Difference between revisions of "Burke"

Description

At a very slightly above average human height, Burke's physical stature shows him to be nearly as wide as he is tall. Possessing a dense, powerful physique most easily described as herculean, his sinewy muscles stand out prominently and symmetrically across his robust body. His strapping form is covered by a leathery skin very similar to that of the dominant genes found in his genetic profile, though it is less keratinized on the outside, leaving his epidermis more smooth than that of the Komodo dragon from which much of his DNA is now derived.

His face is somewhat similar in that it bears eccentricities in the same way as his skin construction does: though Burke's head bears a great similarity to the Komodo dragon, it also has a few unique aspects. These include: small horns and ridged spines protruding from the upper and lower forward portion of his snout, small spine-like horns protruding from the ridge of his brow, and sharp teeth that extrude from his upper and lower jaw and extend beyond his lips, becoming visible even when his mouth is closed.

Burke's hands and feet are suitably lizard-like, and are visibly identical to those of Varanus komodoensis, though larger in scale so as to be proportionate to the rest of his physiology. He possesses also a tail, which is not used for balance, but instead seems to be relatively vestigial and likely a byproduct of the genetic process that turned him into a Manimal. Burke's voice is low, somewhat rough, and often sinuous. It has the audible familiarity of both a gruff human voice, and the hiss of a reptile. As a final note, despite the Komodo dragon itself being cold blooded, Burke's physiology reveals him to be poikilothermic, and able to function over a surprisingly wide range of body core temperatures.

His skills and achievements are significant, but not numerous. Though his service is recognized within the Central Intelligence Agency, many of his accomplishments in the field are classified, and as such he has very few honors that are publicly known. His academic work is most available, and his awards include graduation summa cum laude with a Master's Degree in Plasma Physics, which requires foundational knowledge in classical and quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, fluid dynamics, hydrodynamics, atomic physics, applied mathematics, statistical mechanics, and kinetic theory. Further specializing in military weapons and military weapons systems following his career path into Operations work for the CIA, Burke began to develop formulas for prototype weaponry that related to his own skill in fencing, thus developing many various bladed weapons that were effective both in technical applications and combat situations.

Following his reintroduction to society, post-Manimalization, Burke spent a great amount of time isolated in the seclusion of his home. Having retreated to his former hobbies for comfort and mental relaxation away from the stresses of no longer being human, he began to utilize several plans he had never finished. Such projects included developing a nanotechnology-based armored combat chassis, which boasts an astounding array of capabilities, including: defensive Force Field Projection, Medical Nanites for rapid injury response and recovery, Stimulant Nanites for pushing the body beyond its normal physical limits, a Reactive/Reflective armor bilayer for improved resistance to kinetic and laser based weaponry, a Counterillumination-based Active Camouflage System, thermal regulation for internal climate control, and nutrition-deployment system for providing essential hydration.

In addition to this neo-futuristic armor suit, Burke developed prototypes which eventually led to his greatest accomplishment yet: a fully functional plasma sword: essentially a plasma torch, contained within a magnetic field and powered by nano-batteries still in their research and development phase. Out for testing, Burke now uses this weapon (which he, occasionally, openly refers to as a "lightsaber") to fight crime.

History

Central Intelligence Agency Operations, 1994-2013

Born to Mongolian-American parents, Hudson Batzorig Burke held onto very little of his traditional heritage, though he was instructed in fencing from an early age and taught how to wield several varieties of swords including rapiers, falchions, scimitars and straight-bladed weapons. This allowed him to do little more than become a high school and college fencing team champion, until the years that followed after his bestial transformation. Burke remained in higher learning institutions until earning his applied science degree in plasma physics.

Following this achievement, Burke was accepted into and trained as a Technical Intelligence Officer (TECHINT) for the Central Intelligence Agency. Due to his heritage and language comprehension skills he was assigned to various operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. As a Technical Intelligence Officer, Burke's missions often involved covert operations to find, identify and evaluate weapons and equipment used by hostile forces or opposing agencies; his collected intelligence often revealed developments in applied research and engineering techniques, scientific and technical characteristics, capabilities and limitations of military systems, weapons, weapon systems and materiel.

In 2013, Burke was assigned a covert operation in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, to pursue the suspected transfer, development and implementation of technologies used by the infamous criminal scientist Dr. Philippe Moreau. Exact details of the operation are unavailable, but analysis suggests Burke was discovered and apprehended by security forces employed by the unidentified project leader. Subjected to the genetic modification process, Burke was essentially transformed into the humanoid lizard-man he is presently recognized as.

Arrival in Millennium City, 2013-Present

After being recovered by an extraction team, Burke was transferred to a super-science medical laboratory operated by PRIMUS in Millennium City, Michigan. Results from physical and psychological tests showed Burke to be in prime physiological health, although further mental tests revealed him to be suffering from retrograde amnesia. This amnesia is suspected to be attributable to a form of post-traumatic memory loss following the genetic manipulation and gradual physiological transformation that occurred during the Manimalization process. After spending nearly a year in recovery, Burke gradually began to show signs of normal brain function and independent homeostasis. As he regained full consciousness and understanding of his new condition, he was subjected to tests which evaluated his personality in order to determine whether he would be capable of reintegrating with society.

Successfully completing these tests, Burke was granted permission to reconnect with society. Though no longer capable of working for the CIA, Burke was further permitted to register under ASPRA, in order to become a superhero and use his skills to protect his country's citizens and further benefit humanity.