Golden Star

[Poncho]

Table Of Contents

• 20 Questions
• Origin Story
• HellQ

Edited February 17 by Poncho

[Poncho]

Sometime in Early July, 2023, Mid-Morning

 

Michael Adon was wearing a pressed button-up- long sleeve and pearl white-, and a sport coat- a nice tan-, to go with pressed navy slacks and a dark belt. This was overkill for a job at an artisanal soda store where he’d be wearing a lime green polo and a nametag, but Michael preferred overdressing to underdressing. He had a resume and a cover letter, even though he’d already submitted both of them online, he wanted to always be prepared. He was waved through to the back of the shop; where vats of ingredients were mixed together and pressurized to be piped into glass bottles or taps up front. Above these vats was the employee area, where the breakroom and the backroom offices were. The Owner’s office was small for an owner, with a glass window for viewing the product. The owner in question- Sandra Sampson- was sitting in her chair and waiting.

 

In her late forties with greying hair, Sandra- Mrs. Sampson- seemed to have a no-nonsense attitude and a stern look that you wouldn’t expect from someone who ran a micro-soda shop, but when you thought about it a bit longer, of course the person in charge of a company would need to be pretty serious. When Michael sat down, she continued tapping away at her computer.

 

“So, Michael. You want to work for us?”

 

“Yes M’am. I need a summer job, and I saw your opening. I’ve always been a fan of this place, so I was hoping to get a spot in.” She barely looked up for a moment, leaving a hanging silence that Michael kept quiet in, not sure what to say.

 

“Hiring ‘fans’ is usually not the best idea. But the fact I don’t know who you are means you’re not the sort of fan people shouldn’t hire. So I’ve got a few questions.” She said, turning away from her computer. She didn’t even look at the resume or the cover letter, she just pulled out a stack of paper and a pen. “I’m going to ask you a few questions not covered by the resume.”

 

“Yes M’am.”

 

¹“Where are you from?” 

 

“Right here in Freedom City. Lantern Hill, specifically. Living in the same place my Great-Granddad did apparently.” He didn’t mention the time he saw the Freedom League on Halloween once, stopping minions from Hades- living dolls and costumes that took over the hosts-, but that was what he thought of. That was one of his first real life Superhero Experiences.

 

Sandra wrote it down, seemingly without care. Maybe he should have mentioned it? He wanted to make a good impression, and wasting time wasn’t part of it.

 

²“Your extracurriculars include a lot of sports, so you must be in pretty good shape? What’s your Height and Weight?” Bit of a weird question, he thought. But if he had to carry crates or something maybe they needed to make sure he could do it?

 

“I’m six foot, 200 pounds. My Doctor thinks I’m still gonna grow a little bit, but he’s not 100% sure.” He didn’t really think of himself as tall, but he did think he was pretty strong. He liked his strong jaw and the way his hair fell just right over his forehead. He thought he had a firm handshake and honest eyes. People would sometimes instead describe his eyes, specifically, as a little creepy; that he looked like he was evaluating people all the time, rather than just looking at someone. That he looked like someone who was always plotting something. That his frame could be uncomfortable when he got into something.

 

Sandra wrote a little bit more on that, then paused and went back to her computer. 

 

³(Does your hero have any distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms)

 

He tried to stay still for a while, but she seemed engrossed in whatever email she was writing. He felt in his pocket and touched his Grandfather’s pocket watch. He ran his fingers across the smooth metal, opened it in his pocket, ran his fingers across the face. He wound it. The watch didn’t actually work as a watch anymore because the springs were too old; when wound, it would only track one hour’s worth of time. So if he found himself sitting around with nothing to do, sometimes he would wind the watch and just let it click by.

 

“Michael.”

 

“Yes, M’am?” She paused.

 

“You seem quite polite.”

 

“Manners don’t cost anything, M’am.” She made a neutral sound at that.

 

⁴“Why do you want this job? Why do you want out of life?” She continued questioning him, picking up her pen in one hand; she wrote answers with one hand while tapping on the keyboard with the second. It was a little disturbing.

 

“I want some extra money, and I want something that looks good on my resume, and maybe a recommendation for a job later. I want to be a politician, to do something good and helpful for the community. I’ve admired Superheroes for a while, and I may not have powers, but I can be a Hero in my own ways, right?” Another neutral sound. Michael was starting to feel like he was bombing this interview, but he couldn’t figure out what the right answers were supposed to be. He valued honesty a lot, he felt like doing the right thing and rewarding people for doing the right thing should be what life is for, but in this situation it felt like he was losing.

 

⁵“What would you say your best and worst traits are?” ah! This was one he could answer, he had practiced this one.

 

“My best trait is my commitment. I never back down once I’ve agreed to something, I always see it through.” he said with no small amount of pride. “And my weakness is that I have a habit of committing to too many things.” always make your weakness a strength, that was what he was told. “Since I never back down to something I’ve agreed to, I can end up very busy since I have so many commitments.” She hummed.

 

“Sounds like you might be a flaky employee, always running off to handle some other promise you’ve made.” Mrs. Sampson said it casually, she wasn’t saying it judgmentally but it sounded like a harsh judgment. Michael’s ears turned red at that. He had messed that one up too, somehow? He took a few quick breaths, trying to stay calm. He could do this. He just had to figure it out. Getting worried wouldn’t help. He ran his fingers over his grandfather’s watch, imagined his grandpa on the porch, calm as could be.

⁶“Here’s an easy one. What do you like? What’s your favorite thing in the whole world? And what’s your least favorite thing in the whole world? What do you really hate?” Michael nodded, biting his lip momentarily as he came up with his answer.

“I...my favorite thing in the world is my mom’s cook...No. It’s spending time with others; talking, partying, studying, just being around people is fun to me. I like my mom’s cooking too, but hanging out with people in a more general sense is probably the thing I enjoy doing the most; having a friend with me and going to the arcade, or the movies, or having a board game night. Planning that stuff out can be hard, but having it come together is great” he decided his best choice was honesty. Maybe it wouldn’t get him the job, but whatever. 

“My least favorite thing is surprises. I had people try to throw me surprise parties before and they always go bad. I don’t even like getting presents or gifts by surprise, I’d rather they just give it to me directly.”

More tapping. He wouldn’t be shaken by that, he was going to be as honest as he could be. She eyed him.

⁷(How would you describe your character’s mental and emotional state)

“You keep yourself pretty tightly wound, especially for someone your age. When you start to panic you restrain yourself and keep a grip on your emotions. Stuff bothers you, and it upsets you, but you keep it in focus and don’t let it rattle you too much. That’s some impressive self-control.” This was as close as her assessment had gotten to being positive to him, and it did make him relax.

“I try to stay in control because getting upset can only make things worse. You can correct mistakes as long as you stay calm, admit you made them, and do your best to fix them. Getting flustered or angry and panicking just makes you more likely to make more mistakes. It still shakes me, I mean, who wouldn’t get shaken by that, m’am. But it’s like people say ‘Courage isn’t lack of fear, it’s doing what needs to be done despite being scared’. Everything is like that in some way.”

“Speaking of Courage, then, tell me this. ⁸What is your Greatest fear?” He frowned. What kind of interview even was this? He wasn’t going to run out or anything, but he wasn’t clear how any of this involved being part of a micro-soda company.

“Uh...Burning out? I guess. Like failing to live up to other people’s expectations, or failing to be there for people who really need it. Not living up to my potential.”

“All of your answers are always about stuff in the future. You’re not scared of like, the Dark, or Scary Movies? Or Clowns?”

“...I mean, I guess those things can be scary, but they aren’t my greatest fear, M’am. I look ahead and try to have a plan to go on, and the idea of failing at those is way worse than, like, watching someone get decapitated in a movie or being in a bank when Atom Smasher tries to steal a million dollars. Those things are scary, but they’ll pass. It’s the stuff in the future that you can’t avoid, like an oncoming train of your own failure. That’s scary.”

At least this time she didn’t make that sound of ‘okay you said an answer’. Sandra just stayed quiet, writing with one hand and typing with the other. She looked back at him momentarily.

⁹“What is your ambition? You wanted this as a summer job. Where do you see yourself going when you graduate highschool, or college?” He knew this one immediately.

“Mayor of Freedom City, then President. Start small; maybe try to be an aide to a councilman or the mayor or serve in their advisory boards when I’m getting close to graduating college, eventually get the nod to take over as a Councilman, do my part to help the city, and then eventually the state and maybe the country. I want to do it without feeling like I’m abandoning people for better pastures, but I do want to also keep advancing.” More quiet. To Michael, it felt...tense. He was really into some kind of strange portion of this, but he was in it this far and wasn’t going to back out now.

