Difference between revisions of "Gold Rush"

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Gold Rush dealt with depression since childhood. In May 2019 at the age of 24, he answered an online ad that promised a cure-all medication available for drug trials which included payment. Hoping to rid himself of his depression once and for all, he foolishly accepted the mysterious ad.

Arriving at the location, he found a lone man in a lab coat holding a golden pill with no other volunteers or doctors. While having second thoughts, he convinced himself to go through with the testing once he saw the envelope full of cash. At first the drug seemed to have no effect, but suddenly his heart began to race until he eventually passed out.

Waking up in the back of an ambulance to a paramedic using defibrillators on him, he felt a surge of energy rush through his entire body before passing out once more. He regained conciousness in the hospital a day later, confused about what had happened. Even after his ordeal, the doctors could find nothing wrong with him and he was discharged.

It was soon after leaving the hospital that Gold Rush realized he had somehow gained superhuman speed and reflexes. Pondering what he should do with his newfound abilities, he eventually came to the conclusion that he should use them to help others for it was the right thing to do. For the next few weeks, Gold began to practice his abilities before finally going out in the field in early June.

It was then that a new hero was born. As Gold Rush, he tried to help as many people as possible. This put him in conflict with gangs, thieves, dealers, and killers. He remained in Canada for two months, before he finally decided to relocate to Millennium City in early August where he currently lives for the time being.

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Powers and Abilities

Superhuman Speed - Gold Rush is capable of running at incredible speeds, far exceeding that of the fastest human sprinter. With maximum effort, he is capable of running at Mach 2 (1534.54 miles per hour) or twice the speed of sound. His tremendous speed allows him to dodge bullets, run on water, and move quickly enough that he can't be seen by the naked eye. Gold Rush has also recently discovered the ability to vibrate his body on a molecular level, thus allowing him to travel through solid matter for a brief period of time. This however causes a great physical strain on his body which normally results in him passing out. Whether or not his max speed will increase over time, is currently unknown.

Speedster Physiology - Gold's body is perfectly adapted to running at great speeds. His stamina has been increased to the point where he is able to stay active for almost 24 hours, before needing to rest. He possesses highly durable bones and tendons that act as shock absorbers while he runs, and his leg muscles are strong enough to allow him to leg press approximately 1 ton. His metabolism is roughly 15 times faster than that of a normal human being, which allows him to regenerate quickly. This also means his body requires a higher calorie intake than the average person. Gold's body is also entirely immune to the effects of friction as well as dizziness and vertigo. His brain processes information at a greater than average speed, which enables him to perceive the world around him at a slower pace. His reflexes are therefore much faster than that of a professional athlete.

Amateur Brawler - By using his quick reflexes, Gold Rush has become a capable fighter and is able to hold his own against highly skilled opponents. While by no means an expert, his superior speed and reflexes give him an advantage over most foes by allowing him to react quickly to their attacks. Also thanks to his strong leg muscles, he is able to deliver powerful kicks making him even more of an effective combatant.

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Weaknesses

Depression - Gold Rush suffers from life long clinical depression which can cause him to question and even outright lose his motivation for doing everything from fighting crime, to just getting out of bed in the morning. While not as severe as it was earlier on in his life, it still prevents him from making decisions as well as causing him to doubt his own abilities.

Human Being - While possessing special abilities, Gold is still a human being that is vulnerable to most of the various methods of injury that typical humans can succumb to.

Hyper-metabolism - Due to his accelerated metabolism, Gold Rush burns calories faster than the average human and periodically requires large quantities of nutrients.

Impulsivity - Gold Rush has demonstrated early on in his career to be impulsive to the point where he will run head first into a situation without a fully formed plan.

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Gear and Equipment

Current

Gold Rush Suit - Gold Rush wears a suit that both protects him from physical harm, as well as hides his identity. The materials used are highly friction resistant and also durable enough to resist damage from blades, and even bullets. The goggles he wears also provides additional protection to his face from airborne debris, and to an extant physical damage. So far, there have been four versions of this suit. The original suit was made from materials Gold purchased online and offered little to no protection from harm. Versions 2.0 and 3.0 were made to be far more durable, but they slightly impaired his movement so he could not achieve max speed as easily. The current version is made from lighter, but still very strong materials that doesn't restrict his movement at all. Version 4.0 has demonstrated it's ability to withstand damage from both conventional and unconventional weapons, as well as protecting Gold from intense heat and cold. While version 1.0 was entirely made by Gold, the later versions were created by his ally and friend Pressure.

