Category Archives: Fiction

Artwork, Coloring, Fiction, Inking, Painting

Real Heroes

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I created this image and accompanying text for the Freedom Endures Contest over at :iconfansforcap:

Real Heroes:

Another day and another presentation, one of the duties that Steve Rogers hadn’t really considered when he stepped into that army laboratory all those decades ago. Not that he really minded, it was just that he was never particularly comfortable with the false pomp, despite having lost count of the number of times he had attended one of these things. He mused to himself that while he would rather have been off fighting somewhere he was also supposed to be a symbol of inspiration to the whole nation – even now when there often was no clearly defined enemy as there had been during World War II. It was perhaps even more important that he show up and press the flesh, make people feel comfortable that there were greater powers out there protecting them.

So here he was in the Village accepting a gaudy looking gold plated key from the chairman of the local business association on behalf of the Avengers as a token of gratitude for saving the City from some menace or other. Steve smiled and waved for the crowds, the mid afternoon sun glinting sharply off his shield and casting reflected light onto the upturned faces around the makeshift stage upon which he stood. A final wave and then down the steps so sign some autographs and take some pictures with the locals. As he descended a flash of light from somewhere high to his left caught his eye and he turned to see a mushroom of flame and dust blossoming from midway up one of the nearby skyscrapers.

Springing from midway down the steps, Cap rushed through the crowd issuing orders for them to move back towards Bleecker Street and away from the explosion. Smoke and dust was already starting to billow down the street towards the milling crowd. Some people were moving quickly back in the opposite direction but others were standing arms outstretched, the obligatory mobile phones in hand capturing the event for posterity.

Leaving crowd control to the police Cap sprinted into the ever thickening dust cloud which was forming between the high buildings, weaving his way through the passers by running in the opposite direction. Sirens sounded in the distance signalling the on duty police had already radioed in what was happening. As he approached the foot of the burning building a deafening crack sounded overhead causing Cap to look upward. A large portion of the side of the building was starting to buckle outward due to the heat and stress. As he surveyed the damage, masonry began falling to the street. Without really pausing for thought Cap gathered up the stragglers exiting the building and almost pushed them back along the street to safety, using his shield to deflect falling pieces away from the survivors.

After ensuring those nearest to the building were clear of danger, the Captain turned just in time to see some of the floors above the flames give up their battle and begin to finally collapse in on to the fire damaged floors below. A wave of worry and anger rose in him, worry that there may still be people in the building and anger at himself for not moving faster. As he watched the flames leaping through the cracked and broken walls of the once tall building he put his anger aside and steadied himself. Sirens blared around him and glancing over his shoulder he saw the flashing lights of the fire engines approaching through the smoke.

As the engines halted the firemen exploded out, moving into position like a well oiled machine. Hydrants were tapped and water began blasting the blazing building, preventing the blaze from spreading further into the damaged building or spreading to it’s nearest neighbours. Knowing it would be foolhardy to interfere with the fire suppression, Captain America took charge of ensuring anyone exiting the building made their way safely to the hastily set up triage area back along the street, near where he had stood smiling in the sunshine earlier.

As the fire was brought under control rescue crews began pushing up into the building, Cap alongside them as they began the search for survivors. The search continued through the night and into the next morning as the teams slowly worked their way up into the mangled mess that was formerly the middle three or four floors of the building. As they passed into the 17th floor, they entered a larger space where the floor above had caved in leaving a large cavern like gap in the centre of the building.

Sunlight filtered in through holes in the outer wall. As they picked their way through the wreckage, one of the firemen heard a faint groan from beneath a pile of rubble. A he rushed over to investigate, Cap surveyed the area. Spotting a large beam which would prevent access to the area he carefully picked it and began lifting it out of the way, muscles straining beneath his shirt. Seeing what he was trying to do other members of the team rushed to help Cap move the beam away.

Together the team cleared away the remaining debris, freeing the unfortunate office worker who had been trapped there all night. As the paramedics arrived to see to the survivor, Cap and his team moved further into the building, their hopes of finding more survivors raised.

Animation, Artwork, Coloring, Fiction, Inking

Retrospective: Lion Heart

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Well I don’t know what happened to these images when I was reloading my back catalog of stuff, but I found some more images this evening of my RPG character Lion Heart from back in August 2004. I decided it would be a good time to pull together some details  so you can see where my mind was at creatively back then. At this point I had fleshed out his backstory quite considerably from his first appearance. I have rejigged it a little here, to get some of the continuity errors sorted 😉

Name: Cameron ‘Cam’ Angus

Code Name: LionHeart
Occupation: Adventurer/Martial Arts Instructor

Age: 30
Height: 5′ 9″
Hair: Brown/Auburn
Eyes: Blue. Glowing Blue/White when using powers at high levels
Appearance: Athletic, Toned. Naturally tanned from time spent outside. Cameron has a long lightning like scar running down his arm from where he was struck. The scar glows when he is using his powers in extreme circumstances.

History:
Cam started learning judo and karate when he was still a small child althought it was never just so he could beat people up. He took naturally to the whole culture of the east, the personal discipline, and spent most of his childhood and much of his teenage years learning various different forms of martial arts as well as studying the thinking behind them. As soon as he was old enough he applied for a scholarship to study Far Eastern Philosophies. He then spent six months in Japan, three in China, and another three skipping about in south east Asia, Vietnam, Thailand. It was during these travels that he learned about eastern medicine and herbal remedies and how with concentration you could move your body beyond pain.

 

Origin:

[Ed. Note:  The initial part of this story takes place in the same timeframe as Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 #126 – #128 (Autumn 1979) Written by Chris Claremont, Drawn by John Byrne,  for those looking to get some context]

Cameron had been staying in Stirling for a few days before heading further north and decided to pay a visit to the Wallace Monument. As he was looking up at the monument, a freak storm appeared out of nowhere from the east. As it approached the monument there was a huge release of energy, which travelled down the tower, and into Cameron, knocking him unconscious. A few days later, as he recovered in hospital, he read in the newspaper about a battle between the X-Men and an unnamed being which ended up on Edinburgh Castle. The battle had ended with a huge release of energy. Cameron wondered if this was related to his accident.

Following his recovery he decided to continue his trip north to visit his cousin Angus Mackie, his wife Elisabeth and son Gus, up near the Dounreay Nuclear Facility. He had spent many happy times with the family in the past and despite the age gap had always found Gus to be excellent company. Besides, he mused,  it would give him a chance to see how Gus had gotten on with the swords he had given him, and talk to him about the other issue.

[Flash back – several years before]

It had been the day after Gus’s thirteenth birthday, and Cam had driven him to the clifftop on his old Norton motorcycle. As Gus settled down, resting his back against a large rock, Cameron had reached over the bike, pulling a long clothbound package into view. As he began to unwrap the cloth, Gus saw it was a samurai sword, just like he had seen in the movies.

“Ah’m pitting a lot o’ trust in ye by giving ye this sword Gus. It wis the sword ah first used when ah wis learning. It’s nae a toy. This katana should become part o’ ye, an extension o’ yer airm. Ye should know each pairt o’ it as well as ye do the fingers o’ yer hand. Ye should treat it with the same respect that ye treat yerself.”

