Difference between revisions of "Mantle"

Spoiler Warning
The following details are about a player-created storyline, or is information currently unrevealed about a character.
Please do not use this information ICly unless given permission to do so.

As time went on, Vik managed to convince his mom to let him take boxing lessons when he was thirteen after having a fascination with the sport for as long as he can remember. He found a lot of enjoyment in boxing and after participating in it for a couple of years, he got a job at Carl's Gym in Westside when he turned fifteen which let him be around it even more. But one of the most exciting parts of the job for Vik was seeing superheroes show up for workouts and training every now and then. While never having the nerve to actually talk to any, he still enjoyed seeing them which would later add to his motivation to want to help people like they do. In early 2022, the young Vik was walking home from work late one day when he was jumped by a member of the Cobra Lords biker gang. The criminal held him at knife point and demanded that he hand over is wallet, an order which the hard-nosed Vik refused to comply to without a fight.

Using his amateur boxing skills, he did manage to hold his own with the attacker for a while even getting some shots in, but the larger biker was still able to knock the young man down to the sidewalk. After falling on the concrete, the dazed Vik struggled to get back up before the now angry Cobra Lord could come at him with his blade and claim his wallet and perhaps also his life. It was then that something incredible happened. While touching the concrete in order to push himself off the ground, the same material seemed to creep up his arms and cover his chest in a tough but flexible layer of it. This strange event happened just in time as the thug charged Vik with the knife but instead of managing to stab him in the chest, the blade simply broke after hitting his now concrete covered skin. This occurrence shocked both victim and assailant and the Cobra Lord soon fled with nothing to show for his attempted robbery but an injured hand.

Vik stood stunned as he looked down at where the knife hit him and as the concrete seem to dematerialize and his arms and chest returned to normal, and he realized he must be some kind of metahuman just like the ones he's heard about. This epiphany of his new-found abilities filled the young man with confusion, but also joy at what he could do. Keeping this a secret from his mother and friends at school, he began to practice his gift on different materials ranging from rubber to metal and came to the conclusion that he could only absorb solid matter and that he required a certain amount of a denser substance. Now excited at the prospect of becoming a hero himself, Vik started to assemble a simple suit that would hide his identity and act as his alter ego. After two weeks continuing to train in the use of his powers and fighting skills, Vik finally stepped out on the streets as the fledgling hero he dubbed Mantle.

PERSONALITY

Vik is a friendly and outgoing young man, who at times may come across as thick-headed and stubborn. He cares about his allies, friends, and of course his family, especially his mother and tries his best to take care of her despite the fact that he's only a teenager. While appearing to be the typical "dumb jock" type that enjoys participating in boxing and a few other sports on occasion, Vik actually has an inquiring mind and enjoys learning new things through reading or watching documentaries when he can find the time to. Being raised as a Hindu, he is fairly spiritual and refers to his abilities as a "gift" that he received for a purpose. Also while no longer practicing Hinduism, Vik does still have a fair amount of knowledge on the subject due to his upbringing. While typically being a jovial individual who has no problem joking around with people, he takes his work as a hero seriously as people's lives are on the line.

Because of how serious he usually is in the field, he tends to get annoyed with other heroes who constantly make quips and jokes rather than focusing on the task at hand. One major negative trait that Vik displays is that he can lose his temper at times, which generally occurs when someone he cares for is under some form of attack or when dealing with individuals he considers frustrating. His anger can become an issue during his time as Mantle as well such as when he'll seem to gain tunnel vision on a single opponent, while possibly ignoring others around him. Further contributing to his anger issues, one thing Vik hates immensely is having to run away from a fight. Having the "heart of a fighter" as he puts it, fleeing from conflict bothers him to the point where he has been overwhelmed by particularly challenging enemies rather than accepting he's outmatched and retreating. However, he does earnestly try to keep his anger in check and even meditates to help calm his mind and relax when he can.

POWERS AND SKILLS

Solid Matter Absorption - Vik is able to absorb the properties of certain solid materials which can then be replicated to coat his skin, nails and hair in the substance. The density of the layer varies, but it is generally a little less than half an inch in thickness. This gives him greatly increased physical durability and strength which is proportional to the material he absorbs. It also allows him to mimic that material's traits. Generally speaking this tends to make him tougher to harm from blades when absorbing metal, whereas absorbing rubber will make him greatly resistant to electricity due to its non-conductivity. His general strength level varies depending on the substance he fully coats himself in as well. Some examples being concrete allowing him to lift approximately 12,000 lbs (6 tons), hardened steel about 15,000 lbs (7.5 tons), and extremely durable materials like diamond allowing him to lift 20,000 lbs (10 tons).
Mantle is also able to only make part of his body covered if he wishes, which he generally uses on his hands if he simply wants to increase his punching strength or if he doesn't have access to enough of a substance. Although his weight does increase with the total amount varying depending on what properties he's mimicked, the external layer itself somehow always remains flexible and non-restrictive so it doesn't seem to impede his movement. An interesting point of fact is that his eyes can also take on the durability of whatever material he's absorbing, which makes them appear solid white when his head is covered. It seems to not affect his vision in any negative way, and only adds extra protection in his altered form.