¹⁰“How do you feel about how our world is? What do you think your place should be in the world?” The questions were rapid fire now, almost no small talk.

“I think our world is pretty good. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be better, and that doesn’t mean my place is just to sit by and let other people lead it. I want to make sure the world stays good, or becomes even better. That means being a part of the world, being visible, caring about the people and the things in it.”

¹¹“Do you hate anyone? Do you have any prejudices? How well do you usually get along with people you’ve never met before, people who don’t look like you?” 

“I...try not to hate anyone, or be prejudiced. I read in some psychology and sociology books that things we aren’t exposed to can result in us being prejudiced against them, and that you can pick up subconscious biases from people you respect. I don’t like, check myself against those biases constantly or anything but I try to view each person as a blank slate when I meet them for the first time. I’d like to be better at it, but isn’t that everyone? Being aware of your biases and working to correct them is the first step to getting over them.” 

¹²“Where do your loyalties lie? Order them.” she commanded. He gulped.

“Uh, my Family, Sam, my city? Sam, my Family, my City, humanity as a whole?” he said as fast as he could. He was starting to sweat. He answered the question without thinking, feeling like he was under a lot of pressure. Something about this woman’s entire attitude felt off, but she had enough force of personality he wanted to answer even though these questions weren’t really appropriate for a simple job interview.

¹³“Do you have a Lover or a Partner?”

“Uh, no. Nothing like that. I mean I’ve gone on a few dates but nothing serious. Sam’s my ‘partner’ I guess. But not romantically. We just hang out.”

“Whose Sam?”

“Sam’s my neighbor. We’ve been friends since we were like...6? We hang out all the time. People call her a ‘dropout’ sometimes, because her grades aren’t too good and she’s not involved in many extracurricular stuff, but she’s smarter than me honestly. If she applied herself she’d be way more impressive than I am.”

“You give compliments easily.”

“I always try to have a nice word to say about everyone.”

“Even people who don’t have any good qualities?”

“Everyone has good qualities, m’am, even if they don’t know it.”

“I see. ¹⁴Tell me about your family.”

“Sure. My dad is named Terrance, my mom is named Stella, and I have two brothers; Roderick is my older brother and Kenny is my younger one. My grandfather was named Max. He lived with us until I was about 10, he died then, of natural causes. He always taught us about being honest, patient, about not panicking when something weird is happening because it can cause more issues. He was there when the Centurion beat back Omega and died. That was when he learned it, he said; because if a Hero is doing something, even if you have no powers, the most important thing to do is not to panic and cause more distress or complications. I’ve taken it to heart. My dad, Terrance, he’s been a Foreman with Decosta Construction for a long time now, he’s one of their chief guys. My mom used to be a secretary in Pyramid Plaza, but not anymore. Roderick is in college, he wants to be a chef, Kenny’s in grade school. Like all grade school kids he wants to be a T-Rex Fireman Superhero. We all argue a bit but we’re there for each other. We used to roughhouse more when me and Roderick were kids but Kenny’s a bit too young to do that sort of stuff now that we’re almost fully grown so we’re careful with him.”

¹⁵(How would the people closest to your hero describe him?)

She was quiet again, for a little bit. Then she opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out another handful of papers. 

“I have a few of the statements I got asking for your references about things.” It didn’t really feel like references would be needed for a part-time job, but he had prepared them anyway.

“Yes, M’am?”

“So your football coach says you’re intense, do your best on every play, and never have issues memorizing the playbook. Your Dad says he’s proud of you, always helping around the house and never being a bother. The head of your block’s HOA says you always put your bike up and you’ve never been cited or fined for staying out past curfew without a note, that you help the elderly with their garbage, and you’ve volunteered for the past four years for the winter clothing and food drives. Your teachers say you’ve volunteered constantly for helping events." She put the papers down. “...But those are all things you do. Not a lot of them talk too much about you as a person. Other than the general ‘oh he’s a great kid’ things. That’s a bit of a weakness, isn’t it? You should be memorable for who you are and what you are as a person, not just for the deeds you do.”

“Er...Yes, M’am?” Why was she giving him life advice now? This whole interview was really keeping him off balance, or trying to. He was trying to stay focused despite that, just answer the questions and move on. He wasn’t even really sure if he wanted the job anymore, honestly.

¹⁶“Are you a role model?”

“I’m a bit too young to be a role model, but I’d like to be when I get older. I try to show Kenny and Sam how to behave, but I look up to Roderick and my dad and I looked up to my Grandpa too.”

¹⁷“What about your religion? Or how about Spirits”

“My mom is Protestant, and I used to go, but not too much anymore. Christmas and Easter I guess? And living on Lantern Hill means I’ve seen..well I’ve heard people talk about Lantern Jack, but he doesn’t really come out anymore as far as anyone knows. So clearly there’s some kind of spirits out there.”

¹⁸“How well do you do on a team? Can you adapt to a new one?”

“I mean I’m on the football team, and I’d like to work here, and that’s being a part of a team. I’d definitely always be up for collaboration or hanging out, or just being friends with people I work with. It’s easier to work together when you like each other, and I’m always willing to spend some time with others.”

¹⁹“What’s your opinion on Aliens and other Metahumans?”

“It’s hard to not have a high opinion in Freedom city, right? You see heroes helping out all the time. Aliens are a little scarier but not everyone is from the Terminus or whatever. I wish I had powers, sometimes. But I can still help people even without powers, so I don’t get too worked up about it. Isn’t that how most kids are? I remember from my grandad he said that every kid in the world used to be jealous of Arrow, The Boy Bowman, because everyone wanted to be the kid hanging out with all the heroes. I guess I’m kinda like that too.”

²⁰(If you could give your hero one piece of advice, what would it be?)

She looked at him for a long time. Long enough that he felt for the comfort of his grandfather’s watch again. He was sweating, he realized, under this woman’s harsh scrutiny and the surprisingly difficult interview. A lot of these questions seemed really unnecessary for a simple job like this, but he’d never had a ‘serious’ job before, so maybe they were. But it had definitely made him a little concerned. She went back to her writing, then typed something on her computer. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to get up and leave or not. He stayed put for now. Finally she spoke.

“You should try to be more than just someone who does what other people ask. You can have a great idea for what you want to do, but you should think about what those ambitions mean for you. Being the mayor could help many other people, but what does it get you? If you only ever do things for other people, eventually you’ll burn out like a match, and there won’t be any point to it. I’m not saying you should be corrupt or do things only for your benefit. But you should think about what being Mayor means for you, or President. If you don’t have any ambitions or goals of your own other than ‘help people’, you’re basically an empty suit, which is just as bad as being corrupt. You have to have your own defined beliefs of what ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ are, because if you don’t, you’ll just do whatever people suggest.” 

He couldn’t respond to that, really. He sat there and stared at her in confusion, chewing on his tongue and rolling it over on his mind. Now he was silent, and they both sat there. The stopwatch gave a final, furtive click and turned off. He had really spent over an hour here, in this room, in this uncomfortable chair, with this woman who was, in some ways, very intimidating?

“...You’re hired.” Sandra Sampson said. “We’ll get you your uniform and have you ready for your first shift tomorrow.”

“...Uh...t..thanks.” He mumbled. “Er, Thank You, M’am.” he said more formally. “...Actually, M’am, not to uh, immediately start pressing my luck, but there is one more thing you could maybe help me with...”

[Poncho]

Mid September, 2023

 

Only a few lights were on in Sampson’s Sodas as Sam transferred the cash from the register to the safety envelope, closing and locking it. She noted down the total from the register in the accounts book and flipped it closed. 

 

Michael was finishing up mopping, a necessary task in a place that sold so many sugary beverages. It had been a pretty good day for sales, but that also meant a pretty good day for accidents. 

 

“Hey Mike.” 

 

“Yeah?” 

 

“How much longer are we gonna do this job anyway?” Sam asked. It wasn’t like Michael was the boss or anything; it was just that they did everything together, so neither of them would leave the other high and dry if they had any reason not to do so. She closed the register and went to wipe off any residue from the serving fountains as they talked. 

 

“I dunno. I kinda like it. I mean it’s not a permanent job or anything but I don’t see any reason to want to leave it any time soon.” He didn’t mention, and she didn’t bring up, that Sam had missed a few shifts lately; He’d always covered for them, so it wasn’t a big deal, but she had been having other things to do instead of work, and Michael had picked up the slack. 

