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Captain Radius is a powerful superhero currently residing in Roosevelt City. Aside from his heavily boosted strength, Radius has also gained the ability to project intense waves of particle radiation and force, making him a rather powerful mutant fighter.

Since having met several other superhumans in his line of work, he has attempted to form up a team of 'heroes in need' known as the Gamma Squad. Though still a fairly recent development, the Gamma Squad has proven to be the 2nd most effective superhero team in Roosevelt City limits.

Origins

Early life and Judge Fist

Fred Berger was born to a middle-class family in Providence, Rhode Island. Berger always was built quite imposingly, reaching a height of 5 feet tall by the time he was 7 years old. It quickly became that Fred's strength grew to match, and soon he became his school's most popular athlete and football player.

Yet despite his popularity among preppy and upscale, rich kids, Fred had an unusually pacifistic manner. Because of his physical abilities, Fred was often approached by other kids, asking him to beat up some kid for not helping on their homework or do some other petty act to a targeted student. Fred, obviously in a position to refuse such requests, repeatedly turned them down. He was nobly denying to take part in any of the malicious and immature bullying happening around his school, but he obviously wouldn't be able to avoid such a fate forever.

By and large, the next most popular and prominent athlete in Fred's school was David Gore. Extremely passive-aggressive and yet a perfectly good athlete in his own right (as well as a punctual and learned student), David grew more and more hostile towards Fred year after year until finally, it all snapped during the last year of High School. David had been hoping to be able to get a bit of notoriety at homecoming, and be crowned homecoming king on the last year before going off to college. However, the honor went to Fred instead, thanks to his constant support of his own school. David, simply unable to hide his hatred of Fred anymore, gathered a group of like-minded delinquents and athletes and confronted Fred.

Fred, obviously unwilling to fight back, initially let David's posse beat at him for a couple of minutes. Only, to much everyone's surprise, Fred showed practically no signs of injury. The posse's knuckles were beginning to bleed from punching Fred's tough hide too rigorously, but then David came swinging in with a metal chair, thrashing Fred hard enough into a brick wall to cause a very minor concussion. A couple-second lapse of consciousness later, and Fred had finally become fed up with David's attacks. With one fell swing of his arm in a wide hook, he managed to send every last one of David's posse toppling over the pavement. Fred, having shown sincere remorse for his sudden actions and gladly accepting any consequences, was soon suspended from school for 2 weeks.

During this time, though, Fred soon began to discover that his strength was definitely something special. Going to local gyms, he began to test his might and see just what limits his body had. He challenged other members of the gym to short bouts in the boxing ring to see if they could take him down - even against several trained boxers, Fred was completely unbeatable. Concluding that he was most likely at no risk of lasting injury in a real fight, Fred decided to occupy his free time from his suspension by becoming an ad-hoc superhero by the name of Judge Fist.

After one week, Fred determined that this was truly what he wanted to do. He continued to don the mask, hiding his identity, and frequently sneak out of school to patrol the streets during free periods. His methods, true to his naturally pacifistic nature, were able to safely apprehend and catch criminals around Providence. Naturally, he became quite popular among the general populace, and soon, some of Fred's friends at school began to buy into Fred's schemes. Others, including David, thought that he had simply lost his marbles.

Fred's decision to continue working as Judge Fist did have some rather unfortunate consequences: Several times, at the behest of the police chief, he was asked to leave crime scenes in order to help protect his being and identity. Judge couldn't care less about such requests, but he soon began to reconsider his actions when he realized he had spent his whole last year of high school doing nothing to prepare to go to university. Needless to say, Fred did manage to get by his last year of school, graduating successfully, but now he had nowhere to go from there.

Judge Fist's career was finally stopped when he had just turned 22; when David, seemingly concerned for Fist's mental health, publicly revealed his identity as Fred Berger to the people of Providence. Now a target of various vengeful criminals he had caught, and having been publicly shamed by David, he decided that now was the best time to refocus his efforts on getting a proper education - outside of Providence. 4 years after his graduation from high school, his search for a suitable university had begun.

Roosevelt City

Fred, consequentially due to his preoccupation as a hero, had failed to take any SATs or other college-entry exams. He had made no applications to any universities, either, but he had managed to get a very good score on an AP physics exam once. His shaky, though still existent credentials, coupled with a serious case of understaffing at Roosevelt City University meant that Fred was able to get a spot as an introductory physics instructor for some years. His friendly and outgoing demeanor suited his position well, making him a rather popular professor and lecturer among students. The problems came in, however, when it concerned actually understanding the material. Because Fred didn't quite have a grasp on how his own area of expertise worked, he happened to be rather bad at teaching his students, even despite their preference for his personality.

The news of Judge Fist's identity, meanwhile, had not spread outside of Providence limits. After a few months of working as an instructor, Mr. Berger decided that he would try and relive the glory days of a hero. On weekends, he'd spend his time patrolling the city covertly for people in need or vandals at work. It was during this time that Fist managed to meet Phasechange.

