Battlehawk
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Battlehawk HAWC-012 in flight
Battlehawk is a widely recognized and well-respected hero specializing in rapid emergency response and counter-terrorism in Paragon City and throughout the world. Micah Lee is a veteran fighter pilot who pilots the highly advanced powered armor.
Project Condor, led by Dr. Harold Westmarch develops and maintains the suit. The project partners with the FBSA and is fully funded by Westmarch Enterprises, a multibillion-dollar technology corporation involved in a wide range of advanced science fields.
Contents |
POWERS
The Battlehawk combat suit was initially designed and first used to aid Vanguard against the downed Rikti Mothership as an all-environment tactical unit capable of reacting to a wide variety of combat situations. The suit is constantly updated and improved upon as new technology is integrated and combat data is analyzed. The original powered armor was a hulking piece of metal, weighing over half a ton. The current model, HAWC-012, is a lightweight and flexible marvel of engineering weighing less than one hundred pounds.
The general public mistakenly believes Battlehawk can be used by anyone but only Micah is able to power up the armor. Westmarch Enterprises does develop and manufacture other types of powered armor for law-enforcement and other security agencies but the technology of Battlehawk is far more advanced and unique.
Defense
The outside shell of the suit is a set of plates consisting of a mixture of titanium, steel, ceramics, plastics and/or impervium, which makes it very resilient to many forms of attack. It is impervious to standard small arms fire and can withstand multiple direct hits from heavy weaponry before being compromised. The ceramic and plastic composition, along with an insulation layer, offers protection against extreme temperatures and other non-conventional weaponry such as radiation. Ironically, all these defensive measures are not designed to protect the pilot (see Metahuman Ability section as to why). They are designed to prevent a breach in the armor and to shield all the delicate instrumentation and circuitry within.
A thin invisible deflection shield surrounds the suit offering additional protection. It is most effective in deflecting and redirecting kinetic energy, which allows the armor to withstand heavy blunt force or crushing damage. The absorption and redirection of kinetic energy has an added effect that prevents Battlehawk from being knocked down. The field is also an additional effective counter measure against non-conventional forms of assault.
- UPDATE: A prototype suit is available that forgoes the hard metal carapace and instead is a mesh like outfit. By focusing on force field generation, it provides the same amount of protection while reducing weight and bulk. The current main issue is energy efficiency which prevents it to be used more frequently.
Energy Projection
Battlehawk is able to project different forms of kinetic force energy. The magnitude and destructive force of the energy blasts can be adjusted from minor concussive blasts that may knock out a foe to something powerful enough to rip a large hole in thick military grade heavy armor plating. He can fire off short rapid bursts or more concentrated blasts. The energy can be adjusted to explode in a wide area or cascade like a wave. He even has a long-range sniper energy blast that can take out enemies with one shot.
The energy can also be concentrated around the hands, offering devastating effects in melee combat. Combined with the super strength that the suit affords, Battlehawk can easily crush opponents with energy enhanced blows.
- UPDATE: The newest design manipulation is now able to convert Micah’s bio-kinetic energy into other forms of energy like electricity. Through more testing and experimentation, Project Condor expects a wide variety of energy manipulation and projection.
Physical Capabilities
Underneath the outer shell, the powered armor has a unique mesh of polymer fibers that functions similar to the human muscular system. It is highly durable and when energy transferred into the fibers, it gains flexibility and strength. At full power, the suit is capable of lifting 50 tons of weight.
Because the fibers are so flexible and responsive, the suit lacks the typical bulk and rigidity common among lower tech powered armor. Its movements are graceful and fluid and almost functions like a second skin.
It is fully functional underwater or in a vacuum such as outer space as it is fully sealed and pressurized. The armor has a limited backup life support because Micah generally does not require life support while using the suit (see Metahuman Ability section for more details). The backup life support can be maintained for up to 8 hours.
