Nosferatu X
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Artist rendering of early "Nosferatu X" costume | |
| Nosferatu X | |
| Player: Daedelus | |
| Origin: | Science |
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| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | In Progress |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Julian Finlay MacGregor |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 27 |
| Height: | 6'0" |
| Weight: | 195 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Hero / Former Police Officer |
| Place of Birth: | New York, NY |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | Unmarried |
| Known Relatives: | Foster father, David MacCormack; Foster mother, Samantha MacCormack; |
| Known Powers | |
| Superhuman reflexes, increased muscle strength | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Martial arts training, experienced brawling training | |
| Equipment | |
| None | |
| Footnotes | |
| None | |
Contents |
Character History
Character Notes: This character was one of the first I worked out conceptually when City of Heroes was announced. Obviously, there are nods to Batman in the initial feel of the character, a brooding dark hero who was scarred by a personal tragedy that compelled him to right the wrongs of society. I also felt the name was chosen for the same reason Batman chose his moniker - "to strike fear in the hearts of men." I also like the idea of a real life hero, a police officer, being reborn as a superhero. In that sense, his old life perished to give life to a new, powerful being. I had originally wanted to call the character "Nosferatu" but due to naming restrictions I had to rename the character. I was a bit bummed because I was able to secure the name in beta!
Left on the doorstep of an orphanage in New York City run by Catholic nuns, he grew up never knowing his parents. The boy was named "Julian" by the Mother Superior, Gillian MacGregor and also given her last name. When Julian was a young boy, he was adopted by the MacCormacks, a wealthy couple unable to have children of their own. From the very start, Julian knew that he had been adopted. The MacCormacks told him so very early, but they also loved him like he was their own child so the fact that he was adopted didn't bother him in the least. While he was in grade school, he met a boy that would be come his best friend, Evan Monroe. Evan also had a paternal twin sister, Sarah, whom Julian befriended as well. The three children grew up together quite happily, each with their own niche. Julian joined the police force, Evan became a scientist specializing in genetics and Sarah went on to become a stage actress on Broadway. Through the years, the three became very close and Julian became quite fond of Sarah and she of him.
Over the course of time, Evan's genetics research became quite reknowned in the scientific world. The focus of his research was in genetic enhancement. At a very basic level, implementing Evan's theories would allow a human being to be altered in such a way that he would be stronger, faster and more resilient to injury. Many became interested in this work, and some for all the wrong reasons.
When Evan wouldn't willingly part with his research, a group of individuals, thought to have ties with Crey Industries in Paragon City, decided to threaten Evan's family. They kidnapped both Julian and Sarah, tortured them and left them for dead. Both were taken to the hospital, however Sarah did not survive. Evan and Julian both felt responsible for Sarah's death and vowed revenge for her murder. Together, using Evan's research, they decided to do something about it.
Using Evan's theories, Julian became the proverbial guinea pig for the genetic enhancement and "Nosferatu X" was born.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
The genetic enhancement process afforded Julian superhuman agility and speed. This being the case, Julian, as Nosferatu X, is able to anticipate and avoid melee and ranged attacks a normal human being would not. His muscle strength was also much improved giving him the ability to leap great distances almost effortlessly. His regeneration was also slightly increased, allowing him to recover more quickly from wounds inflicted in the heat of crime fighting.
Abilities
Julian grew up as a very active child so once he decided to go into law enforcement, he was naturally able to excel in the physical part of the job. Julian was particularly adept at hand-to-hand combat, taking a liking to the martial arts. Being a practiced brawler, he was less susceptible to attacks that would leave others disoriented or incapacitated. Once he became the subject of Evan's genetic enhancement theories, his physical skills only improved.
Personality
Julian is an ex-cop who left the force in New York City in order to go after the people that were responsible for the death of his love, Sarah. He believes the murderers have ties to Crey industries in Paragon. Julian was very affected by Sarah's death and is a source of emotional torment for him. He has a deep seated feeling that he could have saved her even there was no way he could have done anything. Julian is easy going most of the time (he hides his feelings from others), but when pushed he will push back. Julian is a very driven person and in some ways that makes him reckless. His only anchor to some semblance of control is his best friend, Evan Monroe.
Relationships
Sarah Monroe
Sarah was beautiful, kind-hearted and passionate, a dreamer and an artist. Sarah was a child of the theatre and she loved the exhilaration that being on stage afforded her. Sarah was a quite gifted stage actress and singer. It was only natural that these talents became the cornerstone of a career on Broadway. Her name was quickly gaining renown in the New York theatre circle, much to the point that directors and producers would seek her out to audition for roles in their productions.