Cameron sat cross legged in front of Gus and spread out the cloth on the ground between them. Removing the sword from it’s scabard, he placed it gently on the cloth halfway between them and bowed his head towards Gus. Raising his head after a moment, Cam sat back with the his hands resting on his knees, palms outwards. Gus looked at him in confusion for a few moments, trying to remember some of the things Cam had told him about his training. Gus then bowed his own head, not truly sure what he was doing, but he knew it felt like the right thing to do. He reached forward, slowly picking up the sword by it’s handle, resting the blade carefully on the palm of his other hand. He sat back, holding the sword across his knees in a mirror of Cam’s position.

Cameron looked at him seriously for a second, then smiled broadly. “Ach, there’s hope fer ye yet.” Gus looked at the sword carefully. “Ah thought ye said this was an auld sword?” He said slightly dubiously. “It looks brand new.” Cam raised an eyebrow. “That’s because ah treated it with respect Gus.” 

[End]

[Flashback – six months previously]

It had been shortly after his fifteenth birthday that Gus had shown there was more about him than an ordinary teenager. While watching the Aurora Borealis with his friends on the hilltop overlooking his little village, his skin began to pulse in time with the colors caressing the night sky above. He was so shocked at this that he let off a small electromagnetic pulse that unfortunately rendered all of his friends watches and phones useless, as well as his older friend Jack’s pride and joy, his old Ford Escort.

Over the next few month’s Gus did everything he could to make it up to Jack, and eventually the two of them managed to get the car back up and running. He found most of his other abilities by accident also, the ability to cloak himself from sight he found especially useful for hiding from the bullies at the High School he attended in the neighbouring town. In the months after Gus had begun to exhibit these rather unusual traits his parents, while not particularly worried at present, had been on at Cam that it might be good for him to talk to Gus about it.

[End]

After the scenic drive north, Cam had arrived again at the Mackie’s home. The visit allowed Cam to relax and become reacquainted with the what was left of his family. Returning to that same spot where he had presented Gus with the sword over two years before, the two young men sat back on the clifftop watching the waters of the North Sea break against the rocks below them. Discussion soon turned to Cam’s accident once more and then on to Gus’s own special abilities.

After a brief display of what the youth could do, Cam sat back in silence lost in thought. When he finally spoke his voice had a deadly serious tone as he looked over at his cousin. “Ah hope ye dinnae plan on playin’ tricks on school bullies for the rest o’ yer life. Ye have a real gift there Gus. Ah would hate tae see ye waste it.” Gus had laughed and explained about a letter he had recieved concerning attending a special school for similarly talented youngsters. “Xavier’s? Ah’ve heard some guid things aboot that place.” Cam had said simply, knowing it was ultimately Gus’s decision. “If ye dae decide tae go, let me know. Ah would definitely come over and visit ye.” 

As he was riding his motorcycle back to Glasgow following the same trip north, the whole machine began to glow, as if lit by some internal source. Screeching to a halt at the roadside, Cam leapt off the bike, fearing it was about to explode. As he let go of the machine the glow subsided, leaving the motorcycle untouched and looking perfectly normal. He reached out to the bike once more and touching the handle bars, he found by experimenting that he could cause any metal part of the bike glow and by concentrating he could vary the intensity of the light.

Although a little surprised by the strange events of the night, Cam determined to return to the normal routine of his life until he decided how to handle it. A few months later, he was jumped by a mugger while walking home through Glasgow one evening. As he struggled with the man Cam caught his assailant by the wrist, his hand over the man’s metal watch. It was difficult to tell who was more surprised by what happened next. As they struggled Cam caused the watch to light up, and as it reached an almost white peak, there was a flash and a crack like lightning and the mugger fell dazed on the ground. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour and knowing the police would ask questions he wasn’t ready or willing to answer, Cameron ran into the night, catching the Subway home.

Thinking it would be best if he got some space to try and make sense of his powers, Cam rented a cottage out near the west coast on a clifftop overlooking the Atlantic. Deciding to test what else he could do with his newfound abilities Cam began to practice, soon becoming proficient at generating streams of plasma-energy using a metal rod to channel the field in the direction he desired. By using a hollow tube he found he could create plasma ‘pulses’ like bullets. His mind went back to Gus, now residing in America and training to put his powers to good use.

[2 Months Later]

Returning to Glasgow he returned to his first love of teaching martial arts while he decided what his best course of action would be. He had only been working for a few weeks when he was offered a job by an old friend in London, and having nothing much keeping him in Scotland, decided to take it. It wasn’t the only change he made to his life. In london he carried on as an Instructor during the day, but at night prowled the darkness, dispensing justice on hapless muggers and criminals who crossed his path. As time passed he secretly created a costume, threaded with metal for greater strength and to protect him from stab wounds. The sword and guns he also now carried (but only used to frighten) had been a gift from the parents of one of his students, T’Kana.

Her father had been the temporary Wakandan ambassador to London for several months, and worried about his daughter’s safety in a strange land had arranged for Cameron to give her private lessons. One day while teaching T’Kana some relaxation techniques in the Embassy Courtyard, it was sprayed with automatic weapons fire. Almost instintively, Cameron had shielded T’Kana with his body. They were either very lucky or somehow his powers had kicked in and affected the bullets, but both of them escaped unscathed. The Wakandan goverment attributed the attack to a terrorist cell who had already threatened Wakandan interests abroad. T’Kana and her family were visibly shaken by the whole event, and requested that they return to Wakanda.

Shortly before the family were due to return home, they invited Cameron to join them for dinner at the Embassy. It was a lovely evening, during which they had presented him with two very special gifts in gratitude. Aware of his interest in weapons in general and swords in particular  the Ambassador had arranged for a set of replica guns to be fashioned purely for display purposes really as they had no firing mechanism, and also a very special sword to be forged in honour of the service he had done them. The sword and guns were crafted from an alloy of a unique metal, explained the ambassador, that was only found in their homeland. Apparently the Chief of Wakanda himself had authorised the use of the metal.

Cameron had been almost dumbfounded by their generosity, and at first tried to refuse the gifts, saying he had done what anyone would do. The ambassador however would not take no for an answer, and so Cameron accepted his gifts and baid them farewell. Cameron subsequently found when using the sword and the guns that channeling his plasma seemed easier. He also observed that the metal of which they were made appeared to absorb and magnify his plasma energy.

[Several Months Later]

He had been following his usual routine down in London for a few months now. Working as a martial arts instructor to a bunch of spoiled rich kids (mostly) at a swanky Canary Wharf gym, teaching self defense during the day, hunting the streets and alleyways by night. During that time he had graduated from muggers and drug dealers, and had become embroiled in an investigation into some rumours of a gothic cult operating in the area. That in itself would normally not have come to his attention. What caused his concern was that one of his students, Rebecca (the step-daughter of some big shot in the government) had changed since apparently visiting the headquarters of a private group with some friends.

She had become distant from the rest of the class and seemed more interested in lethal forms of martial arts than in simple self defense. One evening after class, he followed her through the streets of London, watching as she entered a large house a couple of miles away from the gym. There were a lot of kids hanging about,from a distance the usual white makeup faux goths you saw everywhere. Cameron crossed the street, walking casually past the house and the assembled teenagers. They eyed him suspiciously as he passed, almost hungrily, but he was sure he was imagining it.

