Hawthorne Grimm
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Born August 8th, 1956 to Henry and Eliza Grimm, in Paragon City, RI, the first ten years of Hawthorne's life are unknown to the world at large--including himself. His earliest memories begin around July 5th, 1967--his own parents' funeral. Lost, alone, and without guidance in the city's most violent and ruthless neighborhood, King's Row, Hawthorne's troubles began in earnest when his latent mutant abilities developed at the age of twelve. Gaining the ability to create powerful toxic spines with grey, bark-like skin that regenerated at an accelerated rate, Grimm turned to the only group he felt he might find a home with: The Skulls.
The Skulls
Earning the nickname 'Grimrose' for his unique abilities, Hawthorne never quite clicked with the Skulls. A brotherhood, to be sure, but they distrusted his mutant abilities and their obsession with death and the beyond never sat well with Hawthorne. Still, he earned recognition for his dedication elsewhere, specifically the distribution and sales of Superadine, the mutation-inducing superdrug manfuactured by the Skulls on their own turf. In battle with the Hellions, Hawthorne proved very reliable, his natural regenerative abilities making him ideal for removing the lower-ranked firearm toting Blood Brothers.
However, it didn't take long before Hawthorne grew disillusioned with the death cult aspects of the Skulls as a whole. He began to search elsewhere for a place to call home, his anger and outrage at the mistreatment he received based on his mutations fuelling the violent fury of his youth. Finally, he found a home amongst a group of seemingly like-minded individuals, other young mutants who were equally outraged and infuriated: The Outcasts
The Outcasts
Grimm's time amongst the Outcast was highly successful, though his defection very nearly caused a major turf war between the Skulls and the Outcasts. However, taking the fight into the Hollows meant risking the ire of the Skulls' primary Superadine clientel, the Trolls, and so the war was avoided. Still, the Skulls always resented Hawthorne's defection, despite their blase attitude while he was amongst them.
Within a few weeks' time, Hawthorne was proven to be far more reliable, and more powerful, than most of the other Outcasts. It didn't take long before he was part of Frostfire's inner circle, rubbing elbows with Electric Eel, Keystone, and other high-ranking Outcasts. It was during his time with the Outcasts that the first true, genuine opportunity for Hawthorne opened up.
During a night-time breaking and entering job with a few of the other Outcasts in Hawthorne's home neighborhood, the small posse of thugs were ambushed by a hero of British origins, the ex-spook and fellow mutant Fenton Guile. A consumate special operations officer and expert marksman, Fenton easily felled Grimm's compatriots without brutal but non-lethal force. Outraged at the callous ease with which this interloper had humiliated his 'brothers', Hawthorne flew into a rage and attempted to kill him. Fenton summarily introduced him to the pavement using a variety of ingenious and effective gadgets. Impressed with Hawthorne's regenerative abilities and considerable physical ability, Fenton stayed until the police arrived to arrest the criminals, actually striking up conversation with Hawthorne. It was the first time in his life that anyone had implied he could choose his own fate and become more than what he was. This began Hawthorne Grimm, formerly Grimrose's, rehabilitation.
The Zigg
As a superpowered criminal, there was only one place for Hawthorne to do his time--The Ziggurat. Kept doped on power-inhibiting drugs and subjected to other security procedures for the restriction of his special abilities, Hawthorne never the less survived his ordeals in the Zigg with a surprisingly clear conscience. By this point Hawthorne's considerable toxicity had reached a level nearly beyond his control, resulting in a need for very careful consideration while in general population. Carelessness resulted in at least two other inmates being sent to the infirmary for near-lethal doses of toxin.
Hawthorne came out of the Zigg missing the first seven months of his incarceration. It is hypothesized that this is when the artifically evolved super-clone CHRYSALIS was implanted, and his memory of the event wiped. These memories would later be regained during Grimm's anger-induced all-out blitz to find out what happened to him.(See Subcategory: CHRYSALIS for more)
During the last five months of his incarceration, Hawthorne's three year sentence came to a halt two years early in light of his actions during an Arachnos raid on The Zigg, seeking to free some of their erstwhile companions. During the chaos and rioting that ensued, Hawthorne sided firmly with the guards of the Zigg and Longbow, fighting to protect the lives of the wardens from their freed and angered captives. When Hawthorne's annual parole hearing came up, his model behavior and self-sacrifice during his stay prompted immediate release, with a two year parole to ensure he didn't 'fall off the wagon'.
King's Row
King's Row has always been Hawthorne's home, even before his rehabilitation in the Zigg. Upon release from prison, Hawthorne immediately found an apartment in his home neighborhood, which he shared with his mentor and friend Fenton Guile, the same hero who set Hawthorne upon the path of the angels. While walking home from the Yellow Line after his release, Hawthorne and Fenton found themselves embroiled in an angry turf war between the Hellions and the Skulls, resulting in nearby apartment complexes being set ablaze by errant molotovs and mis-aimed fire balls. Hawthorne, under restriction to not use his abilities while on parole, assisted Fenton by pulling civilians from the burning buildings while Fenton used his combat prowess to clear a path to safety and deter further violence. As paramedics, firefighters, and police rushed to the scene, a startling cry from a sixth floor window prompted Hawthorne to break his parole after just three hours of release.
