Throughout his twenties, the conflicting emotions and concern for his sister churned within Eric, until one fateful night in July. Eric and Cayce had broken up, albeit under amicable circumstances, and he had taken a couple weeks’ worth of vacation to “sort through things,” which at first involved a cathartic amount of binge-drinking and clubbing. Three days into his pity party, he resolved to address the one longstanding issue he felt could be resolved, and called Jessica to arrange a meeting to “clear the air.” They met roughly halfway, in Las Vegas. The years seemed to drop away as they mutually expressed regret over the alienation they shared, catching one another up on life events: successes, failures, and all the beautiful ridiculousness which accumulates with time. Jessica confided that she hadn’t even attempted to use her powers even once since she had left for college, which awakened Eric to the realization that, rather than feeling resentment, he perhaps should have been more attentive to the deeply-rooted shame and fear his sister had harbored all these years.
Half-joking, he suggested to her that her darkness might be somewhat akin to a pressure cooker, welling up in desperate need of release. Somewhat amused by (and maybe a little concerned by) the notion, the two found themselves driving into the desert late that evening until far enough from the neon city for a safe demonstration. Unfortunately, Eric’s guess that her repressed power had been building to unsafe levels proved accurate, and upon summoning her portal to the darkness dimension her shadows flooded out of control and began sweeping towards Eric with seemingly malevolent intent. Jessica panicked, desperate to assert control and save her brother, and in that moment the dimensional aperture shifted position to interpose itself between the encroaching tendrils of blackness and Eric. Then it inverted colors to a bright golden radiance and surrounded him. The shadows were dispersed, leaving Jessica drenched in sweat and gasping, while the golden sphere encompassing Eric slowly receded to a tight glow around his wide-eyed form. Slowly, even that aura faded. At last, through their shared traumatic experience, Eric and his sister had become more similar than different; still, neither would suspect just how much his passage through those golden dimensional energies had truly changed him until weeks later.
Jessica, terrified by the results of allowing her powers to remain bottled up for so long a period, vowed not to repeat that mistake but remained adamant that she wanted nothing more than to devote her time and energies to her marriage and law practice. Eric, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to begin testing the limits of the golden psychokinetic force he could harness, and resolved to make a difference in the physical world in the same way that he hoped acting could encourage change in the mindscapes of others. Idealistic, yes, perhaps befitting the metallic gold costume he devised.
Powers, Skills, and Attributes
Powers
Psychokinesis ~ Golden Victory's powers manifest as a golden aura of psychokinetic force. Specific applications follow.
Protective Aura ~ The most basic application of Golden Victory's psychokinesis appears to be an aura of golden force, typically ranging from six millimeters to six inches from his body, which provides sufficient protection to ignore all small arms fire and reduce the relative impact from heavier weaponry to such an extent that he has survived anti-artillery shells with minimal "bleedthrough" damage. Naturally, since this is a power he consciously generates, he remains as vulnerable as any nonpowered person when unconscious. UNTIL training has taught him to maintain his field with minimal effort, but the fact remains that Golden Victory is not naturally invulnerable and must plan accordingly.
Enhanced Strength ~ The maximum weight Golden Victory has been observed lifting appears somewhere between 75 and 90 tons, with necessary variance depending on his level of mental stability (i.e. confidence) and relative ability to concentrate. He instinctively channels his telekinetic energy as most motile creatures use muscular energy, supplanting his own musculature with his psychokinetic aura. Offensively, this means that his strikes are delivered with considerable force. This appears to be his most reliable combat tactic.
Flight ~ Golden Victory can lift his own body with ease, and he mastered flight even before his UNTIL training. He actually displays an affinity for aerial maneuverability, essentially willing himself fluidly through the air. His maximum airspeed appears to be around 150 miles per hour, and despite trainers suggesting that he could combine that velocity with his strength for more effective striking capabilities, Golden Victory remains reluctant to integrate "move-by" or "move-through" techniques into his repertoire.
Telekinetic Eruption ~ A recent development. Golden Victory has learned that, with sufficient concentration, he can explosively expand his aura outwards. The current range appears to be roughly twenty-five feet, and the impact appears less than one of his focused punches, but the fact that he has reliably mastered a ranged application of his power appears significant. This application of his powers appears exhausting; still, UNTIL analysts speculate that the limited range of his tactile telekinesis may be the result of a mental block.
Skills
Acting ~ Eric holds a terminal degree in Theatre. He can memorize information very quickly, since he's accustomed to memorizing two hours' worth of dialogue within a week, and can bluff with the best when necessary.
Relationships
Lover
Cayce Howard, a nurse practitioner, is Eric's domestic partner. Mr. Howard has no other known connections to the superhuman community.
Friends/Allies
Golden Victory is a member of the supergroup known as the Vanguard of Liberty, and would likely consider its other members allies. His early interest in poetry led to a deep connection with the Vanguard's leader, Spellbinder.
General Perception
Eric was on television before becoming Golden Victory; as a result, there will always be individuals and media professionals who recall clips from pharmaceutical commercials (notably, one where he exclaimed, "I have genital herpes!" while working out.), or his soap opera stint, leading some to criticize his endeavors as a hero as "just another role." This occasionally leads to accusations of grandstanding.
