Pyronova
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| File:Pyronova2.jpg | |
| Pyronova | |
 | |
| Player: @Scion of Flame | |
| Basic Data | |
| Foundation Rank: | Operative |
|---|---|
| Origin: | Mutant |
| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| 'Day Job': | Professor of World History |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | James Broderick |
| Known Aliases: | Pyronova |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 24 |
| Height: | 6' 5" |
| Weight: | 185 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Blood Type: | AB+ |
| Biographical Data | |
| Birthplace: | London, England |
| Birthdate: | June 21, 1984 |
| Citizenship: | American |
| Current Residence: | Steel Canyon, Paragon City |
| Religion/Faith: | Practicing none |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Confidential out of precaution. |
| Known Languages | |
| English | |
| Known Relatives | |
| Brent Broderick (Twin Brother - Deceased), Laura Broderick (Mother), Gerald Broderick (Father) | |
| Known Powers | |
| Fire and Heat Manipulation for offense, defense and personal reasons. | |
| Training / Abilities | |
| Confidential | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| Footnotes | |
| Hobbies: Reading, sculpting, invention and more. | |
 | |
Contents |
The Beginning
Born to Laura and Gerald Broderick in 1984, his father a prominent banker and his mother a studious housewife, James and his twin Brent were normal in every aspect. Identical twins, they both shared the calm, chocolate-colored brown eyes and and similarly colored heads of hair. Normal boys born to a normal London family, nothing more.
Growing Up A Broderick
Life in the household was never easy for the boys. Always hounded and taught by their father to be the best and brightest, never accept less then anyone else. If the world had taught his father anything, it taught him that those without intelligence and drive were worthless in this world. It was good news to him that his sons seemed to be extremely bright for their ages. As the two matured and grew, so did their intelligence and their father's approval. James, however, learned that the consequences of failure were not nearly as well met. He slacked only once in his childhood, pausing his studies for a mere hour to play with a neighbor boy out in the streets around their home. The vicious beating he received put an end to his thoughts of friends for many years to come.
Burning Up Inside
It burned. That was all that James could know. His body felt as though it were on fire and he couldn't put it out, no matter what he tried. He simply screamed that morning, rolling and flailing on his bedroom floor in sheer terror and pain. His brother tried to help him, finding a bucket and dumping ice cold water on his screaming twin, but nothing seemed to work. Doctors were called, the boy was strapped down and he was given a thorough examination...but nothing could explain his sudden spike in body heat. The way his body rejected all drugs presented. Not until the flames.
A Life Made of Ashes
This time, he was the one who burned. James' body caught flame as he lay asleep, his mind snapped back to reality as his bed collapsed beneath him, charred to ashes. The boy, only thirteen years of age, was confused. He stumbled through the house, smelling the pungent smoke around him and only vaguely realizing that his home was on fire. Brent tackled his burning brother, the flames flickering out of existence at the impact and bringing the two crashing to the floor. Only then did James realize what he had done.
Disowning
Gerald was livid. There were no words he could muster to express the shame, revulsion and pure hatred he had for James. The boy had burnt his home and all the possessions he'd toiled so much to purchase. Everything he cared about in life lay in a pile of ashes before him, and this young son of his was the cause. Gerald didn't give the boy a second thought. He didn't beat him or curse at him. He simply ordered the boy to leave and never be seen again. James could do nothing but comply, wandering off into the streets. But he didn't realize that Brent followed him, not willing to leave James' side for a heartbeat.
The Hardknock Life
Street gangs. That was where James turned with his newfound powers over flame. The roving gangs in London wanted him and he wanted to join them, dragging a very hesitant Brent alongside him. Theft and carjacking were a favorite pastime of the young mutant and he happily indulged in it whenever possible. Rising up through the rungs of leadership, James came nearly to the head of his 'faction', The Hellfires. But then came the murder. The first he'd ever committed and it was against a man who'd taken him in, a boy that was called a freak. Unable to handle it, James fled once more, and once more Brent followed him. The boy had been doing his research and thought of a better idea. Paragon City, Rhode Island.
Life of a Paragon
It was all so new to him. A society where he was accepted, a place where he was welcome. Paragon City represented everything James could want in his life and more. Brent found his own niche, designing gadgetry for the civilians of Paragon as well as a few more high-end gadgets for the heroic sorts. James found his start in the talents of his twin, the two collaborating to design a suit of lightweight and flexible armor while still allowing him to spawn the flames at his command. With this work done, James was ready. He took on the alias of Pyronova and truly his life in Paragon had begun.
A Chance Meeting
He'd heard of it. Seen advertisements for it, but never had he been. The Pocket D, a nightclub for superheroes. The thought of it made James laugh at first, but eventually he warmed to the idea, thinking it an interesting opportunity for a young hero of 22 to meet friends and perhaps start a little romance. His first visits to the club turned up nothing but a casual conversation or two. But then he stumbled across a little girl that would be a catalyst of change in his life. A little girl named Zoe Brightstar.
First Love
Jade Ohm. That was the name he'd learned belonged to Zoe's aunt. After a quick conversation with her, James was quickly enamored and wanted nothing more then to ask her out on a date. But he took his time, learning more about Jade and slowly opening up to her, learning more about her in the process. She was quite a few years older then him, but what did that matter? He cared deeply for her and could have seen spending the rest of his life with her, but life was never quite that simple, was it?