Trapped at a sixth floor window, her parents already consumed by the blaze, a young girl was in danger of being consumed by the angry flames. With the stairs completely cut off and the fire trucks trapped at the end of the block there was no way to reach the girl in time by normal means. Hawthorne gave a tremendous leap, clearing three floors before covering himself in thick, hard spines, punching into the mortar and brick to climb the apartment building. As he climbed, rescuers and neighbors looked on, concerned. Hawthorne successfully reached and rescued the girl, but not before the building exploded violently as the gas mains ignited in the basement, collapsing the building on top of them. Hawthorne shielded the girl from any harm, spending six hours under the rubble keeping the girl focused, alert, and occupied--lest her fear consume her. Anastazia Petrovanovich, now an orphan, recalls these memories to this day with vivid clarity and affirms that, under Grimm's gaze, she was completely unafraid.
Bureacracy At It's Finest
Despite his overwhelming sacrifice, Hawthorne had still violated his parole and used his powers--both regeneration and his toxic spine abilities--within less than twenty-four hours of release. By law, the officers on site were required to detain him. Hawthorne, already prepared to return and finish his sentence, submitted peacefully to the apologetic officers even as the crowd of civilians began chanting for his immediate release. Due to overwhelming public support, Hawthorne's case was visited in a judicial hearing held under the authority of Justice of the Peace Abigail Corruthers. Judge Corruthers took her time with the case, investigating both Hawthorne's past with witnesses from key accounts, discussing and interviewing various known associates, and then finally spending six hours in a private interview with Hawthorne.
In a controversial move, Judge Corruthers amended Hawthorne's parole with the blessing of city prosecutors to not only lift the power restrictions, but grant him a Level 1 license, registering under his lawful name Hawthorne Grimm with the Hero Registration Offices. As part of his newly commuted sentence, Hawthorne was required to patrol and assist with peace-keeping in King's Row at least forty hours each week--a full time job. His parole period was extended an additional two years' time. Back on his feet and with a full-time job--albeit one that didn't necessarily pay--Hawthorne went on to do his first greatest act as a hero...he became the sole legal guardian of the girl he'd protected for six hours underneath burning rubble.
Anastazia Grimm
Anastazia Petrovanovich, now an orphan, had no family within the United States, her nearest known relative being an estranged uncle living in the Russian country side. Hawthorne petitioned for, and was granted, guardianship of Ana while in the United States, allowing her to stay. Rather than take on a fatherly role, Hawthorne became Anastazia's big brother, watching over her, guiding her, and providing for her.
Ana grew up idolizing Hawthorne for both his hero work and for saving her from that building, never once blaming him for not saving her parents as well. Even as Hawthorne founded what would be known as the R.E. Generation supergroup, Ana found herself an accepted member of his life and soon had an entire retinue of super-powered friends to assist her and watch over her. To this day, Anastazia Grimm idolizes her brother and pushes herself to become more like him every day.
R.E. Generation
The first supergroup Hawthorne was affiliated with, his natural leadership qualities soon became apparent as he drifted into a position of authority amongs this peers, suddenly finding his once-mentor Fenton coming to him for advice instead of vice versa. With his friends, Hawthorne did many great things for Paragon City, bringing down many powerful villains and defending the city from attack.
Not all stories, however, are the stuff of fairy tales. A recurring foe of the R.E. Generation group was the demonic father of one of its members, the archdemon Mephistopheles. Father to the half-demon Scarlet Succubus, aka Margaret Hill, Mephisto sought to bring his reign of fire and pain to Paragon's peoples time and again, only to find himself thwarted at every turn by his own daughter and her super-powered compatriots. A fan of irony, Mephisto finally laid a trap for R.E. Generation, ensnaring and beating Hawthorne only to crucif him in a cathedral. Maggie led the group in Hawthorne's absence to the cathedral, intent on freeing their leader from Mephisto's clutches. The events of that night still burn in the minds of those who survived it.
That night, Mephisto killed his own daughter before Hawthorne's eyes, igniting the long-thought snuffed flame of indignant rage. Instantly healing any wound, Hawthorne burst free of his crucified bonds, plowing through Mephisto's minions as the rest of the hurt and stunned R.E. Generation group began working their way towards him. Surprised, Mephisto barely had time to react as Hawthorne attacked violently, intent upon ending Mephisto permanently. Before he could be finished altogether, Mephisto retreated to the Hell Dimension he called home, leaving Hawthorne to mourn the loss of a good friend.
"This is my moment of glory..."
Mephisto returned six months later with a massive assembled army of demons and monsters spawned from the Pit. A massive melee ensued, as Hawthorne led his team and an allied coalition of heroes to battle and defeat the invasion without Paragon City even realizing it had occured. Out-numbered horrifically, but two individuals from R.E. Generation survived the onslaught--amongst the casualties were Suzaku, Chibi Girl, Bloodangel, and several other close friends of Hawthorne's.
The skirmish came to a close with a final battle between Hawthorne Grimm and Mephistopheles on the steps of Atlas Park as the super-powered titans collided again and again, tearing the park apart with their incredible battle. Things looked bleak as Mephisto brought the statue of Atlas down upon Hawthorne's weary frame, but Grimm's rage was strong and in those last few moments triggered a powerful surge of evolutionary and regenerative ability, overpowering Mephistopheles in what some would describe as a moment of glory...and summarily sullying it by murdering the villain. Bound by a planar binding laid down by the mystic martial artist Suzaku before her passing, Mephisto could not retreat and Hawthorne struck the final blow.
Without resting, Hawthorne spent the night repairing the shattered steps of Atlas Park and its landmarks, burning off the last of his rage as he came to grips with his first life taken.
CHRYSALIS