 

“I guess that’s fair, there’s way worse jobs we could have. I’d rather work here than a random fast food joint. Then we wouldn’t even get a discount or coupons.” she mumbled, pulling her hair out of its ponytail.

 

“We’d probably be paid worse too.” He said with a laugh. Done with mopping, he pulled the mopping sheet off the bottom of it and dumped it in the trash bag destined for the dumpster tonight, tying it closed and hefting it over his shoulder as the two locked the front door and headed into the back area.

 

The back area of Sampson’s was much less opening then the front; instead of a trendy looking hangout, the back- which took up more space- was a converted warehouse building with various vats and desks. Coming up with exact recipes for various syrups was a time consuming process that was more art than science; the percentages of individual ingredients, the strength of their taste, the additional chemicals could all result in changes to the taste. The machines were off, but the mixing stations were filled with notes- some on computers, some on paper- of different formulas and ideas. A meeting room in the back with a glass wall showed notes for next spring’s plans for sodas. 

 

Even though they didn’t produce industrial amounts of soda, they had some larger containers for their most popular or always available sodas. Cleaning out the smaller tanks- those that were limited run or special editions- was a multi day process to avoid contamination, enough that it was considered a miserable job. Currently, there was only one person in the entire building besides the two of them, and he was carefully watching as his newest concoction of syrup was being poured into a below ground vat. His name, Michael would recall for the rest of his life, was Patrick Cooper. He was a thin faced man who looked far more like a respectable scientist then a Soda maker, and always seemed perpetually worried. As the two younger employees finished their chores, they waved at him, then wandered over to where he was standing on top of the half closed lid of the vat. 

 

“Hey Patrick!” Michael said, as cheerful as he always was. “What are you working on now?” The nervous seeming man turned towards him and wrung his fingers a little, looking between the two kids and the vat.

 

“Oh...this? This is uh...we were calling it Hour of Power. It’s got Dragonfruit and Strawberry and the...M...I mean, yeah, Dragonfruit and Strawberry. Making a...a....a super limited run, I think...we’re hoping it sells well as a collector’s item.” he mumbled. He had that way about how he talked; that he was never looking at you so all his words came out almost muffled and you had to strain to hear him. It wasn’t really helped by his stuttering, and he always acted like he had something to hide, which was kind of ridiculous because he worked as a soda engineer. His timid nature annoyed Sam about him- but most things about people annoyed Sam-.

 

“Come on, speak up a bit. You should be proud of it if you made it!” Sam barked, slapping him on the shoulder. “Successful people shouldn’t be embarrassed about being successful, and you make some of the most well liked flavors don’t you?” Patrick stumbled a bit but grinned.

 

“Yeah. You’re right. I do. Thanks Sam.”

 

“No problem. You’re like twice our age anyway, so shouldn’t you be the confident one and we’re the ones who are all nervous about talking to you?” she teased.

 

“Hah..more confidence huh? I guess I really should show some.” he admitted. He took a moment to look at his clipboard, filled with complicated formulas and directions. “I need to finish jotting down the recipe for this, and then I’ll lock up the back. I’ll see you two later alright?” 

 

Michael and Sam’s response was drowned out by the sound of the wall exploding into shattered brick and useless plaster as the entire building shook. A vehicle more akin to a tank smashed through half the wall and, acting surprisingly decisively for a mild-mannered scientist, Patrick shoved both Sam and Michael into the vat, throwing his clipboard after them.

 

“Don’t say anything. Be extremely quiet.” He barked at them as they hit the liquid.

 

The syrup was thick and heavy, more like molasses than water, and they started to sink immediately, barely able to keep their heads above the syrup by scrabbling against the mostly smooth sides of the vat. There was an immediate understanding that this was a dangerous situation and that their best hopes of getting away from it unscathed were to do exactly what Patrick had told them to do, so neither said a word as they hung onto the smooth walls of the vat, under the half closed lid where Patrick was standing, fingers trying to find purchase on smooth metal bolts and bands as they kicked their legs hard to stay above the bright red syrup. They could hear heavy steps moving up above them and voices.

 

“You’re one of the scientists huh?” this voice was gruff and hard, no nonsense

 

“Y..yes. Please don’t hurt me.” came Patrick’s reply

 

“Well that depends entirely on what you can do for us. You know we’re in the same business.” This voice was a lot clearer than the previous unknown individual, relaxed and confident. “I just want to compare notes, like all good scientists should.”

 

“Sure, no problem.” Patrick responded. “No need to get rough.”

 

“I quite agree. Why don’t you just let us collect all your work and notes and a few samples and we’ll be on our way.” There were more boots, but the three above the two teens hiding in the vat didn’t move. “Is this your latest experimental batch?”

 

“It is.”

 

“You have the formula for it?”

 

“N..No. I hadn’t written it down yet. We were producing it for testing. You know we don’t test these on kids so the containers have to be sterilized completely both to avoid tainting batches with prior attempts and getting anything into kid’s drinks.”

 

“Well you can finish the formula at our lab. Ours, at least, doesn’t mean you have to make a bunch of soda for kids. Though to be honest, I think kids would make excellent test subjects and you’re really missing out on the possibilities here; their bodies are much more likely to adapt well to the effects.” It was around this time that Michael started feeling the itching all over his body, like ants were crawling across his skin. He cut his eyes towards Sam, and noticed that her eyes seemed to be tinged with red. But it was getting easier to hold onto the side of the wall, easier to stay swimming. But they still didn’t move from their hiding spot. 

 

“...I’m not getting a choice am I?” Patrick asked. 

 

“Not at all. We’ll be collecting a sample of this as well. Go ahead and dump the rest of this stuff out, we’d prefer to be the only ones with your latest formula.” There was a scuffling sound and the drain activated in the vat, slowly pumping out the syrup. The vat was almost full, so it was going to take awhile, but there were more sounds as people walked. “Alright, come on then, we’ve only got so much time after all.” the unknown leader said as their voice grew dimmer and dimmer. “Oh, and close that hatch and break it. Wouldn’t want any prying ears. Just in case.” 

 

The lid of the Vat flipped fully shut, then there was a sound of rending, popping steel as the edges of it were literally punched into twisted shapes, sealing it and leaving the two in complete darkness outside of the sound of the pump slowly sucking away the syrup. Which did absolutely nothing for the amount of air in the tank, which was already suffering from there being two kids in it who were breathing heavily with the exertion of trying to keep their heads above the syrup and the downpull of the drain. Michael slowly felt his thoughts getting further away as he continued to try and swim up, to hang on and breathe slowly, to stay calm, but he could start to see spots in his vision and the darkness was getting very, very heavy.

 

Then he felt very light all of a sudden, and he didn’t remember anything else.

 

Two Weeks Later

 

Michael was exceptionally surprised when his boss entered his hospital room. He had not been expecting Sandra Sampson to do more than send a card- which she had-, but here she was in the flesh, her face, as always, a serious mask. She never seemed to have the appropriate temperament to run a soda store, but appearances could be deceiving, Michael had thought to himself. But now she shut the door behind her and sat in a chair next to his bed, her gray hair framing an extremely stern face.

 

“I’m not getting fired am I?” He broke the silence. She almost smiled.

 

“The opposite. You’re being...highly encouraged to continue your job.” She replied.

 

“I am?” 

 

“Let me be very clear.” she straightened up and he felt like he was back in that original interview, and he was completely locked in place.

 

“I am Sandra Sampson, and while I do own Sampson’s Sodas, I am also a government contractor under A.E.G.I.S. researching the manaka root, which has previously granted individuals superhuman powers. The formula you were thrown into has been, so far, our only successful test batch. The scientist that made that batch has been kidnapped, the formula ruined, and we have no notes. You and Samantha are the only remaining confirmations that that batch worked. We want to keep you safe, and help you not hurt yourself with these powers. But all of that means we will be keeping a close eye on you, you will be continuing your job, and we will help you hide your identity. But that means you’re going to Claremont Academy now as well; you need teachers.” That was enough information to make someone's head spin, and way too much to even begin to process while sitting in a hospital bed. He had to stop and mull over most of it, before taking a deep breath and focusing on the part that actually drew the most interest from him.

 

“....That...that was a lot of information.”

 

“There will be time to process it later, and more information given as we get the chance to. For now, your life is suddenly even more on rails than it was before. We can work through this together, your parents, you, and my company. Right now, what I need from you is confirmation that you understand what I just said.” He decided to focus only one the part that had meant the most for him, at the focus that was making his adrenaline pump again.

