Midnight Brawler
Evan Samuels is Midnight Brawler, one of Westside's protectors. As a youth he longed to be a super hero, wanting to one day join the ranks of those idolized and adored by millions. Undeterred by his own issues growing up, he trained dutifully for years and upon adulthood took the super heroic mantle of AWESOME MAN! When he discovered that his fight against crime was less than awesome, Evan was forced by circumstance into financial hardship. Crushed and desperate for money, he discovered something he was good at... being a male entertainer. This eventually (and oddly) resulted in him rediscovering his love for battling the criminal element. A foiled robbery was the catalyst for a second chance at wearing a mask to take down evil. A tragic occurrence led to another series of events, granting Evan super powers. Surely, he thought, this was a sign of fate that he was destined to be more than a nobody. He was to be a HERO.
Contents
Appearance
Evan has a very imposing figure, standing 6'4" and weighing in at 235 pounds of muscle. It is apparent he spends a great deal of time maintaining his physique. His face is attractive and still has a boyish look to him, which stands in a marked contrast to his incredibly muscular frame. The bridge of his nose is lightly freckled. Evan has short, light blonde hair that he wears in a messy style. He prefers to dress very casual, mixing 'boy next door' with a bit of the urban Westside street look thrown in for good measure. As Midnight Brawler, he usually wears a black undergarment with black reinforced leather boots. It is complimented with white cuffs on his wrists (which he sometimes mixes with black leather gloves) and a black tie with white collar around his neck. When the urge strikes him, he sometimes chooses to go out and fight crime in even more impractically designed novelty gear that is often saved for his other job... which is not coincidentally that of a male dancer.
History
Evan Samuels had always been enamored with super heroes as far back as he could remember. He idolized them, as many of his peers did, but it was almost an obsessive pleasure. He saw how they made a difference in others lives and the adulation they received from their deeds. Growing up was not easy for him. Like many from Westside he came from a a broken home. He family was poor and growing up for him was having to deal with a succession of new boyfriends or husbands for his mother, many who were abusive. Still, he had his heroes, and it was through what he read in books or saw on television that gave him hope that life could be better and worth aspiring to be someone.
As he reached his teens Evan decided to make his dreams reality. While he lacked powers, he had ambition on his side. Genetics also helped, and after years of eating right, training at Carl's gym (in return for keeping the lockers clean) and reading up on everything he could on how to make this dream reality, he grew to be a mammoth of a man. His grades suffered due to his preoccupation, and he left high school early. At age 18 he left home. Finding an apartment and promptly designing a home made outfit were the next things to happen. It was time to become the super hero he knew he was destined to be. He called himself 'Awesome Man'.
Evan spent the next six months on a crusade battling gangs all over Westside. While he made a dent in the crime there, heroes with powers and far more interesting stories garnered attention over what Evan was doing. He became frustrated and upset, bitter over his own work not receiving any recognition like the heroes of his youth. It was at this time that things went from bad to worse for him. His constant campaign against crime as well as his lack of education hampered his ability to hold a decent job and as such was kicked out of his apartment. With the double hit to his ego, the identity of Awesome Man was retired for good.
His mother, newly divorced yet again, was living in a one bedroom apartment above Sherrarra's Bar while working as a waitress there. His sister was just seven and he was forced to move in with them. Jobs were difficult to come by and he desperately needed some form of income. It finally came down to him responding to a wanted ad for a male revue. He had years of gym training and boxing, he knew he could move like a dancer would have to. He also knew he was built good and considered relatively attractive. He responded and found a new vocation... with money, to boot. It was a move that proved popular, and he became an in demand entertainer in Westside. In some way still pining for the heroes he worshiped, Evan chose to wear a domino mask during his shows, adding to the mystique.
One night while dancing at a bar a local gang came in and attempted to rob the establishment and its customers. His years of training kicking in. Evan sprung to action and made short work of the felons. The local news picked up the odd piece, with Victoria Crownstone jokingly referring to Evan during the interview as 'G Stringed Justice'. While intended as a novelty segment, Evan saw this as a sign that his work as a super hero was still in front of him. He was able and ready to again make a difference. That night he began to work towards a second coming, though not as Awesome Man... but as G Stringed Justice.
Choosing battle togs that would be more befitting a male stripper, Evan completely ran with the idea. His oddball tactic worked. Not only was this very unique crime fighting gear gaining him more attention, he even went as far as to continue to work as a stripper, selling 'G Stringed Justice' to bars and clubs in order to keep food on the table and help out his family. As his popularity in the area increased so did his revenue. The news reached promoters at Club Caprice and they asked Evan to come dance at their establishment.
After his first week dancing at Caprice, he was on patrol near the mayor's office when he saw Kevin Poe and his gang. Poe, whose gang worked Evan's part of town typically and he was familiar with, was attempting to hijack a group of trucks hauling volatile radiation. Evan was aided by other heroes who happened to hear a distress call as well. During the melee, however, Evan was knocked into one of the barrels, contaminating him with a strange toxic substance. With an outfit consisting of next to nothing he had no protection and was wounded as a result. The next two weeks his engagements were cancelled and he remained confined to the hospital. Evan thankfully made a full recovery and discovered something baffling, yet miraculous. The radiation somehow mutated his body, specifically his vocal chords, allowing him to project a sonic yell at close range. The discovery of an actual power only worked to help increase Evan's resolve.
