Galen Mentalis
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Galen Mentalis | |
| Player: @FreelanceWizard | |
| Origin: | Mutant |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Controller |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Galen McCormack |
| Known Aliases: | Mentalis |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 28 |
| Height: | 6' 0" |
| Weight: | 165 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Green |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Transdimensional explorer, entrepreneur |
| Place of Birth: | Galaxy City, Paragon City |
| Base of Operations: | Kings Row, Paragon City |
| Marital Status: | Committed relationship with Cassandra Nightshade |
| Known Relatives: | Preston and Isabel McCormack (parents), Ashton McCormack (clone, possibly deceased) |
| Known Powers | |
| Projective telepathy (illusions), limited receptive telepathy, manipulation of space | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Saxophone player, psychotronic engineer, card mechanic and close-up magician, inveterate liar | |
| Equipment | |
| Various psychotronic devices, tremendous amounts of money, multiple identities, several vehicles, engraved lighter and cigarette case | |
| Galen owns or controls several businesses in Paragon City and Boston, MA, as himself, an alternate identity, or through one of several holding companies. He also owns two buildings in Kings Row. | |
Galen Mentalis, or often just Mentalis, is the alias of a powerful telepath operating in Paragon City. Nominally a member of the Templars of the Abbey, he considers himself more aligned with the goals of the Vanguard and the Freedom Phalanx Reserve, of which he is a member. He was once the headmaster of the New Porter Institute for Psychical Research, but turned over that position to Cassandra Nightshade to focus on other endeavors. While he has a healthy disrespect both for mundane law and authority in general, considerable manipulations on his part have given him a seemingly spotless record. Regardless of his personal feelings towards the government and its laws, he is a highly decorated Hero of the City and has devoted most of his time as of late to dimensional exploration and fighting against any and all who would threaten Primal Earth.
Contents |
History
Galen McCormack was born in Paragon City and returned to it shortly before the Second Rikti Invasion (at the end of City of Heroes beta).
Personality
Galen has sometimes been described as a "consummate bastard," and few will argue that the label doesn't fit. Passive-aggressive, manipulative, and often lying or telling half-truths, Mentalis has no qualms about backstabbing and conning anyone in order to accomplish his goals. In most cases, at least recently, his major goal is a noble one -- protecting Primal Earth from transdimensional invaders, while simultaneously ensuring that the comparatively petty battles between the forces of Statesman and the forces of Recluse don't end up destroying it first.
Galen is a well-known agitator for "mutant rights," by which he generally means "rulership of mundanes by mutants." He believes that, as mutants are born to power, they understand it better than any mundane and even most other metahumans, and are better fit to rule than short-sighted humans. He further believes that, on the whole, metahumans are superior to mundanes and certainly shouldn't be held accountable to mundane law when it conflicts with actions that are in the best interests of everyone on Primal Earth. He often cites the Might for Right act as an example of why mundanes shouldn't be permitted to pass laws to govern metahumans, and cites the Dawn Patrol-Freedom Phalanx alliance to avert a nuclear war in 1977 as an example of why metahumans are better suited to rule.
When asked, Galen has readily admitted that he considers Statesman and Hero One his role models.
Powers
Galen's powers derive from a simple source: an inborn genetic mutation.
Telepathy
Galen is among the most powerful telepaths in Paragon City. While his raw force of will is a terrible thing indeed, his abilities are hampered by his lack of skill in receptive telepathy. While he can make a person believe almost anything he desires -- and in fact he specializes in illusions -- it's difficult for him to actually read minds to determine the most effective illusions in the first place. Most of the more fine manipulations skilled telepaths are known for, such as excising memories and altering personalities, are beyond his expertise because he receives no feedback from even the least resistant mind on the effects of his manipulations. In short, his telepathy is less like a scalpel and more like a sledgehammer.
With his telepathy comes an indomitable strength of will, which he's enhanced with a set of elaborate psychic defenses based both in meditation techniques and psionic barriers. Rare is the psychic who can even begin to work their way through his defenses; most detect only an icy black void where a mind should be, and those who attempt to press against that apparent barrier often find themselves under attack, if only by reflex. Galen's complex psychic barriers are quite possibly the cause of his stunted receptive telepathy.
Despite his bias towards projection, Galen is able to read minds, but only when they're being actively opened and not resisting. Even the slightest resistance blocks his ability to receive, though in many cases, he can usually use his social expertise or skill with illusions to con his target into giving up the desired information anyway.
Spatial Manipulation
A secondary mutation lets Galen bend the fabric of space. Less focused than telekinesis, except when lifting and moving small objects very slowly, this power can be used to construct barriers that are proof even against psionic energy. He can adjust the permeability and shape of these barriers from "impermeable and spherical," but doing so taxes his abilities. He can also launch truly massive objects through the air with a shrug of his will and can even conjure planes of force that, while terribly inaccurate and useless in combat, can slice through immobile objects or incapacitated foes.
Affiliations
Galen is registered as a member of the Templars of the Abbey, though he usually identifies himself first and foremost as a member of the Vanguard and the Freedom Phalanx Reserve.
Friends and Allies
Most of Galen's closest friends, such as Caya Dunn and Cheryl Roberts, have died in the line of duty; still others have vanished or, in the case of Sly Fox, turned to the forces of evil. Currently, Galen is in a committed relationship with Cassandra Nightshade, considers Jada Austen his apprentice, and counts Ivy Roberts and Adamilia Product-Brenning as acquaintances. He generally believes the rest of the Templars at best are wasting the gifts they've been given on petty squabbles, and at worst, are insults to the mutant race.
Enemies
Galen has a wide array of opponents, from his parents and cloned brother, whom he disenfranchised through a set of shrew business maneuvers, to several corrupt businessmen in Paragon City and Boston in whose affairs he's interfered, to even a number of heroes -- some of which are in the Templars -- who honestly believe that he's a consummate criminal who should be behind bars. Among villains, Dr. Nemesis now considers him a foe, as do the Rikti, whose schemes to launch another invasion are often foiled in his interdimensional travels. Galen carries a specific dislike for the Carnival of Shadows, who he considers cheap hack telepaths who need to be destroyed for their own good. He also despises Longbow and, by proxy, Ms. Liberty, who he believes are prosecuting an illegal war in the Rogue Isles and, more pragmatically, are escalating the "hero-villain" conflict to the point where an all-out war with much loss of innocent life is the likely conclusion.
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