Astron
| Astron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player: @ChinKid7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| "Look! Look up!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character Build | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Focus: | Tank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Level: | 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research & Development: | Science | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real Name: | Nolan Ryan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Aliases: | Blue Blur | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Species: | Human-celestial hybrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Caucasian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Milford, CT, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Connecticut, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives: | Sandra Ryan (mother, deceased), Henry Ryan (father, deceased), Florence Flowers (sister), Bedrock Flowers (brother-in-law), Marsred Flowers (nephew), Skyblue Flowers (niece), Milox (father, deceased), Aezala (mother, deceased) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6'6" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 275 lbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eyes: | Blue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hair: | Black | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Complexion: | Fair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical Build: | Muscular, Strong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical Features: | None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alignment: |
Neutral Good | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reputation: |
Exalted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Identity: | Public | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Active: | 1992 - present (21 years) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship: | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Author | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education: | Bachelor's Degree in English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Single | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Super Strength, Invulnerability, Hypersonic Speed, Flight, Cosmic Energy Projection | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Projectiles |
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Resistance |
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| Intelligence |
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Psyche |
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| Intuition |
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| ReldinBox Template | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents |
Biography
Early Years (1975-1993)
Not-So-Secret Origin
Excerpt From the Novelization of the Movie Adaptation of the Official Astron Comic Book (Volume 2, Issue #1, 2001):
"The two warring empires of Atrum and Orith have been locked in their conflict for billions of years. The Atrumites are star children who inherited the will of their celestial progenitor to fight for universal progress and prosperity, while the Orithians are the corruption that killed the old god and strive to bring about the subjugation of all existence under their dark godking, Oraxas.
Both lineages of celestials are gods of a new age, technologically hyper-advanced and possessing powers of cosmic proportions. Through some anomalous occurrence, two individuals from either side fell in love. Ignoring the destined hatred of their respective empires, Milox and Aezala chose to be together. The Atrumites sought to nurture their love, in hopes of inspiring other such Orithians to abandon the path of evil. The Orithians were determined to destroy both of them, hunting them down for crimes of the heart. It was a cruel twist of fate when they were both struck down by Oraxas himself, pierced through their hearts with bolts of black lightning.
In their death throes the two gods combined the last traces of their essences and shot them through space, hoping that they could create an offspring that would carry on their memory and become the one that brought an end to the foul existence of Orith and Oraxas. Their celestial essences merged with a child in the womb of Sandra Ryan, a woman on the planet Earth. The rest, as they say, is history..."
Coming of Age
Growing up near the coast of Connecticut, Nolan Ryan had a relatively normal upbringing. But by the age of seventeen he had become aware of his powers and the fight against Orith that he inherited from Milox and Aezala. A messenger from the Atrumite empire had informed him of the truth and Astron, as Nolan was called, had been granted freedom. The Orithians were driven back by Highking Majoris, leader of the Atrumites, and his generals and they assured the safety of Earth. The destruction of Astron's homeplanet by the Orithians would lead to the annihilation of Naedrak, Oraxas' son who was buried in a coffin underneath Atrum's capital city. Oraxas, who had invested a significant portion of his power in Naedrak, begrudgingly agreed to the conditions. However, Astron himself was not off-limits.
Nolan knew that he would one day face against Oraxas himself. He also chose to use his powers for the greater good. Nolan dedicated himself to doing the right thing whenever he had the chance. During his senior year of high school he donned a blue-and-white hoodie whilst fighting crime in Connecticut. The locals dubbed him the Blue Blur because he moved at high speed when in action. On more than one occasion Nolan was caught with his hood off, but was fortunate enough for all such instances to involve being seen by a woman from his English class. Lisa May was Nolan's confidant and the two became romantically involved soon after she learned of his extracurricular activities. With her as an inspiration, Nolan wrote his first sappy love story "La Fleur de Paris," which was published years after its completion. The two parted ways once they were accepted to different colleges. It was a blow to his confidence and morale but Nolan was ultimately able to persevere and decided to take his crimefighting career to the next level. He only regretted that he was unable to help during the Battle of Detroit.
The Big Leagues (1993-1999)
Year One (1993)
Nolan registered under the ASPRA (American Superhuman and Paranormal Registration Act) and officially began his crimefighting career as Astron during his freshman year of college. In hopes of becoming a novelist, Nolan majored in English and took several writing classes during his free time. But his studies came second to patrolling the metropolitan area and responding to emergencies. His face was covered by a mask, making his secret identity a mystery to almost everyone. Nolan knew from all of the comics and real-life tragedies that the unmasking of a superhero would inevitably lead to the people around him being endangered. But the type of foes he faced did not seem to pose much of a threat to his family, let alone Astron himself. They were all street-level thugs, crooks and thieves. None of them could inflict the slightest damage but some where able to put Astron in risky situations by threatening innocents and holding them hostage. But he always found a way to take care of them without any casualties.
Astron encountered his first real challenge in the form of the Domination League The team of villains consisted of Figurehead, Steelskin, Elementallo and the Creature. Over the course of three months, Astron fought against them and was consistently able to defeat them. But unbeknownst to him, and the other members of the Domination League, the Creature was mutating further and becoming more powerful through genetic alteration experiments performed on him by a mysterious villain. As the Creature lost more and more of his humanity, he became a beast incapable of emotions and intelligent thought. During one of Astron's confrontations with the Domination League, the Creature suddenly screamed out in pain and morphed into a monstrous biomechanical being. It grew metallic limbs and consumed his former teammates. A helicopter flew overhead and from inside a man calling himself Dr. Genocide pointed out the timer on the Creature's chest. Dr. Genocide had tinkered with the body of the beast, making it so that it would reach critical mass in a set amount of time, causing a nuclear chain reaction. The magnitude of the explosion would have the same destructive yield as the Tsar Bomba. The Creature was essentially a walking WMD. With no time to capture Dr. Genocide, Astron launched the Creature into the air. It countered this by forming nuclear-powered rocket propellers to ram back into the earth. Astron shot up against it, pushing it back with all his might. When he broke out of the Earth's atmosphere, Astron forced himself away from the Creature. He was too late, as the explosion seemed to have killed him. A funeral service was held in honor of Astron, with a smaller, more intimate one for Nolan Ryan. He spoiled both of these when he returned after a week-long recovery period on the moon.