 

“So...if I have powers...I can become a Superhero right?” This paused her for a moment, trying to figure out how to react to how well he seemed to be taking it.

 

“...Sure. If you finish your training, you can become a Superhero.”

 

“Then I want a costume too.” She was quiet for a while again.

 

“Alright, we’ll make you a costume. You have to pick out your own name though.”

 

“I’ll figure one out.”

[Poncho]

Accessing Personnel Files....Enter Username and Password

Password accepted...Welcome, Sandra Sampson

Attempting to access locked report...please provide retinal scan.

Retinal Scan completed...accessing.

Presenting Log of All obtained information on ‘Michael Adon’

 

Introduction

Who is he? Sum him up in one sentence.

Michael Adon is a student at Claremont High, a Superhero imbued with powers based from the manaka root, who has designs on future political power and superheroics.

Does he have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume?

Michael Adon is sometimes called ‘Mikey’ ‘M.T.’, or ‘Mr. Mike’ by his friends. The third is used jokingly when he is extremely ‘in-character’ as trying to be a mature, serious adult. 

What is his full birth name?

His full birth name is Michael Terrance Adon, his middle name is taken from his Grandfather. For further information on “Grandpa Max” Terrance Adon, please see the relevant log. 

Where does he live?

Michael resides at 3040 Persimmon Boulevard, Lantern Hill, Freedom City, New Jersey, and has a form room at Claremont Academy

How old is he? What year was he born (if applicable)?

Michael is 17 years old. He was born March 25th, 2006. This makes him an Aries in the Astrological signs and a Fire Dog in the Chinese Zodiac.

Physical Traits 

What is his gender? If not applicable, please explain.

Michael is a male and presents as a male at this time.

How would you describe his heritage?

Michael’s primary heritage is a variety of Caucasian ethnicities, without a primary ‘foreign’ ethnicity; he and his family have treated themselves as proud Americans and proud New Jerseyians for the past three generations. 

How tall is he?

Michael is currently 6 feet tall. Estimates believe he will reach a height of six foot two to six foot four when he is fully grown.

What is his body type?

Michael’s form is lean and muscular, appropriate for the two sports he participates in; high school football as a quarterback and ice hockey as a forward. 

Does he have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities?

Michael’s body has no allergies or physical deformities. He was allergic to cucumbers- but not pickles- before being dumped in the manaka root treatment, but this has been observed to no longer be the case. Instead, he has developed a weakness to strong vibrations.

How does he carry himself? Is he graceful, or heavy on his feet? Can he be stealthy, do his walk with confidence?

Michael walks confidently but is not stealthy. He is not prone to random bits of clumsiness, but he is not perfectly in control of his body at all times either. His capabilities with his new powers have led to some level of clumsiness when using them as he is not used to his own strength, but it is believed this will change in time.

Describe his skin, eye, and hair color.

Michael has brown eyes and brown hair, within standard deviations for someone of his racial background. His skin is pale but he enjoys playing outdoors so he often has a tan. When he uses more of his manaka root powers, his hair and eye color begin to change to red. Right now this is just a highlighting effect

How does he wear his hair, if applicable? Does he have facial hair?

Michael wears his hair with a left part at a standard length cut. He keeps himself well-shaven. 

Does he consider himself attractive? Do others?

Michael will be attractive enough in a few more years, but for now this is not relevant to most considerations. Several of his classmates do consider him attractive, but there does not seem to be any significant issues with this.

Does he have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks?

Michael has a birthmark on his right hip in the shape of a star. For more information on possible origins of this birthmark, please see the relevant link.

Does he resemble anyone famous?

Michael bears a resemblance in some ways to Patrick Schwarzenegger, though he is significantly younger. 

Does he have a dominant hand?

Michael is left handed.

What kind of clothing does he wear?

Michael almost never wears less than ‘business casual’ clothing, including polos and slacks. These outfits are usually tailored, rather than being off the rack, but he can’t afford the highest brand clothes; he makes up for the lower budget with a trusted tailor named Jane Trudgel, who makes the clothes look good on him

Does he wear makeup?

Michael will at times wear make-up for mock debates or meetings when he wants to impress, particularly concealer to improve his looks and correct any blemishes.

What is his vocal range? Is his voice distinctive in some way?

Michael has a slightly deeper voice than usual for a man of his age, which lends a trusting timbre quality to his voice. He has absolutely no ability to carry a tune, and will not sing even at birthday parties or other events unless he can simply mouth the words.

Does he have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy him or other people?

Michael relies on an old stopwatch given to him by his grandfather when he becomes nervous or uncertain or bored. The watch is broken, and can only keep time for exactly one hour when wound. This is a trait his Grandfather also had, and he learned it from him. Though he often hides the watch in his pocket, he can at times be seen winding the clock while in thought. His friend Samantha finds this habit silly, but doesn’t press him on it. Others may find these habits distracting. 

History  

Where does he come from?

Michael comes from Freedom City.

Has he made any major moves, or does he live in his hometown?

Michael has never lived outside of Freedom City, and indeed has never even moved from his home in his entire life, outside of moments of summer camp or the like. His change to the Claremont Dorms will be his first time living outside of his ancestral house. 

Does he feel loyal to his country of citizenship? Does he consider himself patriotic? How does he feel about the government of his country?

Michael’s desire to participate in Government indicates a loyalty to at least the ideals of America. He is not overly patriotic. Despite his ironclad belief that he wants to be a politician, he seems to have put no further thought, yet, into how he feels about the government as a whole. This will likely change quite rapidly given his new situation.

How does he feel about the place he comes from?

Michael has expressed a joy in coming from Lantern Hill, specifically being under the protection of Lantern Jack, who, even though he has been missing for many years, Michael still believes protects his neighborhood. He loves Freedom City and his actual house, and has no complaints about his father’s stated job.

Where is his home town? What was/is it like?

Michael is a ‘born and bred’ New Jerseyian from Freedom City’s Lantern Hill district.

Growing up, were most of the people he knew similar to him, or was he somehow a minority? How did that affect him?

Michael was not unique in his upbringing, he fits into the social and racial majorities of his living situation. However, his stern desire to follow his goals was significantly different from many of his peers, who continue to be uncertain about their futures. This has led some to mistrust or dislike him.

Is there something he's always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected his life?

Michael is traditionally good at sports, speaking, and studies. He is not extremely intelligent but he is good at studying and works hard to make up for it. He is better at being convincing and engaging socially with others. In comparison, he is quite bad at singing, and refuses whenever he can. He also is quite bad at taking leisure time, which can result in him being woefully unprepared for things like fair games, board games, or video games.

Were there any traumatic experiences in his early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)?

Michael was the individual who found his Grandfather Max when he died. Michael was 10 years old at that time. He was around 12 when his mother was severely injured during a supervillain attack at Pyramid Plaza. In both these situations, he received counseling but showed no permanent psychological trauma.

Briefly describe a defining moment in his childhood and how it influenced his life.

The most defining moments in Michael’s childhood are the incident in 2012 involving The Freedom League and his meeting with President Michael O’Connor Jr.- when he was still Mayor- in 2017. In 2012, minions from Hades, possessing various children’s Halloween costumes and Jack-O-Lanterns began a plot to kidnap children to have them cast a magic spell to invoke the Lord of the Dead. The Freedom League, aided by Eldrich, drove out these underworld invaders and saved many children, including Michael and Sam themselves. This sparked Michael’s true appreciation of Superheroes, to be saved by them, and is where he was first informed by his Grandfather to stay calm and not cause trouble, and how that is the best way to help a Superhero. In 2017, then Mayor Michael O’Connor Jr. met the representatives of the Model UN at Michael’s grade school, which included Michael himself. Emboldened at the time, Michael directly asked O’Connor how to help Superheroes the most. His advice mirrored the information Michael got from his grandfather, and he added that he, the Mayor, helped Superheroes by always being on their side when the government needed them for something. These two events catalyzed Michael’s current ambitions. 

Warning Notice; Given Michael's family history- such as his mother's crippling in 2019- and these events in his personal history, along with his psychological profile, it is highly likely any versions of Michael from alternate dimensions have the potential to be evil or villainous. These individuals, hypothetically referred to as Black Stars, would likely have similar strengths and weaknesses to Michael and could be subdued the same way.

