20

The Trade-Off

Phoenix Blue

Blue Suited Fire Hazard

"I should probably let the bricks handle this.."

Player: @Toasterjoe212779

Affiliations

Super Group

Eternals Inc.

Rank

Recruit

· Other Affiliations ·

Identity

Real Name

Joshua Mondin

Aliases

Phoenix Blue, Peter Grundlethorp

Birthdate

9th Of February, 1993

Birthplace

Boston, Massachusetts

Citizenship

American

Residence

Millennium City

Headquarters

Apartment 201

Occupation

Novelist, Anime Storyboard Artist

Legal Status

No Criminal Record

Marital Status

Single

· Known Relatives ·

Franklin Mondin (Brother)

Physical Traits

Species

Human

Sub-Type

Phoenix

Manufacturer

n/a

Model

n/a

Ethnicity

Italian American

Gender

Male

Apparent Age

Early 20's

Height

5'11"

Weight

140 lbs

Body Type

Thin

Hair

Light Brown

Eyes

Aqua

Skin

Subtle Tan

· Distinguishing Features ·

Scraggly Hair

Powers & Abilities

· Known Powers ·

Passive Phoenix Physiology Mimicry, Active Phoenix Physiology Mimicry, Pyrokinesis

· Equipment ·

Domino Mask, Blue Pinstripe Suit

· Other Abilities ·

Severely Lacking

Preface

Joshua Mondin's ordinary existence became extraordinary when he was (un)luckily the target for the very strange appearance of a plummeting mythological bird. He disappeared, having been completely disintegrated, and remained that way for a few months. Joshua then suddenly came back, from nothing, having been bestowed magical powers by his rather intimate collision with the phoenix. Joshua now fights crime with his fiery abilities, as the blue suited fire hazard Phoenix Blue!

Appearance

Joshua Mondin stands at 5'11", weighing 140lbs. While he isn't exactly amazing in terms of physical attractiveness, his scraggly mess of brown hair sitting atop his cranium, along with aqua irises, a strong jaw and his thin figure give him a charm of his own. Joshua's posture and general air about him suggest a severe lack of confidence as he's usually slouching and avoiding eye-contact. His attire consists of cheap suits and sneakers, or blue jeans, a simple T-Shirt and a blazer.

Standing at 5'11" and wearing his trademark(legally pending) blue pinstripe suit, thin and with a deliberately scraggly head of long, semi-curly light brown locks, Phoenix Blue may seem intimidating at first glance. Sporting a custom molded domino mask, Phoenix Blue's demeanor, calm and confident, suggests the man behind the mask knows exactly what he's doing; kicking crime's ass. Whether or not that is actually the case is debatable.

Personality

Phoenix Blue, Joshua's heroic alter ego, is a drastic alteration from his civilian persona. Joshua's bravery and confidence in himself aren't very impressive. Even with his mildly successful writing career and decent paying story boarding occupation, Joshua is unable to see himself as anything but a simple unimpressive man who offers nothing in terms of true worth. Outwardly, his personality would come off as a decent guy with decent aspirations who makes a decent living doing decent jobs. He's mediocre in every way. Joshua's interests include manga, anime, and pretty much any literature that isn't a textbook.

Alternatively, when Joshua puts on the mask, the Phoenix Blue persona takes over. While there is no actual secondary being that takes over, Joshua's attitude and genuine confidence increase exponentially. As Phoenix Blue, Joshua obtains a feigned sense of importance and heroic oneness. Outwardly, Phoenix Blue stands with a straight posture, shoulders back, and shows attentive and thoughtful behavior. Acts of bravery are much more common while Phoenix Blue; acts that wouldn't even be considered by Joshua Mondin. The drastic changes in personality may be a result of an acute case of DID, but Joshua has never been diagnosed with anything resembling the mental disorder.

History

David and Cinzia Mondin's beautiful baby boy came into their world on the 9th Of February, 1993, in Boston, MA. The baby was of good health, and had his fathers blue eyes. David was a poet, and Cinzia an artist, and so as the years rolled by they instilled their value of the arts into their child, who they named Joshua. As the years passed, and little Joshua grew, so did his understanding of the beauty of poetry, written word, and the arts. He began writing short stories and drawing at the age of ten, and became engrossed in the vastly differentiating art styles of manga and oil paintings in his teenage years. Unfortunately for Joshua, his interests were not as common in his area of residence, and so he slowly became an introvert, retreating into his own mind instead of sharing his thoughts and insights with others. It reached a point where he would actively choose staying inside, drawing or writing, over socializing with the few friends he had.

