Name: Henry Smith
Codename: Gabriel [assumed name] or Seraph [codename]
Age: 19
Date of Birth: June 24
Height: 6'2
Weight: 200
Hair Color: Black, short and fuzzy
Eye Color: Cerulean blue
Place of Origin: Midwest
Nationality/Race: American
Classification: Metahuman
Status: Refugee
Occupation: None
Personality Profile: Gabriel is a quiet man, choosing to keep his thoughts private. Reserved and stoic, he's introverted and normally won't go out of his way to engage in social activities. But the tendency to be a loner doesn't necessarily mean he's misanthropic: there is no hatred in his heart directed at the average person. This doesn't apply to doctors, who he both fears and hates enormously. There's an interest in others and a desire to seek out friends but it has been stifled by a history of neglect and abuse. With a bit of nudging by a kind spirit, he can open up and show off a pleasant smile or a bit of humor.
Physical Description: Before the holowatch confiscation, he hid his appearance with an illusion of what he would have naturally been: On the tall side, average build, barely something to double-take at. While handsome, gifted with an masculine bone structure, he fell short of stunning or 'model' status from the strong angular lines. One may jest about his Roman nose but it hardly disrupts the overall pleasant look. His hair is buzzed short to be delightfully fuzzy. As for his skin color, it's dark tones, almost olive. One of his eyes is covered by a plain black eyepatch and the other is a vivid blue. Fresh scars cross over his body, leaving him with the remnants of cuts and burns. Most are superficial and few cause him any lingering discomfort.
But now he retains that appearance but also has some unique physical traits. The most visible are the large wings on his back, colored a mix of light and dark greys much like those of a bleeding heart pigeon. Further down his body is an avian tail kept outside of his clothing. When spread, it is roughly three feet across at the widest point, large enough to aid steering in flight. Hidden from view are the trails of feathers elsewhere on his body--mainly on his dorsal side--down his back and on the bottom of his arms. Part of the time the plumage on his arms may be absent, plucked to cut down on the irritation from wearing long sleeved shirts.
There are a number of tattoos on his body he's accumulated in his travels. The Serenity Prayer on his right forearm, an ornate cross on his back, the cross bars set above where his wings attach. Now it's covered with feathers but he periodically has those feathers stained to mimic the tattoo. There are others, mainly centering around his faith, scattered elsewhere. Most are of a low quality, having the fuzzy look of a prison tattoo. The scars left around his wrists and ankles have been embraced, ink added to them to create the illusion of bracers.
He has no piercings, not in the traditional sense. But the scars from them dot his body, as if he'd had them installed, they healed and were removed. The more prominent ones are on either side of his mouth, through his cheeks. A series of twin dots run down his left forearm as well. More are concealed by his clothing.
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Powerset: Flight
Ability One: Flight via wings, assisted by tail
True, sustained flight can be achieved over short distances with enough effort or a reduced speed. How far he can keep aloft depends on his general fitness, how hard it was to get airborne and other basic factors. In ideal conditions, he can stay up for twenty minutes or so, possibly longer if his speed slows to what's comfortable for cruising.
Drawbacks & Weaknesses:
Flight via wings and tail: At the moment, he's capable of only keeping himself aloft with no additional weight added and for only short periods of time. A great height cannot be reached and it is awkward to get into sustained flight from the ground. It takes running and heavy exertion, a strong wind or diving off of a high object to get the lift needed to become airborne. Additionally, he lacks the keen eyesight of a predatory bird, which is a minus in the event he's searching for a particular person or to identify something.
Water, swimming, are things he avoids, almost to the point of hydrophobia. Should his wings get waterlogged and he's in water that could submerge his head, he would be in serious danger. The bulky, heavy wings are difficult to move around, doubly so if there's a current. Unless the water is in a safe, controlled environment (ex: wading pool, shower, bath tub), he will be reluctant to enter. Even then, he thinks twice about it. Mold and mildew are issues as well, or would be if the feathers aren't aired out properly after getting wet.
Fire is also an issue, with feathers being super flammable. Getting too close to flames could render the limbs useless without extensive therapy, or the fire itself could kill him. As are mites, blood feathers and other common issues that come with having feathers.
