Meltdowner
Meltdowner is one of the newer heroes of the Millenium city, and although hardly the most famous or powerful he is regardless a brightly-shining firebrand of a crimefighter. Striking fear to crooks on street-level and often venturing forth to aid UNTIL in different global crises when called upon. Clad in tight, fireproof attire of black and orange, he does battle against the various threats to innocent lives mostly with his extensive control over fire, but is not afraid to get his hands dirty with close combat or gunplay either.
Now if he would only get some more experience. For as powerful as he can at times show himself to be, Meltdowner (or simply MD as his comrades tend to abbreviate his chosen moniker as) is still a greenhorn when it comes to superheroing.
| Meltdowner | ||||||||||
| Player: @Villanousvalor | ||||||||||
[[Image: |300px|]]
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| Biographical Data | ||||||||||
| Real Name: | Alexander Torrence | |||||||||
| Known Aliases: | Meltdowner | |||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||
| Species: | (Augmented) Human | |||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Canadian | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Ottawa, Canada | |||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Millennium City, MI | |||||||||
| Relatives: | Unknown | |||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||
| Age: | 23 | |||||||||
| Height: | 6'2" | |||||||||
| Weight: | 170 lbs. | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Black and Gray (metallic) | |||||||||
| Hair: | Black with Orange highlights | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Fair | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Athletic | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | Metallic plate coating on arms, with fine circuits running outwards from shoulders where the metal ends | |||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||
| Fame: |
Local | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
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| Identity: | Michael Terrel (Amnesiac) | |||||||||
| Years Active: | 1,5 | |||||||||
| Citizenship: | USA | |||||||||
| Occupation: | Full-time superhero | |||||||||
| Education: | High school and university education, almost degree in psychology and mechanical engineering (now forgotten) | |||||||||
| Marital Status: | Single | |||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||
| Pyrokinesis, Teleportation, Slight healing factor, Pyrokinetic flight | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||
| Fireproof suit, Thermal-amplification boots and gauntlets, Combat visor with HUD | ||||||||||
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| MaekadaBoxSlim created by @Maekada | |||||||||
Contents
Backround
Origins
Born in Ottawa as a middle child of three to a rather studious and well-educated family, the path of Michael Terrel seemed rather clearly defined in the beginning, especially as he had shown interest in scientific pursuits from the very early years of his life. Developing quite bookish and good-natured personality early on, Michael was quite the model student, practically blazing through his school years and showing aptitude for hands-on research even during very basic parts of his education. As he got further in his academic career, he decided to mainly study Psychology and Mechanical Engineering, subjects that he proved to be highly competent in. He was especially curious about the application of said talent in world of superpowered people, thinking about his possible future prospects helping Canada's local heroes. After all, who would not love to be part of that lifestyle?
Making good name for himself with his diligent studies and generally being a shining star pupil on his way to great things, Michael was widely known in the university of Ottawa as quite the aspiring researcher. One research group in particular took note of his engineering skills and their leader, one Lucian Winters, offered him a place on the new project of their devising focusing on construction of new sort of advanced cybernetics. Excited about the opportunity (though not especially most experienced of the team in question) he took the offer. Unfortunately, once he arrived to the location they were supposed to work out of, the truth was revealed to him: Winters' research group was a front of Hunter-Patriot terrorist organization quite prevalent in Canada, aimed at recruiting promising young scientists into their ranks early on to design new technology and weaponry for the infamous group.
Naturally upon learning the truth, he went on to sternly refuse to work with terrorists, and as a result was instead taken prisoner to be used as a test subject for their new technology instead. Enduring more than a year of torturous experimentation in underground holding facility deep in Canadian Wilderness, Michael was eventually subjected to a procedure that rewired his brain and connected him with a power as total as it was uncontrollable: the power of atomic disruption and re-assembly. His new powers were intense and at first caused him to burn and shred himself somewhat in the shock of awakening the new abilities, skin and muscle of his arms tearing apart as he first attempted to use his power to break out of the holding facility, the effort causing even his eyes to bleed.