The superhero work was very stimulating for Fist; he had been getting lazy and unfit from sitting around in a lecture hall all day giving talks, so the break in monotony was certainly welcomed. However, it wasn't uncommon for him to be late to his own lectures due to his hobby, not to mention apparently bruised and messy upon his entry. Even if Fist had been quite strong among the brawlers and criminals amongst Providence, the Roosevelt City fare was proving to be much rougher. Because the difficulty of his heroics were showing through in his instruction, he was put on probation, and then soon fired from the University.

On the bright side, Fred had at least managed to learn a few things about particle physics during his stay at the university, and appropriately decided to try and pursue a career in that field. Browsing through a newspaper one day, Fred managed to find a job opening for a lab assistant at Baxter MutaCo.; a research firm in Roosevelt City, responsible for development of powerful antimutagenic drugs, batteries, and the maintenance of Roosevelt City's power supply. Having been impressed by Fred's interview, as well as conveniently passing over his lack of experience, Baxter MutaCo. decided to put him into a position that suited his abilities best: Lab Assistant, and Powercore Surveilance. Fred would be responsible for both lending an extra hand to more experienced scientists, as well as personally keeping a watchful eye over the city's central power supply.

Mr. Fred Berger was doing fine at his job; from his bold demeanor and powerful build, the people at Baxter Co. were able to quickly figure out that Berger held some sort of physically rigorous second job, and decided to adopt a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy about it, conveniently allowing Berger to continue his work as Judge Fist. Now, however, Fist began to wonder about some facts: Why did the power core need to be guarded so closely? True, it must be valuable and protected from any intruders or saboteurs, but the power core already was located in tunnels deep below the city's surface. Even if people somehow managed to find an elevator down into these catacombs, how would they be able to make their way to the core without setting off some sort of surveilance? Fred continued to mull on the reasons more and more, until, in a moment of dead silence, Berger was able to hear faint crying coming from inside the core - Baxter Co. didn't need people to keep the core guarded from the outside, they needed people to keep the outside guarded from the core.

When Fred brought up the issue with his employers, they regretfully spilled the beans to their guard, deciding it would be a good idea to stay honest to a man seemingly so "innocent". Indeed, Baxter Co.'s core compartment kept the radioactive girl Quarterlife at bay, harnessing deadly waves of radiation that came from her being, transforming them into electrical power. It was a veritable stream of seemingly permanent energy, but the girl's power put immense pressure on the shell of the core compartment. It was, as Fred had suspected, his job to keep the core perimeter clear for any damage it might have sustained from within. With all this in mind, Fred's boss requested him to continue work as usual, giving him the express task to keep the core stable.

Fred, however, was now curious. Who was this radioactive girl who was powering the entire city? What was it like inside the core, and how did she feel about apparently being locked up in a giant, concrete sphere? Soon, Fred couldn't take the uncertainty anymore, and headed into the core chamber, donning only minimal hazmat gear to protect himself from radiation. Fred had managed to open hatches on the bottom of the core sphere, climbing into the power-fathering chamber. Within the sphere's innards, lined with force receptors, a single, cubic cell dangled from a lattice from the top of the sphere, hanging directly in the center of the compartment. With only a small staircase along the sphere's side leading to a bridge that connected the sphere's base with the cell, Fred made his way up to meet this fabled child.

Upon Fred's opening of the cell door, Quarterlife scrambled to the far corner of the padded room. No one had ever so directly opened the door before, and this had been the first person she had seen in years. For all she knew, this was a worker coming to 'decommission' her from her cell, perhaps to bury her deeper underground and protect everyone from her deadly power. Fred, however, recognized her fright and decided to try and convince her that he was a friend. Slowly approaching, Fred removed his suit's helmet and proceeded to greet the girl. As Quarterlife realized that she was safe, she began to tell Fred all about how she had been turned into her current state. For hours, the two talked inside the power-conversion core. The two became fast friends.

However, just after 2 hours had passed, Quarterlife felt herself beginning to lose control of her radioactivity. She demanded that Fred leave the area as quickly as possible. Fred, not fully understanding the danger he was in, redonned his suit's helmet, calmly showed himself out of the cell, and shut the door behind him, waiting in the power-collection chamber, where Quarterlife's particle rays would fly freely for energy collection. The ensuing explosion occured, knocking Berger across the compartment. The suit had taken the brunt of the force, but the overwhelming radiation had most definitely taken a toll on Berger. In a daze, he just barely managed to show his way out of the collection sphere before collapsing.

Rise of Radius

The initial contusions and 2nd degree burns turned out to be the least of Fred's concerns. As time proceeded, the other symptoms of radiation sickness began to develop, including a noted change of complexion and a loss of most bodily hair. Beholding the damage he had sustained, Fred's employers were prepared to treat their employee for the damage he had sustained, but ultimately, were not holding out on a positive prognosis. Still, to any other person, the amount of radiation damage that Fred had sustained would certainly have been fatal.

