Alternia Comics

The 1st Ranger Enhanced Battalion (REB, nicknamed the Rebs) was the first unit in the US Military to go public with its use of the M-36 series of Individual Battle Platforms (IBP), an advanced suit of mechanical armor designed to protect the soldier while offering both maximum mobility and a platform for carrying multiple weapon systems. It is essentially an 8-foot tall robot that each Ranger operates from the inside. It was developed through cooperation between WamTek and Northeast Industries.

The Rebs' first major action was against Al Qaeda Chem-Warriors assaulting Mosul in Iraq. In the World of Heroes, they continued to serve with distinction in the Tyrathi War, and still defend the United States to this day. In After the Collapse, the Rebs fought hard along with the rest of the worlds' forces, and in fact proved especially effective agaisnst Hissthashar Shock Troopers. However, the Tyrathi proved too many, and they made their last stand on board a Tyrathi warship over New York City. They brought it to the ground, giving their lives for their nation and their world.

Below are the d20 Modern statistics for the M-36B: infantry model IBP.

Size: Large (-1 size)
Superstructure: Vanadium
Armor: Resilium

Bonus HP: 100
Movement: 30 ft ground, 100 ft fly/Clumsy
Hardness: 20
Equipment Defense Bonus: +6
Armor Penalty: -5

Helmet: Class III Sensor System
Torso: Cockpit
Back: Cockpit
Left arm: M-87 Talon Missile Launcher and 4x1 Talon Missiles (15d6 dmg)
Right arm: M-9 Barrage Chaingun and 4x50 round ammo belts (5d6 dmg)
Shoulders: 6x50 round ammo belts for M-9
Boots: Jetpack (Fly 100 ft/Clumsy)
Free: Comm System, Mechanical Toolkit, First Aid Kit

Other versions exist, with various configurations. Below are the differences.

M-36A: Commander Model
Head: Class IV Sensor System
Left Arm: Enigma Sensor Suite

M-36C: Marksman Model
-Head: Mark II Oracle Targeting System
-Right Arm: Warpath Recoilless Rifle
-Shoulders: Class III Sensor System
-Left Arm: 1x20 round magazine with Warpath Recoiless Rifle

M-36D: Rescue and Recovery Model
-Left Arm: Bulwark Tactical Shield
-Back: Passenger Cockpit (This cramped space is shared with the Pilot's Cockpit. When a passenger is present, the pilot takes a -2 to all attack rolls, and while the pilot can lock the hatch to prevent escape, he cannot prevent the passenger from communicating or observing.)
-Shoulders: Passenger Cockpit

M-36E: Artillery Model
-Armor: Duralloy
-Right Arm: M-55 Crud Rocket Launcher and 1x6 round Crud Missile magazine
-Shoulders: 1x6 round Crud Missile magazine

M-36F: Close Combat Model
-Armor: Duralloy
-Right Arm: Thunderbolt Shock Rod (6d6)
-Left Arm: Bulwark Tactical Shield
-Shoulders: M-9 Barrage Chaingun and 4x50 round ammo belts (5d6 dmg)

M-36G: Scout Model
-Head: Class IV Sensor System
-Armor: Duraplastic
-Left Arm: Enigma Sensor Suite
-Shoulders: Stealth Suite

After the Tyrathi War, the MBPs got an upgrade as Earth began a new age of development.

-Duralloy Superstructures were slowly replaced by Neuronite
-Jetpacks were replaced with Thruster Boots
-The Class III and IV Sensor Systems were upgraded to Class IV and V, respectively
-The Mark II Oracle Targeting Systems were upgraded to Mark V
-Resilium Armor was replaced with Crystal Carbon Armor
-Duralloy Armor was replaced with Megatanium Armor
-Duraplatic Armor was replaced with Reactive Armor
-The M-9 Barrage was switched with the M-21 Comet Autolaser (M-36A and B) and T-95 Cavalcade Chaingun (M-36D, F, and G)
-The M-55 Crud Missile Launcher was switched with the M-70 EMP Rocket Launcher
-The Warpath Recoilless Rifle was replaced with the Typhoon 240 Laser Canon
-The Bulwark Tactical Shield was switched with the Bastion Tactical Shield
-Stealth Suites were replaced with Cloaking Screens