Refitted with new cybernetic enhancements that regulated the use of his powers and replaced the parts of his body that had been damaged, Michael was set to be sent out from the facility to be indoctrinated into a weapon for the organization, but before such could happen an UNTIL team raided the underground laboratory. Taking advantage of the fighting, Michael went on to escape, remarkably making his way out of the Canadian wilderness by himself while fighting off pursuit with his new abilities. Eventually the pursuit culminated in his showdown against Winters, who had also willingly taken the same treatments as he himself had received, giving him his own potent abilities. The two clashed in storm of fire and lightning within spitting distance of an airport that was Michael's chance to finally lose the pursuit, and although he was shocked and injured to point of exhaustion, he eventually managed to blow off Lucian's leg and leave him as smoldering wreck upon the scorched earth.
Managing to take a flight to United States, he regardless found himself chased even on the other side of the boarder, the opposition apparently having decided that he was worth any losses he could inflict upon them as a research subject. Fighting without mercy, he fought off team after team of attackers as he continued flying away under his own power, not even the inclusion of psychically gifted operatives assaulting his mind to point of breaking managing to bring his quite down.
Regardless, he was quite on his last legs by the time he had gained enough of a lead on Hunter-Patriots to make it into Millenium City.
Amnesia and Qularr invasion
As the constant battles and the following mental and physical trauma had pushed him to the point of breakdown, Michael's memory and sense of self was irrecovably damaged, with his flight to the Millenium City BARELY lasting for long enough for him to collapse into an alley upon his arrival. It was not only by luck that he was spared being simply gunned down by pursuers, however, for he had chosen extremely poor time to make his arrival to Millenium City: namely, immediately before Qularr invasion that'd shake the entire city to it's roots.
Having fallen under not long before the beginning of the invasion, Meltdowner remained unconscious for the good few first moments of the chaotic battle erupting between the hastily mobilized heroes of Millenium City and the attacking Qularr army, his mental trauma forcing his subconscious to make some hasty adjustments to avoid complete insanity and shock that could well risk the function of his entire being. His old fragmented self vanishing into mists of memory with only faint echo of his codename remaining behind, the now nameless Meltdowner awoke while being awoken by a civilian attempting to flee the chaos, mistaking him for one of the city's heroes due to his garb and physical abnormalities.
And when awoken with no memory and waking up to sound of screaming, explosions and feeling of pain from his prior injuries, the irrevocably damaged metahuman lashed out the only way that his instincts provided at that specific moment: sheer unrelenting destruction.
The resulting blast did away with his helper (a fact that would haunt Meltdowner for the rest of his career), fires roaring out of control all around him and objects that caught his attention being simply pulverized and disintegrated by the full force of his unbound powerset, sanity and control giving way to sheer waves of brute force. Confused and utterly disoriented from his previous mindbreak, he began to wander around aimlessly...And inevitably happened upon the Qularr attacking the city. Luckily enough, the part of the city he was arriving from had mostly been deserted as it was: as such, the massive fires and constant explosions following in the wake of his uncontrolled powers did not claim much more in way of innocent victims. The Qularr, however, were different matter: attacking the perceived human threat as seemed logical, they flew to meet the new challenger... And were promptly roasted by the aura of fire pulsing outwards from Meltdowner as he hovered on the line of sheer insanity.
As he made his way further into the city, the senseless pyrokinetic eventually ran across Defender himself, whose equipment was quick to diagnose his condition and obviously unhinged mental state. Working remarkably patiently in midst of a war zone, he managed to calm Meltdowner down enough to establish a rudimentary line of communication, thus enlisting him in aiding in the defensive effort. Although his role was basically to wade into areas taken over by the enemy and simply deny it to them via use of his quite uncontrolled powers, he regardless proved remarkably efficient at that task, and continued to stand vigil in midst of inferno of his own making long after the Qularr attack had been decisively repulsed.