The Ballad of Byron Valiant (1994-1995)
A weapon manufacturer based in the United States, Valiant Inc., gained prominence during the 90's when the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board were relinquished from Alexander Valiant to his son, Byron. With his genius intellect, Byron was able to produce more efficient and cutting edge technology in the field of weapons. The new corporate titan was suspected of selling arms to terrorist cells and other enemies of the country, but no solid evidence could be found. It wasn't until an investigative reporter who was looking into his dealings was found dead that Byron came under fire and was scrutinized by the public. To draw away attention from himself he invented a suit of power armor and attacked his own company's headquarters, destroying a large portion of the facility and killing several employees. Overlord, as he called himself, was out to steal Valiant's weapons and terrorize the United States. Byron gave the media the wet works and was back into the safe zone.
But after experiencing the power and rush of destruction as Overlord, Byron wanted to indulge himself in his sick desires. He went on rampages across the globe, recruiting hundreds of henchmen to aid him in stealing extremely expensive items for his new underground lair. Astron responded to an alert in New York, where the insane Overlord was battling superheroes in a colossal armored dragon-octopus machine. After his machine was damaged, Overlord escaped into the ocean but Astron had already clung to it. They arrived at his underground lair, a subterranean facility containing various weapons of mass destruction and decorated with expensive furniture and decor that had been stolen from all over the world. Once he discovered Astron was in his lair, Overlord activated the self-destruct sequence lamenting the loss of various works of art. He activated the giant mechanical robots to keep Astron busy as he made is escape via submarine. Although Astron was unable to defeat the robotic beasts in time, the explosion of the base took care of that for him. Ignoring his injuries, Astron freed himself from several yards of debris to race after Overlord. As Byron sat contemplating his next move, he felt the submarine being forced to emerge from the ocean. Astron raised it out of the water and crashed it into an empty beach, fainting from the wounds he had sustained earlier. As several curious on-lookers gathered around the destroyed submarine, they saw Astron, whose mask (and about 90% of his costume) had been lost in the explosion. Nolan later woke up in a hospital to learn that Byron Valiant had been arrested after being unmasked as the global super-terrorist known as Overlord. He was also informed that Valiant wasn't the only one who had lost his secret identity.
Genocide Triumphant (1996)
After his identity was exposed to the public, Nolan was naturally worried over the safety of his family. They were taken under the protection of UNTIL after they received several death threats. They were being transferred to a guarded facility when they were attacked by an unidentified flying object shaped like a giant, shaved head with a goatee that shot lasers out of its eyes and missiles out of its ears. Astron defended the transport by redirecting projectiles and taking the pain of whatever he couldn't deflect. The mouth of the vehicle opened and a familiar voice spoke through the speakers. It was Dr. Genocide attempting to exact revenge on Astron by taking the lives of his family. A large missile shot out of the gaping maw of the giant Dr. Genocide head, dodging Astron and hitting the side of the armored transport. While he was shocked at the sight of the flaming transport rolling across the terrain, Astron let down his guard and was hit pointblank by a concentrated energy blast. As the knocked-out Astron fell to the snow-covered ground, he was unable to stop the transport from tumbling into a ravine. Sandra and Florence were fortunate enough to jump out at the last minute with intermediate damage, while Hank perished in the flames. Astron regained consciousness just in time to smash through Genocide's hovering head and forced him to retreat. Over the course of the next year, Dr. Genocide would seek out Astron and put him through more and more pain. It culminated in Sandra's overload of stress causing her to suffer a fatal heart attack. With each confrontation, Astron always managed to defeat Dr. Genocide. But he had lost more than his nemesis ever did.
Symphony of the Stars (1997)
In the late nineties a team of heroes called The Agents of Justice took prominence for their parts in foiling Dr. Genocide's various schemes. They were a group of young heroes based in the East Coast, consisting of Jetwing, Major Brick, Nightwanderer, Rescuebot-13 and Starbolt, a powerful energy projector. After Genocide had been captured and imprisoned, Astron got to know the team and was even invited to join them as a new member. He was reluctant to accept, even if he made good friends with the members of the team. But it was really Starbolt, Emma Wright, who became closest to Nolan. The two became romantically involved and over the course of several months, Emma helped Nolan move on after the loss of his parents.
The Agents teamed-up with Astron in a confrontation with Dr. Genocide, who planned to drop a disease-carrying vessel that would kill any genetically-deviant lifeforms in a 200-mile radius. The madman was defeated by the combined forces of the heroes, but nearly a hundred people were lost to the virus right in front of Astron. He was confronted by the madman in his full armored suit, with enough power to beat Astron to a bloody pulp. After enduring every hit and witnessing more and more of the dead before him, Astron was finally pushed off the edge. He went berserk on Genocide. With a swift strike carrying none of his usual restraint, Astron eviscerated the right half of Genocide's upper body, breaking away armor and flesh. Sending a barrage of hits at Genocide, the armor broke in and he was left with a broken spine and two stumps where his legs once were. Astron was stopped by the Agents' intervention, leaving Genocide for the authorities to handle.