Tactical Equipment
The mechanized suit is equipped with a vast array of sensory equipment such as radar, motion detection, thermal imaging, radiation detection, multiple targeting locks, range finder, telescopic vision to just name a few. Battlehawk has advanced secured radio and satellite uplink communication capabilities as well as high definition video and audio recording. The suit’s central computer has the ability to communicate with other complex digital systems which can be used to infiltrate or hack other computer networks.
Along with the standard sensor array and equipment, the armor also has a cloaking device. It uses light refraction technology giving Battlehawk a translucent look and makes it invisible to conventional forms of surveillance such as radar or motion detection. Also unique to the suit is the Westmarch Hawk-Eye V3 targeting computer. The combat computer performs data analysis, pinpointing vulnerabilities and weaknesses on the fly.
Speed
Battlehawk is capable of incredible speed and agility. In flight, the suit can attain supersonic cruising speeds and is capable of temporarily generating enough power to achieve orbital velocity to break free from the Earth’s gravitational pull.
It also “synchronizes” with Micah which allows for unparalleled responsive times. The suit is capable of achieving superhuman levels of agility, dexterity and responsive reaction. On the ground, the suit has been clocked at 300mph at full running speed.
METAHUMAN ABILITY
To the general public, Micah is an ordinary human being. Secretly, he is an Omega level (upper limits of his metahuman powers are unknown) mutant which allows him to wear his powered armor and perform his great superhuman feats.
Energy Generation
Micah has the ability to generate large amounts of bio-kinetic energy that can be converted into various uses and has caused some permanent effects. He can be best described as a biological nuclear reactor. Even without his armor, he is capable of firing off energy blasts and flying.
The continuous generation and manipulation of the bio energy also caused some permanent changes in the basic structure of his body. His muscles, skeleton and organs are supercharged allowing them to perform at a superhuman level. Micah can move at extraordinary speeds and has demonstrated superhuman reflexes and agility. His body has also been altered to be able to withstand greater strain from such activity.
Even more important and profound, are the changes in his brain. His synapses and brain function at a rapid pace. Micah is able to process and analyze information at incredible rates. His supercharged brain also seems to retain information at a much greater level than most people allowing Micah to excel at multiple fields of study. This explains his excellence in academics all through his life. In addition, due to the digital mind transference work conducted by Dr. Westmarch, Micah is now considered a world class leading engineer (see Mental Augmentation section in History).
When using the Battlehawk suit, Micah generates a great deal of energy. During these times Micah converts to pure energy form to generate energy more efficiently. In this state he requires no food, water, rest or even oxygen to breathe which is why the powered armor does not come equipped with an extensive life support system; he doesn’t need it. The suit is fully sealed in order to prevent ambient energy from leaking out. While in pure energy form, Micah is able to “synchronize” with his suit, offering him better reactive time than a normal manually controlled system. Added to his metahuman speed, Battlehawk is blindingly fast.
As a side effect, his body repairs itself while transformed into pure energy. Since the first time his body went into energy form, Micah has not aged and is always completely renewed when returning to his physical state after prolonged status as energy (time required varies depending upon the state of the body). It is theorized that eventually, like all nuclear fusion reactions, he will one day burn out but that day could be hundreds, thousands or even millions of years which makes him effectively immortal.
WEAKNESSES
Even with all his powers, Micah has some vulnerability, one of which can be potentially dangerous to those nearby. His powers must be controlled and maintained.
Energy Instability
The main reason the suit was created was due to Micah’s unstable energy build up. The amount of energy that his body generates constantly accumulates. Without a method of releasing the stored energy in some fashion, he would theoretically release all the energy at once like a nuclear explosion, potentially causing enormous damage to the surrounding area. The suit not only uses him as its primary power source but it also drains him of his stored energy, keeping his body stable. Regular use of the armor will allow Micah to live normally without the necessity of an uncontrolled energy discharge.
