Marlo Cross - (Impact)

[MarloCross]

IRC Nickname: MarloCross
Name: Marlon James Cross
Alias: Impact
Former Alias: The Crippler
Age: 24
Date of Birth: August 23rd 1994
Hometown: New Brenton, Massachusetts

Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 210 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black with white pupils, wears sunglasses or green contact lenses
Nationality/Race: Irish American

Occupation:
Trained Helicopter Pilot
Bouncer at Sully's
Lifelong student of Martial arts, including
Boxing
Muay Thai
Brazilian Jujitsu
Karate
Sambo
Tae Kwan Do
Aikodo
Capoiera
Vigilante

Personality Profile: Marlo's personality is best described as an unstable set of powder kegs, each holding a new, intense resulting explosion. He's impulsive and intense and tends toward action more than discussion. And this is all before his powers' physiological effects are factored in. Friends and family, plus a few of Salem's lower tier criminals, have speculated as to the extent of his various issues, but his stubborn refusal to treat anything but physical pain continues to make his life harder.

Above all , Marlo is tenacious and never gives up. More than a handful of would be villains have though him defeated only to be savaged by a broken and bleeding Marlo who refused to stay down. As with most of his traits, Marlo's refusal to submit makes him not only brave and fearless but stubborn and pigheaded, even to those he loves. Truly, everything about Marlo Cross is a double-edged sword.

Physical Description: At first glance, Marlo looks to be physically imposing. He stands six feet tall and some change with strong shoulders leading into a muscular set of arms, his favorite weapons. His left arm is covered in a tattoo sleeve down to his wrist, a mural of tribute to many things that make Marlo Marlo. Captain America's Shield, spiderwebs connecting most everything, if it's a pop culture icon, it's probably there. They are his good luck charms, it's why they sit on his dominant left arm.

When you can see his full body, Marlo Cross looks carved out of oak. Muscular definition, though present, isn't the purpose of his workout regimen: it's his health. The 'superhero' bod is just a welcomed side effect. across his powerful shoulders sits three more tattoos, three Irish family crests: Finley (for his Grandmother) Cross (for his Grandfather and Father) and Hannigan, his mother's maiden name. These three tattoos, burned forever into his skin to match a similar place and fashion into who Marlo Cross is.

His most notable physical feature however, the one people see first, is the inert genetic mutation that has inverted the color of his eyes; Completely black save for the white pupil. If one were to look closely, they could see a tinge of green around the pupil, indicating that his base eye color might be green if not for the mutation. This trait was passed down from his father and, Marlo suspects, from other mutants that followed his grandmother's lineage. It has no outward advantage and is a trait he covers up when going out. Coupled with his close trimmed Irish chinstrap beard and short jet black hair, Marlo looks like your average Boston thug.

Clothing for Marlo is simple: T-shirts with a few novelty designs, or just a single color. His cloths are all Goodwill or thrift stores, having no real desire for fashion. He does this to blend, making him just part of the crowd.

His heroic outfit consists of a silver metal helmet that hides any and all facial features. thanks to his best friend and his unofficial Sidekick, JJ, Marlo has a full suite of goodies within: a heads up display that allows him access to his phone's various functions like GPS, phone calls and one way camera viewing. He has limited air filters and shock absorption. Too many hits, however, can scramble the system, leaving Marlo with just the Mark I Eyeball.

His Cobalt Hill bodysuit, standard issue for all team members, is partially concealed under a silver breastplate which affords Marlo more protection should his kinetics be overloaded.

His newest addition to the Impact arsenal comes courtesy of JJ once more: a large pear of armored gauntlets, the glove portion stylized like MMA gloves. These durable pieces are more then just for show. Inside each is a sophisticated series off small sliding shafts equipped with heavy magnets. Using a button in the palm of his hand, Marlo can engage and disengage the magnets at will, causing them to snap forward and back. When they hit the barrier at either the wrist or elbow sections of the gauntlets, the Collision creates a small bit of kinetic energy that Marlo can siphon. For the first time in his superhero career, Marlo can build his own charge. Until he breaks them...