Astron was arrested after leaving Genocide in a state of paralysis and on the brink of death. The brutality and horror of the confrontation shocked a large number of his supporters away from him, regardless of how much death and destruction Genocide was responsible for. He was only visited by his sister, a few close friends, and Emma. The trial would take place soon, but Genocide would not be satisfied with just having Astron imprisoned. That was why he agreed when an Orithian god, Barsuuth, crept into his mind and offered him a new, more powerful body on the condition that he would use it to murder Astron.
A shadow being in the shape of Genocide appeared in the super-lockdown facility Astron was being held, killing all who stood in his way. Astron engaged the monster in combat, leading to the two of them battling it out on the moon. Reinforcements came soon, with the Agents of Justice arriving earliest to battle the empowered Genocide. He morphed into a colossal demonic form, creating shadows that clung to the heroes around him and drew them into himself. When Emma was taken into the beast, Astron unleashed all of his power in attempt to retrieve her, tapping into his innate celestial form at the risk of losing his humanity.
The godlike Astron overpowered Genocide, locking him down while reaching into the beast to retrieve Emma and all the others who had been absorbed into the demon being. With the abstract form of Barsuuth dissolving and being purified by the cosmic energy flowing into him, Genocide was rejected from the beast's individual intelligence and became one of the many lost in its form. As the cosmic Astron drew out a sphere of souls in his shining hand, the bodies of all who had been lost separated from Barsuuth and floated above the moon as their souls returned to them. Astron, now a giant of brilliant light, continued to evolve into a celestial sentience, losing his humanity in the process. Now merged with the corruptive power of Barsuuth, Astron would reach existential zenith and annihilate himself with the conflict of the cosmic energy and abstract darkness. A group of Atrumites had been sent to aid him, but they did not arrive in time to prevent this.
They sensed the power within Starbolt, who they realized was the seventeenth incarnation of the goddess Sydozora, a celestial who sang a song that made the stars weep. With her connection to the divinity beyond the physical universe, Starbolt would be able to maintain herself against the influx of celestial power and existential darkness, but at the cost of her humanity. Either Astron would reach the point where self-annihilation was the final conclusion or Starbolt could restore his original form and allow herself to transcend to the level of a god whose mortal emotions would be no longer. Choosing the former option, Emma entered the celestial form of Astron. She reached out to what was left of Nolan and drew him out of the chaos. In the process, she incorporated the overflow of celestial energies and darkness into her own being, throwing away her humanity and becoming a true goddess.
Nolan was restored to his human hybrid form and watched as the Atrumites encircled the singing, magnificent form of Sydozora, Emma, as a portal was created above them. A divine symphony resonated through empty space from the goddess, defying physical laws and reaching the minds of the heroes on the moon. They would go to Atrum and Sydozora would join the battle against Orith. Now a divine being with no human emotions, the Emma that Nolan had loved was no longer. He was left alone once more, but was given one last image of a smiling Emma as Sydozora looked right into his eyes before entering the portal. Nolan extended his hand to her and let it fall limp when she disappeared.
From There to Infinity (1998-1999)
Nolan fell into a depressed state where he could only go through the motions of his daily routine of patrolling the streets and responding to emergencies. Managing to just graduate from college with his degree was somewhat of a more significant achievement considering how he missed many of his classes. Nolan became despondent and sloppy, making mistakes during times of duty that nearly cost lives. After one particular incident where one of his teammates was put in critical condition, Astron was removed from the Agents of Justice's roster. Because he was doing more damage than any good in his sadness, Nolan was asked by a friend of his, who was also an UNTIL representative, to take a break from crimefighting so he could take some time to himself to move on. Instead Nolan only made things worse by channeling his depression into literature. After graduating he had always planned on becoming a storyteller, so he made that his primary objective. In the period of just a few months, he wrote "The Sea of Fallen Stars" and "The Melancholy Moon," two novels that would come to be bestsellers and considered brilliant novels by critics. For a while he was able to numb his pain just enough to make a few appearances for the media, but afterwards he would become reclusive and retreated to his high-rise apartment in New York City, where his crimefighting activities were then expanded to.
One day, a portal appeared before Astron, taking him to another dimension where events had transpired differently.
((More to be added soon))
New Millennium (2000-2009)
31st Century Man (2000)
In the 31st century, the Omniforce was created by the Orithians to allow their transmundane beings to enter our plane of existence. The Omniforce drew energy and information from the Atzilutic realms, giving the dark gods enough power to destroy the Atrumites, their counterparts from the other end of the cosmic spectrum. In this future, the Alpha Legion, a galactic alliance of heroes, fought to the end when Oraxas and his ever-expanding armies invaded their solar system. Among them was an aged Astron, who was able to summon enough cosmic energy to travel to the point in time the Omniforce was in the early stages of accumulating Atzilutic energies.
It was the year 2000, and present-day Astron met himself from the future. 31st century Astron had brought with him a handful of other heroes from the Alpha Legion. Some of whom seemed familiar, such as Thundrax's descendant (Astron knew of Thundrax, but did not meet him until the 2009 Qularr Invasion), Cavril Carson. Investigations led to a secret cult that worshiped the Orithians. The Children of Orith's leader, Eriatus, had established a link with an Orithian from whom he drew dark energies and learned information. Only by his power could the Alpha Legion and Astron locate the Omniforce. The deal was to somehow allow Eriatus interact with the Orithians, and he would let them enter Paradox, a pocket-dimension that had lost cohesion. Astron agreed, not intending to actually go through with his promise, and they all entered Paradox, including Eriatus.
