Time to pump some humor back into this story. I saw this character, Oddball, on one of the Marvel websites and I thought to myself, "That would be so funny. I have to use him somewhere." So here he is for your reading enjoyment. For more info on Oddball, see Bring On the Bad Guys: The Villains of Marvel Comics.
Elsewhere…
"Ms. Davis, send in the next one."
Alistair sat behind his desk. He had been interviewing potential members for his supervillain Task Force. Some of them had been amazing. Some had been embarrassing. The last villain Alistair had interviewed was an elastic man, who had failed to live up to Alistair's expectations. He just hoped that next one was more of a cutthroat.
The next costumed villain walked into the room. Alistair took note of his colorful costume covered with balls.
"Son, if you're trying to be a bad imitation of the Joker, I should warn you that I am a fan of the Batman franchise and will not tolerate any sort of mockery."
"Mr. Crane, please," said the villain. "Just give me a chance to show you my stuff."
"Alright," Alistair nodded, "Show me your stuff. What's your name and what's your power?"
"Well, sir, my name is Elton Healy, but you can call me…Oddball."
"Funny," Alistair muttered to himself, "That's exactly what I thought when he walked in here."
"And my power," Oddball took one of the colored balls off of his belt and held it up. "I hurl these small, powerful, attack spheres with great force and flawless accuracy at my targets."
Alistair stared at Oddball for a second, then, finally, broke the silence by saying, "So, your power is that you throw balls at people?" Oddball sighed.
"Son," Alistair chuckled and shook his head, "You're probably better off joining the circus." He flipped the switch on the intercom. "Ms. Davis, send the next one in."
"No, sir, please," begged Oddball. Alistair turned back to the intercom. "Ms. Davis, hold that thought."
Oddball continued. "There's gotta be something I can show you to…" Just then, Oddball glanced out the window and noticed a security guard at the front gate of the mansion.
"I know," he said, excitedly, "If I hit that guard down by the gate, would you give me a chance?"
Alistair glanced out the window and down at the guard. He laughed. "Son, that's a 500-ft throw. Even Nolan Ryan couldn't make a shot like that."
"Oh, trust me, sir. It'll be a piece of cake."
Alistair smiled. "Fine, son. If you can hit that man by the gate, I'll consider giving you a spot on the team."
"Thank you, sir. And now comes the magic…"
Oddball wound up and prepared to throw. As he did, he muttered to himself: "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former groundskeeper, now, about to become the Master's champion. It looks like a miracle..." Oddball threw the ball. It sailed across the grounds and hit the unsuspecting guard in the head. He was knocked unconscious by the blow. "It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!"
"Impressive," said Alistair, "And, apparently, a Caddyshack fan."
Oddball smiled. "Well, it is one of the best comedies ever made. Oh, and I think I should also mention that some of these balls are loaded with special booby traps, such as flashes, grenades, gas canisters, you get the idea."
Alistair added Oddball's name to the roster. "Congratulations, son. You're on the team."
Oddball looked like he was going to faint. He ran up and shook Alistair's metal-gloved hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Crane!" he exclaimed, "Thank you so much! I promise, sir, you will not regret this!"
Alistair smiled. "Son!" he said, forcefully, "Let go of my hand!"
Oddball let go of Alistair's hand. "Sorry, sir."
Alistair filled out a certificate of membership into his Task Force and handed it to Oddball.
"Give that to Ms. Davis on your way out. She'll tell you where to go next."
"Oh, thank you, sir," said Oddball, taking the certificate, "Thank you so much, sir." Oddball ran from the room, excitedly. Alistair smiled and shook his head.
"Crazy costumed clown," he muttered. He turned back to the intercom.
Ms. Davis, send in the next one…and stop serving cappuccinos in the waiting area. I think some of the applicants have had enough caffeine."