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Mutation/Powers: Tactile Kinetics

Primary: Tactile Kinetic Absorption/Expulsion

This is Marlo's primary gift. A passive, always on ability, his cells have a secondary function as shock absorbers. When struck by an object or hitting the ground after a fall, Marlo's cells trap and retain most of the kinetic force. Each of his skin and muscle cells are, essentially, a tiny spring. When he wants to, Marlo can expend this build up 'charge', as he calls it, by making physical contact with another object or person. Requiring kinetic force to release it, Marlo cannot expend the force with anything less than a hard slap or a punch, Marlo's favorite form of communication. Over the years of use and training, Marlo has developed the ability to limit the amount of energy he uses up with each strike, allowing him to ration the built up charge. The side effect is a rather loud POP, much like a low caliber gunshot. The more charge, the louder the bang

Another cool side effect of this ability is a resistance- though not invulnerability- to most kinetic based impacts, like blunt objects, punches, falling and even bullets to a limited degree. A fall that would kill a normal person would put him in critical condition but not necessarily kill him. However, the energy Marlo absorbs from falling must be expend immediately, as it 'feels different' from other sources of kinetic force or it dissipates into a mild shock wave when he lands, hence why he changed his name to Impact.

To a limited degree, Marlo has discovered he can absorb amperage from electrical output, which is the force that pushes the energy, or voltage, forward. This is VERY dangerous as the left over voltage can burn Marlo like the inside of a microwave.

Marlo has mastered but not perfected, a Kinetic Leap: The K-Jump. taught to him by his father, the late Wendell "Slugger" Cross, Marlo can tap into the fundamental force of gravity, the ultimate expression of kinetic force found in the rotation of the Earth. This requires an intense concentration, or it could kill him instantly, shattering every bone and capillary in his body. The result is a loud'krak-BOOM' and Marlo is sent off into the air. His record for distance is just over a half mile. He has managed to use it as a forward jump in combat, but the impact tends to be more than he cant take, so he limits it to desperation, as almost every time, he's damaged his body doing it.

However, as potent as these abilities are, there are drawbacks (See Weaknesses)

Secondary: Kinetic Sensory Awareness

Most anything that makes an impact creates waves of force in the air around it. Marlo has become so attuned to kinetic motion that he can feel these vibrations at a distance. Depending on the amplitude of the force wave, Marlo can 'feel' louder sounds further away, but fainter vibrations like footfalls and heartbeats are milted to 10 yards or so. This can give him advanced warning and makes sneaking up on Marlo difficult and helps him gauge a person's stress level when interacting with them. But, yes, there are serious drawbacks, most of them health risks. (See Weaknesses,...again)

Tertiary: Hyper-kinetic Motion

Having trained with his power and sculpted his physical body in tandem for years, Marlo's movements have gotten more fluid and efficient. As a result, Marlo can push his body to the absolute limit of human capacity. Although generally slightly below average in intellect, Marlo's mind processes stimuli different the more he's in motion. As his conventional and kinetic senses read the environment, Marlo adjusts his motion to fit. The result is a whirling , constantly moving physical body.

As this ability is tied to momentum and kinetic energy, Marlo must attempt to remain moving to get the most out of this side effect of an ability.

Drawbacks/Weaknesses :
Physical Side Effects
When absorbing kinetic Force, Marlo's cells hold the energy until he chooses to release it on contact. This causes his cells to vibrate. Picture turning on an electric razor and holding it.

Now picture that Every Day...All Day.

This constant output has caused him to develop numerous physical difficulties over the years that he has been active. The first and foremost is Marlo's heart. Though strong and fit, it has been damaged by excessive absorption and held charges and has resulted in at least two heart attacks in the past. Luckily, mutant healing and good friends have kept him in the game.

Migraines are another large after effect, as Marlo gets constant kinetic pulses from around him thanks to his kinetic awareness. His apartment walls are padded to dampen the outside vibrations while he sleeps, but insomnia is always a problem. Marlo refuses most but not all of the heavier medications in lieu of medical cannabis and activities that release endorphin.

While blunt weapons and hand to hand attacks don't damage Marlo like they do the average person, they still hurt the same amount. It's only Marlo's stubbornness that keeps the pain at bay. If it gets too much to suppress, he needs time to recover. A hard enough hit can break bones all the same if Marlo can't absorb enough of the energy.