Metahuman Physiology - Mantle's body is enhanced to a greater level than that of a regular human even without absorbing a material. His skin, bones and muscles are all denser than usual and due to this, he has rarely received any abrasions to his tougher skin during his lifetime. He seems to be able to heal at a faster than average rate, with bruises and cuts recovering in less time than one would normally expect. At his best and with tremendous effort, Vik is also able to lift close to 500 lbs. His endurance and stamina also seems to be greater than average, which gives him an edge over many opponents since he can generally hold out in a fight for a longer period of time in comparison. He is able to exert himself for roughly an hour before needing to rest and can run at speeds rivalling sprinters at approximately 20 mph. This unique physiology along with his typical workout routine ultimately makes him a tougher than average individual even absent a protective material covering.

Amateur Boxer - Due to his interest and frequent training, Vik is a capable fighter who uses his years of boxing experience in combination with his abilities to best many of his opponents in combat. He is capable of throwing a punch at a speed of approximately 23 mph and with the force of between 1,000 to 1,500 pounds psi (per square inch) when in his normal form. The amount of force behind his punch increases even further depending on the material he absorbs as well. Also since his armour doesn't negatively affect his speed or reflexes, he's able to use his learned boxing techniques to the fullest. An important note is that Mantle has also learned how to properly pull his punches so as not to seriously harm those he fights whether in the ring or in the field.

Bilingual - Vik is fluent in both English and Hindi but being raised in America, he tends to mainly speak English. He also speaks with mostly an American accent when he is speaking English, with a slight Indian accent coming out at times that he doesn't notice. Although he is technically able to understand and speak some Marathi as well as utterances of a few other languages found in India, he is only able to properly converse in Hindi and English and would generally struggle to follow along with conversations spoken in those other languages.

WEAKNESSES

More Matter - Mantle is unable to completely coat himself with a material if the object he attempts to absorb the properties of is too small. This means that he couldn't use a quarter to cover himself completely in metal, and instead only his hand would be coated. When he does attempt to absorb something small to "armour up" completely, he starts to feel immense discomfort which he describes as akin to holding your breath for too long which eventually leads to lightheadedness. So far he only seems able to fully cover himself with substances in medium to larger quantities ranging from street signs to brick walls, but this also depends on the material he's attempting to absorb.

Material Limitations - What Vik is able to use his powers on also depends on the substance itself, as he is only able to absorb solid matter. He also has difficulties if not a complete inability to absorb certain substances that are too thin like plastic bags or paper. The materials he can use his abilities on seem to only be denser ones including stone and metal, as well as wood, plastic, and rubber if thick enough. Another important note is that he can only mimic the the properties of a material through physical contact with his skin, and is therefore vulnerable if suspended in the air or if he is obstructed by a thin material he can't absorb including clothing.

Substance Variability - How durable and strong Mantle is entirely depends on the material he absorbs. Using his powers on steel will generally make him very tough to harm, but it also makes him vulnerable to electricity. Conversely absorbing rubber will make him far more resilient to electricity, but more vulnerable to other means of attack. Also because the absorbed substance acts as an outer shell over his body, his armour can be shattered or destroyed depending on the force and material he's coated with.

Human Being - While he is more durable than a regular person, Vik is still vulnerable to the various dangers any human is susceptible to including extreme heat and cold, toxins, and diseases, and also external attacks by blades, bullets, and blunt force trauma. It should also be noted that he still requires air even when coated in a substance, and is therefore susceptible to oxygen deprivation, smoke inhalation, and drowning.

GEAR AND EQUIPMENT

Second Mantle Suit - After joining the super team known as The Adventurers, Mantle was given a newer suit that is even more durable than the previous one. Featuring the same colour scheme as the first suit, the second suit consists of a sleeveless shirt, tight-fitting pants, a segmented belt, elbow and knee pads, combat boots, and fingerless gloves with reinforced knuckle guards to increase his already impressive punching strength. It is made of a fire-resistant Nomex and triple-weave Kevlar-lined material which can resist heat up to 370 degrees Celsius (700 degrees Fahrenheit) and has also been insulated for additional protection against electricity. It also features tinted shatterproof fog and fire retardant goggles that both hide his identity, and provide additional protection to his face.