Addendum; The Black Star Phenomenon is not confirmed; it is only a hypothetical model based on psychological data from Michael. Alternate versions of Michael could just as easily not have suffered from any of the listed traumas at all, much less all of them turning evil; the chances are likely no higher than any other hero turning evil, as noted in the Anti-Earth Phenomenon. In my opinion, preparing for evil versions of Michael at this point is unnecessary.

What stupid things did he do when he was younger?

Michael had several warnings for shoplifting with Sam when he was younger, and has been caught doing underage drinking before, but has always gotten off with warnings. These incidents imply that there are moments where Michael winds himself too tight, and must blow off steam, and should be monitored closely. In unrelated issues, he, like many kids, did several dangerous stunts as a child to try and ‘force’ any latent superpowers to activate.

Where did he go to school? How much school does he have, and did he enjoy it?

Michael is a current student of Claremont Academy, in order to control his superhero powers. He was previously at Franklin D. Roosevelt High, where he spent two years and was a star athlete and participated in various extracurricular activities. He maintains a high GPA and works hard to keep his place. It is likely he will earn a Scholarship to FCU or Freedom College, most likely with academics, as his sports career has been cut short for the foreseeable future. He, by all accounts, enjoys his schooling. 

Does he have any mementos of his childhood? What are they, and why did he keep them? If he have none, why not?

Michael's most important memento is his Grandfather's watch. He will do whatever he can to keep it safe, as it provides him with an anchor to his respected grandparent and produces a calming effect when he becomes stressed out. 

When did he decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence him one way or another in the decision?

Michael wanted to become a hero as soon as his first encounter with The Freedom League, but did not have any powers and did not develop any. However, his refocus towards assisting heroes as a government official could be considered a continuation of wanting to be a hero in his own way. His meetings with President- then Mayor- O'Connell continued his desires to work in politics, and after the manaka root formula gave him powers, he immediately wanted to become a Superhero  

Is the reason he gives people for becoming a hero different than his real reason? If so, why?

Michael has never been less than honest about his desires, which has at times been to his detriment. He knows not to explain how he obtained his powers or to reveal his superpowers for no reason, but his overarching desire to help people is consistent from his younger days.  

Does he have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt him?

Michael's relationship with Sam can be a weak point depending on how Sam deals with her own growing powers. A poor reaction to them from her could drag Michael down with her.  

Does he represent himself as being different from who he really is? Why?

Michael hides only his superpowers and the way he got them from others. In any other way. He acts the exact same as he ‘truly’ is.  

If he does have these secrets, what does he fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would he go to protect those secrets?

Michael's major secret that he knows of is his combination of powers and secret identity. He would do his best to protect his identity and try to swear others to secrecy  

Does he have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge?

Michael does not have an official criminal record but has received several warnings for infractions done with Sam. This has mostly resulted in negative reactions to Sam instead of Michael, but he has always steadfastly defended her as being a good person who means no harm  

Family  

What are his biological parents' names?

His father's full name is Terrance Thomas Adon, referred to as “T.T.” or “Top” and his mother's full name is Stella Leslie Simmons Adon, known as “Stells”.  

Was heraised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised him.

He was raised by his parents and his Paternal Grandfather “Grandpa Max” Terrance Adon  

What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living?

Terrance Thomas Adon is a high ranking foreman for DeCosta construction, well respected in his community for being generous and finishing work ahead of schedule, and well liked by the neighborhood kids for giving out full sized candy bars on Halloween. Stella was a marketing manager in Scarab Plaza until 2019, where a Supervillain attack by Gamma the Atom Smasher crippled her legs. She was healed by the Freedom League and has full function in her body but sometimes suffers moments of weakness- believed to be psychological instead of physiological- and decided to take an offer to retire on disability instead of continuing to work. She works on her neighborhood beautification committee and is active in many social groups in their neighborhood.  

Where are his parents now?

They still reside at 3040 Persimmon Boulevard. 

Does his family stay in one area or move around a lot?

Michael has never lived anywhere besides his childhood home for any extended period of time. 

How does he get along with their parents? How does he get along with them now (if applicable).

Michael's relationship with his parents is fine, but sometimes strained by his mother feeling that Sam is a bad influence on him. His relationship with his father is equally good, but is now instead being strained by Michael moving to a new school and developing Superpowers. This is likely due to issues involving Terrance's own background, see relevant files.

How do his parents view him now, or how would they?

While Michael and his parents are both adjusting to the changes in his life that are coming rapidly as they do for all teenagers, their familial bond is extremely strong and will likely not be broken. They are still proud of their son and this will, with 95% certainty, continue to be accurate.  

Does he have any siblings? If so, how many and what are their names? Describe his relationship with them.

Roderick Jackson “RJ” Adon is his Older brother, a student in his second year at Freesa for the Culinary Arts. See personal file. Roderick and Michael are close in age and have had a competitive but friendly brotherly relationship. They've had fights but also back each other up.

Kenny Terrance Adon is his younger brother and was a surprise pregnancy, which is why he is significantly younger than his siblings. He trusts his brothers but is too young for any meaningful relationship.

What was his birth order in the family?

RJ, Michael, then Kenny

Where are his siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do?

RJ is in his second year at HIT, living on campus. He is in a steady relationship but is not married and has no children. He is majoring in Biophysics.

Kenny is in grade school and lives with Michael and his parents.  

Does he stay in touch with them or has he become estranged?

His family is all close, but with their two oldest children moving out, it’s possible that this relationship will begin to suffer stress as their parents adapt to a much more empty 

Does he love or hate one member of the family in particular?

Michael had a very close relationship with his Grandfather, though he died when Michael was young. This relationship forms the basis of several of Michael's core traits, beliefs, and actions.  

Is any member of the family special to him in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)?

Michael still reveres his Grandfather and keeps a diary with letters addressed to him that he writes in when he is struggling.

Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including him)? If so, please explain.

Michael's family does not have any active black sheep, however his relationship with Sam creates a ‘pseudo’ black sheep; she occupies a similar position in the family and causes concern that Michael spends so much time with her  

Does he have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected his life.

Michael is unaware of his family histories, but our information of his family tree indicates that on his Father's side, he is a descendant of the Minuteman from the Revolutionary War, while his Mother has a distant blood relationship to Jack Simmon, also known as The Patriot, the original one. This likely explains his reaction to the Manaka Root formula that granted him his powers. His father's family line has used manaka root for generations, but most are not well known. 

Does he have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them.

His closest partner is Samantha “Sam” Carmen Durado. She is not a romantic partner at this time, but instead an extremely good friend. And he has no kids.

If he does not have a partner or children, does he want them someday? How firm is he in his opinion on this, and what might change his mind?

Current information suggests that Michael does eventually want a partner and children, and he likely dreams of living in the same house as his parents do and raising his kids in that house. 

What type of person would be his ideal mate?

Michael is likely to seek out a Superpowered individual as a mate, someone who has a personal code of ethics that is close to his own. Due to his nature and the way that he behaves, it is equally possible or likely that he will end up falling for a supervillain and end up trying to bring them to the ‘right side’, which would be a significant weakness for him.

Relationships  

Does he have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how he came to be close to them.

Michael is often popular in school; he had many friends and was close to several of them, like Jack Gardner the star running back, Chuck Yaeger the hockey goalie, and Farah Fox, the Student Council Vice President. However, he has lost these friends now that he’s moved to Claremont, which has limited how much time he can spend with them and has removed some of his most common socializing time with them, which was his sports and extracurricular times. While they’re still friends, Michael is pretty much newly afloat in his new school, with only Sam to back him up.

Does he have a best friend? If so, how did they become his best friend? How close is he to his best friend?

Sam is Michael’s closest friend, a hispanic woman his age who went to the same school as him. Sam’s father works as a car salesman in Freedom City, and managed to get a new house on Lantern Hill just in time to welcome his first daughter into the world. Sam and Michael aren’t exactly neighbors but their houses are only a street away, and they met each other on the same Halloween that The Freedom League saved several children of Lantern Hill. They both managed to avoid being hypnotized by the underworld specters and escape together, which bound them together and they have been inseparable ever since. The two share everything to each other, even though their paths have, at times, diverged. Sam is even more intelligent than Michael is, but doesn’t try as hard in school which results in lower grades. She’s a tan-skinned woman with dark brown eyes and dark golden hair that she dyes the underside in green and reds. She has the same powers as Michael, from the same basis. For more information on Samantha Durado, see her own file. Notably, unlike Michael, she does not currently seem to have any desire to engage in Superheroics. 

If he were to go missing, who would worry about him?

