Doctor Persona
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
This character has quite a strange paternity. I was always a big fan of the classic "mystery man" hero archetype. When I decided I wanted an illusion controller, it was exactly the type I had in mind. So Doctor Persona was born, incorporating in his imaginary DNA such diverse donors as Rorschach, The Shadow, Darkwing Duck, Batman and Doctor Strange.
| |
| "Who am I?" | |
| Doctor Persona | |
| Player: @Pulcinella | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Controller |
| Security Level: | 34 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Unknown |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Presumed human |
| Age: | Unknown |
| Height: | 6' |
| Weight: | Unknown |
| Eye Color: | Unknown |
| Hair Color: | Unknown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Unknown |
| Occupation: | Crimefighter, specialist of the occult |
| Place of Birth: | Unknown |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | Confidential |
| Known Relatives: | Unknown |
| Known Powers | |
| Psychic projection, energy flow manipulation | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Confidential | |
| Equipment | |
| None | |
| ' | |
Contents |
History
From the early 1920s and well into the 1940s, there was a particular masked crimefighter called Doctor Persona. No one was ever able to discern the true identity of the man for he never appeared without his mask and he apparently had no private life to speak of. He disappeared shortly after World War 2, leaving absolutely no trace of himself. No newspaper article remains of his exploits, no personal correspondance, no official report, no photograph - only a faint memory in the minds of the actors of that era. Doctor Persona might have been one of the most powerful - and at the same time the most subtle - mesmerist of the twentieth century for he was able to almost wipe himself off the face of collective memory.
Lately however, he seems to have resurfaced. The figure that can now be seen fighting crime in the Doctor's traditional colors matches to a point all the few sketchy details some have retained of his past career. This Doctor hasn't seemed to have aged one bit - athough it is rather hard to say with the mask - as he's been seen undertaking tasks that would normally deter a man of his supposed age.
This has led specialists of superpowered history to elaborate three theories:
Theory # 1: The Impostor
The present Doctor is not the original Doctor. Somehow, an individual with similar powers was able to secure an as-of-yet undiscovered cache of information and has been using it to pass himself off as the original crimefighter. The fact that practically no one knew the Doctor intimately makes him easy to impersonate for someone with the right talents. In this case, the first Doctor is presumed long dead.
Theory # 2: The Legacy
This is another theory that supposes the introduction of a "new" Doctor. In this case, however, the original hero is still alive - although at a venerable age now - and has succeeded in passing on the mantle to a younger aspirant. This "returning" Doctor has been thoroughly trained by the veteran who is still acting as his mentor. Thus he has ready access to not only the Doctor's famed archives but also to his memories. This would explain why it's so easy to believe them to be the same person.
Theory # 3: The Real Deal
This theory simply states that there was always only one Doctor. By means unknown, he was able to either put himself in suspended animation for over fifty years or he stepped out of our reality into one where time flows at a different speed. Whatever the case might be - and however fantastical this may seem - it is still the simplest explanation of why this Doctor would so much resemble the old one or how he can know so much about what the original should know.
Appearance
There are many variants to the Doctor's costume, but there are always a few constants. First is the mask: half black, half white, it represents the Doctor's emblem: the twin masks of tragedy and comedy. These constitute the second ever-present element, often in the form of an eleborate pin on his lapel. Also, with all his outfits, the Doctor would always wear simple white fabric gloves. Finally, his costume would always be colored purple and black with touches of white.
Personality
Doctor Persona can be described at best as the typical "man of mystery". Always keeping to himself, never revealing anything of himself but quite a lot about everyone else, you can almost say he ahs a "non-personality". Those who stay by his side for the long run will however discover someone quite human behind that expressionless mask, someone who deeply cares about the people around him. In fact, he's not above an amused chuckle or two.
Powers
Psychic Projection
Thanks to intense meditation techniques and obscure lore obtained during his travels in the East, Doctor Persona can create physical manifestations of his mind's products. Thus he can use this power to produce imaginary projectiles, overload his opponents' senses and even create sentient entities that fight on his behalf. It has been thorized that all of these manifestations exist mostly in the onlookers' minds, as no measurable trace of them has ever been caught by electronic surveillance equipment.
Energy Flow Manipulation
Another product of his exotic studies abroad, Doctor Persona can control the flow of vital energy that connects every living thing. Hence, he can extract some of that energy from one subject to redistribute it to himself and his allies. The effects can range from transferring speed and strength to health and stamina.
Trivia
Rumor has it that Doctor Persona was unmasked only once in his whole career. Underneath the mask, his opponent found... another mask!
