Nitroburst
“You don’t know what it’s like, to have to stay absolutely, completely in control of my power every second of every day. All this power bottled up inside, with me terrified I’ll let it out. I take raw, random, cosmic energy and cohere it into a focused plasma state: I’m a living solar reactor cast in human form. I do inside my body just what the sun does. And if I ever cut loose—the way I’ve always been terrified I could, the way I always wanted to—a star is what I’ll become!”
—Nitroburst
HISTORY
Early Life
Bryan Attfield was born on a beautiful and hot spring day in circumstances that belied such a peaceful idyll. His then-pregnant mother was rushed to the hospital with rapidly deteriorating vitals and a caesarean was ordered to hopefully save her life and that of the child within her womb. The cause of his mother’s ailment was never discovered but was in fact due to his mutant gene passively activating for the first time while in utero, his powers sapping his mother’s very life force.
Thus born two months early, a 1.5 lbs Bryan clung to dear life and miraculously pulled through, belauded by medical staff as a very special baby. Thankfully for both mother and child, the gambit had paid off.
His childhood was happy and rather mundane in the Eastgate neighborhood of Paragon City, RI, with nothing to trouble him until a rather explosive event: his mutant abilities had the misfortune of triggering for the first time as a teenager during the Hollowing. Terrified beyond belief at the chaos and destruction unfolding around him, energy burst forth from his body and left him unconscious in a crater where his house had once stood.
While the Hollowing was eventually revealed to have been caused by the Trolls, Bryan initially believed that he had caused the cataclysm in his neighborhood. The realization that he hadn’t been responsible for this tragedy eased some fears vis-à-vis his abilities, but knowing what he had done to one building was enough to scar him for life just as Eastgate was now forever scarred.
Formative Years
Vowing to repress and suppress his powers to ensure he’d never lash out, Bryan carried this secret shame all his life and sought to hide his abilities—as well as his homosexuality—in order to save face and blend in. Things all changed at Paragon University when he met like-minded individuals who encouraged him to tap into his full potential and to finally embrace who he was.
One such person was Jonathan Hart, a fellow student in the same classes. Jon was one of those guys Bryan instinctively wanted to hate but couldn’t: he was handsome, intelligent, athletic, popular, and worst of all, nice… In hindsight, it's likely because of him that Bryan began a longstanding tradition of becoming enamored with men who could not return his affections.
While the love was one-sided, a genuine friendship developed between the two and Jon eventually confided in Bryan that he was a mutant gifted with superhuman strength and durability. Calling himself Brickbat, he was officially registered with the FBSA and often patrolled the streets of Paragon City as a masked hero. Moved by his candor, Bryan opened up about the events surrounding his own abilities. An excited Jon eagerly encouraged him to register so they could team up but an ever fearful Bryan balked at the idea, the Overbrook and Fossburg incidents further fueling his misgivings. Both served as grim reminders of the destructive forces he wielded and how he too could cause such destruction.
But for all his protests, Bryan ultimately reconsidered in the face of another personal tragedy. When the Shivan meteors decimated the Paragon Heights neighborhood, Jon eagerly lent a hand to fend off the would-be destroyers. Unfortunately for him, Brickbat was not as invulnerable as he thought himself to be and was fatally wounded while saving civilians from certain doom.
Losing his best friend and unrequited love was a grievous blow but Bryan rallied by finally registering as a hero to honor Jonathan Hart, settling on the code name Nitroburst given his explosive powers.
Present Times
Bryan eventually obtained his MBA and graduated magna cum laude. He was eagerly snatched up by Crey Industries’ corporate department and quickly rose in their ranks as a public relations representative. While he started his career relatively oblivious to Crey’s nefarious reputation, continued exposure to their inner workings and frequent association with fellow capes revealed their true nature.
Moral integrity should have made him resign but he nonetheless decided to stay with Crey in order to work undercover and surreptitiously expose them from within.
He operated independently as a hero for many years but was eventually introduced to and inducted in the newly re-formed Global Defense Force after its first iteration’s defeat at the hands of the Doom Society some years prior.
It goes without saying that he treads a very fine line in his “day job” since discovery of his true intentions and identity would see him terminated in every sense of the word.
APPEARANCE
Bryan Attfield is of decent height and build which give him a lithe appearance. Ever fastidious, he primps and preens obsessively to always look his best regardless of the occasion and necessitates a close shave every other day to keep a strong ginger beard at bay. He favors dressing in well-tailored suits and shirts over following the latest trends: his sense of style (if indeed he has one) could be described as timeless and understated elegance.
Costumes
A stickler for convention, Nitro’s early days as a hero saw him don a costume of navy and white spandex with gold leather gloves, boots, and metal belt. While it harkened back to classic heroes of yore, he was blind to the fact that it was reminiscent of a certain Antarctic avian and earned him the affectionate “Power Penguin” moniker.
His looks evolved throughout the years but he has maintained the navy, white, and gold palette with each new iteration.
Nitro’s primary costume is a combination of leather, Dyneema, and metal accents. While his energy aura affords him some degree of defenses, this particular costume grants him even greater protection.
His secondary costume, while reminiscent of his first, is a reinforced bodysuit with detachable cape that seeks to convey archetypal heroism.