The house itself was large, and dark stoned, set back from the road a little with broad steps leading up to the main door. There were cameras looking down on the stairs and the pavement. Carrying on past, Cameron rounded a corner and ducked out of sight into an alleyway. He quickly donned his costume, wishing he had packed his sword into it’s hidden pocket in his holdall, and stowed his belongings in a corner behind a dumpster which didn’t look like it had moved since the turn of the century. Charging up his suit, he raised himself into the air easily and onto the roof of the building and made his way over to the far side from where he could watch the house more easily.

As he settled down to observe the comings and goings, a large black sedan drew up in front of the house. Several large men got out, scanning the road and buildings, before motioning to final occupant of the car. The man was tall, thin and greying, but even from the distant rooftop Cameron could perceive the aura of power around him. He walked purposefully up the stairs to the house, where the door opened to admit him. There was something familiar about the man. Cameron was sure he had met him somewhere before.

Nothing much happened over the next couple of hours, some of the teenagers moved off into the darkness, only to return sometime later, whooping and joking. Knocking at the door they handed over a long bound package to the man who opened it. He gave them a small parcel in return and they ran off into the night arguing about who should hold it. Another hour had almost passed and Cam was begining to get stiff from sitting up on the frosty roof. He shifted uneasily, trying to find a position of comfort on the cold stone. His quest for a warm bit of stone was interrupted by the house door being opened below.

As he watched a small struggling figure was dragged out into the car, followed by the Thin Man and the remainder of this goons, one of whom carried the long package. Just before getting into the car himself, the man paused, as though something had attracted his attention. He looked up at the building opposite, the one upon which Cameron sat, and smiled evilly, moonlight glinting of his grinning teeth. He got into the car and it drove off slowly along the street.

Cameron followed it, leaping across the rooftops where he could, flying where the gaps were too large to jump. The car had picked up a little speed, but not so much as to attract police attention. It was moving away from the Wharf, out into the darkness of the city. As Cam followed he tried to place the Thin Man. It was really beginning to annoy him, when the car drew into a empty car park. Landing silently on a low building at the far end of the lot, Cameron settled down once more.

The car door opened and the Thin Man and his associates exited, dragging the still struggling figure, who they threw harshly to the ground. In the dim light from the distant street lamps, Cameron could make out that it was a girl. Young. Feisty. She struggled to her feet only to be pushed down once more and held on her knees. The Thin Man watched the whole scene, obviously enjoying the girl’s struggles. He leant forward and appeared to say something to her, at which she struggled with renewed vigour, before one of the goons slapped her hard across the face.

The Thin Man held out his hand to the goon carrying the package, who immediately began to open it. As the thug handed the package content over to the Thin Man, Cameron’s heart sank. The blue/white light glinting off the blade was unmistakable. That was his sword. They were going to kill the girl. He began to charge his suit. The next few minutes appeared to happen in slow motion to Cameron. Motioning the men back, the Thin Man raised the sword high above his head. The girl struggled to her feet, stumbling in her haste, almost falling again. The sword began to descend as she turned toward where Cameron was now leaping from the roof of the building, his plasma field taking, driving him forward. He saw the sparks of his sword striking the concrete of the parking lot, before he heard the halting scream. The Thin Man grinned in his direction and dropped the sword, it clattered noisily in the now silent lot.

The goons ushered him into the car which sped off into the darkness. Cameron landed, skidding to a halt next to his bloodied sword, he looked down at it glistening wet in the sickly lamp light. Forcing his gaze away from the blade, he turned to the girl’s body lying on it’s front next to it. The head lay at an awkward angle to the body, almost staring straight up at Cameron. Rebecca’s eyes stared up at him, beginning to flash blue and red. Cameron was struggling to comprehend what was happening when he was startled back to his situation by the sirens of the Police cars screeching towards him.

It wouldn’t look good he thought. I’m her martial arts tutor, here I am standing over her almost headless body with a bloody sword at my feet, wearing a halloween costume. They must have called the police. They must know who I am. They.. Who were they? Deciding now wasn’t the time to contemplate that, Cameron grabbed his sword and leapt skywards, disappearing into the darkness as the first police car skidded to a halt in the pool of blood below. “Ah’m sorry Rebecca.” he whispered into the bleak night sky.

The next few weeks had been a blur of hiding from the Police interspersed with run ins with the Thin Man (as he called the apparent leader) and the Faction (as he learned they were called), after each of which he came off worse than he had begun. It was following the last of these run-ins that he had been found, alone, tired and battle weary by a team of other metahumans. Figuring that they might be able to help him eventually clear his name and fix the Faction for good, Cameron decided to pitch in with them.

And he soon found himself wandering the empty halls of their HQ, an abandoned prison on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Ah well he thought at least the scenery outside is worth the trip. He spent a short time with the team, during which he discovered he had the ability to see through artificially created illusions such as cloaks and holograms although he cannot see through biologically created illusions such as those created by Mastermind. After some subsequent digging for information between missions he concluded that this ability was probably related to his other powers and had their origin in Proteus, the reality changing mutant who he now knew was the one who had battled the X-Men in Edinburgh.

This mutant who had been apparently destroyed when Collosus punched through him and converted him to pure energy which eventually hit Cam, altering him in the process. As Cam learned more about the destruction of Proteus he surmised that this might account for why he found it easier to generate electrical plasma through metals than without them (although with practice he is finding it easier to generate energy without external aids).

On a subsequent mission, following an attack in which Cameron was seriously injured he felt as though someone or something else was in his head. Attributing it to the pain of his injuries, he wished for the intrusion and the injuries to disappear. And they did. Unsure of what this meant he buried the thoughts in his mind, unwilling to contemplate that he might be hosting something other than the ability to generate energy. Some time after this discovery Cam decided to leave the team he had been with, feeling the need to help his friend AJ more than the desire to stay where he was.

[For Continuity here is where the Marvel Boards/Valiant story ended]

While spending time on the road with Firefly, Cam learned more of the magikal influence behind his powers. After a year together, they went their separate ways for a while. Following his trip beyond the Veil, into another realm, Cameron continued to practice some of the new skills he had learned and headed back to London to clear his name with the police and then onto to New York to check on his cousin Gus, promising AJ he’d come back soon.

[For Continuity here is where Comics Uncovered/Guardians of Twilight begins]

Abilities: Cam has the ability to generate highly charged technomagikal plasma (using metallic objects as a conduit makes it easier). Skilled Marksman and Swordsman. Exceptional Athlete and Martial Artist. Using metal threads laced through his uniform to channel technomagikal energies and create a frictionless field can achieve flight capability at up to 200MPH for approx 2 hours. Able to see through artificially created illusions. His powers appear to stem from a magikal intervention which altered the energies released in the destruction of Proteus. Since his trip beyond the Veil, Cam has learned how to create technomagikal artifacts and weapons, and small portals allowing him to transport objects a short distance. He is unwilling to use this ability on other people as it would reveal the existance of the Other Realm (if briefly) to the person being transported.