In energy form, Micah can still be harmed with weapons that degrade or disrupt energy fields (EMP is a prime example). The energy form is highly unstable so it is critical that he remains inside the suit or he risks breaking down and dissipating, or worse, exploding in a nuclear reaction. If the suit is breached or unable to function, Micah instinctively returns to human state. The suit is still able to function manually, running on stored energy but its energy effects, onboard equipment are reduced to half efficiency. Supersonic flight will no longer be possible but he can still fly at about 250mph and his running speed tops out at 60mph.
Human Vulnerability
In his natural solid physical form, he has the same weaknesses as any other human being (at top physical condition), although he retains his metahuman energy powers, agility and reflexes. It is important to note that if he is wounded in physical form, getting him into Battlehawk or a special energy chamber created by Project Condor would allow him to shift into energy form allowing him to fully recover over time.
SKILLS/ABILITIES
Micah graduated the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and earned a Master’s degree in the same field at the University of Maryland. As he is steadily gaining knowledge by absorbing Dr. Westmarch’s knowledge, he will eventually have doctorate level of studies in physics, robotics, mathematics and computer science.
As a former Top Gun fighter pilot, Micah is masterful in flight. Highly trained in aerial combat augmented with his actual military experience, there are very few who can outmatch him in a dogfight.
To further his growth as a hero, Micah continues to train to improve his combat skills. His training comes from other heroes and instructors, usually from Vanguard or Longbow. As a result, he is a proficient fighter, marksman and tactician. Recently, he has developed a knack at reconnaissance and infiltration using the suit’s stealth technology.
HISTORY
Early Life
Born to Korean immigrant parents who ran a small grocery market in Brooklyn, New York, Micah had a fairly typical upbringing common to middle class blue collared families. He played Little League, joined the Boy Scouts (became an Eagle Scout) and starred in his high school basketball and baseball teams. Micah excelled in academics and was recruited by multiple universities.
But being the pragmatist, he applied and was accepted to the United States Naval Academy to save money and to fly jets as it was a childhood dream and aspiration. He graduated with honors and immediately began his commissioned service with the Navy.
Once in the Navy, he qualified to become a fighter pilot. Micah was a natural student of the air and his excellent service record and ability garnered an invitation to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program or TOPGUN which he accepted wholeheartedly. Like most things he put his mind into, Micah finished top of his class.
Micah flew combat missions in F-15 Strike Eagles during the Rikti World Invasion in 2007 and was successful in downing multiple Rikti aircraft. Due to his heroics in the air and on the ground, he received the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross. When Micah was honorably discharged by the Navy, he achieved the rank of Commander.
Project Condor
At age 25, Micah began to exhibit signs of mutation as his body began releasing small traces of bio-kinetic energy. At first, it was minor only manifesting as little sparks and lights but as time progressed, the energy buildup became much more dramatic.
Concerned with his energy output, the Navy sent him to Dr. Westmarch to participate in Project Condor. The project was developed by Dr. Westmarch for cases such as Micah, where strategies and treatments were developed to control mutations and superpowers for individuals that could not harness their powers safely.
When Micah’s stored energy erupted, causing the complete destruction of a two-story laboratory, Dr. Westmarch realized he needed a real solution and Battlehawk was born. The armor was designed to absorb his constant energy emission and to harness it for other applications.
HAWC
Dr. Westmarch began design of a massive mechanical suit of armor that could harness the ambient energy and concentrate them into energy blasts. HAWC-001 was built to assist Vanguard against the downed Rikti Mothership. The massive powered armor fared decently against the aliens, providing artillery support and performing search and rescue operations. Project Condor continued to refine and improve the suit.
After a few years of testing and research, the first true prototype of the current Battlehawk was developed. HAWC-007 shaved off much of the bulk and weight of its predecessors and more or less looked like the current iteration of Battlehawk. At this point, Micah was capable of pure energy form which allowed Dr. Westmarch to push armor designs like never before.