Abduction
It happened in the dead of night and neither of the brothers had expected it. Walking home from a nice dinner in Founder's Falls, the brothers were incapacitated and abducted by the Circle of Thorns. James would never forget the days they were abducted, try as he did. The first few days were filled with cuts, prods, and poking, learning about his physical body and about the power that dwell within him. James could only grit his teeth and hold onto his strength as the experiments took place, but he could hear Brent. Hear the screams of his brother that just couldn't take what was being done to him.
But the worst had yet come. The ritual began and James was never prepared for it. The Circle had proposed to put a spirit of flame within the young hero, augmenting his powers and bringing the spirit, and his body, under their control. Cutting intricate designs into his skin and chanting over his writhing body, they coerced and cornered the spirit into his body, the fire of the spirit throwing James back to that last night in his London home. That was when he heard the next screams.
Escape and Tragedy
The Thorns hadn't thought about what the willpower of an enraged twin could accomplish and they paid dearly for their oversight. Drawing on the flames that now raged fiercely inside of him, James incinerated, burned and melted through anything that dared stand in his way. But no matter what he did, he was still too late. His brother, recipient of a dark spirit, had lost himself in the ritual. His body couldn't retain the spirit and as it clawed it's way out of him, it killed him. Battered and broken, clinging to life only barely, James simply lifted his brother in his arms and stumbled from the wreckage of his past life, ending up facedown in a ditch for two weeks.
Slipping Over The Edge
James was returned to Paragon after being discovered by a marauding group of heroes. Healed at the hospital and suffering of temporary blindness and amnesia, James returned to find Jade waiting for him, wanting desperately to see him. It took him time to remember who she was, but he did with the happiest of thoughts. But along with those thoughts came the shattering grief of losing his other half. The grief consumed him and he disappeared once again, leaving his love and his friends at a loss for where he had gone. He would regret it for the rest of his days.
A Return
Finally realizing and coming to grips with his grief over the loss of Brent, James returned to Paragon, only to find everything he knew changed, everything he loved gone. Jade had been engaged to another man, many of his friends didn't recognize him at all and even young Zoe was angry with him. The sudden changes took him by surprise and threatened to plunge him straight back into the sadness he'd crawled out from. But he had help.
A Second Try
James learned forgiveness eventually from Zoe and Jade, but to this day he still aches and feels immense regret over what he did to the both of them. But a woman by the name of Penny Richards, otherwise known as Valorgirl, helped him come to grips with what had happened. Penny gave James hope again and he clung to it for dear life. After quite a few days and nights of conversation, learning and flirting, James asked Penny to date him. A second chance at happiness was something he didn't want to waste, not this time around.
Happier Times
For a length of time he'd never had before, James was happy. He and Penny carried on a happy relationship, making friends, sharing nights together and enjoying themselves to the fullest. She had her work with a local paper and college life, while he had the work of a hero under his belt once again, along with hidden college classes of his own. He was on friendly terms and had been given a place to stay in The Zenvious Foundation, bringing even more friends into his life. Times passed, but tragedy never was far behind.
Death Of A Friend
Mr. Zen, otherwise known as Zen Kajii. A good friend and trusted advisor by James, leader of The Zenvious Foundation and a paragon of wisdom to those around him. His life was brought to an end by a terrible maniac, though James was never given the full story. A funeral was held for the man and James attended, speaking kind words and comforting the large crowd before him in his own way. Zen never would have known the impact his death had on James. But then again, no one would after he disappeared again.
Where Am I?
James was taken. To where, he soon discovered. An alternate timeline is where he was taken to, pulled through the streams of time by a rather brilliant scientist named Dr. Arken. The situation was overwhelming and Arken had grown desperate enough to pull heroes from their own homes in an attempt to save their world. Angry beyond reasoning, James was tempted to refuse until he was told the reason. A new race of alien had invaded this timeline. Something not of the Rikti or Kheldian variety. The heroes had been observed to be a match for the new invaders and were subsequently wiped out save for a small few.
James agreed to lead one attack upon the new adversaries, though not one of them knew what they were getting in to. The assault started quickly, the tide holding against the alien invaders. But the slaughter was inevitable, lesser heroes falling to the raw strength of these invaders and the rest brought in for torture and experimentation. For seven months they kept James within captivity, torturing him for information only for the first week. The weeks following were nothing but brutal torture for their perverse enjoyment. They broke James, down to his core...and then before he knew it, he was home.
Once More
Months. Months he'd been gone. The torture had been devastating, leaving James to heal and hold back within his apartment. Weeks passed and James finally emerged, returning to the only place he knew well. The Pocket D. Many nights he looked for her, having no other idea how to make contact. But he finally did see Penny once again, though he knew everything was over once again. The realization crushed him and his guilt was compounded further, yet another life and love ruined by his circumstances. He wouldn't do it, not again. He couldn't do this to another woman he loved.
Keeping The Flame
Two months passed and James finished out his degree, opting to become a professor of World History at the local university. He would lead a simple life, only donning the mantle of a hero when it became necessary. His moonlight heroing gave James the relief he needed from the day of teaching, but soon even that would be stripped from him. During a fight with Malta Operatives, James lost control of his powers, vaporizing the operatives and the warehouse before falling into a coma, cold to the bone. His hair lost the vibrant orange coloring of the past months after the Thorns ritual, his body lost the warmth. The spirit had left him and now he felt cold. So cold.
Present Day
James is still coping with his lessened abilities and the constant cold hole within his chest, something he's never been used to before now. At twenty-four, he now continues his teaching career and makes the best of his life. Burying himself in research, invention and teaching, he simply tries to live while his friends within The Zenvious Foundation help him find a solution to his loss.