Equipment:
Chromium Steel/Vibranium Sword
Chromium Steel/Vibranium Guns (Contain no shells. Used as focus to create and channel plasma projectiles)
2 Three Quarter Length Katanas
Triumph Daytona 955i Motorcycle. Aluminum Silver Fairing. Liquid-cooled. Double Overhead Cam. Inline 3-Cylinder engine.

Uniform (when not dressed casually):
One piece suit. The main body of the one piece is sky blue, but the shoulders and chest were incised by a darker royal blue vee with matched gloves, boots and mask/bandana. On the chest is a large iconic Lion’s head. The entire uniform is laced with metal fibres using strong yet flexible metal which was bullet and blade proof. In addition to the one pice he has a deep blue/black long flowing topcoat. The coat provides concealment for his uniform and his sword and also allows him to carry some extra items namely the two 3/4 length katanas. These aree contained in special long pockets in the inside lining of the coat. It is also threaded with metal, providing an extra layer of protection from attack, as is the bandana. When not in uniform Cam’s only affectation is a penchant for loud shirts and a few white gold rings.

 

Well if you have trudged your way through that lot, here is an extra reward:

A more detailed look at Cam (start and end frames from the animation), seen here in his Post Valiant days, when we had moved the game over to comicsuncovered.com and it became Guardians of Twilight. At this point in his career he had discovered more about his powers, which he discovered were Technomagikal, and now allow him to create artifacts and weapons. I did this image in PSP (probably V8 or 9) in the style of X-Men Evolution cartoon that was popular at the time.

Also if I can find them I will post up some of the signatures I made for the character, I think they were mildly amusing. Although you maybe had to be there.

If this has peeked your interest you can still read about the rest of the Castaways of Twilight Cove here and there adventures here

 

Artwork, Coloring, Digital Concept Gallery, Fiction, Inking, Photomanipulation

Greyhead Hearthstone

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or Liath Leac-an-teintein in his own tongue is one of my RPG characters. I created this from a Joe Maduriera drawing of a Battle Chasers character. Altered and ‘Inked’ in PSP, the original was missing legs and the arm to the right of the picture was incomplete. Added all the extra leather elements from scratch. The images depict the three main looks the character has. You can read his bio below the images.

Name: Liath Leac-an-teintein (Common Tongue: Greyhead Hearthstone)
Birthplace: Carraig Fàrdach – (Common Tongue: Rockhome)
Actual Age: 114 (although he has almost stopped counting)
Physical Age: 30
Height: 9′ 3″
Breadth: 5′ (across shoulders)
Weight: Approx 500lbs
Skin: silver/grey (and tough as Granite). Often painted with clay dye to pass more easily amongst strange peoples.
Eyes: Brilliant Blue (like a clear mountain sky)
Other: Liath’s people paint markings on their face and body and arms. These have spiritual as well significance and is done as a homage to their ancestors. Liath travels with a wolf named Stràcair (or Wanderer in the common tongue).

History:
Born with skin the color of the local granite, Liath (Grey) got his name because of his silvery-grey skin. His appearance at birth was just presumed to be natural, if slightly darker than the normal pallid skin of the rest of the the mining community in which Liath (Grey) grew up. Liath (Grey)’s lack of any hair did set him apart slightly from the rest of the community, in which the men and women tended to long fair hair. Even as a youngster his skin was very thick and provided good protection protection against both weather and the usual cuts and injuries which plagued the other children in community.

The granite of the Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) was much prized throughout the region for both it’s strength and the fine silver look it took on when polished, however the process of extraction left the area strewn with sharp rocks and boulders. Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) itself was a multi layered complex of caves and tunnels cut directly into the granite itself. It was a hard life which bred a hard people. Commonly the people of Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) were held up to be very cruel and brutal even towards each other. This was mainly due to their affinity with the rock and stone, and their straightforward no nonsense nature. Among themselves the people of Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) were very social and caring in their own way. They agree on most subjects (other than an individuals own preference for decorating stone) and defend each other. Should someone be in trouble in the community, all would come together to help them. Despite their status as craftsmen, the people of Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) were also proud warriors and hunters, able to track prey over even the barest rock. Everyone was willing to furiously defend clan and residential area when needed. Men and women are equal warriors and both take up arms in threat of danger. Their main foodsource were the many animals who lived in the forests surrounding their community, animals such as deer, reindeer and even beasts like bears and wolves living in hills and mountains. Due to the harsh nature of their existance, Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) didn’t cultivate anything nor breed cattle. Any grain or vegetables had to be traded for, although the people of the community did have knowledge of edible plants and roots. Wether rock, flora or fauna, they only took what they needed to survive. The villagers prefered weapon for the hunt was the slingshot, with which they were all extremely skilled and proficient. The hunt was always a test of skill, the villagers against their prey and the bolts seemed to leave them feeling that the weapon had beaten the prey and not their skill. In their dressing the people of Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) favor animal skins and simple fabrics. Leather is achieved from game animals and fabrics were usually gained in trade for smaller stone trinkets and implements. Thanks to his thicker skin, the importance of clothes to Liath (Grey) against weather was very minor. Excluding trips to the far northern regions as a youngster, the amount of clothes he wore was small and usually consisted of simple leather breeches, although he occasionally wore a sleeveless shirt. Liath (Grey) never took to wearing shoes, preferring the feel of the ground between his toes. Liath (Grey) spent his early years as did most of the youngsters, studying rockcraft at the feet of their mothers and fathers. Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome) was justifiably proud that it’s sons and daughters were equally as skilled in working of stone. They were also skilled in the use of various powders and elements in healing and would often use combinations of these under the supervision of the Granitemaster, the leader and shamen of the community, to take part in Stonequests. These involved using heated pots of powders and stones to induce a dreamlike state. It was during one of these Stonequests that Liath (Grey) began to feel a greater affinity for the land around him, almost feeling part of it. This had a great effect on the young Liath (Grey) and he spent as much time as he could learning the skills of the shamen in order that he could recreate the experience.

As he grew in years, so did Liath (Grey) grow in size, soon outstripping others of his age in terms of strength and size. By the age of 18, Liath (Grey) already stood at just over 9 foot tall and almost 5 foot across the shoulders. His skin had also undergone changes, gradually becoming less like tough leather and taking on a much harder more rock like texture, becoming almost a reflection of the granite they worked. His great strength and skill in cutting granite from the rock face soon elevated him in the community. It almost seemed as if he had the ability to feel the rock and know where it was weakest and of no use for building. By the age of 50 Liath (Grey) had taken the position of Granitemaster, becoming the leader of the communities endeavours. During his many years as Granitemaster, Liath (Grey) encouraged many improvements, leading the small community into a time of great prosperity. With his guidance, their stone became prized much farther afield, even too the far south where the then newly ensconced Norman invaders were set upon fortifying their position. Time passed slowly in the mountains, but even Liath (Grey) noticed that even amongst the long lived people of Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome), he did not seem to age as did the others around him. Friends and family came and went. Despite of his enormous size and rocky outlook, Liath (Grey) was still surprisingly flexible and agile, an attribute that was essential for moving in the caves, mines and rough roads of mountains. Even into his 90th year, Liath (Grey) enjoyed leading raiding parties out into the forests hunting for food and supplies for Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome). His gray stone skin helped camouflage him well into the rocky terrain, becoming almost invisible and his body was still as it had been in his 30th year. It was one of the simple pleasures he enjoyed where he did not have to consider the welfare of the entire community. Unlike most of his generation, Liath (Grey) never took a wife, as he had learned not to make too many close attachments, knowing the sadness and pain the passing of the people he grew up with caused him.