Composite Material Bracer - This bracer was given to Vik by his genius teammate Stinger and is a combination of some of the most durable materials found on Earth including steel, tungsten, diamond and chromium. It is worn on Mantle's left wrist and hidden under his glove to be used in case of an emergency where he requires a durable material to absorb. Because of the relatively small size of the bracer, when absorbed it is only able to cover the entirety of the hero's left arm.

Adventurers Communication Device - A small but advanced piece of equipment that fits comfortably in the user's ear and allows them to communicate with others on the same frequency. It was given to Mantle after he joined the Adventurers so he could stay in contact with the rest of the team.

First Mantle Suit - As the hero Mantle, Vik wore a suit that is primarily purple and black with white accents. He acquired the more durable vest of the suit from an illegal arms dealer whose operation he put a stop to on one of his first outings as a hero in West Side, in order to help him going forward. It appears to mainly be a more durable Kevlar variant which can stop knives and bullets depending on the caliber. The rest of his outfit was made with whatever durable materials he could get his hands on which he ordered online. This was later replaced with the second Mantle suit after he joined the Adventurers.

Vigilante Clothes - After he decided to use his abilities to help others and fight crime, Vik assembled a makeshift costume made of any extra clothing he had lying around including a sleeveless hoodie, old jeans, spare sneakers and a handkerchief he'd wear around his face to hide his identity. He later stopped wearing makeshift outfits and acquired a stronger suit after repeatedly finding his clothing getting ripped from taking constant damage.

OPINIONS

PUBLIC

Since Mantle only fairly recently started his heroic career, he is not that well known by the public at large. That said, the people that he has helped tend to be thankful for his support and seem to have some respect the new hero. After footage of an incident taking place during a political rally was released where he as well as some of his Adventurers teammates appeared to exhibit reckless behaviour resulting in some injured civilians, Mantle did find that a few people he later tried to assist were either fearful of him or refused his help outright. This has caused some dismay within the hero as naturally he doesn't want to be seen as a monster, and he's since been trying to restore what little bit of a good reputation he had back again.

HEROES

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CHARACTER FACTS

• Mantle can only absorb some crystalline solids such as network covalent solids (granite, diamonds, rubies, graphite, etc.) and metallic solids (copper, tin, bronze, steel, etc.) as well as amorphous solids like glasses, ceramics, rubbers, plastics. He can not absorb molecular solids like ice, sulfur or sugar nor ionic solids like table salt.
• "Mantle" means a covering of a specified sort and was chosen in reference to the fact that Vik can cover himself in a layer of a dense solid substance.
• It's possible that Vik was unharmed during the car accident that killed his father and injured his mother because of his metahuman physiology.
• While he is the only person with abilities in his family that he knows of, he does have a paternal ancestor named Kabir Mangeshkar that was supposedly a mystic. This has yet to be confirmed however and may have simply been a rumour.
• Has a large family which includes five uncles, five aunts, and ten cousins.
• Tries to workout at least every other day in between going to school, working at his job, and going on patrol.
• Has also been boxing since he was thirteen years old and practices it on a regular basis.
• He was given the nickname "Mumbai Mauler" at the gym where he participates in boxing.
• In the five years he's been amateur boxing, Vik has had 37 fights with 28 wins, 9 losses, and zero draws.
• 19 of his wins were by knockout, while 9 were won by judge decision. (16 TKO and 3 KO)
• Vik has a habit of only really swearing in Hindi which he picked up from his mother, much to her chagrin.
• While his late father Rama was an avid cricket fan, Vik doesn't seem to care for or understand the sport.
• The last photograph of Vik's father Rama Patil was taken not long after he found work with the Millennium Cab Co.
• Prior to obtaining the composite material bracer, Mantle would carry some loose change in his pocket that he could use his abilities on should there be some type of emergency.
• He was named after his late paternal grandfather who died from liver disease while Vik was still just a baby.
• Even though he is a fluent Hindi speaker, Vik was never really taught how to properly write in Hindi after moving to America and even has some difficulties reading it these days.
• After joining the team known as the Adventurers, Mantle revealed his identity as Vikram Patil to the group after many did the same for him.
• The first "supervillain" he fought as Mantle (the power armoured beetle-themed Dynas) initially managed to overpower him and escape the bank he was attempting to rob, albeit empty handed. They would later encounter a second time with Vik and his ally besting the armoured criminal.
• Graduated from Westside High in early June of 2023.

GALLERY