Upon reaching adulthood, Joshua's skill in writing and the visual arts landed him a spot in the Advanced Creative School of the Arts, a prestigious university dedicated to pushing the limits of their student's artistic potential. Joshua... lasted about a year, before dropping out. He couldn't handle the noise, the workload, the forced bunking or the creative lid they put on his work, so that they could "guide" him towards the "correct" path. He spent the entire walk back to his dorm wondering how he would break it to his parents. Joshua was only nineteen the night he dropped out. He was only nineteen the night it happened, the night he changed. Joshua was only nineteen the night he died.

More History

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. The word kept bouncing around Joshua's head, over and over. What was he doing? Quitting. Quitting what was most likely the one shot he had at honing his skills. Writing, drawing, these were the only things he was even good at. The instructors kept encouraging him, telling him that he had so much potential, but he was still.. quitting. How would he tell his parents? They gave him the cash that he needed to even attend, and he squandered it, like a homeless man squanders the change he receives from good-willed strangers on booze. What a waste. Stupid. Stupid...

The night sky sparkled, as it does. Joshua stopped his trudging for just a moment to gaze up at the stars. At least he could still appreciate beauty. At least he could stop for just a moment to forget his problems and simply marvel at who or whatever created this universe's endless masterpiece. At least he could.. widen his eyes as one of the stars plucked itself from the sky, and plummeted towards the Earth. He ran. Of course he did, he had instincts. Why would anyone simply stare upwards at what could be imminent death? Everything... the sidewalks, each individual blade of grass, the cracked blacktop splitting the little perfect rows of houses with whimsically multicolored rooftops, the vehicles lining the streets... and Joshua. Everything was shrouded in the blindingly, beautifully bright blue flash that was the consequence of the star's impact. And as soon as it had appeared, the flash was gone. Everything.. the sidewalks, each individual blade of grass, the cracked blacktop splitting the little perfect rows of houses with whimsically multicolored rooftops, the vehicles lining the streets... everything except Joshua was unaffected. For Joshua had disappeared.

He thought to himself, as it was the only thing he could do. He thought to himself because he could not open his mouth to speak, when he had no mouth to speak with. He thought to himself because he could not move without limbs to move with. He thought to himself because he could not see without eyes to see with. He thought to himself because he could not listen without ears to hear with. [Am I dead? I must be dead, for I feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing, and I cannot move. Yet... I am still here. Why am I still able to think, reflect, rationalize, when I should be... nothing?] And so he thought, reflected and rationalized, for it was all he could do.

So Much History

Joshua Mondin was reported missing exactly two weeks after that night. David and Cinzia searched as hard as they could, using all the resources available to them. They came up with absolutely no results. A month passes and Joshua's case is filed into the back pages of the local police station's missing persons file. Of course, being decent parents David and Cinzia never stopped looking, but, it became a sort of routine to wait beside the phone for an hour every night or to have a daily walk around their neighborhood hoping that they'd see their Joshua returning home.

Yet another month later, Joshua rises from a very long nap. He had woken up in... Sakura Park, within Millennium City, on a bright sunshiny day. He was also naked. After being arrested and taken to an MCPD station for public exposure, Joshua had a chance to figure out what exactly was going on. Using the thought process he went through during his long sleep, he was able to recall the legend of the phoenix. A bird with flaming wings of either brightly colored orange or blue, green, purple... it depended on the version of the story that was being read. Near the end of the phoenix's lifespan, the fiery bird quickly makes its way to their nest, made of ashes, and set it aflame only to rise from the ashes born anew.

Thinking back on things, Joshua did indeed recall the "star" having a bird-like distinction to its shape. Could it be that he was disintegrated by one of these mythical birds that happened to not make it back it their nest in time? Could he have absorbed the energy before disintegration? And is that why he wasn't dead? Stranger things have happened in this world. That was it then, he figured it out. Of course, Joshua's next move was to return home to his parents and explain what happened.

But how?