Not knowing how long he would live and beginning to feel overwhelmed by the number of his friends who had now passed into the sleeping caves, Liath (Grey) decided to take his leave of the village. It was the hardest decision he had ever made, but he felt he could no longer watch while everyone he knew went before him. Taking only what he could carry easily, Liath (Grey) bade farewell to everything he knew and set off out of the mountains he called home, intent on seeing as much of the world beyond as he could. Several months after leaving Carraig Fàrdach (Rockhome), he had come across a pregnant wolf whose leg had was trapped. Approaching the animal carefully, Liath (Grey) spoke soothingly to it while he pried away some of the rocks allowing it to pull free. The wolf quickly sprang away from him, looking at him suspiciously for long moments as it tested it’s weight on the formerly trapped limb, before moving off into the nearby forest occasionally glancing back at him. When it saw he wasn’t following the wolf stopped and cocked it’s head at him, almost questioningly. Liath (Grey) decided to follow it, moving slowly and keeping his distance. This seemed to satisfy the wolf who moved ahead, leading him to it’s lair. Deciding this was as good a place as any to rest, he set up camp a short distance from the lair. Several days later the wolf gave birth to a litter of four bundles of fur. Intrigued by the apparent trust which had been extended to him, Liath (Grey) decided to stay in the forest for a little while longer and would visit the lair, watching the wolf cubs grow. For the wolves part it was almost as if he was part of the scenery, as if they knew he would no more harm them than would a tree or blade of grass. Indeed only one cub from the litter seemed to take any interest in him, often following him almost all the way back to his camp and indeed on his hikes into the surrounding foothills. After pausing in that idyllic spot for several months, the wanderlust took Liath (Grey) again and he packed up his few belongings intent on moving on. He spent several minutes standing watching the wolves play outside their lair, his heart heavy at leaving them despite his conflicting desire to be on the move again. As he turned away the wolf cub which had adopted him leapt in front of him, blocking his path for a few moments as it looked up at him with the same questioning eyes as it’s mother. Even though it was only a few months old, it was a clever and sturdy little tike, all muscle and sinew from it’s time spent wandering with him. Liath (Grey) looked down meeting it’s gaze, then stepped around it, heading southwards out of the forest. Behind him he heard the familiar pad of soft furred feet and couldn’t help but smile. Although he didn’t seek out the attachment, he had grown used to the little one being there. <“If you are going to come with me, you shall need a name my little wanderer.”> he said over his shoulder. <“That’s it! Wanderer.”> And so Liath (Grey) travelled ever southwards with Stràcair (Wanderer) growing larger at his heel.

Liath (Grey)’s great strength proved a boon on their travels, often affording them the opportunity to aid someone in return for food or money or shelter. They tried to arrange their passage through villages or settlements during festival times, when there were often strangers about. It was during one such encounter that Liath (Grey) got involved in a show of strength by wrestling several men from the village at once. Naturally he was victorious and later that evening as he sat by a roaring fire with a large flaggon of a heady mead in his mighty fist, a full stomach and Stràcair (Wanderer) sitting under his chair gnawing on a huge bone, he mused that perhaps this might not be a bad way to see the world.

Abilities:
Liath (Grey) possesses superhuman strength, endurance, and durability, enabling him to lift (press) 10-15 tons. His skin has greatly increased toughness and density. Liath (Grey) can exert himself at high levels for about three hours before the build-up of fatigue poisons in his blood impairs his strength. His reflexes are above average human levels despite his greater mass. Liath (Grey) has found his lungs are of greater volume and efficiency than a normal man’s, enabling him to hold his breath underwater and during fires for up to nine minutes. Liath (Grey) has found his five senses can withstand greater amounts of sensory stimuli than he would if he was a normal human being, with no reduced sensitivity. Liath (Grey)’s body is able to withstand extremes of temperature from -75° to 800° Fahrenheit for up to three hours before exposure or heat prostration occurs. He can withstand the explosive effects against his skin with no injury. He is still susceptible to colds, disease, and emotional stress.

Liath (Grey) also appears to have a preternatural ability to read rock and stone, allowing him to see any flaws and weaknesses. During his time in his community his skills with powders and herbs became almost as legendary as his skill with the slingshot.

Possessions & Clothes:
In order to allow him to pass more easily, the people of the village gifted Liath (Grey) with a long leather hooded cloak lined with bear pelt, leather gloves and boots. He mostly wore these when passing through villages or populated areas. Under the cloak he wore his breeches and a simple leather vest, over which he occasionally wore the long smocklike shirt which was popular amongst his people. He also found by painting his features with a clay dye he had formulated he could pass as an exceptionally tall man, which was not uncommon. Around his leather pants, he wore a belt with pouches for various powders and herbs he had brought with him or picked up on the road. Hanging from the belt is was slingshot and a pouch of rocks and a small knife. On the other side hangs a small pot used for cooking and for Stonequests. When out in the wilds on his own or with those to whom he had revealed his difference, Liath (Grey) tended to wear only his simple breeches and vest, his extra outer-clothes bundled up in his cape and slung over his back. Although he does not consider him a possession, Stràcair (Wanderer) is an almost constant companion.

Artwork, Coloring, Digital Concept Gallery, Fiction, Photomanipulation

Press: Lion Heart Comic Cover

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I thought it might be a good idea to do a comic cover for my RPG character Lion Heart. Lion Heart is part of Valiant a UK based team, formerly run by the government. The team were formerly media darlings, but have now been made scapegoats and are currently being trashed by the media. In this issue he meets the Valiant team for the first time, while battling the evil ninja Shadow Reavers…killers on the payroll of The Faction.

Character BIO:

Lion Heart

Real Name: Cameron Angus

Occupation: Martial Arts Instructor

Height: 5′ 8″

Weight: Approx 11st

Eyes: Blue/Grey, Glow white when using powers at higher levels.

Distinguishing Marks: Long burn scar down left arm where lightning struck. This also glows when using powers at higher levels.

Description: Cameron had been staying in Stirling for a few days, when he decided to pay a visit to the Wallace Monument. As he was looking up at the monument, a freak storm appeared out of nowhere from the east. As it approached the monument there was a huge release of energy, which travelled down the tower, and into Cameron, knocking him unconscious.  A few days later, as he recovered in hospital, he read about a battle between the X-Men and an unnamed being which ended up on Edinburgh Castle. The battle had ended with a huge release of energy. Cameron wondered if this was related to his accident.