However, this had been a trick. Eriatus absorbed the cosmic energies from the elder Astron to increase his power exponentially. They were in Paradox, where Eriatus would become the ultimate source of power for the Orithians. He was the one that would become the Omniforce. Paradox rapidly began to merge with Eriatus, which would tear a rift in the Orithians extraplanar prison. To restore the incomprehensible state of Paradox, the elder Astron siphoned enough cosmic energy from his younger self and released all of it in a massive burst. But not before sending the heroes back to their respective times. Eriatus was no more, Paradox was back to its original state, and Astron had just witnessed himself die. But because the Omniforce had never existed, the future in which it did should never happen, making it unclear whether or not Astron would truly die at that time. The complex nature of time travel left Nolan wondering about the topic for a period of sometime. His thoughts led to Nolan writing a science fiction novel titled "31st Century Man" with themes including duality, the individuals relation to the divine, truth, the fulfillment of life through death, changing times, and, of course, time travel.
The Shackles of Fate (2001)
The Alpha Squad (2002-2007)
In 2002, Astron was prompted to assemble his own superteam to fight the threats too hard for any single hero to confront alone. Captain Gaia, a Canadian-born hero operating in the United States, was first to join when she was recommended by a high-ranking UNTIL official. The alien hero, Zantos, joined to fight alongside Astron, whom she was good friends with prior to joining. Captain Neptune, a hero from the 1940's allegedly gifted with eternal youth when he supposedly harnessed the power of the Earth's hydrosphere, was recruited despite having been thought dead for over sixty years. When recruited, he dropped the title "Captain" and became Neptune. An enemy and creation of Dr. Moreau, Wildking, volunteered to do more to make the world a better place. The final member to join the "Alpha Squad" was Kovax. His invitation to the team was due to his status as top agent at UNTIL. The Alpha Squad's base, provided to them by UNTIL and named "the Alpha Station", was an aerodynamic structure that was constantly inside United States airspace. The Alpha Station had living quarters for each member, a meeting hall, an advanced computer system named "Cortex", a combat simulation area, and state-of-the-art defensive mechanisms, among many other features.
During the five years that the team was active, they confronted a multitude of super-threats. Clockwork, a robot designed by Mechanon, proved to be a force to be reckoned with when he genetically engineered human bio-weapons and time distortion technology. The team was once trapped in Mechapolis, a city built by Clockwork to be the capital of technological innovation after the extinction of organic life. Armoses and his Nuclear Men were also defeated by the Alpha Squad on several occasions. The team was once transported to a parallel dimension through a dimensional rift caused by an explosive battle with Dr. Genocide. In that dimension, their counterparts were supervillains in the "Dark Horizon Alliance". Astron and the others fought against them until they were able to successfully return to their native dimension. But of all their confrontations, one stands above the rest. Evex the Endless, Oraxas' right-hand man, arrived on the Earth in his vessel but was defeated easily by the Alpha Squad. But he was able to corrupt Neptune and turn him into his prime avatar. This had happened sixty years ago when Neptune was thought to have died. He had actually been taken to the cosmic prison dimension, where Evex and the other Orithians were trapped, and was brainwashed by the Endless One to become a destroyer in his name. Neptune fought against his own team under the control of Evex. Other superhumans were corrupted by Neptune, and in extension came under the control of Evex's will. Though as devastating as it is to lose a team member and friend, Astron and the others were able to end the crisis by taking Neptune's life. Shortly after, the team disbanded as the members headed their separate ways.
After Alpha (2007-2009)
In the aftermath of the Dark Neptune Crisis, Astron left UNTIL and continued fighting crime as an independent hero. During the crisis, Neptune had summoned an asteroid to crush Millennium City. The Alpha Station was crashed into it to set it off course. The asteroid was set on a Lagrange point, rotating with the planet and moon. The Alpha Station was rebuilt on the asteroid with the help of some friends. Astron made it his headquarters and official address. His fictional book, "Life on the Moon", was inspired by his encounters with alien visitors who were interested in the strange human living on a space-rock. Even when he isolated himself from the rest of the world, Astron still felt guilt over killing his best friend and entered a state of depression. Around this time a supernatural guide of sorts, who went by name of "Mr. Twilight", took Nolan on a spiritual journey.
What Nolan experienced on his journey to the center of his soul is unknown, as he refuses to disclose the details. However, upon returning, Nolan was no longer in his melancholic state. He began to spend more time on the Earth, even renting a loft in Millennium City. His enlightenment changed his perspective of the world, the universe even, inspiring him to write "Why I'm Here", which was an autobiographical novel that recorded his life up to that point and shared his beliefs in detail. A romantic relationship blossomed between Nolan and his former teammate, Eve Rayner (AKA Captain Gaia), shortly after he moved into a loft in Millennium City. It was difficult for them, both being well-known superheroes. Finding a moment alone was arduous with the paparazzi hoarding to wherever they went. When they did manage to spend time together, their responsibilities as superheroes would get in their way. But the relationship lasted two years in spite of all the complications. A year prior to their relationship ending, Astron was kidnapped and taken to Orith. After a horrific time on his father's planet, Astron returned on his birthday, just in time to celebrate with Eve.
Neverending (2010-present)
The World According to Astron
Nolan regularly patrols the metropolitan areas of Connecticut and frequently visits Millennium City. Cortex, super-computer system of the Alpha Station, alerts him of emergencies in other locations that require his attention and any visitors that the Alpha Station may have. Dr. Genocide reemerged from a period of absence with a suit of Orithian armor and continued his mission of killing all metahumans, especially Astron. The strange powers that came with the armor made it much more difficult to defeat the madman, who is now the leader of "The Human Preservation Society". Genocide amassed an army of followers with the same ideology and beliefs as himself and rallied them under his banner.
