Sledger
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| An old image of Sledger from when he was leading the Troll Horde in 2005 | |
| Sledger | |
| Player: Eomatrix | |
| Origin: | Science |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Brute |
| Threat Level: | 20 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | John Ledger |
| Known Aliases: | Green, Shorty |
| Species: | Nictus/Human |
| Age: | 31 |
| Height: | 7’3” |
| Weight: | 500 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Brown, though know to change with emotion |
| Hair Color: | Brown, but is currently bald |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Citizen of the United States of America, honorary citizen of the Rogue Isles |
| Occupation: | Mercenary |
| Place of Birth: | Paragon City, Rhode Island |
| Base of Operations: | Grandville, Rogue Isles |
| Marital Status: | Pre-marital Heterosexual Relationship |
| Known Relatives: | Joanna Ledger (mother), Colonel Thomas Ledger (father), Paige Ledger (sister) |
| Known Powers | |
| Super Strength, Dark Armor, Flight, Leadership | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Has shown ability to shrug off psionic assaults, a rare ability among both heroes and villains | |
| Equipment | |
| Standard issue Arachnos Communicator, self-made Tranquilizer Darts, and multiple kinds of jetpacks, despite his not needing them to fly. | |
| No additional information available. | |
Sledger is the result of my desire to make a Dark Armor brute and to finally make a decent character on the Virtue server. Originally intended to start relatively sane and get crazier as he leveled up, I reversed this quickly. He started as a muscle-bound sociopath, but is getting saner by the day.
Contents |
Physical Attributes
Height: 7’3"
Weight: 500 lbs (95% muscle)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Character Arcs
- Kalinda/Susie Love Triangle
John's relationships are complicated to say the very least. When he first came to the islands, Kalinda was instantly attracted to him. When he arrived, Fort Darwin was under attack and John took 6 bullets from a submachine gun for Kalinda before he snatched the gun away from her assailant and crushed the man's skull with it. He apparently didn't even notice the gunshot wounds until 2 minutes later, after he had killed 5 more attackers. When he realized that the wounds weren't life-threatening, he sat down by Kalinda, calmly called for a medic, picked up a gun, and continued firing at the attackers, killing 4 more before the overwhelmed attackers retreated. Kalinda apparently stayed with him until a medic could see to his wounds. The two weren't exactly lovers, but they shared a mutual friendship, which is the closest thing Kalinda had ever felt. The two later became romantically involved when Lord Recluse approved John's application to the Arachnos Science Division and became eligible for continued contact with Arachnos personnel. They kept their relationship hidden from all eyes, even those of Ghost Widow, although it is not known how. They broke up when John regained his memory and felt that he needed time to wander and think about things. In his travels, he ran into Susie Dear, an old friend from college. They had been close friends, but not romantic, despite what many of their classmates thought. They remembered each other and spent almost all of their time together. When they gathered a group together to accomplish the tasks of Virgil Tarikoss, they helped Infernal defeat Bat 'Zul. After the fight, Infernal collapsed from a combination of exhaustion and wounds, but not before he thrust his back up axe into Sledger's hands. Sledger used it to successfully defeat 3 waves of about 25 demons each which were threatening his team. What makes this noteworthy is that Sledger ordered his team to evacuate and THEN took on the demons...ALONE. He also returned the axe to Infernal, although it is not known how he got it to Paragon City. ((Will be continued))
- Nictus history
The Nictus who inhabits the body of John Ledger is obviously not in control. While he may have been once, John appears to have forced him down. It all began in 2005, when a Nictus named Heolstor was ripped from his host body by a rogue Void Hunter. He narrowly escaped with his life, and was wounded by the Void Hunter's Quantum Array gun. The wounded Nictus drifted over Paragon City, searching deseperately for a new host. He found a man lying unconscious on the floor of a house, surrounded by a pool of red liquid. Assuming him to be a dying man lying in a pool of blood, Heolstor attempted to possess the man's body. However, the man was not dead, not even close. John Ledger had been knocked off his ladder by a Troll who came crashing through his window when the hero known as Masked-Revenger kicked it through the window. The Troll smashed into the ladder and the ladder began to fall. The last thing that John Ledger saw before he passed out was Masked-Revenger come leaping through his window, pursuing the Troll. When John hit the floor, the bucket of red paint he had been using fell next to him and made a crimson puddle all around him. When he felt the malevolent persona of the Nictus touch his thoughts, he attempted to push it out. Heolstor pushed back and the two beings struggled for control. However, Heolstor was weakened from the Quantum gun and John had just been knocked unconscious. They were both weak. After a minute of intense mental brawling, Heolstor managed to get into John's body, but was unable to fully supress John's psyche. However, the extreme effort on both sides had made Heolstor forget who he was. When he awakened, he found himself lying on the floor, surrounded by a group of Trolls who had obviously come to retrieve their comrade. Heolstor felt a pain in his side, one of the Trolls had hit him while he was unconscious. However, in the process of changing