Sarah met Julian when they are both young children in grade school. As the classic story goes, they grew up together becoming inseparable as the years went by. Eventually, they began dating. She was very much the foil to Julian's cynical and pragmatic nature. It was for this reason that Julian loved her so, she gave him what he was missing. It was only a matter of time before Julian proposed to her and it was truly the happiest day of both their lives. As fate would have it, a darker reality emerged. On their way home from a night on the town, a group of thugs kidnapped Sarah along with Julian. Both of them were tortured for several hours regarding Sarah's brother and Julian's best friend, Evan. Both were near death when the authorities finally located them and were rushed to the hospital. Sarah arrived in a comatose state and remained that way until she eventually passed.
Evan Monroe
Evan didn't ever consider himself a genius, just a fan of the pursuit of science. Julian always jokingly referred to Evan as too smart for his own good. However, it was a fascination with the order and precision of science that brought the two together as friends initially. Both boys spent an entire recess exploring the playground, searching for what "wildlife" they could find. While Julian's interest waned in the scientific arts, leaning more towards an interest in the law, Evan did not waver in his pursuit of the science. He eventually turned his attention to the building blocks of life itself, genetics. It was in this field that Evan became the "genius."
Through the course of his privately funded research, Evan developed a formula for what he called, "Ambrosia." For all intensive purposes, it was a genetic soup through which when formulated properly would alter the DNA of the subject to whatever specifications were desired. The Ambrosia by itself was inert and would only produce the desired result when "excited" by specific wavelengths of electrical energy. Evan's goal was to use his Ambrosia for the greater good of mankind. He wanted to afford human beings better resistance to disease, cure some of the most destructive of illnesses, such as cancer. However, these idealistic goals were not shared by a select few and thus they began to pressure Evan to experiment further and also share the details of his research with more profit-oriented parties. Evan began to receive threats if he did not do as asked, but he was undaunted by them. He continued to pursue what he thought was best.
After his sister and best friend were attacked, Evan knew that he could no longer ignore the threats to himself and his loved ones. He could no longer be passive in the protection of everything and everyone he loved. Secretly, he worked on refining the Ambrosia formula, to create a "superhero." Though he fully intended on using himself as the guinea pig, his best friend convinced him otherwise. Evan realized that Julian was both better trained and skilled that he was at the art of crime fighting. Julian also helped Evan realize that if something went wrong, Evan was the only on that could fix it...his head needed to be clear to do so. Trusting in Julian's friendship forged so many years ago, Evan agreed to let Julian become the subject of the project they dubbed..."Nosferatu X."
Crey Industries
Long rumored to have a dark side to their research, Crey Industries, particularly Countess Clarissa Crey, was desperate to get their hands on Dr. Monroe's research. While they started through normal channels not to arouse suspicion, they soon decided that a more direct approach might be more effective. Suspected to be ordered by Countess Crey, herself, a group of thugs were sent out to kidnap and torture Evan's sister and best friend. When this attempt failed to yield any fruit, a second attempt was made to kidnap Dr. Monroe. This 2nd attempt was thwarted by Nosferatu X.
For obvious reasons, Julian has a deep seated need for revenge against Crey Industries, since they robbed him of Sarah. He would do anything to obtain the evidence he needs to incriminate and bring down the entire organization.
David and Samantha MacCormack
The MacCormacks adopted Julian when he was 5 years old as they were not able to bear a child of their own. David, himself, was born into a weathly family - his father was a prominent business consulting firm CEO. Though David's family had the means, David's father did not spoil his children - David worked his way up from the mailroom to a prominent position within his father's company. As a result of this upbringing, David became a very hard-working and patient father, making a point to teach his foster son about ethics and doing the right thing. Julian could very likely credit Mr. MacCormack for instilling in him a very strong sense of justice. It was based on this strong influence that Julian eventually decided that law enforcement was his calling. Samantha MacCormack was a highly intelligent and independent woman, but that did not stop her from cherishing Julian as much as any loving mother could. It was through Samantha that Julian gained a great deal of respect for education. Samantha was a professor at a local prominent university, in the subject of mathematics. Samantha made sure Julian kept up on his studies and Julian often would jokingly refer to his foster mother as "The Professor."
