EARLY LIFE
"I would have had no luck, if not for misfortune."

Teodor Balakov is someone you may refer to as a crazy Russian. As a young man, Teodor possessed a talent for being reckless and doing stupid things. He has had his share of foolishness. One great example of this is when he decided it would be entertaining to get drunk on vodka with his friends and wrestle a real bear. It was in this moment - through a combination of adrenaline, strong liquor and circumstance - that Teodor triggered his latent mutation. Teodor and the bear became one.

After discovering his mutation, which he initially found rather difficult to control and get a handle on, Teodor withdrew from society for a while. His version of laying low - or arguably doing rather the opposite - was to join up with a traveling cirque troupe, where he performed both in the role of strongman and circus bear. Unbeknownst to the audience or anyone other than the circus' main staff and performers, of course. He stayed with the cirque troupe for a couple of years, at which point he was pretty much running the show.

The reason Teodor left the life of a performer and mother Russia behind was simple - love. He fell head over heels for an American, an artist and ballerina who was studying Russian ballet. They met in an alleyway, after Teodor - in bear form - stopped a few lowlifes from harassing the lady. When a man sped to her rescue so soon after the almost mugging followed by a sudden bear attack, she saw right through the performance. Yet - for reasons beyond Teodor's comprehension - she did not flee the scene. And instead berated him for resorting to such reckless aggression in her name, insisting she actually had the situation well in hand. She might well have. Teodor still swears he immediately knew she was the one in that 'romantic' moment.

Sure enough they officially ended up together after a couple months of passionate courtship. And when she returned to the states, Teodor followed her there. Some years later, they are still happily married and have several children together. Two beautiful, strong boys and a fiercely independent young lady, who obviously take after their mother.

PRESENT DAY
"Everything changes, nothing disappears."

Today, Teodor stands at the head of a renowned auction house in downtown Millennium City, with the unmissable support of his artistic and amazing wife - both in business and at home. Their three young children are healthy and growing up fast. Fortunately their grandmother - Teodor's mother, who came to live with them a few years back - is there to help raise the little troublemakers and keep them in line. Woe the day one of them (or Heaven's forbid, all of them!) manifest superpowers of their own.

As if his life was not hectic enough, Teodor on occasion dons a heroic costume at night and tracks down criminals. He does this in part because it provides a 'healthy' outlet for the beast within - the bear has to be let out from time to time, it helps keep any predatory urges in check. He primarily hunts art thieves and smugglers, playing to his strengths and sticking predominantly to the territory he knows best - the art world. Though any criminal that crosses paths with a bear would do well to head back in the direction they came from.

To protect his family, Teodor keeps his nocturnal activities a close-guarded secret. Even, or especially, from his children. Only his beloved wife, his dear old mother and a select few superpowered individuals know of the link that connects the man and the predator. Though it is a juggling act that is becoming increasingly more difficult as his children grow older.

"One meets people by their clothes, and says farewell by their mind."

Coming Soon.

"When you have done the job, you may take a walk boldly."

Coming Soon.

"A cat uses its paw, a bear all five fingers."

• Enhanced Senses/ Tracking - Teodor possesses extraordinary senses not unlike those of a bear, namely his sense of smell and hearing. His acute hearing is almost twice as sensitive as that of your average human and covers a large range of frequencies. And his sense of smell allows him to pick up scents from over a mile away. This makes him a remarkable tracker.
  
  

• Enhanced Strength - Apart from outright becoming a bear, Teodor is able to tap into his raw ursine power at all times. Sometimes doing so almost passively, without fully realizing it. This allows him to perform amazing feats of strength, with displays of power roughly equivalent to the strength of a large brown bear. That is around five times as strong as most man.
  
  

• Ursine Mimicry - Teodor's power is not to transform into a bear. Not exactly. His mutation caused him to assimilate or fuse with the essence of another being or creature. Rather than shape shifting into a bear, it is more like he swaps places or produces a psychic manifestation of said bear to temporarily assume his place. He calls forth and channels his inner ursine.
  
  

"A bear is strong, but it can be led on a chain."

• Placeholder - Coming Soon.
  
  

"If you learn a lot, you'll age soon."

• What's in a name? - Artos was also the name of the circus bear Teodor assumed the role of when he used to be part of a travelling cirque troupe.
  
  

"An old friend is better than two new ones."

• Cirque Troupe - Artos used to be part of a cirque troupe that traveled Russia and Eastern Europe, he played both circus bear and strongman.
  
  
• A Family Man - A father first and foremost, Teodor may be spotted at a parent-teacher conference or taking his children to swimming lessons.
  
  
• Russian Roots - Teodor is proud to be Russian, though he is less boastful of the kind of crowd he spend his time with when he was younger.
  
  
• The Art World - As he runs an auction house for art, the name Teodor Balakov bears some name recognition around the high profile art scene.
  
  

"A word is not a sparrow - once it flies out, you won't catch it."

"PLACEHOLDER." - Anonymous