Evan returned to Club Caprice to dance again as now he had a great deal of medical bills to pay on top of everything else. It was at this time he saw one of his childhood heroes... Thundrax. He immediately went to the Canadian hero to pay his respects. Thundrax perhaps noticed some sort of fire in the young man's eyes and took him under his wing to teach him how to be a better hero. Evan was ecstatic, and in a way it made him feel part of the super hero community as opposed to someone on the outside looking in.
Most recently Evan decided to take up a new name for himself, the Midnight Brawler. While there will most undoubtedly be a part of him that rebels against the norms of most heroes, he thought making his own name would be a good start to elevate his status and be taken more serious about his dedication as a super hero. That is not to say he has dropped the dancing gigs... far from it. He still enjoys breaking faces while wearing next to nothing, if only because he finds it so utterly hilarious.
Personality
Evan is a huge young man with an equally huge heart. While lacking a decent formal education, Evan instead shows a great deal of empathy for others and a sincere interest in helping them. In that regard, Evan is very much a 'boy scout' in the way he conducts himself. He is, however, a bit naive and sometimes feels out of place in where he belongs in the world. He enjoys having a good time and is quite social, having a soft spot for the ladies, though more in a caring way and less in a perverted way. He relishes meeting new people and trying new things he is unfamiliar with. Socially he lacks certain proper graces, filling his language with 'Dude-isms' and other such verbiage. It is well known through local hero gossip that Evan is not the most articulate of heroes that Millennium City (or Westside for that matter) has to offer. His decency and drive to do the right thing overshadow most of the negative qualities once people come to know him.
Evan fully grasps that he is looked down upon by some adventurers in the Millennium hero hierarchy due to his odd approach to fighting crime and using his identity in order to secure employment. His lack of proper resources, his youth and his revealing attire sometimes work against him often with super heroic peers. Many do not believe he is serious at being a real super hero and write him off. In reality, this only drives him to be more brazen. While being a hero is serious he also believes it is a great deal of fun. He is far from the grim and brooding hero that often seem to permeate the city. In fact, he's just happy to wake up each day and do what he loves.
Powers, Skills & Euipment
Evan, as the super hero Midnight Brawler, has the following skills, powers and equipment at his disposal:
- Unarmed Combatant: Evan is a formidable hand to hand combatant. He uses primarily a blend of boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Judo, Krav Maga and Taekwondo when in combat. His training started when he was young at Carl's gym, inadvertently learning from several high profile super heroes in their civilian guises (though as a child he was oblivious to this). Evan has added a few other techniques to his repertoire since he has started fighting on the streets. While by no means a world expert, he definitely can hold his own against Westside gangs and experienced martial artists even without his superhuman abilities. He has also been trained in parkour, which he uses to get around town.
- Superhuman Attributes: By way of his body being exposed to chemicals, Evan has gained super powers. His strength has improved, allowing him to lift/press roughly around three tons of weight. With his increased musculature, Evan can run around forty five miles per hour and jump around 50 feet. His endurance is about triple a regular human's. Small weaponry such as knives have a difficult time penetrating his skin. He can withstand bullet fire to a point, though they can wound him. Brawler has a low level of regeneration, such as a bone break healing in a week. His reflexes have also been slightly enhanced, allowing better hand-eye coordination and reaction time than a regular human.
- "Last Call"/ Sonic Yell: Evan's main super heroic power is what he dubs 'Last Call', his sonic based yell. It primarily has two frequencies. The first is a tremendous yell vibrates material on a cellular level, causing it to shatter or explode. The sound energy it produces can also disrupt many other forms of energy. A second yell, almost silent to humans, is a powerful assault that disrupts neurological functions, rendering victims unconscious. This attack often is used as a finishing move by Evan (hence the name 'Last Call'). It takes effort to focus his sonic attacks, and as such often will enter melee in combat first.
- Equipment: Midnight Brawler equipment is kept to a bare minimum (no pun intended). Due to his combat training, his rather... unique... attire and his financial situation, Evan tends to forgo most items. Typically, Evan relies on his fists and feet to get things done. He has resorted to public transportation from time to time in order to get from point A to point B. Although he does indeed have a job, it is not the most lucrative of occupations. Contributing to the welfare of his mother and sister financially, also of meager means, leaves Evan with little money for flashy items. Because of this, he lacks many of the niceties that many other heroes have in their crime fighting arsenal. He does, however, carry upon him shurikens which he is fairly trained with as well as a grappling line.
- Networking: Though some may scoff at it, Evan has a rather large network of informants in Westside. These contacts that are also usually clients, and pass along a great deal of information to him of what they see, hear or know in regards to criminal activity.