If Michael went completely missing, almost everyone in his extended circle would be concerned and try to organize some sort of search party. To the judge of those around him, he just isn’t the kind of kid to do that, and he’s made positive impressions on many of the people around him; the idea of the High School Quarterback going missing suddenly would be in the newspaper, if not on the front page. Despite this, we have records of Michael spending nights away from his house with Sam or other friends without telling his parents and causing them to worry, though he would always return by morning.

Has he lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did he do?

Michael lost his grandfather, but only due to old age. He clearly still remembers him and has bittersweet feelings about him, and keeps a photo of him so he can never forget what he looks like, in addition to keeping his diary full of letters that he would send his grandfather if he could to ask for his advice.

Does he have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with him.

Michael holds a severe grudge against Gamma the Atom Smasher for crippling his mother, but the Supervillain would have no idea who Michael is. He would be hard pressed to keep himself in check if he happened to meet the Supervillain during a crime; but the Atom Smasher is significantly more powerful than Michael at this point, so the fight would probably not go very well for Michael. This bitter enemies relationship is thus extremely one sided.

If he has enemies, how does he think they might attempt to work against him in the future?

In comparison, Michael does have an actual threat from the Powerhouse. The underground human enhancement program was the reason Michael fell into the vat that gave him his powers in the first place. It will not take much time of Michael being active as a Superhero for them to become aware that he is using the formula that they attempted to capture the night he was empowered, and it’s much greater effects will make them very greedy to capture Golden Star and see what exactly made his formula so much better than theirs, no matter what happens to Michael himself.

What is the worst thing someone has done to him?

Michael is a middle-class kid whose ‘worst day ever’- excluding the death of his grandfather and the injury to his mother- were things like bad school picture days or someone stealing his bike. This is a possible weakness; his compassion comes from never experiencing significant hardship himself, and he has never had to deal with significant, permanent tragedy on a personal scale. This will be a test when such things do happen, to see how he will react.

Where do his loyalties lie? In what order?

Michael is only loyal to the State in a broad concept, which could be a problem for our future goals. He is instead loyal to what he sees as ‘the common people’ and to Superheroes in general. He wants to make their lives easier and is self-sacrificing to do so. While his beliefs have not fully crystallized into how that looks, he will absolutely be attempting to do whatever he determines as ‘right’ to the best of his ability and with the best intentions.

However, it would be poor form to not acknowledge that his family and Samantha could both ruin these plans. If Michael knew about his Father’s history (See relevant history), he would become very shocked, and this could significantly change his loyalties (see the Black Star phenomenon located here [X]). Similarly, Michael would go to any lengths to protect Samantha, even from her own decisions. It is not impossible that he would falter in heroic actions in order to stand up for Samantha, and this should be monitored extremely carefully.

Who or what does he trust the most? Why?

Michael has absolute trust in Samantha, as she is going through the same issues he is and they have been best friends for the majority of their lives. There are likely no secrets between the two and never will be.

Who or what does he despise? Why?

Michael holds special dislike for Gamma, but does not overtly despise any individual or group. He is prone to thinking the best even of villains or criminals, and will work with them for peaceful resolutions as best he can. However, he has no tolerance for bullies or abusers, and dislikes those who pick on those weaker than them. He was never bullied himself, but Sam was at times and as a friendly individual he has always tried to engender cooperation between others.

What qualities does he admire most in other people? Are these qualities he possess?

Michael highly values responsibility, loyalty, honesty and integrity. He tries to hold these principles himself, being responsible for Sam and his younger brother, loyal to his Father and Grandfather’s beliefs, honest when dealing with others, and not being easily swayed. He is still young enough that sometimes he makes mistakes or fails to live up to his goals, as any individual does, but he strives to be someone other people can look up to.  

What qualities does he hate most in other people? Does he have any of those qualities?

Michael dislikes people who are flighty or smug about being better than others. However, these are qualities he himself can sometimes demonstrate; his multiple commitments can at times cause him to have to leave in the middle of other commitments when they overlap, or miss out on some in favor of others, while he can, at times, be quite confident or even superior acting when he’s trying to help someone out or do something for them; it does not seem to be out of an intentional desire to put others down, but rather that his nature as someone who is supremely confident in what he wants to do can make other people feel like he’s looking down on others.  

Does he have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Does he hide it from people who are close to him? Why?

Michael’s identity as Golden Star is a secret and attempts are being made to keep this a secret. While we at Sampson’s know it, and his teachers at Claremont and his parents and Sam know it, it is otherwise kept extremely quiet. Neither of his brothers have been told out of concern of them sharing it unwisely, and none of his previous school friends have been told why Michael has suddenly liked Franklin D. Roosevelt High School and moved on to Claremont, instead being told that he suffered some sort of injury that requires more specialized schooling. This is ideal for our purposes at this time, and we will be continuing to ensure that his name does not get out.

Does he work well on teams and in groups? Is he a leader or a follower?

Michael is a natural leader who does well in teams. He is excellent at inspiring others, but he is not a tactician or a planner, relying on others to handle that. He will almost certainly try to surround himself with new friends and allies whenever he enters a new situation, which could give him a chance to be a member of a new young super team that could help train and prepare him for new situations.

Is he on a super team? If so, how does he get along with his comrades? Does he trust them, or does he have secrets from them?

Michael is not part of a Super Team at this time, but this will likely not be the case for long. It will be beneficial to him to join a team and learn how to co-exist with other superhumans, especially those more comfortable with their powers, but these individuals should be vetted by us.

Is he a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political Roderparty, or other group? How much time does he spend on that?

Michael maintains an extreme amount of clubs, committees, and similar groups for secondary activities. A small sampling includes being a member of the Hockey Team, Football Team, taking Boxing lessons, participating in Model U.N. and Student Council, managing food and toy drives in the winter, working a part time job at Sampson’s Sodas, helping with Craft Fairs and being a Tutor after school, and having small, recurring commitments to a variety of clubs he joins and helps out with but eventually leaves due to not being interested in them, as he will try anything once. This makes Michael exceptionally busy at almost all times. This makes it likely that he will fray at the edges and burn out, if not carefully monitored. 

 

Personality & Beliefs

Who are his heroes?

While Michael has great respect for most Superheroes, the two individuals he holds the highest respect for are The Freedom League and President Michael O'Connell Jr. He is unaware of O'Connell's family history, but has great respect for how the President continuously stands as an ardent supporter of Heroes.

Did he ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?

Michael would likely become quite disillusioned and disappointed if he found out more information about his father, but so far most of his life has been free of these sorts of difficult situations. This is a prime reason for why his emotional state must be carefully monitored.  

Does he like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes him keep doing it?

Michael enjoys the idea that he will be a superhero, as it will help him live up to the ideals that he has been trying to follow since he was young. However, he has limited experience actually doing heroics, and he may find it far more challenging than he thinks it will be. If he overcomes these difficulties he will likely continue to be a hero for as long as he is able to.  

Is there anything that would make him give up hero work, or even switch sides?

Michael has yet to face any serious challenges in being a superhero, which could indicate his resolve might falter when tested and result in him quickly abandoning the idea. In addition, with his negative histories, it is possible that he would falter and engage in a Black Star phenomenon, particularly if Samantha or his family suffer either due to his heroics or due to the actions of Supervillains as a whole. 

Addendum: While we can not state this with certainty, the prior statement is simply the assumption of computer models, which can be known to be faulty considering the irregularity of humans, especially Superheroes or those with powers. Michael has not expressed anything that would make him give up hero work, and it is just as possible that such tragedies would empower or embolden him to greater heights instead of damage his desire to do so.

What are his short term goals (what would he like to be doing within a year)?

Michael keeps a firm plan, short and long term. His short term goals include becoming Class President at Claremont, finishing his High School degree, and moving onto College. He wants to become a more renowned Superhero with a clearer grasp on his powers and grow more comfortable with his strength, and make new friends at his new school.

What are his long term goals (what would he like to be doing twenty years from now)?

Michael’s long term plans are kept in the same diary he writes his letters to his grandfather in. It notes his goal of getting into FCU or Freedom University, graduating with degrees in Economics and Political Science, and joining Committees and becoming an aide to a Councilman or the Mayor, with the goal of becoming one of those himself. Eventually after that, he still wants to try and become President.

What is his greatest fear? Why? What does he do when something triggers this fear?