They're high maintenance and need special care to keep them in flight condition. If enough get damaged, it renders him unable to fly, much like a bird with clipped flight feathers. On top of everything else, they're large and bulky and can get in the way and make staying comfortable while lying or even sitting, an issue. His clothing is all either specially made or altered to fit his physique and getting them on can be a pain in the ass.
Signs of exhaustion is something he pays special attention to. Exerting too much effort getting aloft, or struggling with air currents, cuts down on his flight time dramatically. If he pushes himself too hard, especially by carrying around extra weight, it can put his life in jeopardy.
Loss of coordination, balance or other similar issues are constant dangers as well. He lacks the instinct that winged animals are born with and correcting problems mid-flight is difficult. While he has the organ necessary for keeping himself balanced, loss of control is still difficult to recover from. His bones have the same hardness as a normal human, save for the more fragile wings. But even with that, falling from a great height inevitably means broken bones, torn ligaments or death.
Projected Power Growth & Development: Non X-gene changes, as he lacks one. Strengthening of existing power (increased flight capability, ability to carry passengers) or development of some sort. Iron will: so stubborn/strong willed that no attempts to persuade him would be effective. Increased physical or strength or upped defense/ability to be unaffected by pain sustained via injuries.
Skills: There are few hobbies that he enjoys. Abstract painting is one of those. There's no real rhyme or reason in what he creates, using the colors and textures to convey the overall meaning of the piece. The art isn't created with the idea of sale or a successful future in mind. While he has natural talent, it's not something he wants to capitalize in. Through the colors he speaks, the paint saying what he cannot.
He's a talented musician, able to carry a tune quite well. The music he prefers are generally classic tunes: soul, blues and lounge.
Weapon: Flanged mace. Favored by clergymen in middle ages for it's ability to harm an enemy without drawing blood but still being a formidable weapon, he likes it for much the same reason. In a pinch and life or death situation, any hand-to-hand combat weapon might be wielded. Ranged weapons are something he won't touch, as he considers them an unfair advantage. It has recently been upgraded by JJ to have some additional effects, activated by a few buttons on the handle:
Intelligence+sight+hearing: The mace has a basic amount of artificial intelligence and some motion sensing cameras installed. There's a mic as well, able to hear adequately.
Force field: A bubble large enough to fully encompass the head of the mace prevents the weapon from having as devastating of attacks. It is clear when this is activated, as the field itself has many colors like a soap bubble.
Lights: They cover the weapon to make it match his armor. They additionally are capable of communicating him via Morse code.
Armor: Made of Carbon fiber, the armor is lightweight but also quite strong. While not bulletproof, it provides quite a bit of protection from breakage and some resistance to attacks with sharp objects. The material has properties that make it resistant to fire but provides no immunity.
Color: The armor coloring can be changed at will by pressing the appropriate button. It has a couple modes programmed in it: Black/blue to match the Cobalt uniform and silver with gold filigree. The second option is often accompanied by the use of the built-in lights.
Invisible: This falls under the 'colors' ability but only extends to the wing armor, not every other piece. When activated, small cameras take in video feed from the surrounding area and change the coloration of his wings accordingly. It makes it appear that he lacks the wings entirely but is imperfect by nature. Some blurring can be seen whenever he moves, like the waves of heat through the air. But with this capability, he can hide his avian features and participate in covert X-team missions or go into the city without drawing attention to his strange physique.
*Wings+tail: The armor is primarily set on the arm portion of the wings, designed to keep them from breakage when utilized as a shield or weapon. Spines run down the flight feathers to give them extra strength but also have flexibility as to not interfere with his flight.
Spines: Long, thin spines run down the length of his flight feathers. They're lightweight but strong enough to be formidable in battle. The edges are finely honed to a razor sharp edge. It is along these extensions that the lights are placed.
Lights: This modification has limited use and is mainly used as a distraction or a fun feature. When utilized with the silver/gold theme, it shines brilliantly and produces a dazzling faux holy aura. It can be used practically, for lighting up dark areas.