And that was the moment that would be his beginning as a Hero.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the Qularr invasion, Meltdowner was (justly) deemed a danger to himself and everyone around him, and slowly persuaded through extended trust-building sessions held via shouting at the very edge of his fiery aura to calm himself. Even while calm, his out of control powers only receded to about ten feet of his body... Which was luckily enough for the premiere hero of the Millenium to tranquilize him in effort to put a pause to the property damage and hopefully help him. As he was rendered unconscious, the raging inferno and field of constant disintegration around Meltdowner died down in an instant, leaving only the heavily modified young man in little more than smoldering tatters of clothing curled up on the broken street.
The months that followed were difficult to him, but luckily enough the technology available to the Champions allowed his powers to be kept in check as he was held in stasis capsule whilst a solution was searched, and Meltdowner himself was slowly talked back into semblance of rationality. Although the process was slow, eventually his full faculties were restored and his powers sealed back to what they are to this day... But his memories remained absent regardless.
Needless to say, the fact left Meltdowner somewhat distraught, sparking a need to build something new in place of all the things he had likely lost, but since forgotten about. Taking on the civilian name of Alexander Torrence, the changed man gracefully accepted the fireproof suit made for him by Defender but declined the offer for further study and training for the time being, instead striking out on his own as a solo hero.
The beginning of his career was quite rough, with the occasional payments for stopping criminal activity and bounties placed on particularly infamous foes barely keeping him afloat financially. Working mostly in Westside and near the docs in the beginning, Meltdowner however began to shift his attention elsewhere once he received an offer from UNTIL to utilize his firepower in conflicts requiring additional superhuman agents in exchange for resources and training. Such missions led him to few exotic corners of the world, including back to the worst areas of Canada where he clashed with various threats, including the Hunter-Patriots that had NOT forgotten him like he had them.
Regardless, even the lessened chance of starvation and homelessness was of little comfort to the amnesiac metahuman who did not truly feel like he belonged anywhere in the world... A fact that caused him to seek conversation and sense of belonging from Club Caprice.
And it was at that point that The Adventurers became part of his life.
Joining the Adventurers
During the time he spent in Club Caprice, the young hero went on to meet many interesting individuals, and perhaps the most important out of them was Red Spider, leader of the superhero team The Adventurers. Being a newcomer with no prior team affiliation or much in way of current prospects, he ended up discussing ins and outs of the superhero life with her, learning some basics from the brief talk alone. Albeit it was not instant, Red Spider eventually asked him to join The Adventurers, an invitation he decided to take: after all, was it not better to have allies and comrades if he could get them rather than trying to push on alone through all of his problems?
He definitely thought so at the very least. Of course, the new way of doing things was somewhat confusing at first: relying on a team after some experience of simply fighting through the mean streets alone was a new experience altogether for him to say the very least.
(More on his daring exploits with the Adventurers can be read from The Adventurers page (hopefully))
Meltdowner's position in Adventurers
As things are, Meltdowner straddles the line between semi-reservist and active backup. He is not present in EVERY operation, but tends to be present in all that he is physically capable of reaching during the time of the incident. As one of the somewhat more inexperienced members of the Adventurers, he tends to deter to decisions of the more experienced members, but is not hesitant to speak his mind or offer his opinion. He may not to be stupid enough to disregard the wisdom of the more experienced and opinions of others, but he is not very quiet about his own opinions either... And as could be seen during his small rampage through Westside and following stranded relations with many members of the team, it is not always a good thing.
Relationships
Friends
Red Spider: The leader of the Adventurers and person he considers to be one of his best friends, Meltdowner views Red Spider with immense respect and deters to her authority as matter of course, looking up to the red-clad hero and attempting to lean from her example.
Dreamweaver: His perhaps closest friend in the Adventurers, Dreamweaver is suitably cheery and mischevious foil for his own more dry sarcasm and at times needlessly severe attitude. Although she can annoy him at times, Meltdowner takes all of their back and forth banter in good humor, and would gladly take a bullet or two for his psychic teammate.
