zolgar, who is "the de facto leader of the group" and also "a loyal friend who will risk his life to save those in need without so much as a second thought."
21	* BeardOfEvil: Captain Cutthroat has a long one.
22	* BigGood: George Monroe, president of the Utopian League.
23	* TheBigGuy: Bogg, who became a hulking, furry mutant thanks to The Changing.
24	* BlackMagicianGirl: Eve-L the swamp witch is as beautiful as she is wicked, and she often uses her powers to {{Curse}} her enemies with bad luck.
25	* BlankWhiteEyes: Mutor has blank yellow eyes.
26	* CannibalTribe: Several of them inhabit the Wild Lands, part of the former Staten Island.
27	* {{Catchphrase}}: ''Everybody'' has at least one in this series.
28	-->'''Zolgar:''' "Buddy Jones!" So far, Miller [[TeasingCreator has not explained what it means]].
29	-->'''Bogg:''' "Rawwwr!"
30	-->'''Lady Mistra:''' "By powers ancient and arcane!"
31	-->'''Krome:''' "Goto 10, attack!" and "Existence is binary." If he does a HeelFaceTurn, the latter phrase becomes "Existence is binary. I prefer one over zero."
32	-->'''Slade Mulligan:''' "I am the law 'round here!"
33	-->'''Cammie:''' "The forest has power."
34	-->'''Jay Alcott:''' "We must remain civilized."
35	-->'''Dr. Brett Stahl:''' "I happen to have just the right thing."
36	-->'''Dr. Vanessa Stahl:''' "Let me show you how a woman handles this."
37	-->'''Malevolokk:''' "[[MadLibsCatchphrase ...and that name is]] [[ThirdPersonPerson Malevolokk]]!"
38	-->'''The Crimson Overlord:''' "[[KneelBeforeZod Bow before your leader!]]" and "[[NeverSayDie Destroy them all!]]"
39	-->'''Captain Cutthroat:''' "Arrrrr!!"
40	-->'''Mutor:''' "[[HulkSpeak Mutor break!]]"
41	-->'''Eve-L:''' "I curse you!"
42	-->'''The Ape Man of Chicago:''' "Grrrrrrrrrrrr..."
43	* TheChosenOne: Lady Mistra is seen as one by her people, who believe she's fulfilling [[TheProphecy a prophecy]] by teaming up with Zolgar and Bogg to restore the world.
44	* CoolSword: Catpain Cutthroat carries one.
45	* DealWithTheDevil: The plot of the episode seed "The Stranger": Marcolin the demon tricks people into giving him their souls in exchange for granting wishes.
46	* DeepSouth: Zolgar comes from the Ozark Mountains, whose population in the series "is comprised almost singularly of either barbarians or backward hillbillies."
47	* DiedDuringProduction: A {{Meta}} example. InUniverse, ''Wasteland 2010'' was created by Carlton Becker, who died of a heart attack (possibly caused by the stress of the series' TroubledProduction) before the show even aired, which led to its being CutShort and lots of WhatCouldHaveBeen.
48	* ElaborateUndergroundBase: The Utopian League's headquarters, the Citadel, is "deep beneath the ground of what was once Nebraska."
49	* EnemyMine: In "When Titans Clash", the heroes have to team up with the Crimson Overlord to stop Krome from [[NukeEm nuking]] Overlord Island.
50	* EvilOverlord: The Crimson Overlord, tyrannical ruler of the West Coast.
51	* EvilRedhead: Captain Cutthroat and Eve-L.
52	* FaceHeelTurn: Malevolokk was a kindly science professor before the Changing gave him magical powers, apparently leading to WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity.
53	* FloatingContinent: Malevolokk controls a floating city in "Danger at 2,000 Feet". He kidnaps people with [[{{Teleportation}} a transporter beam]] to use them as slave labor.
54	* GeniusBruiser: Bogg was a 20-year old "science nerd and sci-fi enthusiast" when the Changing caused him to mutate into a furry BeastMan, and he retains his intelligence in his new form. Also, he's the only one of the three leads who remembers the pre-Changing world, which he often has to explain to his younger teammates.