It was shortly following his release from hospital that his powers began to first manifest. As he was riding his motorcycle to Glasgow one night, the whole machine began to glow, as if lit by some internal source. Screeching to a halt at the roadside, Cam leaped off the bike, fearing it was about to explode. As he let go of the machine the light subsided, leaving it untouched, and looking perfectly normal. He reached out to the bike, touching the handle bars and found by experimenting that he could cause any metal part to glow and By concentrating he could vary the intensity of the light.

A few months later, he was jumped by a mugger while walking home through Glasgow one evening. As he struggled with the man, Cam caught his assailant by the wrist, his hand over the mans metal watch. It was difficult to tell who was more surprised by what happened next. As they struggled Cam caused the watch to light up, and as it reached an almost white peak, there was a flash and a crack like lightning and the mugger fell to the ground stunned. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, and knowing the police would ask questions he wasn’t ready or willing to answer, Cameron ran into the night, catching the Subway home.

Thinking it would be best if he got some space to try and make sense of his powers, Cam rented a cottage out in the middle of nowhere, and began practising with his powers, becoming proficient at generating streams of a plasma like energy using a metal rod to channel the field in the direction he desired. By using a hollow tube he found he could create plasma ‘pulses’ like bullets.

It was at this time Cam was offered a job in London, and having nothing to keep him in Scotland, decided to take it. In london he carried on as an Instructor during the day, but at night prowled the darkness, dispensing justice on hapless muggers and criminals who crossed his path. As time passed, he obtained a sword and guns to use to further refine his channeling power, and secretly created a costume, threaded with metal for greater strength. His ability to fly was discovered by accident, when one night he slipped while running over a rooftop.

As he fell, his power kicked in flowing through the metal threading of his suit, slowing his descent. Theorising that his suit was also capable of channeling his plasma, he found that he could change direction, and achieve powered flight.

Abilities: Lion Heart has the ability to generate highly charged plasma using metallic objects as a conduit. Skilled Marksman and Swordsman. Exceptional Athlete and Martial Artist. Using metal threads laced through his uniform to channel plasma and create a frictionless field can achieve flight capability at up to 200MPH for approx 2 hours.

Weapons: Chromium Steel/Vibranium Sword, Chromium Steel/Vibranium Guns (Contain no shells. Used as focus to create and channel plasma projectiles.

Art Notes: This was based around a sketch I found on google of Punisher shooting at Spiderman. Used the sketch for shaped and the face, shadows and textures added. got rid of the chest skull. Rest of the pic is made up from textures and images I already had on my PC.

Artwork, Coloring, Digital Concept Gallery, Fiction, Inking

Nomads: Punisher – Animated Series

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Well this is the third of the characters I have created for the RPG. So should my Beast bit the bullet, and my Blink bleep off, my Punisher will pop up.;)

BIO:

Real name: Frank Castle (born Castiglione)

Occupation: Former United States Marine, Current Head of Security, Stark Industries.

Identity: Known to legal authorities

Legal status: Citizen of the United States, listed in Marine records (under Castiglione) as deceased.

Place of birth: Queens, New York

Group affiliation: Formerly S.W.A.T. (Strategic Warfare Assault Team), Avengers (Reserve), S.W.A.T. (Mk II)

Base of operations: Formerly South Vietnam, Currently Mobile, usually Stark Industries, New York City.

History: Frank Castle was a career U.S. Marine, who served five years in Vietnam. He was assigned to a special weapons field testing detail. It was while on this detail that he met Anthony Stark, an american inventor and industrialist. Stark was sent to Vietnam to supervise a field test for one of his tranistorized weapons. While he was there Stark tripped on a booby trap and a piece of shrapnel was lodged in his chest. Castle was knocked unconcious by the blast, and both he and the gravely injured Stark was taken captive by the Communist leader Wong-Chu.

Stark was informed that within a week the shrapnel would penetrate his heart and kill him. Wong-Chu offered Stark at deal: if he built the Communist a powerful weapon, he would allow Stark to undergo an operation to save his life. Stark agreed, hoping to gain time and access to tools. Stark was given access to a small laboratory in communist territory with another captive, the renowned Oriental physicist Professor Ho Yinsen. He claimed that Castle was his assistant and insisted that he be brought along as he was familiar with Stark’s designs.

Wong-Chu denied this request, but sent Castle along to be held prisoner anyway, hoping to use him as an additional incentive for Stark to build his weapon. With Yinsen’s help, Stark manage to convince their guards that he was indeed complying with Wong-Chu’s wishes, however they secretly designed and built an electrically powered suit of armor and equipped with heavy offensive weaponry. The armor also contained pacemaker like device which enabled Stark’s heart to keep beating after the shrapnel entered it.

Donning the suit, Stark connected it to its power source, an electrical generator. Lying on a table Stark was helpless until the suit was fully charged. His captor, Wong-Chu, sensed something was amiss and came to investigate with armed men. Realizing he was sacrificing his life, Professor Ho Yinsen went out to confront Wong-Chu, to give Stark the extra time he needed to charge the armored suit fully. As the Iron Man Stark avenged Yinsen’s death and scattered Wong Chu’s guerilla troops. Then, still clad in his armor, which was necessary to keep his heart beating, Stark freed the captive and badly beaten Castle, and made his way to the jungle, trying to escape communist territory.

James Rhodes, a pilot in the United States Marines who was stationed in South East Asia, had been shot down in the jungle nearby Communist rockets while he was on a reconnaissance mission. Rhodes managed to land safely and was attempting to get his helicopter air worthy when he encountered Iron Man and the slowly recovering Castle. After Iron Man help Rhodes fight off an attack by communist forces, Rhodes allowed him to drain helicopters batteries to recharge his armor. The three men attacked the jungle together, finally discovering a hidden Communist rocket base. Stealing an enemy helicopter, they destroyed the base and flew to the nearest American base.

Back in the United States, Stark redesigned his chest plate, which contained a pacemaker like device, reducing the chest plates size and weight so he could wear it under his normal clothing.  Required to wear this armored chest piece at all times to keep his heart beating, Stark decided to put to rest of the armor to regular use as well. After redesigning the entire armored suit to match the chest plate, Stark was forced to don his battle suit untested in order to prevent thieves from stealing his designs. This experience made him realize that the suit was too dangerous to me made available to the public.

Stark went to the government, with the idea of setting up a team of “Iron Men” who would be available for missions deemed to dangerous for standard troops. He concealed the suits true origin, as well as the fact that he himself had to wear the chest plate to live. Wishing to retain some degree of anonymity, Stark established the fiction that Iron Man was his paid bodyguard wearing a suit of armor that he had invented. Only his most trusted aides learned Stark and Iron Man were one and the same.

It was at Stark’s insistance that Rhodes and Castle were picked to be the prototype team, called S.W.A.T. (Strategic Warfare Assault Team). The government assigned the team a liaison, Obediah Stane, to pass on mission details. Stark had already named “Iron Man” and encouraged the others to pick codenames for their armours. Jim Rhodes chose to become “War Machine” while Frank Castle, always the darkest of the three due to his experiences both in warfare and at the hands of Wong-Chu’s torturers, took the name “Punisher”.

