Seems simple enough. What character would you choose to accompany to help you through such a catastrophe.
A few rules:
No gods, wizards, superheroes, or anyone with super-powers. Not only is that too easy, but frankly, if the apocalypse has occurred, the Fantastic Four, Justice League, and Scooby Gang are either dead or busy. In case anyone just HAS to have a definition, I’ll call Buffy Summers the lower limit of what we consider super-powered.
Also no sci-fi or magic escape routes. Beaming aboard the Enterprise-D and hanging around till they drop you off on Risa is not an option.
You may pick a non-powered character from a super-hero, sci-fi, or fantasy universe with the understanding that he or she will be stripped of his sci-fi accoutrements. Batman will have neither his utility built nor access to WayneTech. Xena will not have her chakrum. Etc.
No characters who themselves come from a post-apocalyptic world, like Mad Max.
I’d prefer to rely on my own resources to get through the chaos, but I’d need a great deal of lighthearted humor to keep me focused and in good spirits.
Woody is not heartless. He’d threaten to ditch you, but he’d help you anyway, if only by either teaching you how to survive or how best to kill yourself with minimum pain in your circumstance.
Unless you were foolish enough to threaten Dora, Maureen, or Laz-Lor, that is. Then he’d kill you without pity.
ETA: That said, I’m not sure he qualifies. Between the faster-than-typical healing, extremely slow aging, and enhanced reflexes, I think he qualifies as super-powered.
If it was allowed, I would go for Echo- dozens of personalities and extremely specialized skillsets compressed into one reasonably amiable person.
If, as I assume, she would be disallowed, then River Tam. Even stripped of her telepathy and telekinesis she can fight and is a guaranteed source of interesting conversation until everything blows over.
Clint as The Man With No Name. A post-apocalyptic wasteland will probably function a lot like Leone’s lawless West. Or maybe I’ve just played too much Fallout…
Well, frak. If you are going to discount my first two choices, I’ll have to go with Carrot. He’ll talk the ravening hordes of mutants into doing the work of rebuilding Civilization. They’ll end up playing football instead of killing and eating me. Now, I frakking HATE football in all it’s forms, but that’s a small price to pay for the restoration of Order.
I’m not sure Laz should be disqualified; I did write “might.” Buffy could take him in a fight, I think, though assuming he survived he’d win the rematch.
No way. If there was even the slightest chance he could lose, Lazarus would cheat. Besides, he likes 'em on the young side, so he just might seduce her.
Buffy herself would be an iffy choice. She has that Slayer death-wish hiding deep inside. I’d rather pair with someone who would run away if it is called for.
That’ll depend on how long the fight lasts. Assuming mutual ignorance going on, Lazarus is going to seriously underestimate her. I mean, she’s 5 foot 2 at most, weighs maybe 110 pounds, and does not carry any sort of mechanical weapon. He’s not going to use a gun on her; he’s going to try to overpower her without injuring her, at which point she’s going to break both his arms.
Buffy was explicitly disqualified in the OP, but I don’t think it matters. Her skills are too specific. She’ll be good at fighting, but useless when it comes to cobbling together a generator or building a house.
Internet-meme Chuck is clearly a super-hero and thus disqualified. Anyway, if the apocalypse has struck, he’s either busy putting things to rights; dead; or responsible fro roundhouse kicking civilization into oblivion in the first place.