- Detective: Though his skill pales in comparison to others in the super heroic community, Evan has studied on his own about criminology and basic detective work. He is a bit more perceptive than he seems to let on, allowing him to pick up clues and details that others might miss. That said, he still has a way to go before he is the next Mr. Blank or Sparrowhawk. Hey, at least he tries.
Nemeses
- Marcus Blackthorn. Marcus is aware of Evan's growing popularity within the west side community and wants to put an end to it... painfully and quickly, if need be. Marcus is a skilled swordsman and avid collector or Asian artifacts.
- The Dough Boys. Joe, Harry and Hurley Dough. These three (rather portly, though sprightly) men all possess a hive mind, allowing them to relate information to each other telepathically. Fairly small time criminals, they nonetheless keep Westside on their toes.
- Royal Flush. Curtis E. Flush was a man who gambled his life away, until he made a deal with a demon that provided him with the ability to control probability. Taking the name Royal Flush and assembling a team of card motif-ed individuals, he chose to put his powers to the test.
- The Old Witch. The Old Witch is Dora Lopez, a seventy three year old former child actress. By way of an ancient, passed down heirloom Dora can summon minor entities, create hexes and even place charms on others. She has sold these services to whomever is willing to pay, which unfortunately has created a lot of chaos in Westside.
Allies
Upcoming
RP Hooks
- If you are at Westside you may have either heard of him or actually seen him dance. He fully acknowledges the 'cheese factor' of his chosen occupation and laughs it off.
- Evan is on the look out for established heroes. He still has a childlike love for the heroes of his youth. If there are major super heroic 'celebrities' about, he will gush over them like a little kid.
- Wanting to be the best he can be, Evan is looking to train with other super heroes. Looking for a sparring partner? He would love to go a few rounds.
- Being still new to the super hero game, Evan finds himself drawn to novice heroes and heroines like himself. Any conversation he can have with someone in his same predicament is welcome.
- If someone requires male dancing entertainment for the night, he is more than ready to assist.
- Have a vested interest in making Westside safer? Evan would love to help. He is extremely protective of Westside as he still lives there, as do his mother and sister, both of whom he is close to.
Trivia
- Midnight Brawler is my gender swapped homage of sorts to female 'bad girls', inspired by characters like Phantom Lady, Miss Masque or Black Canary. I threw in a bit of the 'lovable loser' like Peter Parker for good measure.
- Evan can eat like a horse. He's a big boy, he comes with a big appetite.
- Is actually kind of a geek. He is an avid reader of comic books and loves action movies. He even has a discontinued Thundrax action figure worth a couple thousand dollars he refuses to part with.
- Has a pet pitbull, Taco.
- Most of his income goes to take care of his mother, a recovering alcoholic, and his sister, who Evan deeply cares for. As such, very little of his money can be saved.
- Often mistaken for a wrestler due to his outfit.
- Though not the brightest by way of book smarts, Evan is actually fairly intelligent. He picks up on things much quicker than he realizes, especially when it comes to things like combat training.
- Avoids things like hand guns at all costs. Doesn't believe in killing.
- Has a strange disposition towards a skin care regiment. Kinda goes with his job though... the job that pays.
- Despite having some on their current roster having very 'overt' costumes or situations, Midnight Brawler was turned away from Eternals membership for being too 'controversial'. He took it in stride.
- Though supposedly a 'ladies man', Evan is actually fairly shy off the clock and respectful of the fairer sex. In fact, he is usually single, not due to being a 'player' and moreso because he wants to find a relationship that can turn into a long term deal.
- Is a pretty good singer, though he saves it for the shower.
- Evan has huge self esteem issues, one of the reasons he works at seeming so extroverted in his Midnight Brawler persona. In truth, he is very insecure about his status as a hero due to his rough childhood upbringing, he financial status and his failure as Awesome Man. He tends to work at wearing a smile than belaboring his situation to others.
Tropes
All Girls Want Hot Boys - Evan's Midnight Brawler identity gets him a lot of phone numbers. Sure, he may not actually BE a 'bad boy' but the image is still there.
Book Dumb - Most of his education came from life experiences, and his training to be physically perfect didn't allow him the time to take a crack at books in school. Evan is not dumb, but to those who do not know him might find him a little ignorant on things like science or grammar.
Chippendales Dancers - Fairly self explanatory. It pays the bills and led to Evan having a renewed interest in fighting crime.
Double Standard - In a city filled with super powered, lingerie wearing women with bazookas for breasts who receive only positive attention, Evan often finds himself singled out for his own costume, especially by other male heroes... even though it covers as much as most professional wrestlers wear.
Make Me Wanna Shout - Midnight Brawler's 'Last Call' is not for alcohol. It's a super sonic projection that can bust down some of the toughest bad guys.
Mixed Martial Arts - He knows them, and he knows how to use them. Coupled with his enhanced strength and agility, he is a much more formidable combatant than what one may think.
Theme Music
Usher - Lil Freak ft. Nicki Minaj
Cassius - The Sound of Violence
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Knock Me Down
Usher - Scream
Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
Benny Benassi - Who's Your Daddy
Art Gallery
by SuppaRider
by Daggerpoint
by GreenLiquidBrain
by GreenLiquidBrain
by Avionetca