At first the S.W.A.T team were involved in covert missions deep into communist territory in South East Asia. These mainly involved taking out heavily armoured and fortified positions, in order to allow US troops to advance. Over the next couple of years, however, the missions took on a darker tone, eventually becoming assassinations in all but name. Over the years Stark constantly refined and modified the design of his armors. From the bulky, transistorized Iron suits, Stark eventually built relatively lightweight, integrated circuit, magnetically polarized suits with more human looking articulated musculature. Stark’s natural genius at theoretical mechanics has enabled him keep his suits of armor at the cutting edge of technology.

Stark eventually underwent a heart transplant so that he was no longer obligated to wear his metal chest plate. It was near the end of the conflict in South East Asia, that Stane ordered them to carry out what was to be their final mission as a team. They were given instructions to head deep into enemy territory, where the intelligence services had learned the enemy was attempting to construct a new deadly weapon. S.W.A.T were to go in retrieve any materials they could and destroy everything else.

Upon arriving at the designated co-ordinates the team immediately realised something was very wrong. What they found was a training camp, filled with american advisors, teaching the enemy troops american military strategy. Stane was trying to get the team to tidy up somebody’s loose ends. The team refused to carry out the mission, and instead captured the camp intact, and handed the advisors over to the US Marine base for incarceration and trial. When they returned to their base, they found it had been cleared out and Stane was gone.

It was at this point the men knew that their war was over and they all returned to the United States and went their seperate ways. Stark took over his father’s company, Stark Industries. At first Stark kept up the pretense that Iron Man was a paid emplyee, using his Iron Man identity only to combat spies and criminals who threaten Stark industries. Later, he expanded the scope of his alter ego’s activities to battle any force or person who friend the security of America or the world. Stark was instrumental in the organization of the original world wide intelligence and law-enforcement agency known as SHIELD, and as Iron Man he became a founding member of the team of super human champions known as the Avengers. Stark donated his Manhattan mansion to the Avengers for their exclusive use.

Stark eventually decided for moral reasons no longer to manufacture armament and devote his company to other areas of technology. Rhodes returned to university and obtained several engineering degrees. He took up a position at Roxxon Oil Company, involved in testing the effects of experimental aviation fuel. It was while working here that he first head that Iron Man was back in action and where he first encountered Stane Industries, one of Roxxon’s rivals. Frank Castle became a SHIELD operative, working undercover mostly seeking out evidence of industrial espionage.

It was just as Castle was learning to put his wartime experiences behind him thatObediah Stane came back into his life. After the war Stane had become an industrialist, and one who had no qualms about selling armaments to the highest bidder, including armaments that would have looked very familiar to Tony Stark – they were his designs. Stane had escaped any retribution for his actions during the war and indeed had used his knowledge and contacts to become very powerful indeed.

Frank managed to get a message back to Nick Fury of SHIELD with a request to pass this information on to Iron Man. Knowing some of the history between them, Nick complied and also took it upon himself to make contact with Jim Rhodes. Stark outfitted Castle and Rhodes with new versions of their wartime armours, the three sought out Stane. Stane himself put on a suit of armour his engineers had built using Starks plans and, together with his similarly armoured Dreadnoughts, met the Iron Men in battle as the Iron Monger. Ultimately losing his battle against Stark and his more advanced technology, Stane committed suicide rather than face trial.

Castle returned briefly to SHIELD and learned that before his death Stane, while calling himself Spymaster had stolen the plans for the many secret technological innovations in weaponry that Stark had devised but never implemented, including initial designs for future armours. Spymaster had then turned these plans over to Stark’s most powerful and antagonistic business rival, Justin Hammer, who in turn, had made them available to many criminals. These criminals had then incorporated the stolen technological innovations into their own armored battle suits.

Outraged that his inventions were being used for criminal activity Stark determined to deprive these criminals of his secrets. Castle and Rhodes agreed to stay and help him and S.W.A.T. was reborn. Infiltrating Hammer’s New York Complex, they planted a computer virus in Hammer’s computer system that would wipe out all traces of the plans for Stark’s Iron Man technology. As S.W.A.T., Castle, Rhodes and Stark sought out and caught many criminals and others (such as the United States government’s black ops  Guardsmen) who wore battle suits utilizing Stark’s technology, and implanted devices on their armor that rendered the suits useless.

With the stolen computer records deleted, Stark presumed there would be no further attempts to reconstruct the suits. In the course of these “Armor Wars” Iron Man accidentally killed the second titanium man (also known as the gremlin).  The United States government branded Iron Man as an outlaw as a result of these “supposed” vigilante actions, and Stark publicly claimed that he had fired Iron Man in displeasure over his illegal activity. Shortly afterward, Iron Man was apparently destroyed in combat with government forces. In fact, however, Stark had survived.

He created an even more sophisticated armored battle suit to wear as Iron Man, using technology far in advance over that which spymaster had stolen from him. Stark continued to go into action as Iron Man, but he publicly claimed that the previous Iron Man was dead and that another employee of his whose identity is being kept secret was now wearing the armored suit. Castle and Rhodes remained with Stark, taking up civilian positions within his company. Castle became Stark Industries Head of Security, and on occasion acted as Stark’s bodyguard both in and out of armour. Rhodes became Chief Aviation Engineer and acted as Stark’s personal pilot. S.W.A.T. continue to fight together as a team.

Iron Man, War Machine and Punisher have all spent time as Avenger’s aquitting themselves well, although Rhodes and Castle found the rules and regulations to inhibitting. Punisher has also operated on his own while carrying out the odd assignment for Nick Fury and SHIELD. Castle retains his full SHIELD clearance which has proved useful on more than one occasion.

Details:

Height: 6 ft.

Weight: 200 lbs.

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Abilites: Frank Castle possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. Castle is a thoroughly seasoned combat veteran of exceptional skills. A former U.S. Marine Captain with a distinguished combat record who has undergone SEAL (Sea Air Land) training, UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) training, and LRPA (Long Range Patrol) training, Frank Castle is well versed in the arts of warfare and hand-to-hand combat. Armed solely with conventional weapons, Castle has single-handedly incapacitated up to a dozen well-armed and experienced opponents in a single encounter and escaped uninjured.

Weapons: As Castle, constantly employs an arsenal of portable weaponry when on undercover missions. His most commonly used personal weapons are the Vietnam era M16 automatic rifle in.223 caliber; a Sterling Mark 69mm, 34-round clip fed, semiautomatic rifle converted to automatic fire; a 14-round, 9mm Browning Llama automatic pistol; a Government issue.45 caliber automatic frame re-chambered for 9mm ammunition with a replaceable barrel to convert it to.223 caliber ammunition; and a 4-shot derringer in.223 caliber (Thus, he needs to carry only two types of ammunition.)

Armour Specifications: Iron Man Armored, Flight-Capable, Environment Suit, Mark VII. Modified for Enhanced Combat Capability

Designer: Anthony Stark Major Contractor: Stark Industries

Armor Ext Dimensions: Height: 78 in. Width: 34 in. Depth: 21 in. Weight: 240 lbs.

Armor composition:

Surface/primary Layer: Molecularly aligned crystallized iron over a base of titanium nitride. Metallized paint is precise thickness to destructively interfere with RADAR band microwaves.

Secondary Layer: Comprised of various thermoelectric generators, temperature insulators and regulators.