Michael’s greatest fear is seeing his future goals falling apart; significant disciplinary punishment, failing to graduate, arrests or ostracization. While he wouldn’t want to see his family hurt or injured or in danger for him, he has put so much focus onto his future that something causing his plans to fall apart could significantly damage his mental state, making a feeling that he has wasted his life and all the years spent working towards his goals was completely useless. When he has these fears, he usually writes more letters to his Grandfather, asking him for help. 

Is there anything he would give his life for?

While Michael’s goal as a Superhero involves being willing to sacrifice his life for others, he has not had to test his commitment. However, examination of his previous actions and stances suggest he would very easily sacrifice his life for his Family or Samantha

How does he feel about money and material wealth? Does he desire it or disdain it? Is he miserly with what he has, or does he like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end?

Michael has not had to stress about money for most of his life due to the comfortable salaries obtained by his parents, which has given him a poor understanding of others who need money or have issues obtaining it. It is not to say he does not value money; he understands he needs it and tries to be thrifty, but he also has caring parents who would pay for something if he needed it and didn’t have the money to do so. He enjoys sharing what he does have and is free to offer help with clothing drives or paying for parties when he can. He also enjoys handing out the discount cards that come with his part-time job. When he stops being able to rely on his parents, Michael will find out the value of money quite quickly.

How does he generally treat others?

Arguably Michael’s most heroic quality is that he treats everyone he meets as nice and politely as possible. He never raises his voice first, and even villains have to strike him first before he’ll raise hands against them. He is unflinchingly polite, and unflinchingly compassionate. If someone needs help, he will help them, and if someone asks for something, he will try to get it for them.

Is he a trusting person? Has his trust ever been abused?

While others have used Michael’s nature to their benefit, he has always brushed it off. He continues to be trusting even afterwards; while some may have used him just for benefits, such as coupons or benefits, or have pretended to be nice to get benefits from hanging around with him, he never lets such things keep him from trusting other people.

Is he introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Does he have a lot of self-confidence?

Michael is an extroverted individual with a lot of self-confidence, almost too much. He does not have issues starting conversations and tries to be friendly with everyone he meets.

How does he act around attractive, available members of his preferred sex?

Michael isn’t afraid of telling people he thinks are attractive that they are attractive, and doesn’t think too much about it if he gets turned down and isn’t pushy. But he’s also very capable of just being friendly with people who don’t like him that way and won’t concern himself with it.

What are his most annoying habits?

Michael’s insistence on being polite, his aggressively friendly nature, and his rubbing of his grandfather’s watch could all be considered highly annoying habits to people who don’t think well of him. The fact he is often over-dressed for casual social events can also make people find him annoying or stuck up.

Does he feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why?

Michael does his best not to feel contempt for anyone, believing most people are good on the insides. This does not mean he simply accepts unacceptable behavior, but instead he would try to explain why it is unacceptable and convince them to cease doing it

What is his favorite food? Does he prefer any particular type of food? Does he take the time to enjoy his food, or does he eat as fast as he can?

Michael is a fan of the classic All-American Cheeseburger. Extra cheese, grilled onions, pickles, mayo, mustard, ketchup, tomato and lettuce. With a good burger, he’ll savor every bite, and he generally tries to at least taste his food before he eats it. 

What is his favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Michael likes Soda, which led to him getting the job at Sampson’s in the first place. He’s always willing to try their new formulas out, and wants to eventually learn how to make the stuff on his own, maybe come up with his own recipes.

What is his favorite treat (dessert)?

Michael has had the exact same cake at his birthday ever since his 8th birthday; a white cake with chocolate icing.

Are there any specific foodstuffs that he find disgusting or refuse to eat?

Michael still won’t eat Cucumbers, even though he’s no longer allergic to them. He doesn’t particularly like chewy or sticky foods, because they tend to get caught in his teeth or make his hands sticky, and he doesn’t like that sensation.

What is his favorite color? Are there any colors he dislikes?

Michael’s favorite colors are Gold and Red. He finds Green a bit of an ugly color, though he has not said this to Samantha and does not comment when she dyes her hair green.

What sort of music does he like? Is there anything that he hates?

Michael is a fan of older country music, along with current rock, and pop music. He generally cares more about the beat and the music than the lyrics of a song, and favors music that is fast and up-tempo, finding down-tempo or slow music to be boring and not engaging enough for him.  

If he has a favorite scent, what is it?

Michael likes Lavender and the scent of ‘Champagne toast’ candle from Bath and Body Works.  

Does he have a favorite animal?

Michael’s favorite animals are hawks for flying animals and rhinoceroses for terrestrial ones. Now that he can fly, he has finally gotten to see what flying is all about and is jealous of birds for keeping it all to themselves. His enjoyment of rhinos for their generally peaceful nature and cooperative spirit but still being willing to fight almost led to him picking the Superhero name ‘The Rhino’, before deciding it didn’t feel right since he had no animal based powers.

What is his most treasured possession? Why?

Michael’s most treasured possession is his Grandfather’s Watch.

Does he enjoy "roughing it", or does he prefer his creature comforts?

Michael has been camping before, and while he does not mind it, he also wouldn’t want to do it for an extended period of time, or have to live for an extended period of time without a roof over his head and preferably a heater during the winter months.

Is there a job or a task he would absolutely refuse to do?

Michael hates cleaning the bathrooms at work, as he finds it very disgusting, and similar ‘dirty’ jobs involving sewage or waste, he would find extraordinarily distasteful and be unwilling to do unless heavily pressed.

Does he consider himself a spiritual person? If so, how do his beliefs affect his life?How important is it to him?

Michael’s mother is a Protestant, and while he does not actively practice the faith, he does go to church on Christmas and Easter. He would describe himself as ‘vaguely spiritual’; he has spiritual beliefs but hasn’t really pinned them down distinctly or confirmed what they really are enough to find a faith that aligns with him. He has no problems believing in Spirits, Demons, and the Underworld or the like; his encounter with the Freedom League and Hades’ minions long made it clear that there are forces that are beyond mortal standards in this world.

Was his faith influenced or molded by anyone special?

Michael’s spirituality was mostly brought up by his mother, but his continued belief even if he’s not really sure what he 100% believes in is bolstered through his sincere belief of Lantern Jack as the guardian spirit of his neighborhood even if it’s been a long, long time since he was last seen..

If he belongs to a religious organization, how often does he attend? Does he have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much does he agree with the beliefs of his organization?

He’s a C&E Church goer. He isn’t against going to church functions or helping out with them, but only in the context of him being willing to help out and volunteer for almost anything when people bring it up.

Could he kill? Has he killed?

Michael has never been forced to consider this question. It seems unlikely that he will kill when he is forced to acknowledge it, but it’s not a complete impossibility.

What circumstances led to him forming that conviction, or taking that action?

N/A at this time.

Are there circumstances under which he believe it is permissible to kill? What are they?

Michael does not think that it’s a particularly bad thing to kill those who commit terrible crimes against humanity specifically, but he doesn’t believe in permission to kill in anything less than genocidal dictators or the like. For lesser crimes- even individual murder-, he’d be less willing to let someone die, since he thinks almost everyone can be good when they put their mind to it.

How would he react to watching someone kill another person? Would his reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of his?

Michael would be horrified at seeing another person be killed, and would likely immediately attempt to apprehend the individual. However, it’s highly likely if a family member, Sam, or another friend were the killer, he would be more likely to let them get away, as his first instinct would be to question why and try to make them calm down instead of subduing them immediately.

How would he react if something important was stolen from him?

If it is possible, Michael would go through the proper channels to try to regain his stolen object, however, he would likely attempt to use his powers to figure out who stole it and where it is himself. He would not try to steal it back, but he may try to argue for it back under a promise he wouldn’t press charges or tell the police if he could just have it back.

How would he react to public humiliation?

Michael puts a heavy emphasis on his public face; he wants to be well respected, well regarded, and his plans for his life involve a significant amount of public facing existence. A severe public humiliation could damage his plans, which would send him into a burst of anger. He would not likely physically lash out, but he would almost certainly nurse a grudge for an extended period of time, especially if it does eventually become extremely damaging to his career.

How would he react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to him?

While none of Michael’s family has been purposely or accidentally killed, his Mother’s injury by Gamma, which he still holds anger at the villain for, indicates that Michael would likely react very harshly to such a situation. His self-control would be highly tested in such a situation, especially if it was by an individual he is physically stronger than.

What does he consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?

For Michael, corruption, abuse of power, and the oppression of others is a terrible crime. The idea of using your own power to oppress others or to subjugate or exploit them is against all of Michael's beliefs or feelings, and something he feels very strongly about stopping whenever he sees it. To him, doing those things infringes on the basic rights of sentient beings.  

