Stomp
NAME: Raymond Neil
AGE: 35
EYE COLOR: Blue
HAIR COLOR: Blonde
OCCUPATION: Supervillain, Mercenary
POWERS:
- CYBERNETICS -
Implanted bionic legs strong enough to punch through solid steel
Like his father before him and his grandfather before him, young Raymond Neil wanted nothing more in life than to be a police officer. Extremely popular within his precinct, Ray's father was known for his resolute beliefs and upstanding behavior. Yes, his father was his hero and his on-duty death stopping an armed robbery only strengthened Ray's desire to join the force just like him.
And join he did. Completing his training with little effort, Ray became one of Paragon City's youngest police officers in decades. Universally liked and viewed as "the standard", Ray was just as admired by his colleagues and fellow officers as his father before him. His hard-nosed attitude toward the law and by-the-book procedures made him unpopular with the criminal element but his record arrest rate made him a rockstar in his precinct.
Ten years passed. Now a veteran police officer, Raymond had become nothing less than a hero, having gone toe-to-toe with super-powered threats time and time again. From Skulls Death Walkers to the Hellions Fire Throwers, Ray didn't back down. And though he'd come away with his fair share of injuries over the years, Raymond was still standing.
Until the battle of Kings Row.
A cadre of super-villains attempted to take the city hostage and a team of upstart young superheroes rose up to stop them. Though they succeeded, the collateral damage was considerable; many innocent bystanders were injured in the battle. Ray was one of them. As he rescued a young girl from a crumbling building, two tons of falling debris came crashing down upon him, completely crushing his legs. The rescue took hours and after arriving at the hospital, the decision to amputate was made.
With his iron will, Ray eventually recovered, though he would never be the same. Though he was hailed as a hero, he knew his career as a cop was over. Or at least how he'd prefer to work. But after a year of intense physical therapy, Ray returned to the work and was promptly relegated to a desk-job because of his handicap. And as he looked around the precinct, there were no looks of admiration or reverence from his fellow officers. All he saw was pity. Worse yet, over the months following his return, he noticed that more and more of his fellow officers were getting laid off. His superiors claimed it was due to "budget cuts" but weeks after every release, there always seemed to be another new, "enhanced" recruit. These new, super-powered, agents were replacing his co-workers, his friends.
And the thing that angered Ray the most? He seemed to be the only one in the precinct who had a problem with what was happening. Hard-working cops with years of experience on the force were being fired, forced to sell their homes, and replaced by super-powered amateurs. In response, Ray quit the force two months after he returned.
He spent the next six months at home, in an armchair, getting drunk and reminiscing about the glory days. And with every beer, Ray became more and more bitter. Watching news reports gave him flashbacks. Crowds clapped as the heroes flew above the destruction, as buildings still burned. The heroes posed for pictures while Ray and others were still trapped, waiting to be rescued. No the real heroes were the rescue workers. The EMTS, the doctors. His (former) fellow police officers.
As he prepared to drink himself into an early grave he was shocked when he was notified by his doctor that an anonymous donation had been made on his behalf, in the form of prosthetics. Prosthetics that Ray would have never been able to afford even if he still had his job. Cybernetic legs that would allow him to walk again. Ray pushed for answers on just who had been so generous but came up empty. The only thing that they'd left was a colorful get well card that said "Go get'em, champ!"
As he practiced walking with his new, state-of-the-art bionic legs, a news report grabbed his attention. The PPD's "Psi-Division" were being highlighted yet again. Anger welled up inside Ray and in frustration, he absentmindedly stomped his foot. His cybernetic leg punched through the cement floor. Years of pent-up anger and frustration welled up inside Ray as he caught sight of the get well card on his kitchen table again.
In that moment, Ray decided that was exactly what he planned on doing.