For a few weeks, Mr. Berger was bedridden in the Roosevelt City hospital, undergoing intense chemotherapy to prevent any other malignant symptoms from developing. Soon following this, however, Berger began to revitalize. The hair on his head grew back, and his eyes seemed to begin to glow a brighter blue than they had before. After 3 months of rest, Berger was let out of the hospital, only to be called in by Baxter Co. scientists for extensive training.

A quick test of his physical capabilities revealed that they had developed tenfold. Somehow, Mr. Berger's body had absorbed a portion of the radioactive force that had damaged him. Because of this unusual trait, it seemed that Berger had advanced from simply being strong, to being truly superhuman. Instead of just punches, Berger's body could safely withstand gunfire, and he soon discovered his ability to generate his own radiation in the form of thin particle beams from his eyes.

Because of his uncanny ability to absorb punishment, Baxter Co. scientists asked if they could have him as a chief experimenter and subject, to which Berger quickly agreed. Though despite the prestigious title, all Berger's job entailed was mixing dangerous compounds together and personally entertaining and caring for Quarterlife - basically, doing all the impossibly dangerous stuff that most other scientists wouldn't dare attempt. On the plus side, it did come with a very hefty paycheck.

In the meantime, Mr. Berger managed to put his new superhuman strength and radioactive powers to good use in crimefighting, now reformed as Captain Radius. Developing the ability to project waves of force that could propel him through the air, Radius proves to be a hero that can lay a beatdown, take a whaling, and gets to the scene promptly. Second to members of the Alpha Force, he has proven to be one of the most successful heroes in Roosevelt City, only being limited by his inability to really handle complicated situations involving deception or delicate operations.

Radius also spent considerable time working to cure or at least neutralize Quarterlife's powers to the point that she could safely emerge from her prison. With ample time and close interaction, he was able to document her symptoms, as well as gather biological samples for testing specific treatments. As Radius continued to work with Quarterlife, however, he noticed that her radioactive outbursts began to slow down considerably the more comfortable she got. This would have been a huge step forward in Radius' research, had Tri-Emerald not released Quarterlife from the cell. Thus, Quarterlife fled north to Millennium City as a vagrant, seeking treatment at the biology labs within the midwest. Radius, meanwhile, was determined not to put his research to waste, and knew just where to find the next best subject.

Radius' treatment of Phasechange's mutant symptoms lead to the birth of the Gamma Squad. Though, at its onset, the team didn't have a name, and had only two members. Still, the partnership between the two heroes grew to become a very deep one, and the two soon became married. From there, Radius has managed to recruit both Mach and a refashioned Quarterlife into the team's ranks.

Detailed Information

Personality

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Radius' most desirable traits include his incredible fairness, bravery, and great oration skills. Always polite and friendly, he always is on the lookout to make friends with others and proves to be flexible (or nonjudgemental) enough to be on speaking terms with anyone. Radius' friendliness makes him a pacifist; he ultimately hates fighting, and will do everything in his power to avoid unneeded conflict.

On the flipside, Radius, though naturally inquisitive and curious, is also prone to making some poor decisions and leaps in logic. His bombastic style also makes it likely for him to completely miss some points that others might make. All this, combined with a severely limited world-view make it very possible for Radius to make grievous mistakes. It's a good thing he has partners like Phasechange to keep him in check, because otherwise, it's uncertain how much longer he would be able to work as a hero.

Combat Specifications

Radius always seemingly had a rather impressive physical capacity for punishment and strength, but his exposure to radioactive energy seems to have further boosted such capabilities. His super strength enables the caped hero to lift up to 8 tons of weight, as well as continue battle for extended periods of time. His running speed is also quite impressive, being able to sprint at a maximum rate of 49 miles per hour. He's not exactly the most agile fighter, but Radius does know his way around a brawl, having learned kickboxing and wrestling as hobbies. With such inhuman levels of strength, however, even Radius' semi-rudimentary skill makes him a highly-feared foe in battle.

Radius can also use residual radioactive energy from within himself to project radiation. Though he initially learned to channel such energy as concentrated beams out of his eyes, he has now learned how to release it in a destructive burst in a sphere around himself. Radius also has learned how to project this energy in a single direction, enabling him to fly at a speed nearing 99 miles per hour. Compared to simply brawling, though, these exertions of pure particular energy take a much greater toll on Radius' energy reserves. After unleashing a destructive wave, he can be rendered vulnerable for a few seconds.

Radius' most noteworthy ability is his superhuman endurance. Radius, built solidly, is extremely difficult to knock around, knock out, or seriously damage. Bullets, bats, blades, and howitzers bounce harmlessly off of this impeccable man's hide. To counterbalance this, Radius is also quite resistant to various levels of heat, electrical impulse, and, of course, radiation. There is but two gaps in Radius' defenses: The arcane, and the psionic. Villains in Roosevelt City who use arcane energy are thankfully a rarity, but the fact that he's perhaps one of the only heroes in the city to not have received psionic defense training means he has the potential to be controlled by others and potentially become a huge threat.

ETC

• Character was originally created as a generic/template character for a planned Champions Online LP.
• Radius' appearance as Judge Fist is based rather heavily in design off of Captain Hammer; namely the goofy looking chest emblem and black leather gloves.