Millenium City Fire Department: After the incident of his temper getting better of himself and receiving quite the verbal and social smackdown from other Adventurers after going in violent rampage against criminals of Westside, Meltdowner sought to atone by going on to help the local fire department on his time off. Although initially understandably leery towards him, they nonetheless accepted him slowly as he continued to work along the regular firemen in containing fires and saving civilians, and is these days on quite good terms with many local firemen.
UNTIL: One of his mainstay employers as occasionally independent superhero for hire, UNTIL has provided Meltdowner with resources and training in the past, and in return he is all too happy to go to solve some of their messes for them, especially if there is a chance to go some good on the side. All in all their working relationship is very amicable.
Defender: As the hero that first calmed him down during Qularr invasion and got him to help in the effort of stopping it cold, Defender has the young hero's respect, although the hamminess of the public figure tends to make him feel shame by association at times. Still, Defender is definitely someone Meltdowner looks up to, although does not work together with in person all that much. He is just street level after all.
Dr. Silverback: Although he has had considerably less interaction with the simian genius than most of the people he would call close associates, Meltdowner regards the good doctor as a trustworthy ally. Doing errands for Silverback from time to time in exchange for technology that he needs to increase his capabilities as a hero, MD is content with the arrangement they have going on so far, and can occasionally be found amicably discussing with the doctor concerning some fine details of physics, kinetics in particular. It never hurts to learn after all!
Foes
Arcbolt/Lucian Winters: Although the pyrokinetic is unaware of it, Arcbolt is his former "friend" resurfaced as a villain sporting same enhancements as himself (only more invasive and pronounced) and possessing strong Electrokinetic powers. Despite not knowing his identity, Meltdowner finds the mad operative incredibly aggravating and hates him for the constant pursuit, as well as for risking uncountable innocent lives in his attempts to destroy him. Needless to say, the battles between the two of them are serious affairs, with no quarter asked or given.
The Hunter-Patriot organization: The organization of superpowered terrorism that formerly subjected Michael to the horrific experimentation that eventually turned him into Meltdowner, no love was lost between them and him even during their first accidental re-union in Canada during which he was handling different assignment altogether. The attempts to drag him back to Canada for more questioning and further testing have clued him onto their nature and connection with himself, and it is needless to say that the young superhero is quite mad about the matter.
VIPER: Having gone against Adventurers before and used one of his friends to do it to boot, VIPER have well and truly earned the hostility of the fire-wreathed hero, and against them he tends to fight with no mercy.
It is complicated
Lady Justice: Ever since the incident in Westside, Lady Justice has scorned Meltdowner quite a lot, and stubborn as he is he is content to return the gesture along with some sharp words when they are forced to work together. Still in same team despite her attempts to get him kicked out on the spot, Meltdowner attempts to just restrain himself from initiating outright hostilities with her for sake of team cohesion, but definitely does not like her as things are.
Cyber-Slash: The villainess turned heroine, Cyber-Slash is someone Meltdowner just prefers to avoid after the rocky ride that has been her association with the Adventurers, mostly due to the fact that her case was the one that had made his temper flare, and as a result had landed him in hot water with the rest of the team. Nevertheless, she is doing good work as things are, and as a result Meltdowner does not quite know how to treat her. Only time will tell.
Powers and Abilities
Pyrokinesis: Meltdowner's most overt and distinctive power is his control over fire, derived from more overarching power of Atomic disruption and re-assembly, full usage of which is all but impossible for him under controlled circumstances. He can create, extinguish, control and resist fire in whatever manner he pleases, and although his abilities have hard cap based on the amount of power his own body can handle and his endurance, this young firebrand can regardless blow apart battlesuits and fortified buildings with explosions if he tries hard enough, not to mention ignite fiery infernos at the drop of a hat. The fact he is effectively utterly fireproof also means he is well-suited for search and rescue in high-temperature locations and thus great help for the local fire department.
- Sub-power: Pyrokinetic Flight: Recently, as his focus and finesse has grown past simply using his firepower for destroying things, Meltdowner has honed his balance and application of his power enough to mimic the sort of jet-powered flight many suits of powered armor around Millenium City are so fond of, flames shooting out of his gauntlets and boots allowing him to float and fly at reasonable pace. The technique requires focus, however.