The visor connects directly to the Beacon’s Automated Virtual Interface and serves the dual purposes of protection while in-flight and of concealing his identity.
All his costumes have been treated with unstable molecules allowing him to integrate them into his matrix while transformed into pure energy.
PERSONALITY
A typical WASP, Bryan takes pride in good posture, genteel manners, personal hygiene, pointless discipline, and the ability to sit still for long periods of time.
He possesses a sharp wit and will happily engage in sass and banter, often revealing more of himself than he intends to. And while there is a heart beneath the veneer, he finds it difficult to open up to others, made all the more difficult by his intransigence.
Just like he keeps his powers in check, Bryan is known to keeps his emotions bottled up. He’s turned looking the other way into an art form and represses everything to an unhealthy degree that it’s only a matter of time before the dam bursts open.
This compartmentalization has proven to be an asset as he leads a double life with work and as a hero, but can he maintain the façade?
BASE OF OPERATIONS
The Beacon: The Beacon is the name of the orbiting base of the Global Defense Force. A large number of technicians are employed to manage the regular maintenance necessary to keep the Beacon functional. Due to destruction of the original base by the Doom Society, security has been heightened greatly on the Beacon; members of the Global Defense Force are given communicators that allow them to access the teleportation network set up by their Automated Virtual Interface (AVI) to allow them access to the base from any location. Those allied with the Global Defense Force are also granted clearance to access the base.
Icarus Condos: Located in the Talos neighborhood, the Icarus condo tower is one of the premier addresses on the island. The Icarus boasts ample floorplans, impressive views, and modern luxury amenities (with a price to match). The Icarus Condos: reach for the sky!
POWERS & ABILITIES
Energy Conversion: Nitro absorbs ambient cosmic energy into the cells of his body and processes it into plasma. This results in control over an extremely destructive force. When each of his body's power-storage cell enclaves reaches its capacity, excess cosmic energy is thereafter absorbed and immediately re-emitted in negligible quantities. Upon the total expenditure of all his available energy, it takes Nitro's body about 15 hours to recharge to its peak level unless he absorbs a large amount of energy at once. The act of concentration involved in releasing this energy in anything other than an omnidirectional wave is physically exhausting for Nitro if he continues it over an extended period of time. He can absorb cosmic energies from his environment and store them within his body cells, metabolizing the energy in order to generate concussive plasma bursts.
- Energy Absorption: Nitro can passively absorb ambient cosmic energy and has shown he can willingly absorb, store, and re-process various other thermal energies through conscious force of will.
- Plasma Emanation: Nitro can emanate plasma in the form of a blast or discharge with a tell-tale energy signature. This energy will emanate from his body in all directions unless he purposely channels it in a single direction, usually along the length of his arms. These destructive energy bursts can cause objects to shatter or explode but are otherwise non-lethal at their lowest intensity.
- Energy Form: Nitro can convert his body into a humanoid form composed of cosmic energy. While in this form he has no need for air, food, or water and is virtually immortal. He retains the ability to speak by transmitting his voice as waves of pure energy.
- Energy Aura: Nitro is naturally surrounded by a glowing energy aura that acts as a defensive shield and casts light. He can dim and dampen it at will.
Flight: Nitro can fly by energized propulsion.
Infrared Vision: Nitro can alter his vision between the visible spectra and the infrared one, giving him the ability to see heat signatures in his surroundings.
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ROLEPLAY HOOKS
Corporate Culture: Are you a Crey employee who suspects that PR specialist and corporate darling Bryan Attfield is hiding something?
Crey Cares: Are you a byproduct of Crey's experiments and machinations? Did Bryan help cover up your creation, rampage, or escape?
Fervent Fan: Nitroburst isn't known for his grandstanding even with the world-renowned Global Defense Force, but are you perhaps a fan of this doughty hero in blue, white, and gold?
Nosy Neighbor: Are you a resident of the same condo building as Bryan Attfield? Have you noticed his coming and goings at all hours of the night which he claims are work related?
AFFILIATIONS
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| Founder Starforge | ||
| Team Leaders Arsenal • Farside | ||
| Global Defenders Afterglow • Antivenom • Fort • Homefront • Shadeknight • Shadowbat • Silver Twilight • Spinosaurus Wrecks | ||
| Defenders Airbound • Arvo • Botanica • Bronze Belfry • Cloudkeeper • Cymone • Dr. Unknown • Dragonstrike • Ever Star • Farwalker • Gloombug • Graystar • Lightstreamer • Lock-Down • Mistmourne • Moonbeam • Mr. Blank Nightborn • Pinnacle • Power Boy • Psionic • Psychic Fox • Sgt. Starburst • Silversaint • Sir Chozrik • Soleos • Star Storm • Steel Shield • Stellar Ascendant • Stellarex • Wind-Rider • WindWarrior | ||
| Members Agemo the Messenger • All Muscle • Aria Sound • Blue Icon • Captain Poseidon • Exergy • Expert • Godspark • Gridiron Goliath • Mass Impact Moonlight Medallion • Ms. Sovereign • Pulson • Sir Winter • Universal Knight • Will o' the Wisps • Wombattle | ||
| Reserve Members Bolty • Chimera Girl • Lumix • Nebuleia • Ultrastar | ||