In 2010, Kovax, who had shifted his focus back to his UNTIL work after the team was disassembled, was found dead with a metallic feather impaled through his chest. Investigations led by UNTIL failed to identify the murderer. Astron was caught in a trap at the HPS base, Astron learned that a master assassin follower of Dr. Genocide, Blackwing, had murdered Kovax. Astron managed to escape the trap but failed in apprehending Dr. Genocide and Blackwing. Overlord had also been assassinated by Blackwing. According to Dr. Genocide, Zantos was his next target. Astron was able to warn her in time and the two defeated Blackwing. He was sent to Stronghold but the transport carrying him was intercepted by HPS soldiers. During the summer of 2009, Astron started up a blog entitled "The World According to Astron" that featured his views on contemporary topics, accounts of superhero adventures, personal stories and his thoughts on film, comics, literature, etc.
Astron joined Thundrax's informal alliance of heroes, the Circle of Justice, in 2011. In March 2012, Astron's black-and-blue costume was replaced by a new suit designed by Defender. It allowed for efficient control over Astron's power of cosmic energy manipulation. He could project blasts of energy without the consequence of reducing his stamina and damaging his mental and physical health. The Astro-Suit 4.0 was first worn into battle against the Ambassador of War. The former underling of Overlord were easily taken down by Astron. The new and improved Astro-Suit made him stronger then ever before. Also looking for a change in image, Astron requested that the 4.0 be more colorful than his past costumes.
Krastus the Great returned in May of 2012. He had been searching for a new source of power since the Bracers of the Almighty were destroyed. He had sworn an oath to the Orithian god of destruction, Gathrastok, to act as its harbinger of catastrophe on Earth. He will cause mayhem and destruction sufficient enough to keep the mighty god fed, in return gaining a portion of his power. Even this was not enough to defeat Astron, as he was able to emerge victorious due to the abilities his new suit granted him. This further increased Krastus' rage and determination, prompting him to gain even more power through sacrificing all but his sentience to Gathrastok. His sentience was then transferred to an unbreakable golden body. It was incorporated into the colossal Aureus Machina, a machine of war capable of ravaging entire planets.
((WIP))
Allies, Friends, and Family
Nolan's mother was Sandra Ryan. She was a devout Christian whose faith was ignited by Nolan's immaculate conception. She raised her son believing that he would change the world, and taught him the values and traits necessary in order to be a good person. She married Hank Preston when Nolan was seven, and shortly after gave birth to her daughter, Florence. She had been living in New Jersey working as the director of human resources for a small business. When Sandra settled down with her family, they moved to Connecticut and she was employed as the principal of a public school. She died in 1998 after a long battle with a terminal disease. Hank Preston, Nolan's stepfather, tried to be a decent man his entire life. He tried to set an example for Nolan, who saw him as his father figure, and was proud of the heroic person he had grown to be. Florence was very close to Nolan growing up, admiring his kind nature and determination. She became a successful actress and director, and has adapted Nolan's "Life on the Moon," to film. Nolan often visits her California mansion where she lives with her husband, Bedrock, and her children, Marsred and Skyblue.
Over the course of two decades of fighting the never-ending battle, Astron has become a highly respected and high-profile member of the superhuman community. He can call in favors from high-ranking officials from organizations such as Primus and UNTIL. He is also good friends with many prominent figures in the superhero community such as Thundrax, Celestar, Silverhawk, and Liberty Guard. Nolan has also fought with many other heroes in friendly sparring matches at Carl's Gym. Nolan's closest friend was Neptune. They had fought alongside each other during challenging times and shared the same views on numerous subjects. It devastated Nolan when he took Neptune's life. Ever since, Nolan has tried not to get too attached to new friends. He was briefly in a relationship with Alpha Squad teammate Captain Gaia, colloquially known as Eve Rayner. The two still remain friends and occasionally team-up to fight villains. Astron has also helped Wildking in his campaign to take down Dr. Moreau and remove VIPER from Monster Island. Nolan too hopes for a peaceful existence on the island for the manimal species. He was not particularly close to Kovax, who would spend most of his time on scientific research. But he was nonetheless angered and saddened by his death. Nolan was also in a brief romantic relationship with Zantos in the late 90s. Their conflicting beliefs ended the relationship shortly after it started. Mr. Twilight, Nolan's spiritual guide, has helped him through tough times but remains a mystery. Nolan's editor, Ron Walters, is also a longtime friend from college.
Rogues Gallery
Dr. Genocide (Arthur Horatio Ignatius)
"My goal isn't world domination, despite what certain people may say. I simply wish to exterminate all genetic deviants and those who have forsaken their humanity. I do this to ensure that the human race continues to exist. And if the majority of the race I am trying to save are ungrateful for my dedication, so be it." - Dr. Genocide
As one of Astron's oldest and most powerful enemies, Dr. Genocide has been trying to tear apart the hero's life for nearly two decades. However, he was an evil, hate-filled person even before meeting Astron. Dr. Arthur H. Ignatius, heir of the Ignatius fortune, planned to earn his doctorates and then immediately take his father's place as head of Fortress Enterprises. He knew of the horrible crimes that the organization was involved in, and had been raised to be a criminal mastermind by his villainous parents. He would succeed his father as Iron King of the Dark Horizon Alliance. Considered to be one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, Arthur had already lined out a plot to take control over several political superpowers. This plan was to be put into action as soon as he was crowned Iron King. Fortunately, however, a team of superheroes known as the "Freedom Front" took down the Dark Horizon Alliance just before this could happen. With his father killed in the explosive battle, Arthur was left to rebuild the criminal empire.