Teleportation: Another general application of the wider-ranging power he is unable to directly access, Meltdowner can atomically disassemble himself and his equipment in an explosion, only to reform in place of his choosing. The limits of this application are rather clear-cut, however: without knowing where he is going, the risk of teleporting to a location he cannot see is rather great, and although he is capable of taking others with himself he must reassemble them along with himself upon the end of the teleportation or also suffer the fate of being reduced to nothing. He is also unable to bring more than two people with himself at the time and requires physical contact to pull others along for the ride.
Healing factor (minor): Although barely strong enough to register in combat situation at all, Meltdowner's injuries heal at accelerated rate thanks to the changes wrought to his physiology by Hunter-Patriot experiments, and as a result he can generally be counted upon to make full recovery, apart from cases such as limb loss or strong poison. He also tends not to scar, the healing factor constantly working to return his body to it's "optimal" condition, slowly but surely.
Unarmed combat (Basic proficiency): Although not a master by any measure, he has combined both lessons in various martial arts from UNTIL and self-taught brawling skills into reasonably competent unarmed fighting style. Still at a major disadvantage against more proficient martial artists, he can regardless hold his own in a fistfight even without his powers.
Fencing (Basic proficiency): Having trained with various blades as a side project during his training sessions with UNTIL, Meltdowner knows the basics of combative fencing and dueling with blades, albeit his technique and experience in putting what he has learnt into use in proper combat are both still lacking.
Marksmanship (Focused on fireblasts, Advanced proficiency): Having trained more extensively on the matter, Meltdowner can hit even moving and somewhat more distant targets most of the time, doubly so if he is utilizing his power as one would any other ranged weapon (which works especially well thanks to his HUD and gauntlets, see below). He also knows his way around maintaining and using a gun, although he tends not to, since there is generally little need for it and fireblasts are easier to keep non-lethal.
Gear and Equipment
Fireproof suit: A gift to Meltdowner from Defender once his powers had properly stabilized in months following the Qularr invasion, the black and orange suit is as fireproof as the super-science of the the Millenium City's top hero can make it, and also offers reasonable amount of protection from lacerations, gunfire and energy weapons. Although not all that special in city where magical shielding and powered armor are rather commonplace, it is regardless immensely useful for Meltdowner, and not only in avoiding embarrassing incident of accidentally burning his own clothing off!
Thermal-amplification boots and gauntlets: An addition to his suit that he acquired from raiding the caches of Black Aces and combining it with technology bought from enterprising inventor, the gauntlets and boots add to the defensive capabilities of his suit, but they also perform another much more vital function. With them, Meltdowner is capable of continuously storing ambient heat or redirecting heat from different sources to the charge packs mounted on them, bolstering the strength and reducing the buildup time of his attacks. They also make for handy weapons up close and personal.
Combat visor: A mirrored visor attached to his suit that covers up his mechanical eyes, Meltdowner's Combat visor is relatively simple yet vital part of his arsenal. Built around a microcomputer linked to operation of his phone, boots and gauntlets, the visor provides him with simple heads-up display including monitor of his own physical state, charge of his thermal amplification devices and local communication, invaluable in planning his strategy. The visor also helps in targeting his fiery attacks, and in navigating (which does come in handy when one's main method of travel is rapid teleport spam).
Thermal Armor: A full rehaul of his defensive measures that integrates all of his previous equipment into itself, the Thermal Armor was created mainly by Doctor Silverback as a favor for Meltdowner, with the young firebrand himself affecting the construction with his opinions and bits of vaguely recalled engineering knowledge. Providing vastly superior armor and energy-channeling capabilities in comparison to his prior equipment, the armor also comes with life support system that lets him survive the most inhospitable environments (such as vacuum of space) and passively channels some of his produced thermal energy to lift that allows him to fly without outright focus. Generally he does not utilize it often, however, and mostly brings it out for extended or especially dangerous missions.
It also comes with black cape with flame decorations. Just for style.