John into a suitable host, one of the Trolls had touched him, which caused some 'Troll traits' to appear in Heolstor-John. One of these was a personality which dubbed itself Sledger. Both Heolstor and John detested Sledger's sociopathic nature. Sledger overpowered both beings and imprisoned them in a 'mind garden'. A mind garden is usually where one's consciousness goes in a near-death experience. However, Sledger manipulated this and trapped both Heolstor and John inside. John and Heolstor met 'face to face' inside the mind garden and tried to fight each other at first, but suddenly realized that they couldn't even make contact with each other, let alone hurt each other. Heolstor realized that if the mind garden were to open, that Sledger would just force them down again if they didn't work together. So they made a pact. Heolstor offered to protect John's mind and body during the mental struggle if he would fight Sledger. After all, this was John's body and he knew it well. It was also part of the deal that if Heolstor were allowed to stay, he would continue to protect John's mind and body, even after the mental struggle was over. They would be something akin to a symbiote, but not a true symbiote, as Heolstor and John would be more roommates in the same body than anything else. Reluctantly, John agreed to this deal. The mental battle was still raging up until recently, though John was able to regain control for awhile after the Zig Breakout. Sledger resurfaced recently, wresting control from Heolstor and John. John showed success in breaking Sledger down gradually, rather than in one big push as he did last time. However, fragments still remain in John's mind. He has tapped Mr. Bocor to perform a spell that would allow him to control the 'outbursts'. He also convinced Kalinda to have a suit built for him that would allow him to remain in service to Arachnos when he is in his human form. However, she would only give him the suit if he could prove himself worthy of earning a cape. He also had to complete the tasks of The Facemaker, if she was the one in possession of the suit. On June 1st, 2007, John recieved the suit from The Facemaker, right after Mr. Bocor performed the spell which buried the shards of Sledger in the darker parts of John's mind, though Bocor did try to remove Sleger totally. Heolstor has also grown in power, showing himself capable of protecting John from incredibly powerful psychic attacks.
- Hammerfall
Sledger, John, and Heolstor have shown particularly violent feelings towards the hero Masked-Revenger. Not without reason though, as Masked-Revenger is the reason the constant mental battle started in John's mind. He recently clashed with Masked-Revenger on the rooftop of a damaged skyscraper in Siren's Call. Though Sledger was defeated, the conflict is not over, as he sent Arachnos operatives to kidnap the family and girlfriend of the Revenger. Sledger knew that Masked-Revenger is an incredibly powerful hero, so he lured him into the remote section of Siren's Call, while his agents abducted his loved ones. Masked-Revenger is the only thing that all 3 beings inhabiting John's body agree on. That he needs to be killed by any means necessary.
Personality
While he is a diagnosed psychotic, John has shown signs that his calmer side is attempting to wrest control of his body from Sledger’s sociopathy and is starting to win the battle.
Sledger: Utterly insane, will smash anything that gets in his way, no qualms about dirty fighting, the common enemy of John and Heolstor.
Old John: A kind-hearted guy, calm under pressure, altruistic, very intelligent, very likeable, humorous.
Heolstor: A mastermind, very Macchiavellian, but not as evil as most Nicti. He has recently become a Warshade due to his becoming a symbiote with John in order to fight Sledger. His fusion with John has shown him the error of his old ways and Heolstor has refused to let John control his offensive powers on a regular basis, as they brutally drain the target's life force. He has, however, empowered John's fists with enough of his power to cause disorientation in an opponent when used in the proper way.
New John: He comes to the fore when John gets very angry. Oddly enough, this personality possesses calm almost to the point of apathy, rather than a brutal rage. A bit of a loner, the 'new' John has shards of the Sledger personality ingrained in his mind. He does what needs to be done, and though he is still highly intelligent, he has become cynical towards the world, seeing politics and organized religion for what they really are. He is no longer a member of any religious group, and rejoined Arachnos officially because they had been upfront with him about what they did. He is usually the one in control, though the 'old' John controls the body when they are out of combat.
Powers
A Nictus tried to possess him in late 2005, but John fought it to a standstill through sheer willpower, and caused a temporary memory loss in both sides. During this event, the 'Sledger' personality entered the body.
Super Strength
Sledger form: Super human strength was gained when he was exposed to the Superadine-addled DNA of a Supa Troll.
Power Armor: Super strength is derived from various servo-systems and is sometimes enhanced by John's own strength, though John doesn't need to enhance the suit's strength with his own. The suit can connect to John's mind and John controls the suit like it's an extension of his body. However, the transmitters which allow John to control the suit are one-way, keeping John safe from a power surge, should one occur.
Dark Armor
Even after Sledger was conquered, John allowed Heolstor to stay in his body, so long as he doesn’t try to take over. As a reward, Heolstor protects John from many kinds of attack, including psionics.
Flight
His transformation to a Nictus host/symbiote allows him to defy gravity for long periods of time.