Instead of carrying on his father's "Iron King" legacy, Arthur embarked on a mission to avenge his father and fallen comrades. The Freedom Front was noted for being a team that consisted entirely of mutants, leading to Arthur being set on wiping out all "genetic failures". In 1990, a year after the fall of Dark Horizon, Dr. Genocide executed a plan that systematically killed the members of the Freedom Front. He came to be known as a mad scientist that aimed for the annihilation, or genocide, of all mutants and superhumans. The majority of his schemes led to the deaths of prominent mutants and superhumans, while few of them ever harmed ordinary humans.
In 1995, Dr. Genocide targeted Astron, assuming "New Haven's finest" to be easy prey. The rookie hero proved to be much more powerful and cunning than at first expected, fighting his way out of Dr. Genocide's every trap and foiling his plans each and every time. Then he put into action the Anthrax Crisis, taking the lives of hundreds of people with genetic abnormalities and nearly killing Astron. When that failed as well, Dr. Genocide was driven to his breaking point. He lost his right eye and left arm in battles against heroes. His plots lost meaning and he was on the path to self-destruction. That was until he was summoned to the planet Orith.
There he met Oraxas, cosmic overlord of the Orithian Empire and Astron's father. Genocide's broken psyche and vast hate interested Oraxas. Seeing a potential replacement for his rebellious son, Oraxas promised to give all of Astron's power to Genocide if he prove himself worthy. He was allowed to study the technology of Orith, just enough for him to build an advanced battlesuit. Aeternium, a metal native to Orith, and a mysterious element created by Trubanic (Oraxas' chief scientist) were used to create Aetro-Ignatium. Clad in cosmic armor, Dr. Genocide returned to the Earth. He still sought to purify the world and kill Astron. His new Orithian armor proved to be more than a match for his archenemy, beating him to a pulp on several occasions. Upon returning to Earth, Genocide took control of a group of anti-superhuman extremists who worshipped him as a messiah during his absence. The Human Preservation Society, Genocide's newly formed organization, now terrorizes the superhuman community on a global scale under the leadership of their Iron King.
Overlord (Byron Valiant)
"When my goals are fulfilled, war will be mine to control. Regiment leaders will die and rise by my will. Entire nations will fall by my unseen hand. Politicians will be controlled by the strings I pull. This will all happen once the competition is taken care of." - Overlord
Byron Valiant, CEO of Valiant, Incorporated, was considered one of the wealthiest and influential arms dealers in the world. Valiant, Inc designs and technology were sold legally, or so they thought. Valiant's weapons were supplied to terrorist organizations and sold on black markets. He used the alias "Overlord" for underground business transactions. Psychopathic and fiercely competitive, Valiant sought a world where all weapons were controlled by his organization. Tomorrow, war would be fought with Overlord monitoring and manipulating each and every one. He would also attack other weapons dealers under his Overlord guise, indiscriminately eliminating his competition. Astron foiled his schemes numerous times in the 1990s, making the villain set killing Astron as a primary goal. When his secret life as the illegal arms dealer and supervillain Overlord was revealed to the world, Valiant sought refuge on his secret island hideout. He retreated to Escon Island, where he controlled the operations of his minions. On rare occasions he would leave the island and do his own dirty work. He was seemingly murdered at the hands of Blackwing, Dr. Genocide's assassin.
Blackwing (Joesph Zacharias Smith)
"I'm not going to let a bunch of monsters and freaks take over my planet." - Blackwing
A loyal follower of Dr. Genocide, Blackwing is also an efficient assassin and villain. Joseph Zacharias Smith was born into a middle-class family in Detroit. He showed no behavior that could be considered out of the ordinary, but that was before the death of his family. In 1992, Joseph ran away from home and planned on traveling the world. His first stop was New York City. But before he could embark on his journey, the Battle of Detroit took place. His family was among the victims. In the custody of his abusive uncle, Joseph was heavily traumatized by the ordeal and grew psychologically unstable. A confused, psychopathic teenage Joseph murdered his uncle. Joseph spent seven years on the run, working as an assassin-for-hire to earn money to continue his lifestyle. Many of his targets were low-level superhumans, for he had come to hate the "superpeople and their arrogance". Then, in 2009, Joseph met Dr. Genocide. He designed a suit for the promising recruit that allowed flight and increased his physical capabilities significantly. Joseph shared the same beliefs as his new employer, and obeyed every order given. Several assassination and infiltration missions have proven to Genocide that he made the right decision in recruiting Joseph. Now, he is one of Genocide's most trusted and high-ranking followers. Blackwing also shares a hate for Astron, owing to his many interferences in Genocide's plans. But most of his anger is aimed towards Dr. Destroyer, who killed his family.
Armoses (Quincy Wilde)
"Irradiates! The advent of your messiah is at hand! The era of man draws to an end!" - Armoses
During the battle with Overlord, Quincy Wilde was mutated into a powerful irradiate by his own invention. A serum was injected into him by Byron Valiant, aka Overlord, in order to distract the heroes during the battle. With enhanced radioactive powers and the ability to turn a human into an irradiate, Quincy served his purpose fittingly. An army of irradiates attacked the Eastern seaboard. The unfinished serum also caused a chemical imbalance in his brain, turning him delusional. Believing himself to be the "Atomic Messiah," Quincy took on the name of Armoses, savior of the irradiates. Defeated with the efforts of a number of superhumans, Armoses found himself locked up in a radiation-proof chamber at Stronghold. His control over irradiates was uncanny, and he possessed the destructive power of a thermonuclear weapon. Next to Menton and a few others, he was considered one of the most dangerous criminals at Stronghold. During the Stronghold riot, Armoses escaped from Stronghold and his whereabouts are unknown at the moment. It is believed that he fled to South America but the information has not been confirmed.