Background: Gabriel's childhood was a hard one. Born to a large family locked in the welfare system, most of his childhood was spent with barely enough. A few changes of secondhand clothes, his meals small, largely furnished by the free lunch program at school. Most of his wants were sated, the important ones at least. It was an upbringing that many successfully live through and even thrive with the life skills picked up, left stronger by fending for themselves at a young age.
And then one day it all changed. One of his older siblings exhibited mutant powers by setting a bully's clothing ablaze. It was dealt with swiftly in the form of her being taken from the household. Gabriel's parents offered no explanation other than, "She's going to a special school for people like her." It was a story that didn't sit well with the children but there was little they could do, other than continue their lives.
One day after school, near the fifth grade finals, he began the usual walk home. With his attention focused on the book he was reading for English, The Wizard of Oz, he didn't notice the men watching him from a bench. The black car that drove alongside him was noticed only after the door flew open and a man popped out. Too startled to fight, only a cry of surprise was given as a way of protest. A sharp pain to his leg and he was out like a light.
Soon after he woke in a small white room that could be mistaken for a jail cell if only it were not so pristine. In one corner, a cold metal toilet and beside it a sink. The floor a hard polished cement to make cleanups easier, an uncomfortable cot stationed on a wall. Dominating the scene was a mirror that stretched from one end of the room to the other. It soon dawned upon him that he and his siblings were correct in guessing what their parents meant by 'special school'.
The years that followed in that place all merged into one boundless nightmare. Men in white and light green, people dressed like doctors but with eyes filled by malice, the nurses who ignored his cries. The injections and testing, x-rays and the searing pain. They offered no explanation as to what they did nor an indication as to what lie ahead. In time he grew quiet and compliant, after the realization that no help would come, struck him. He went along with their demands like a broken animal.
One day he began to change. It started as a dull ache in his back, a deep one like bone was damaged. Over weeks it grew worse and made him cry again. Success! At least in the doctors' eyes. Another painful sting, much like what heralded the end of his freedom, pained him and he fell, sedated and prone.
Gabriel awoke on a bed, one with more padding than the cot he'd endured. No amount of effort could free him from the leather straps which bound him in place: they held fast to his wrists and ankles even when he fought hard enough to bruise and cut skin. The nurses visited more often then, checking on his back with interest. They brought ointments and salves which eased the discomfort. Strange machines showed up, replacing the X-rays he had grown used to. Blood was drawn so frequently it seemed almost daily.
And then the itch grew worse, turning to a desperate need to scratch. No amount of gel could quiet the voice that screamed for him to free himself from the bindings and dig his nails into the flesh of his back. The fight he put up, the struggles, were all for nothing. An IV drip quickly solved that problem, one that took away the fear and madness that plagued him throughout his ordeal.
It all ended as quickly as it had begun. There was noise one night, of things being broken, including people. Shrieks filled the hallways, close enough to reach his ears. It grew quiet. The door opened and a figure stepped through. Not a doctor, not this time. Instead it was a woman splattered with blood, body tense enough to make every fiber of muscle visible through her taut skin. Fists bound tightly enough to make her own blood flow from the nails that bit into skin. The moments passed by so very slowly it felt longer than the rest of the time he'd spent held captive there. And then she reached out, delicately running a hand along his back. No, things on his back that weren't there before! But the girl left as quickly as she'd appeared, only after releasing the cuffs that held him in place.
The first time he stepped out to view the world, seek his freedom, felt like a renewal. Like he was reborn. With no idea where he was, or what the date even was; dressed in clothing he'd found in a locker, he headed out into the world. Given the deserts and isolation, it seemed to be somewhere out west but not far enough to be California. He was far from home.
The road was lonely and desolate, the temperatures high and air dry, some time in the summer. No cars passed by, the only hint of life he saw was a rabbit here or there. One day he came across a church and they took him in and cared for what looked to be an angel. It was then he was given a new name, one that he claims is his own, having disowned the life he'd been taken from. It was unreal to find that he'd been hidden from the world a mere two years; it felt like much longer.