Tertiary Layer: Consists of two independent, ‘crimped’ armature electric motors that are aligned at right angles to each other, which can simulate human musculature movement.

Special Features: Each layer possesses integrated communication, power-handling and control circuitry – with regions, which contain certain large area specializations, such as the simulation of a specific muscle.

Note: Suit’s microscopic scale chain mail is made rigid by numerous computer-controlled magnetic beam generators. These generators can sense and amplify the suit wearer’s motions and strength. Discrete networks of them are arranged, in conjunction with the full-body system of DC motors, to mimic the function of human musculature.

Armor Articulation Motivation – Musculature enhancement: The armor enables its wearer to lift (press) approximately 80 tons under standard operating conditions. Limits: When directly tapping a sufficiently potent power source, the armor can be boosted to Class 100 strength (able to lift in excess of 100 tons) for several seconds at the risk of having a total system seize-up.

Power Supply:

Type: High-density storage battery, AC/DC electricity.

Primary: Beta particle generator, creating constant current from passing beta particles that continually bombard Earth.

Secondary: Solar power converters, regrouped in microscopic ridges for improved collection efficiency, arrayed on shoulders and headpiece.

Tertiary (back-up): Increased efficiency of conversion of electric field potentials into usable electricity. Mark VII two orders of magnitude more efficient than Mark VI.

Armor System Controls:

Type: Automatic, computerized, body motion following.

Sub-Systems: Local networks of muscle groups and high-density computers, which control large scale movements such as walking.

Special Features: Armor is comprised of finely tessellated mail, which can minimize sudden compressions, such as a blow, by racially dissipating the energy throughout the suit. Articulation Seals/reinforcement: All magnetic. Due to microscopic construction, seal topology allows a 4.5-inch diameter wrist cuff (for example) to have a practical circumference of 12 inches. This allows for a greater area over which a magnetic seal can be affected.

Life Support: Range: High altitude to deep water: 130,000 feet above to 1,800 feet below sea level. Air Supply Duration: 1.2 hours Pressure: Normal atmosphere (14.7 pounds per square inch) maintained internally over a wide range of external pressures. Temperature: 73

Artwork, Digital Concept Gallery, Fiction, Photomanipulation

Imagine My: Blink

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This is my ‘backup’ character for an comic based RPG called “The Nomads” that’s about to begin based on the Exiles style… my main character is Beast (Universe 666 Version :p) but I thought I best sort out a backup (in case I snuff it early on in the proceedings.. anyways.. I figured I would do a manip and it seemed to go with this theme day (although If we did another Transgender one it might have gone there) so here we go:

BIO:

Blink (Post “Days of Future Past”)

Real name: Clark Ferguson

Occupation: Leader of Human Resistance

Identity: Public

Legal status: Citizen of SCZ(Sentinel Control Zone) 001 (formerly United States of America)

Place of birth: St Louis, Missourri

Group affiliation: Human Alliance Resistance Movement

Base of operations: Mobile (Currently in ruins of New York City)

History: Clark was born to mutant parents, shortly before they were captured while travelling to northwards to the Canadian Border. Clark spent the early years of his life growing up in internment camps, learning to survive by running errands, always listening and learning. Seperated from his parents at the age of 13, Clark was transferred to the South Bronx Mutant Internment Center. Initially alone in the camp, which was much larger than any of the others where he had been detained, Clark began wandering the complex, learning all it’s secrets. This was a routine he had been through before many times in many camps. On one such expedition, Clark ran into an older boy, Franklin Richards and a pretty redhead named Rachel Summers, who took it upon themselves to look out for Clark. It was through Franklin and Rachel that Clark came to meet and befriend the men and women who’s selfless act would be the catalyst for his later life. Piotr Rasputin, a gentle russian giant with a talent for story telling, his wife Kate, their friend Ororo who’s startling beauty could not be disguised by the hard life they were force to lead. And last but not least, Magnus, who although wheelchair bound had such a strength of will and purpose that it was impossible to think of him as an invalid. As the next few of years passed, Clark became more closely involved with the lives of his new friends, learning of their former identities as X-men, a group of mutants dedicated to protecting both mutants and the humans who feared and hated them. He also heard rumours of an underground resistance movement making raids on the camps and sentinel strongholds up near the Canadian Border. There was also word that the Sentinel were planning on expanding beyond the borders of the former US. Clark believes his friends are hiding something from him and follows Franklin to one of the Camp houses. Slipping inside and hiding, Clark watched as Kitty returns from a sanctioned trip outside the camp for medical supplies, but she has also brought something else, a small electonic component. Clark listens in awe as they talk of now being able to disable the inhibitor collars all mutants are forced to wear. But that is the least of what they intend to do. There is talk of time travel and altering reality, much of which goes over Clark’s head, but what does grab his attention is his first sight of a mutant using their natural powers uninhibited. As the group prepare, Rachel has Kate, relax on a mattress, and then begins to talk to her very softly, calmly. Rachel continues to whisper to Kate on and off for the next couple of hours as the rest of the group come and go, obviously preparing for something that is about to happen. It is at this a gruff voice behind him tells Clark, he needn’t hide in the shadows any more. Shocked that he has been spotted Clark literally falls out of his hiding place as a short stocky man with an odd accent steps into the light. “Logan” it seems has come to aid the former X-men’s escape. Unwilling to take Clark with them due to the dangerous nature of the task ahead, they persuade him to stay with magnus to cover up their escape. The group fade into the darkness of one of the service access tunnels. Later that night Magnus and Clark hear rumors of a failed attempt by a group of mutants to destroy the Sentinel Control Centre in the Baxter Building. All the mutants are dead. The shock news of his friends death triggers Clark’s mutant ability – teleportation – causing himself and Magnus to be flung nearly 100 miles outside the camp almost instantaneously The next four years are spent hiding, fighting and learning. Magnus teaches Clark both about leadership and also techniques to control his gift. Rechristened “Blink” because of his ability to move from one place to another in the blink of an eye, Clark has gathered a small band of similarly minded individuals around them all with one purpose – to end the reign of the Sentinel.

Current Age: 20

Height: 6 ft. 2 in.

Weight: 220 lbs.

Eyes: Shining yellow, no visible pupils

Hair: Blue Skin: Pale Blue, with distintive facial markings that appeared following his first ‘blink’

Strength Level: Clark has the normal human strength of a man his age, height, and build who engaged in intensive regular exercise

Known superhuman powers: Blink possesses the ability to generate teleportation warps, allowing him to displace people and objects. His maximum range hasn’t yet been determined, although with his current level of expertise he can move his entire group instantaneously a distance approximately 500 miles. Blink can also manifest the energy portals in the form of discus shaped weapons, which cause their targets (or parts of their target) to teleport. This power can be used offensively and defensively. The effective range of these discus is approximately 200 metres. Additionally Blink carries adamantium darts (liberated during an early mission) which he can use over a much longer range. By throwing the dart, and instantly ‘blinking’ it, it can effectively hit its target with the same velocity it had upon leaving his hand. It is unclear as to how Blink targets the destination for teleportation, but he may have a subconcsious precognition which automatically retargets him before materialisation to prevent appearing inside a solid object.