55	* AGodAmI: Malevolokk thinks he is, and so do his fanatical {{Mooks}}.
56	* GoodScarsEvilScars: The Crimson Overlord has some nasty-looking ones.
57	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Lady Mistra is blonde and one of the three main heroes. RecurringCharacter Cammie is another example.
58	* HairTriggerTemper: Mutor. As if his being a super strong mutant isn't bad enough, "it takes very little to send him on a destructive rampage."
59	* HeelFaceTurn: The book states that this is an option for Krome if the players choose to have the three heroes reprogram him.
60	* HeroicFantasy: Like its inspiration, the series combines this genre with ScienceFantasy.
61	* HotWitch: Lady Mistra has magical powers which she uses for good.
62	* IslandBase: The Crimson Overlord rules from [[{{Egopolis}} Overlord Island]], the former Alcatraz Island.
63	* JunglePrincess: Cammie is the series' equivalent, although her "jungle" is "the forests of the Midwest."
64	* LighterAndSofter: The series is a little more hopeful than ''Thundarr'', since the protagonists and the Utopian League are actively trying to rebuild the pre-apocalypse world.
65	* {{Magitek}}: Malevolokk uses it, since he's an expert in both science and magic.
66	* ManEatingPlant: And some of them are sentient!
67	* MixAndMatchCritter: Plenty of them, due to the widespread mutations.
68	** The Badlands (aka Oklahoma) are infested by predatory "Flyotes" , which are "coyotes with feathered wings."
69	** Mud River (formerly the Mississippi River) is populated by deadly Octofish ("part catfish, part octopus").
70	* {{Mooks}}: Malevolokk has an unnamed group of followers, Captain Cutthroat has his Land Pirates, the Crimson Overlord has his Overfiends, Eve-L has her Marsh Dwellers, and Krome has his MechaMooks, the Robot Raiders.
71	* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Mutor has four arms.
72	* MysteriousPast: "Little is known about Zolgar's past, which is precisely the way he wants it."
73	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Malevolokk, Captain Cutthroat, the Crimson Overlord, Eve-L; the series' RoguesGallery certainly know how to name themselves with style.
74	* NewNeoCity: {{Inverted}} with [[BigApplesauce Old York]], the ruins of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity.
75	* {{Pirate}}: Captain Cutthroat "is every inch a stereotypical pirate", complete with EyepatchOfPower, TalkLikeAPirate speech pattern and robotic PirateParrot. Be warned that pointing this out to him is his BerserkButton.
76	* PowerTrio: Zolgar, Lady Mistra and Bogg.
77	* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: {{Inverted}} with Malevolokk; Bogg was once one of his students.
78	* ReluctantMonster: In "The Ape Man of UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}", the titular creature turns out to be a GentleGiant who rescues the heroes from slavers.
79	* RescueIntroduction: In Cammie's first appearance, she saves the main heroes from several {{Giant Spider}}s.
80	* {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s: Cammie's mutated pets, Fuzzball and Fluffball.
81	* ScienceHero: Dr. Brett Stahl and his daughter Vanessa are both scientists who work for the Utopian League and occasionally help Zolgar and company.
82	* TheSheriff: Delusional RecurringCharacter Slade Mulligan believes that he's a United States Marshall, and acts accordingly.
83	* SwampsAreEvil: Presumably why Eve-L and her {{Mooks}}, the Marsh Dwellers, choose to live in one.
84	* TimmStyle: The book uses this artstyle for some pictures of the characters.
85	* TokenEvilTeammate: Jay Alcott, vice president of the Utopian League, [[PlayingWIthATrope plays with this trope]]. His stats say that he's "not evil", but his bio states that he's "lacking in the moral fiber department", is "always up to no good", and regards the three leads as "savages".
86	* WiseBeyondHerYears: Lady Mistra, according to her biography.

Context TabletopGame / Wasteland2010