Queen Qrotha (Qrotha Dukran)
"When will you realize? Your soul belongs to me!" - Queen Qrotha
Qrotha Dukran is the ruler of a hell dimension that exists within the Netherworld. She controls powerful black magics that she has used to gain absolute control over the inhabitants of her realm. A follower of hers stationed on Earth, Fester, sought out a powerful dark cosmic energy source and discovered that it was Astron. Excited by the thought of becoming even more powerful, Qrotha ordered her to capture Astron. When this failed, Qrotha was confronted by a representative of the Netherworld. Learning of Astron's connection to the powerful Orithians, she was forbade from killing him. But she soon found a way to make her dreams a reality. By having Astron promise himself to Qrotha, she could take a large portion of his powers without killing him and without angering the Orithians. She had since given up on this and has continued to rule over her realm without making contact with the Earth. That was until Astron's destruction of the Paradox dimension erased half of her realm. Now she has set her eyes on him again. Though this time for revenge.
Krastus the Great (Krastus Prequon Zerugathus)
"Kneel before Krastus the Great!" - Krastus the Great
Two-thousand-years ago, Krastus the Great discovered the Bracers of the Almighty, objects of incredible power that gave him immortality. He was sealed under a vast desert by a powerful mystic to prevent the destruction of civilization. The Bracers became the chains to his prison, keeping the immortal trapped for what was meant to be an eternity. But through summoning an unknown strength that was previously hidden, Krastus was able to break the Chains of Sorcraad and emerge from the desert as powerful as ever. After traveling the Earth in the modern day, he found himself in the United States and immediately engaged Astron in combat upon sensing the powerful aura that seemed to radiate from him. He was able to easily overpower the then-young hero, and has been aiming to destroy him ever since. Krastus' location is unknown, but it is presumed that he inhabits a grand, shining kingdom in a mystical realm of his own creation. When met with a challenge, Krastus will not hesitate to take down the challenger. His instinct is to be the dominant one in any situation, even if it means slaughtering all others. After a decisive battle with Astron, Krastus' whereabouts were unknown. It is presumed that he is recovering from his wounds and searching for a way to reforge the Bracers of the Almighty. The Bracers were powerful relics created by an Atrumite and empowered with divine energy, which gave Krastus an advantage over Astron. The only way to repair them would be to have an Atrumite do so. With no way to do so, Krastus chose to find another source of power. After pledging to become the Orithian god Gathrastok's avatar of destruction, Krastus returned in a new, inhuman form. He was clad in golden armor and his body's exterior was composed of rock and magma.
Indestructo (Jack Newman)
Atrum & Orith
Confidential Information:
Billions of years ago, the Multiverse was invaded from the Qliphothic realm by the Kings of Edom. As incomprehensible entities of cosmic horror that consumed or annihilated numerous dimensions, the most powerful Kings were impossible to completely destroy. They were driven back by the combined strength of dimensional forces united against the abominations. Among these powers was an unnamed god who was infected by the Kings’ dark might. Before dying and becoming one with the eternal void, the deity created two separate seeds of its existence, both composed of its flesh and energy. Each was massive in size, dwarfing even most stars. Atrum and Orith, as they were called, separated the dimensional powers of the god and the existence-decaying corruption of Edomic energy and were sent to opposite ends of existence.
Atrum gave life to a race of hyper-intelligent multidimensional beings known as the Atrumites. They were shining gods that grew to surpass their progenitor with the nurturing flames of Ralshya, the cosmic bird of destiny that was tasked with protecting the celestial egg of Atrum. Her cycle of death and rebirth acted as ages of evolutionary progression for the Atrumites. When the great bird died its final death, Ralshya left behind a magnificent feather that continues to act as the nurturing energy source for the Atrumites and their godly technology. With eons having passed since then, the Atrumites have progressed to become a multidimensional force for progressing evolution across all worlds. They are lead by Highking Majoris, who is the nine-millionth to bear the title. They are opposed by their destined enemies and dark reflections, the Orithians.
The seed of corruption that was Orith gained sentience and became a hyperdimensional source of existential death and decay. Any lifeform that came into contact with Orith was destroyed and reconstructed as an extension of Orith’s will. Eventually, it manifested a unique entity. This new will was that of Oraxas, whose power was far beyond that of the seed from which he arose. He destroyed the mind of Orith on all levels of existence, overtaking the planet and implementing his will to all others that came from it. He became the ruler of Orith, as well as a force that drove for the destruction of existence to bring about an endless abyss. Other unique entities like himself would arise from the dead planet of Orith and he would take them into his empire as vassals to other worlds. When his ambition to impose his will upon all the Multiverse clashed with the Atrumites’ goal of nurturing progression, the two dimensional empires locked into a war that has lasted ever since.
Powers and Abilities
Hybrid Physiology: Nolan's atrumite-orithian-human physiology is the source of his powers. In terms of sheer power, he is nowhere near at the level of pure orithians and atrumites. His physiology has not been studied to such an extent that the functions and processes that take place in his body are known. Also because his physiology, Nolan can live for an undetermined, but most likely extremely extensive, amount of time. His body is immune to imaging technologies such as MRI and CAT scans. Nolan has the ability to defy gravity, allowing unaided flight. An aura of dichotomous darkness and light surrounding him can be detected by mystics and other aura-seers. To guard himself from telepathic attacks, he has strong psionic barriers. Clones cannot be created with the use of Nolan's genetic material. He also possesses super sensual perception.
Super Strength: Nolan's primary power is his incredible strength. Unarguably within the upper echelon of the strength department, Nolan is powerful enough to hold his own against just about any other superhuman heavy on the planet. Cracking super-hard metals like questionite are easily done. Lifting weights laced with neutronium and toppling skyscrapers with single blows are some others displays of his formidable strength. Although the exact upper limit of his strength is unknown, it clear that Astron can easily lift several hundreds of tons with little effort. In life or death situations, he can strain himself to become much stronger than usual for a short period of time. Nolan has complete control over the pressure he exerts on an object, so he can interact with normal objects without damaging them.