He wasn't close to home, not at all. So with a few pieces of over sized clothing given to him by the authorities and with not a single drop of optimism Joshua sat on a street corner and held out his hand. Eventually with a handout from a kind stranger he was able to find a payphone (Which apparently still exist) and was able to call home. But he couldn't. He was afraid. Joshua had been missing for months after dropping out of college, a waste of his parents' money. He didn't call home all that time, and why the hell would they believe his (completely sound) theory about a mythical bird? So, instead of calling home and telling them where he was, Joshua called home and had a very short teary eyed conversation with his parents. He told them that he was safe, but that he wasn't coming home.

You can't even handle this much History

He spent his nights writing on empty fast food soda cups and pieces of cardboard, thinking of stories about mysteries or dragons having to defend their gold from evil knights trying to steal it. He spent his days begging for cash or heading to the local soup kitchen, which he eventually figured out he didn't need. After a particularly unlucky night, where Joshua had slept near a dumpster that was being emptied, and getting his arm trapped under said dumpster after it was put down, he figured out he really didn't need to eat. He never got anywhere past the normal feeling of "hungry", and he had already not eaten for days. Maybe it was the phoenix.

He began discovering his abilities, slowly. Very slowly. A spark here and there, and fires being lit with much more ease than what was deserved during blistering cold and windy nights. One night, on a chilly winter evening, whilst begging for cash from the not-so-generous folk passing him by, Joshua met a young red headed woman. She was also without a home, and her name was Evelyn. The two became very close friends, eventually being able to share resources with each other in order to provide as much life comfort as was possible for two people living on the streets. And everything was going great. Just... great.

Joshua's lack of hunger, along with constant assistance from Evelyn, allowed for him to save up enough money to get himself a rather rickety room in an old motel. He shared this with Evelyn of course. Joshua was even able to get a job packing groceries at the local mart, and began selling little home made nick nacks and drawings. Things were going fantastic! Well, they were, until Evelyn suddenly collapsed one evening. She was rushed to the nearest medical facility, only to slip in and out of consciousness on the stretcher whilst entering it's doors, and then finally passing away as medical professionals tried to work out what had happened. They never did.

MORE HOMELESS ADVENTURES ONCE THE AUTHOR GETS OFF OF THEIR LAZY ASS

Powers & Abilities

• Passive Phoenix Physiology Mimicry: Phoenix Blue's body is much different from a regular human's. Passively, on the external side of things, Phoenix appears as if he is flesh and bone; which is true to some extent. His internal organs are all where they should be, and so is his skeleton, but every molecule of his being is subject to constant change and magical burning irregularity. He is effectively mystical fire in condensed form, and as such is unaffected by a few physical and all heat-based attacks. Due to the phoenix physiology being such an internal part of him, his self sustaining healing abilities are almost unmatched (in most circumstances). That being said, Phoenix is still solid, and has functioning organs. He is able to be knocked out and put out of commission by large blunt force attacks. He is also vulnerable to some energy attacks.

• Active Phoenix Physiology Mimicry: Restating the above, Phoenix Blue's body is much different from a regular human's. If his passive physiology wasn't enough, Phoenix can actively transform parts, or the entirety, of his body into brilliant blue flames. The flames burn at 1,300 °C (2,400 °F), and can be controlled omnidirectionally within a certain distance from the center of his body. Phoenix can use this ability to project flame blasts, become intangible but still dangerous, create applicable constructs such as wings or a whip and condense the flame to burn through solid materials like stone or certain metals. Should Phoenix spend enough time with objects of his choosing, he can alter the molecular structure of those objects to change just as his body does. This allows him to use this ability without burning or leaving behind his clothes every time he employs it. Active control of APPM takes massive amounts of concentration, an area which Phoenix is lacking in.
  • Phoenix Flame Transportation: By fully dispersing his physical being into flames, Phoenix Blue is able to move vast distances in a matter of seconds. With a bit of creativity, this extremely useful ability allows Phoenix to not only travel with little hassle, but actually transfer the entirety of his being through all but the smallest of openings such as door cracks or vents. He can effectively escape any situation that doesn't involve a fireproof, heat resistant airtight prison.

• Pyrokinesis: Phoenix Blue can shape and manipulate fire, the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. This is however extremely limited, as Phoenix isn't as connected with these flames as he is with his own. He can cause already flammable objects to combust and manipulate already existing flames to some extent.

