Rebuttal: MAXAM Vs MICROBE
Trigger said:
I'd blame my amazing charm.

You are so very charming

t:
Trigger said:
A name like Microbe could mean anything. Maybe he shrinks? Maybe he has a microscopic penis? Unless I misread, isn't his class 100 strength only really reached when he's at full height? I'd imagine he won't be at full height during this entire encounter unless he just loves provoking villagers.

t: I’m sure the guy does indeed have a micro penis (more evidence of your charm I see

) While any name can theoretically have any meaning, the name Microbe gives away more than most (Strong Guy might have it beat though

). The name Maxam, for example, doesn’t give away a great deal.
As for his class 100 strength being at full size, I believe you are correct. As I understand it, his strength increases proportionally with his size. I don’t think he needs to be at either full height or strength for this contest but can take the option if he sees fit. The villagers will do what someone of his size asks (if and when he chooses to ask) and Maxam won’t worry too much if they get a bit upset. He is saving them from a virus that could wipe them out after all.
Trigger said:
Assuming he functions in any way similar to that of a normal human, who's to say that Microbe couldn't just research a virus that could slip past a body's natural immune system? Or, give Maxam cancer by tricking his white blood cells into attacking his own body's cells?
I’m not sure how safe that assumption is. Maxam has been robustly genetically enhanced by and doesn’t have the weak physiology of a regular human. Is Microbe to conduct the research mentioned above without trial (he doesn’t have any cosmic beings or villages to conduct his research on) and then be successful at first attempt within the short period of prep time available? Even in the exceptional scenario that Maxam were to somehow become infected (not something I accept) and that his immune system was unable to fight it off, even cancers do not kill regular humans on the spot. In fact they often take years to display any symptoms at all and don’t forget we are talking cosmic being here, not regular human. He would still have plenty of time to claim the victory in the knowledge that Microbe could prove no further threat to him.
Also, if the virus really is strong enough to infect and debilitate Maxam, the humans may be killed off extremely quickly, before they have the chance to spread the virus to him. If not, and the virus spreads like wildfire, does Microbe really want to kill the whole population of Transia in an attempt to win this fight? Anyone who isn’t a complete villain will struggle with this action, even if it costs them a match (especially one they can easily lose even after condemning all those innocent people to death). If this virus is as infectious as it needs to be and is also truly capable of taking out Maxam, we are effectively saying that it is also capable of taking out the whole world’s human population and about 97% of the world’s superhero population, even threatening the other cosmic beings. We have to ask whether Microbe is skilled enough at his craft to create something this powerful and fast-working in such a short space of time and whether he is prepared to cause an event of this scale.
Trigger said:
Maxam has, in the past, gone psycho during a fight, and assuming he encountered Microbe what's to stop him from doing it again.
He has no need to go psycho here. Obviously, if he goes psycho the fight will be over quickly and we may have some upset villagers but this won’t bother him too much, especially as his actions could save their lives.
Trigger said:
I'd also imagine that a cosmic being would scare them more than a seemingly innocent traveler.
That’s my point. A cosmic being will scare them into helping (if he chooses this path) while a seemingly innocent traveller will be reliant on hospitality which may or may not be given.
Trigger said:
Viruses can be transmitted through the air. Flying wouldn't help much if someone coughed in his direction, and without medical training, how would he know the differemce between someone who just had a case of the flu and someone who had the beginning stages of the Ebola virus or something? Furthermore, how could Maxam find lil' old Microbe without mingingly with the villagers? I seriously doubt he'd just wait out in the open, and I'm sure Transia has a few inns.
They can be but they have a limited range. The further they are dispersed, the chance of infection drastically reduces. It is not that out of character for cosmic characters to fly around “in the open” surveying things from afar and then coming in when they can deal with a situation quickly. That’s what half of them spend most of their time doing anyway. I would find the image of Maxam walking in to a local Eastern European inn a lot more strange.
Initally, there is every possibility that Maxam will conduct surveillance from the skies, well out of range of the virus. He won’t be approaching the villagers until he feels he needs to and by then, things may have begun to look suspicious down below.
Maxam also has knowledge of sophisticated technology and could use this in many ways. For example, he could use a basic scanning device related to body heat in conjunction with his eyes in the sky to monitor any suspicious movements. Even if it is a dark age device and cannot for some reason differentiate between Microbe and the regular villagers (I would be embarrassed to refer to it as sophisticated if so), it will still narrow down the locations of all possible villains to the village (he would have brought this into the fight not knowing that the signal would be confused with the many humans). As soon as the humans start dropping, he knows not to get too close and the scanner becomes more effective.
End the fight quickly
Considering all the debates thus far, the only chance Microbe has would be if the two begin the contest both well hidden and far away from each other. Otherwise the fight ends in a matter of minutes as Maxam flies over to the fellow and boshes him (once will do it) before or only minutes after the virus has spread.
Not part of this debate: It is only fair that any assumption that the two combatants are well hidden and far away from each other at the start of a contest should apply equally to the Gladiator II Vs Topher match (Thread I) where my character needs to evade at the outset.
Surveillance from distance
Maxam may choose to play defensive particularly if he is worried that he is unaware of his opponent’s powers (re one of your earlier arguments). Microbe would be helpless if Maxam doesn’t show during the early stages as he watches his own virus destroy the human shield that was offering him his sole means of protection.
With the surveillance from above, Microbe needs to make a dash for a dwelling at the very beginning of the match. He has to find an accommodating villager or family and hope to Hell that he can convince them to let him stay indefinitely (I very much doubt he has the people skills for this). When someone turns ill, they normally don’t want strangers in the house to see them at their worst. I personally (being European) only want family close by and don’t even like having good friends as guests when I get ill.
If Microbe is planning on setting up camp with one particular villager for the whole duration (as soon as he moves between dwellings, he is taking the risk that Maxam sees him and takes him out) his hosts are likely to become impatient with his presence sooner or later. Europeans don’t tend to take in strangers at no notice for no personal gain and for indefinite periods. The sudden outbreak of disease would also cause them to get suspicious, especially when they realise that everyone except their new tenant is getting ill. Going by his picture and bio, Microbe does not look like or act like your ordinary guy and will be unlikely to blend in easily.
This one will be a lot easier than the extended debates make it sound. This is probably due to solid debating on your part.
WINNER = MAXAM