Stealth Suit - A suit Gold Rush uses mainly for night time operations. It features a full mask that covers his entire face and hair, as well as having a darker colour scheme to allow him to blend in more to the darkness. It is not as durable as his typical suit, but still offers protection from basic damage. He only uses it when stealth is an absolute necessity.

Tech Suit - Gold Rush temporarily used an advanced tech suit during the time he lost his powers. The tech suit increased his speed to superhuman levels, and enhanced his strength to the point where he could lift a car. It featured a retractable re-breather that allowed him to breathe underwater, and the suit itself was durable enough to withstand the pressures of deep sea diving. It was also far more durable than his typical suit, as it was made from stronger materials. The tech suit however has limitations, including the fact that it could not mimic his naturally enhanced stamina or quick mental faculties. Also while increasing his speed to superhuman levels, it did not seem to allow him to move as fast as he could typically. He now only uses the suit when he travels to Lemuria. It was designed and built by his friend Enforcer.

Former

Vigilante Outfit - The first outfit Gold wore when he decided to use his abilities to help others. It was made from basic clothing that he had available including a black hoodie jacket with yellow accents, a yellow t-shirt, finger-less gloves, sunglasses, and a scarf to cover his face. The outfit was made entirely to conceal his identity and offered no additional protection. Was only used for a few weeks until he acquired the "official" Gold Rush suit.

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Relationships

Marital Status

Gold Rush is currently dating another hero that like him, only recently started out her heroic career. Won't disclose her name.

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Friends/Allies

Since moving to Millennium City, Gold has met many friends and allies. Some of them include:

• Blue Pheasant - An experienced hero/vigilante that has become a mentor-like figure to Gold.
• Nightingale (Gale) - The winged amnesiac who is the host to a dark magical entity. Her current status is unknown.
• Pressure - One of the first friends Gold made who possesses gravity manipulating abilities. Older brother to Gadgette.
• Gadgette - The kind tech-based genius that is new to being a hero. Younger sister of Pressure.
• Nightingale (Jasmine) - The Gale who comes from a parallel universe, Jasmine is a telekinetic prodigy that is new to this world.
• Joan - A dragon-human hybrid that is as funny and caring as she is tough and strong.
• Frostborn - The brave cryokinetic hero from Greenland sporting a Viking theme that worships the Norse gods.
• Ireum Eobseo - A lovable and friendly assassin that is an unfortunate "slave" to the New Celestial Empire (NCE).
• Imitere - The woman with a mysterious past, but a heart of gold who is trying to make things right. Adoptive mother to Cody.
• Prism - A flirtatious photokinetic hero who (like Gold) is just trying to find his place in the world.
• Cody - A brilliant wingless gryphon from a far away world. Adopted son of Imitere.
• Lem - The young wizard from New Zealand that specializes in life magic.
• Jawsome - A college student turned humanoid shark that simply wants to be human again.
• Enforcer - The strong ex-soldier now mercenary, Enforcer is loyal to those he calls friends.
• Blair - The stylish Zyncho from another Earth that does mercenary work on the side.

Enemies

It was inevitable that trying to fight crime would cause Gold Rush to make enemies. Among the worst of them includes:

• Carter Slade - The clever and brutal leader of the Outlawz street gang, Slade was the first personal enemy of Gold and has perhaps caused him the most grief. His tenacity combined with his gang's use of military-grade weapons, makes him a deadly enemy. Currently incarcerated.
• Bone-Chiller - A mentally unstable and disfigured cryokinetic criminal, not much is known about him. His motivation seems to be revenge for being rejected by humanity. Currently incarcerated.
• Varanus - Once a simple security guard that was experimented on to become a powerful humanoid lizard. Varanus wants to make lizard-men the dominant lifeforms on Earth. Currently incarcerated.
• Techla - The self proclaimed super genius super villain, Techla looks down on others she sees as having an inferior intellect. Although human, she uses technology of her own design to commit her crimes. Currently incarcerated.
• Freakshow - Perhaps the most sadistic enemy Gold has faced, the cannibalistic woman known only as Freakshow seems to want to cause as much harm and destruction as possible. Currently at large.

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General Perception

Gold Rush tries to stay out of the spotlight, and as a result he is not well known to many people. Having only been operating as a hero since early June 2019, he has yet to truly make a name for himself. Those individuals that know of his exploits seem to think of him as a good person who is honestly trying to help as many as possible.