On top of the physical strain that his body goes through daily, his mental health is always in constant need of attention. As a defense mechanism, Marlo becomes increasingly agitated, his brain encouraging to release the charge to lessen the strain on his body. Holding too much for too long has lead to, essentially, brain damage. Anger issues, emotional swings and depression have followed him through out his life. Thankfully, he has internalized these issues, his stubbornness never letting him lash out at an innocent. The temptation to kill this pain in many unhealthy ways is a constant demon to slay.

No Power, No Punch
Marlo's physical strength alone is impressive for a young man. However, if he wants to throw the big bombs, he relies completely on gathering kinetic charge. Without that initial burst of energy, Marlo's fighting style has had to adjust, often having to put himself out there with the intent of being hit! The stronger the foe, the more dangerous this tactic is. But, without it, he hits like a very strong young man, lacking that extra BOOM.

Blades
Fine, sharp objects move through air differently than bullets or Fists. As such, Marlo can't get a read on them with his kinetic awareness and must rely on dodging and evasion rather than soaking the hit. this has translated into a dislike for swords and blades. Axes carry a different heft so the awareness is delayed, but still there.

Unconscious Detonation
Marlo can only hold a charge while conscious. If he should get knocked out, his body will release all kinetic charge in an outward detonation. This could mean that one super hit could turn Marlo into a living grenade.

Psychic Vulnerability
Marlo is tenacious, but his damaged mental faculties make him a prime target for psychic intrusion. The more emotionally unstable, the more easy it is to access his mind.

How do you believe this character's powers will further develop in the future?
Marlo's powers have reached a plateau. Now he must find new and inventive ways to use them.

Background:

Marlo Cross was born into poverty, the first son of Wendell and Gayle Cross. Brought up with his paternal grandmother always doting on him, Marlo never went without despite his parents having to work twice as hard to make ends meet. A former exotic dancer, Marlo's mother took a job as a bartender rather than have her son grow up with the stigma. His father, a mutant himself, hired himself out to local crime bosses-Particularly one Fausto Rossetti- as an enforcer. In order to get ahead in the pageantry of super-villains and henchmen, Wendell took on calling himself "Slugger". Well liked and respected in the 'henchman' community, Wendell Cross's death came as a shock. Two stories circulated: One saying his powers to harness kinetic force had finally killed him at a softball game, and the other, that the birth of his new son had changed him; That Wendell Cross was skimming off the top of protection funds to give back to the communities he once terrorized. The memory crafting Insaniac made sure that Marlo and his family believed the first while the community at large knew the truth, even going so far as to kidnap Marlo's infant sister, Scarlet, creating the false memory of her dying at birth. As Marlo grew without the guiding hand of his father, he started to act out, getting into trouble at school and outside, doing odd jobs for Rossetti behind his mother's back. It was never much more than petty theft and vandalism.

When a fight at school ended with teachers looking for some kid's teeth in the lunch hall, Marlo was left with no options. A phone call from Mr Rossetti and a generous donation sent Marlo Cross to Cobalt Hill when he was 16 years old.

This opportunity saved Marlo's life and guided him along the path to becoming a Hero.


While still trying to figure out his place in a world of heroes and villains, Marlo was captured by his father's murderer and oldest friend Eddie Resnick AKA Insaniac. With the ability to manufacture, alter and suppress memories, Insaniac created a new personality within Marlo's mind, named The Crippler. This new identity was violent, cold and callous. Pointed against the team, Crippler was ultimately defeated and Marlo returned to his normal self. However, that kind of memory alteration leaves scars. Marlo eventually learned to use the left over Crippler 'template' as his heroic persona, making Crippler a symbol of vengeance and retribution.

But, as Marlo grew from boy to man, however, his desire to shed this painful scar of the past led him to finally bury the Crippler after a fight with a nearly fatal fight. Now called Impact, Marlo once more seeks to forge his own path as a positive symbol of hope...

Quirks/Extras (Random fun facts about your character!):
Marlo Cross has a thick Bostonian accent
Marlo is a lifelong New York Giants Fan and has an extensive Comic and Manga collection...