Mental Augmentation
Concerned for Micah’s future well-being, Dr. Westmarch developed a digital mental transference device which allowed his technical knowledge and experience to be transferred into Micah’s unique energized mind while he is in full energy state. This would allow Micah to continue the work that Westmarch started.
Dr. Westmarch’s first test was on a special AI program he created but while the test succeeded, the end result was the creation of Draco (see Enemies section below). Once the bugs and coding were perfected, Micah entered the unit and was able to absorb Dr. Westmarch’s knowledge.
The process was not instantaneous. Dr. Westmarch’s knowledge is decompressed only when Micah is in full energy form and concentrating on mental augmentation only which means he does not increase knowledge during combat. The process is slow and will take several months if not years. And as Dr. Westmarch learns, he continues to update the data but eventually Micah will no longer need the good doctor’s treatment.
The Future
Project Condor is constantly updating and modifying the suit. With the newest advancement in nanotechnology and robotics, the suit is becoming lighter and agile. A new prototype, HAWC-013 is a mesh like suit, completely removing the relatively bulky armor while still maintaining the same, if not superior, defensive capability.
There is also rumors of the battlesuit being able to link up or “suit up” with a larger mecha chassis.
PERSONALITY
Micah is an easy person to get along. He has a sharp wit and a great sense of humor. He tends to compartmentalize things and focuses upon whatever task is at hand. When it’s time to work, he works. When it is time to play, he plays.
His parents were hard workers and Micah has the same work ethic. If anything, he has a disdain for those who are lazy or lack drive.
ENEMIES
Draco
Draco is a self-aware artificial intelligence created by Dr. Westmarch. Initially designed as a test environment for his mind transference device, the base code was corrupted with a Rikti computer virus. The new program began to self-replicate and eventually evolved into a fully functional digital AI.
Draco is capable of hacking into any digital system and create copies of itself. It seems to like to manifest itself as a robotic serpentine dragon using nanotech code to reconstruct and rebuild material.
The AI has no interest in world domination but only seeks self-preservation. Although Draco might be self-aware, its code is seriously damaged. If Draco was a living sentient creature, it would be considered insane. As such, Draco is unpredictable and often changes personalities and attitudes on the fly.
It may decide self-preservation means the extinction of humanity or it may decide to hide and remain dormant. Draco’s sheer unpredictability and its control over computers and machinery makes it an extremely dangerous opponent.
Vargus
A former U.S. Marine, Damien Vargus joined Crey Industries as a security expert. Over time he agreed to partake in Countess Crey’s superhuman engineering programs and agreed to multiple experiments. The results were disastrous. The experiments left him paralyzed from the neck down and to add insult to injury, he was unceremoniously dismissed from his job.
Destitute and helpless, Vargus made another agreement but this time with a demon lord named Belpheron. In exchange for his soul and his services, Belpheron gave Vargus power.
Vargus is a walking juggernaut. He is nigh invulnerable to attack and has superhuman strength, easily capable of lifting over 1,000 tons. Vargus requires no sleep, food or air to survive and he is quite capable in almost any environment whether it be land, underwater or even space. He can regenerate almost instantly and his senses are beyond normal human parameters.
Vargus has one weakness: his essence is stored in a special crystal phylactery and if it is destroyed, Vargus is sent to the underworld where he will remain tormented by Belpheron’s minions for a set period of time. The phylactery must remain at least within one-mile radius of his location in order for Vargus to retain his powers. Due to this vulnerability, Vargus is very careful in keeping the location of the crystal a secret or sealed in a protective case.
NOTES
- Battlehawk is a tribute to all the powered armor heroes found in comics, movies and anime. Most of the inspiration came from Iron Man and Bubblegum Crisis.
- There are multiple versions of Battlehawk in-game (so far):
- Battlehawk – energy blast/energy manipulation blaster
- Battle Hawk – electric armor/energy melee tanker