If his life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would he do in those remaining hours?

Michael finding out his life is going to end so suddenly would likely be highly traumatizing and cause him to rethink his entire existence; finding out that his long term plans are doomed to not come to fruition would cause a severe psychological episode. If he could shake himself out of those doldrums, he would likely attempt to spend as much time with Sam and his family as he could, likely abandoning being a hero entirely for that last day since he is not fully established.  

Career & Training  

Does he have any special training in his hero skills? If so, where and how did he get it?

Michael does not have specific training in being a hero, but he has a broad amount of training from spending most of his young life exploring a variety of hobbies and clubs. While he isn't a trained hostage negotiator, for instance, he has been part of the debate club and the student council. While he may not have been trained to fight Supervillains, he has experience in sports and boxing. Etc.

Who taught him the most about his heroing abilities? What was his relationship with that person?

Michael derives his concept of Heroing from his relationship with his Grandfather primarily. Teaching him to always do his best to help heroes made him want to assist them as a politician. He continued to take this lesson to heart once he gained his powers. In regards to gaining and using his powers, Michael will have to develop a relationship once he gets to Claremont about how to make the best use of his powers, but we the staff of Sampson’s Sodas may also be of assistance, as we are aware of his history and power source.

Does he have any particularly unusual skills? How did he acquire them?

Michael has a very broad set of skills that are somewhat out of the ordinary for a high school student. He is well versed in the intricacies of government and reading legalese, obtained by studying the law as part of his continuing education. 

Does he do something besides hero work for a living? Has he ever done anything else, or does he plan to?

Michael maintains his part time job at Sampson’s Soda, a micro-soda company that produces a variety of unique, carefully designed sodas for limited time runs excluding their most popular brands, selling them to kids and adults alike. Some of their most popular seasonal flavors include Dragon Fruit Honey, Caramel Strawberry, and Melon Grape. 

What is his preferred combat style?

Michael’s combat style is primarily based on the things he picked up in his sports activities; he uses football tackles and shoulder-checks to try and take opponents down. He can also pick up objects and hurl them with impressive force and accuracy. He knows how to throw a punch from small amounts of boxing training, and is fairly light on his feet.

Has he ever received any awards or honours?

Owing to his vast array of extracurricular activities, Michael has a variety of honors. The most promising is the State Championship football trophy that he obtained last school year. He has additional trophies for participation in things such as Junior Debate Club, placing-but not winning- in Chess Clubs, reading competitions and spelling bees.

What skill areas would he like most to improve in? Is there anything he can't do that he desperately wishes he could?

Michael wants to improve himself in all aspects of his life. As he grows, he will be attempting to master his new powers along with increasing his ability to work with and for others. He wishes he could shoot energy beams, that he could fly into outer space, but these effects will require effort on his part. As a human, he wants to improve his ability to talk to others, to gain their respect and trust. 

How does he act around people who are more skilled than him in areas he'd like to improve? Is he jealous, or does he try and learn?

Michael is always interested in learning from people better than him, but if someone shows skills that completely eclipse him in an area he thinks he’s good at, he’s likely to become a little concerned. He is still growing out of being the biggest fish in his little pond, and harsh reminders of how he is in a much larger, much stronger world would make him, if not jealous, a little self-conscious, but with an attempt to try and learn what he’s lacking. He is well aware that in the Super Powers department he may be a little outgunned, but if he was socially outmatched it would likely be more concerning to him.

Lifestyle & Hobbies  

What is a normal day for him? How does he feel when something interrupts this routine?

Michael’s normal day is an early wake up followed by getting to school on time. If he has prior commitments before school he handles those. Often his school day is spent between classes and preparation for whatever groups or events he’s helping out with that week. When school ends, he inevitably either has practice, an event, or work at Sampson’s to get to as soon as possible. He will almost always be busy from when school lets out until he goes home for dinner. Samantha will usually join him at some point, being a ‘bother’ and a companion. After eating dinner with his family, he will study for a little bit, complete all his homework, and prepare for the next day. His weekends are usually more free, and he enjoys going to arcades, the movies, or just hanging out on the beach when he gets the chance, if he isn’t working an event or doing practice or a game. He can find interruptions frustrating because it often causes a cascading lateness; if he’s 5 minutes late for one thing, he’ll be 6 minutes late for the next, then 7, and so on, until his schedule is completely out of focus and he’s late for everything. Since this often delays more than just him, he considers it a personal failure when delays damage other people’s plans in such a way.

Does he have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did him pick them up?

Michael’s hobbies and interests involve his desire to explore new things and spending time with others. His adventurous spirit to always want to see something new gives him a wide array of things he’s messed with or done for a month or two. He’s stayed with football and Hockey, he likes his job at Sampson’s Sodas, and he enjoys movies and swimming as his primary hobbies that aren’t related to an increasing list of extracurricular activities .

What does he do for fun?

For fun, Michael hangs out with Sam, doing one of their hobbies or interests; movies, swimming, or going on small hikes in the forest.

Does he have a costume? What does it look like?

Michael’s costume is a white bodysuit with red boots, a gold belt, and a golden cape. He has a golden star on his chest.

How does he normally dress when not in costume?

Michael’s dress code tends towards Business Casual or higher. He has a variety of slacks, polos, and button up shirts he wears, along with sport coats, jackets, and ties. A lot of his fancy clothing isn’t top brands, but rather second or third tier stuff that is exceptionally tailored to make up the difference. He also keeps it very clean and free of wrinkles.

What does he wear to bed most nights?

Sweat Pants.

Does he wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like?

Michael’s most obvious jewelry is his watch. It’s golden in color but tarnished with age, and is smooth from fingers rubbing over it’s back over the course of dozens of years. It has a small inscription with the letters MTA on it. The watch’s face is perfectly clean, and it’s attached to a silver chain. It has a distinctly loud clicking noise when it runs; the spring is broken and it can only be wound for one hour, making it useless for telling time. It is quite fortuitous that this does, however, exactly time how long Michael can use his upper limit of his powers.

Does he have a special place where he keeps his valuables?

Michael has a piggybank he keeps in his brother Kevin’s closet. He also has a savings account at his family’s primary bank. For non-monetary objects, the family has a shared bank box that they keep all their important records in.

What's his preferred means of local travel? How about long distance?

Michael has a bus pass, but he can drive. He does not have his own car, so he has to borrow one of his parents’ if he wants to drive somewhere that isn’t on the bus routes. He can now fly around under his own power, but he has not begun using that for extended travel yet. 

Miscellaneous

Has he ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for his death? What provisions did he make?

Michael does not have a will.

If his features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying his body?

Michael has a microchip implanted in his hip that will allow us to know it’s him if his corpse is significantly maimed.

What would he like to be remembered for after his death?

Michael wants to be remembered for being helpful. If he completes his goals and becomes Mayor, he wants to be remembered for being fair, just, and helping the city. But he knows he hasn’t done anything to be worth that at this moment, so he would just like to be remembered, right now, as helpful, kind to his friends, and a benefit to his community.

Does he believe he poses a threat to the public? Why or why not?

Michael does not believe he poses a threat to the public, as he would never willingly hurt an innocent person. It is unlikely he actually is a threat to the public currently, but that does not mean he will never be a threat to the public.

What does he perceive as his greatest strength?

Michael’s greatest strength isn’t his powers but his social adaptability; his ability to make friends, help them, and get along with others is significantly more rare than his suite of physical powers. He’s a ‘good kid’, and his honest nature will help him significantly more than his powers.

What does he perceive as his greatest weakness?

Michael’s greatest weakness is Sam. He would do anything for her, and that means he has an easily exploitable weakness for any villain or any person who wants to get him to do something. He also has no idea what his dream actual entails; he has goals, but until he figures out why he wants to do what he does, what his desires and his own personal beliefs are, he can be swayed by people who can convince him that they’re trying to do the ‘Right Thing’, because that’s what he wants to do.

As an observer, if you could, what advice would you give to him? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...

Michael needs to figure out what he stands for, not just what he wants to do. Why does he want to do what he wants to do, what he supports, what he thinks ‘helping Superheroes’ really is. These are important questions that Michael really needs to figure out his answers to, and until he figures those out, he’ll never accomplish what he wants.

 

Log of Michael Adon finished.

 

Relevant Further Reading: Samantha Durado, Max Terrance Adon, Terrance Thomas Adon, Sampson’s Sodas, Manaka Root, Black Star Phenomenon 

 

Closing Program