• Artsy: One of Joshua's only useful non-phoenix related traits; his skill in the visual arts is above average at minimum. His skill with a pencil, brush, and stylus allows him to make a decent living as a storyboard artist for an obscure anime you've never heard of. His creative mind and poetic wording have allowed him to write and have four novels published, two noire murder mysteries by the titles "She Needed a Spare Tire" and "Broken Glass", a controversial romantic comedy set during the holocaust (Joshua has a very strange sense of humor) by the title of "Kissing Under Missiles", and an epic poem about a homeless man who doesn't need to eat titled "One More Coin, Please". Joshua writes under the pseudonym "Peter Grundlethorp".

Weaknesses

• "Can't, breathe!": Removing Oxygen from the equation is a good way to not only sufficate Phoenix, but nullify his powers until he is exposed to the oh so important gas once again. Contrary to popular belief, splashing water on Phoenix does absolutely nothing, except maybe mess up his hair.

• "Coward!": Joshua Mondin is, at his core, a coward. While his Phoenix Blue persona may shroud that fact with a feigned sense of heroism, should Joshua be put in a situation that is truly dangerous to his well being, you can expect him to high-tail it out of there. So much for being a beacon of hope.

• "I can't do anything right...": Phoenix Blue may seem intimidating, and in many ways he should be feared, but the man just isn't skilled at... any conventional form of combat. He isn't very strong, his fighting technique consists of tossing hay-makers and swinging around a cane, and he knows absolutely nothing about firearms. Phoenix can also be clumsy at times, mostly when he's nervous, which can become a serious problem in the heat of battle.

• "Ugh, my head...": Joshua Mondin, and as a result, Phoenix Blue, is prone to migraines. These have affected him his entire life, and while he is able to cope with them relatively well, they still put a damper on his focus when they rear their painful ugly heads. These seem to be the only health problem his phoenix physiology can't solve.

• "I don't take handouts.": Although spending so much time on the streets, homeless, would leave many people humble and kind, it has made Joshua bitter and inhospitable towards handouts. He needs to feel self sufficient, and this can bleed into simple conversation, especially with women. Situations where someone is being "charitable", especially in sarcasm, can either set him off or cause him to simply leave the scene. Contrary to most of his personality deficiencies, this one is much more prominent when wearing the mask.

Equipment

• Phoenix Blue Suit: The suit Phoenix Blue wears is probably the most expensive thing he owns. The suit is of a silk and wool blend, and is of course blue, with a lighter blue for the pinstripes. It has been custom tailored to contain four extra pockets within the suit's interior. The suit fits Phoenix perfectly while still allowing for mobility, and still looking stylish. Phoenix has spent enough time with the suit and has changed its molecular structure so that when he uses APPM, it doesn't combust and become useless. The suit is worth Seven Hundred U.S Dollars, with an added seventy for the fitting and customization.

• Domino Mask: A simple domino mask used to hide Phoenix's identity. It's a wonder how his hair doesn't give him away, but somehow the mask keeps his identity completely secret. The mask is custom molded to fit his facial structure, and has eye-lenses to create a blank look and are also used to protect against anything that could burn his retina-Pfft, you get the idea. Phoenix has spent enough time with the mask and has changed its molecular structure so that when he uses APPM, it doesn't combust and become useless.

• Cane Sword: Phoenix Blue wouldn't be Phoenix Blue without his signature cane sword. The 175 centimeter cane is humble and in almost no way flashy, being an obsidian black all the way to its tip. The head of the cane is a simple and uncomplicated marble phoenix head. Upon pressing an unassuming switch at the base of its length, just under the marble phoenix, a 120 centimeter steel blade can be unsheathed. The blade is rarely used, as Phoenix has no actual swordsmanship skills, but it is great for intimidation and it just looks really cool. Phoenix has spent enough time with the cane and has changed its molecular structure so that when he uses APPM, it doesn't combust and become useless. The marble head is constantly replaced due to Phoenix's insistence on bashing criminals over the head with it.

Tropes

Superpower Lottery - Phoenix Blue's abilities, if trained and used with enough focus, can be ridiculously powerful. His powers came from a pure chance encounter, and, well, he won the superpower lottery.

Friendless Background - ...Yeah.

Sharp-Dressed Man - Phoenix's suit is the most expensive thing he owns after all.

Cowardly Lion - Sums Phoenix up pretty nicely. Even though Phoenix is able to kick serious ass, he's a coward. A big one. Should push come to shove, he might either nut up or retreat, it's a gamble.