The priest and nuns taught him the basic life skills he'd need to survive. There was much knowledge they didn't bestow upon him but the most important, what gave him the faith and will to continue on, was covered in depth. The word of God, the teachings, dominated his life, and helped him recover from his ordeal. But no robes would be in his future, as his desire was to go out into the world and save others much like what the church had done for him. So he focused on what was both a gift and curse from the doctors: his wings.
Flight was a difficult thing to learn, especially when doing it alone. It was mainly trial and error, starting off with strengthening the weak limbs, followed by very short flights that were more leaping than actual flight. It took quite a bit of time to muster up the courage to leap from a height great enough to get the speed required for a more sustained bout in the air. Unfortunately, it ended in broken bones and pain, like many attempts after that. But there would be success, in time, though improvements could always be made.
After being rehabilitated and made whole again, he set out to continue his life as a missionary. This path was cut short by the confiscation of all holowatches, including his own. But while handing over the precious device, he was given a list of safe havens. The suggested one, Salem, was his destination. It took some time to go from his location, Sacramento, to Salem, and it would be a hard road spent in the air for short periods of time. But hardships were nothing new to him: he took it well, learning quite a bit on the way.
His dreams for the future are to peruse his interests in theology and travel the world to see how other religions practice their faith and worship. In particular, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand has caught his attention. Perhaps one day he'll get to attend but that's in the distant future.
More recently he took a long hiatus from Salem and focused on doing some good in the world. He assisted a team of mutants in breaking into reach facilities to release the captives held within. Numerous test subjects owe their freedom to this group. The numerous fights have left him scarred but stronger for it. But the death of his girlfriend has soured his good nature, leaving him bitter and alone. He took a vow of silence to help him recover and contemplate the changes in his life.
Criminal Record: N/A
Quirks, Extras, Random Character Facts: Due to the unfortunate circumstances he endured, his worldly knowledge is quite limited. There's new things to see and do every day! But it's more than enough to overwhelm him, ruffling his feathers and often resulting in a frustrated retreat. Computers, phones and other similar devices are alien to him, along with recent trends and politics.
While naturally intelligent, quick to pick up on new things, his fifth grade education is detrimental. He's working to get a GED and advance his schooling beyond that point. But the greatest hurdle to get over is his illiteracy. This doesn't stem from his lack of trying or incompetent teachers. It stems from a severe case of dyslexia. Letters all look the same to him, having no real shape or meaning. Some things can be memorized, patterns like a STOP sign. He can write his name but not a whole lot more than that. Even then, it's barely legible.
For good reasons, he has a phobia about visiting the doctor and avoids it whenever possible. He has a similar fear of restraints.
The first time he was introduced to body modification, it became the object of fascination. He has numerous tattoos, most obtained by ex-cons doing work under the table. As a result, the quality is hit or miss, some done by more experienced artists than others.
Piercings don't interest him as much, at least not in the traditional sense. After he found out some people use pain to get closer to God, or even invite the spirit in, he has practiced it to some degree. Scars dot his body from experimenting with it. Until he learned to control his blood pressure, a few of the rituals landed him in the care of a doctor. But he's more experienced now and practices whenever he's tempted to do wrong. Mindful of this practice being a taboo in the Western world, he keeps it private but doesn't mind giving a show for the morbidly curious. He even carries a leather case with some needles of varying sizes in his messenger bag, one pocket over from a copy of the Bible.
While he finds the wings useful, he still has a strong dislike for them. He thinks they are a punishment from God for not aiding his sister. They're to remind him to reach out and do good in the world, aiding and protecting who he can at any cost.
Pain, instead of slowing him down, only steels his determination. When injured, the only indication that he outwardly shows is the redoubling of his efforts to be victorious.
When someone who's not acknowledged as his leader or commander, he responds negatively to someone giving him orders. Trying to force him to do anything he doesn't wish to will be met in failure.
Control is something he lacks. When riled, or locked in battle, he won't back off until his foe is dead or neutralized.
He's incapable of friendly fire, even if it puts his own health or life at risk.
Has a foul mouthed African grey parrot named Bird that was adopted from the pound. She speaks good English and has a clear Australian accent. The bird is a giant, having a three foot wingspan. A color mutation has made the normally red tail a dark charcoal grey.