Character History
- Under construction
The mysterious John Ledger and the villain Sledger were recently found to be the same person. John Ledger as he was technically no longer exists, because of the Nictus contained in his body since late 2005. When this happened, both beings lost their memories. It also gave John access to a newfound power. He could change his body at will if he had made contact with something. He was discovered by a group of Trolls, one of whom flicked him and caused his body to mimic that of the Troll. Another side effect of the amensia was a split personality. Somehow, John Ledger and the Nictus, Heolstor, were both a symbiote and unwilling host body at the same time. This created a new personality, one that both sides detested. Dubbing itself 'Sledger', it set out on a wave of crime that devastated Paragon City. It also has an enormous following in the Trolls gang, who helped him raise hell during his crime wave. Sledger ran rampant around Rhode Island for about a month before he was stopped. Sledger and his gang were running circles around the disorganized heroes until Lieutenant Anderson (Also known as Seem) of the PCPD realized they were fighting against a brilliant tactician, and mobilized the other superpowered cops in his department. He fought against Sledger and his gang in a stunning series of battles that looked like something out of a war movie. Anderson's amazing use of tactics with super-humans had never been used before, the over-confidence in skill always ruining efforts to bind them together. Before long, the daring strategies of the superpowered police had the gang on the run. However, in the dead of night, as the 'Forces of Order' were sleeping in the police headquarters, Sledger's forces launched a two-pronged attack on King's Row. They attacked the medi-porters in King's Row and collapsed all entrances to the district. In a shocking display of brutality, the Trolls spilled into the police HQ and started slaughtering the sleeping police. Sixty-percent of Anderson's forces were medi-ported into Atlas Park and healed, but they were unable to come to his aid because of the collapsed tunnels. A brave citizen raised the zone alarm and Anderson's forces realized what was happening. Many awoke just before Trolls burst into the barracks. The desperate battle suddenly became a dramatic duel between two leaders when the Trolls accidentally collapsed the building and trapped themselves under the rubble. Sledger smashed his way out and Anderson had blasted a hole in the rubble above him with his fire powers. Battered and bloodied, he realized that his loyal force had probably been killed in the collapse and he lost control of his powers. His body began to grow as the rage empowered inferno fed strength into him and began to take control. All of a sudden, Sledger smashed through the rubble beside Anderson. However, by now Seem's rage had manipulated his body into a mass of burning muscle. Video footage of the battle was recorded by an amateur photographer who had been watching the battle. It shows an epic clash between the two, one which lasts about 12 minutes. At the 11 minute mark, Anderson breaks through Sledger's guard and blasts him with an enormous fireball which wounds Sledger immensely. The last minute consists of Sledger being quickly overcome by the enraged Lieutenant's attack. He is knocked out at the 11 minute and 45 second mark. Anderson slaps a prison beacon on Sledger and he disappears in a flash of light. What happened next is unknown as the photographer stopped recording, to help Seem dig through the rubble. The survivors of Sledger's gang were routed when heroes from the surrounding zones broke through the barricades about 3 minutes after the battle ended. While they did help clear the rubble, Anderson and the photographer did save many lives and were both praised by disaster workers for their quick action. An interesting side note about this is that Seem was inducted into the Freedom Phalanx for this accomplishment and the photographer won a Pulitzer for the video.
Sledger was held in the Zigursky Prison Facility for about two months before Arachnos started the breakout. Due to the inhibitor drugs injected into his bloodstream, John was able to retain his human form for his time in the Zig. It is also known that Heolstor and John made a pact when Sledger had control. Heolstor would protect John's body if John could get rid of Sledger. Despite the inhibitors, about 3 hours before the Breakout, John began showing signs of mutation. He was chained to the walls and ceiling of his cell with adamantine shackles. However, when he launched his escape, he was somehow able to rip the chains out of the wall and he still keeps them with him, wrapped around his arms. When Sledger popped back onto the grid a year after he escaped from the Zig, he was just as feral as ever. However, after 2 weeks passed, he began to calm down. Where before he would just smash through a door with his fists, he was now picking locks to gain entrance to buildings and safes. He also removed the chains from his arms and donned civilian clothing. He also joined a mercenary organization called The Locke Family. Showing his worth as a brutal hand to hand combatant, Sledger was promoted twice in the organization and given command of his own squad. He also has started to show that his leadership skills haven't left him. His brutal efficiency on the battlefield has increased his squad's attack power exponentially. He has also shown courage in the face of insurmountable odds, namely in protecting the villainess known as 'Susie Dear' from a huge number of demons which beset them and their team when they defeated Bat 'Zul.
Recently, Sledger started a corporation and opened a laboratory. The corporation is called 'Connection Corp.' Dr. Aeon attempted to stop the opening of Connection Corp. by attacking the laboratory, but Sledger and a villain known as Compton fought him off, with Sledger capturing Dr. Aeon. Sledger held Dr. Aeon in captivity for 2 days before Arachnos ordered Sledger to release him. Rather than face the wrath of the Arbiters, Sledger complied, though he left Dr. Aeon with a warning that he would just kill him next time they fought. Operating under the cover of cheap medicare providers, Sledger runs a secret metahuman research facility. Compton is the Security Administrator and has closed their lab until they can properly secure it. Until they reopen, they are gathering employees from the ranks of the other 'Destined Ones'.