Invulnerability: Under normal circumstances, Nolan can withstand extreme underwater pressures, massive explosions and survive in hostile environments. He has survived nuclear explosions with injuries that were healed quickly. Bullets and sharp weapons barely stimulate any sensation when hitting him. Weapons made of questionite or stronger can harm him, but only if enough force is applied. And even then it barely stings. Nolan is also highly resistant to mystical attacks. His Orithian/human physiology comes with regenerative properties. Fatal wounds should heal within the day, unless he is being repeatedly injured. If he is cut, a fluorescent blood-like substance will spill. But if Nolan were to die, his body would transform into pure energy.
Super Speed: Astron can sustain a hypersonic flight/running speed while on Earth. In the vacuum of space, his speed increases dramatically. His mind processes information faster than the average human. In combat situations, he moves at high-speeds to increase the impact of his attacks. If the eyes of his enemies aren't capable, they might only see a blur before being knocked out. Nolan can dodge bullets at point-blank range, break the sound barrier, and react at high speeds. In the Earth's atmosphere, Astron's speed peaks at around Mach-10.
Energy Projection: Astron can naturally manipulate and project cosmic energy. Although it is not on the level of what powerful cosmic entities are capable of, it has numerous applications. He can power-up a tech-sphere called a CEO with cosmic energy and use it as a power source for the Alpha Station. By generating cosmic energy Astron can increase his power levels exponentially. With the creation of the Astro-Suit 4.0, Astron can project cosmic energy with significantly reduced pain and stamina loss. Though if he exceeds the energy limit of the suit, Nolan will feel the effects at an accelerated and heightened rate.
Hideouts
The Alpha Station: The Alpha Station was originally used as the headquarters of the Alpha Squad. UNTIL gave it to Astron after he saved a high-ranking official, as well as hundreds of other employees, from certain death. It hovered above the city of New Haven most of the time, and was prohibited from leaving US airspace. Cortex, the super-computer system that managed the base, was designed by Defender. The defensive procedures shielded the base with a powerful force field and near-impenetrable armored coverings. Robotic guards, named the "Cortex-Bots", took care of any intruders while the team was away. A training area, scientific laboratory, and other areas with basic living needs are included in the Station. The AlphaJet is also housed in the hangar, but has not been used for some time. The Alpha Station is powered by one of Astron's CEOs, giving it the energy to run for decades without a hitch. It is currently being used as Astron's station of solitude on an asteroid set on a Lagrange point.
Loft Residence: Nolan Ryan's address is listed as a loft in Millennium City. He spends most of his time there sleeping or working on his next novel. The kitchen/dining area is well-set but is rarely used. Nolan prefers to eat out. A TV is absent in the loft, for unknown reasons. Instead, there is a fireplace and a den with couches and chairs facing out the window facade. There is a bookshelf that has all of Nolan's works and favorite books stored in it. Nolan owns a desktop, but prefers to use the more convenient laptop. There are a few posters of Silver and Golden Age comic books on the second floor, where his bed and bathroom are. A hidden switch is used to open a small room in which Nolan leaves his costume in a glass case and a few keepsakes from past adventures and battles.
Equipment
Astro-Suit - Astron's costume is made of a durable, yet flexible, material. After his homemade costume was destroyed, Defender made him the Astro-Suit. Currently there are four different versions of the costume. The latest model is the 4.0, a more colorful costume with bracers and a belt with a variety of functions. Astron is typically seen wearing this suit, either in battle or when patrolling the city. One of the features of the suit is creating an "electric skin" that covers Astron for a short period of time, acting as a second layer of defense.
Quasar Armor - The Quasar Armor was given to Nolan as a gift when he was declared an independent entity from the Orithians by the Atrumites. They warned him to use the armor only in dire situations, for prolonged use could completely erase his humanity. It allows Nolan to use his cosmic energy without the mental and physical stress wearing him down. It also gives an astronomical boost to his power levels. It has only been used during the Dark Neptune Crisis and his battle against Eriatus alongside the Alpha Legion of the 31st century. The armor draws power from distant stars to augment Astron's abilities. When wearing the armor, Astron gains the power to both distort and repair reality, but only to a very limited extent.
The CEO (Cosmic Energy Orb) - Nolan has stored a quantity of cosmic energy in an orb that powers the Alpha Station. The CEO is a clean source of energy for the Station, and is kept secure by high-tech defense systems. Nolan has considered distributing CEOs to power places all over the globe. He decided against this when he learned that the CEO was too dangerous to let fall into the wrong hands. The estimated time it will keep the AS running is two-thousand years.
The AstroJet - Astron took the old AlphaJet off of UNTIL's hands for a price that set him back for a while. He uses it to take guests to and from the Alpha Station if they have no other means of transportation. It has also been used on missions with the Alpha Squad that were either beyond the borders or beyond the planet.
Trivia
- Astron is not be confused with Astron the Living Asteroid Belt, a Star*Guard villain of cosmic proportions.
- Nolan's favorite hobby is writing, but he is currently trying his hand at cooking.
- To date, Nolan has had eleven books published, four of which have been adapted into major motion pictures. He worked as an executive producer on all of them.
- The works he is most often praised for are "31st Century Man" and "Life on the Moon." Their film adaptations have likewise been critically acclaimed and turned out as box office successes.
- He also wrote a critically acclaimed fifty-two-issue comic book series entitled "Above" that was illustrated by Rosalind Highmore.
- Nolan was one of the superheroes who spoke of the late hero Vanguard's influence on them in the documentary "Vanguard: Dreams of Tomorrow."
