Zenus

Powers:

Natural Psi Powers (psikinetic):

Energy Generation (a) (i): his sole power, this inherent psikinetic art allows Gregor to spontaneously generate vast amounts of energy - fire, in fact. He can generate flames with intensity 12 ability, allowing him to inflict like fiery (energy) damage with each strike, though his power is somewhat limited.

Gregor, you see, cannot use his power with any significant range. He can only burn objects and people that are in physical contact with his body (usually his hands), though he has recently acquired a special, psi-active staff that allows him to use his powers in ways he normally can't...

Equipment:

Psi-Staff (w): this curious item is one that was given to Gregor by Chen Wu himself. Recognizing that Gregor's power came from some sort of psionic ability, and not chi powers like his own, Chen Wu gave it to Gregor in order to enhance his power - and his loyalty... which worked to an extent.

This powerful staff is made from an artificial, psionically crafted crystalline substance, and can serve as a focus for a psi's powers. The exact extent of this somewhat nebulous ability is unknown, but it does allow Gregor to use his abilities in ways that he's never managed all by himself.

For instance, he can use it as an extension of his body, filling the staff with his flames and letting him strike with it in melee to inflict fiery damage at intensity 14. Furthermore, when his fire is filling the staff, Gregor can actually use it to fly, doing so with intensity 6 ability - at approximately 120 miles per hour.

This staff has a material strength of 20.

Hindrances:

(none)

Skills:

Acrobatics (a): Gregor has worked on becoming incredibly nimble over the years, in order to enhance his combat prowess. As such, he may make attempts to lower falling damage and to dodge attacks at a reduced difficulty. This skill also lets him fight in an over the top, cinematic style, too.

Boxing (s): the cornerstone of his combat training, this skill allows Gregor to strike with impressive speed in battle. While engaged in unarmed melee, he may attempt two attacks per turn, the last of which will occur as a contingent action - on top of the reduced difficulty...

Clubs (s): in addition to brushing up his already-considerable skills once he arrived in Japan, Gregor learned how to use a staff effectively in battle - particularly his psi-staff. He can use any such weaponry in battle (or any other blunt weapon) at one difficulty level lower than is normally necessary.

Languages / English, French, Greek, Japanese, and Spanish (i): throughout his travels, Gregor has had to master several languages in order to subsequently train in and master the martial arts styles he wished to learn. As such, he's learned to speak all of these languages (but he can only read Greek).

Martial Arts (a): a truly respectable martial artist, Gregor is a master of several styles. In unarmed combat, he can make use of either his Strength or Agility to resolve attacks, even for the purposes of trumping. This skill also reduces the difficulty of catching thrown weapons by one level.

Calling:

Explorer, with a secondary calling of Greed: for the most part, Gregor is driven by the need to expand his horizons, and be the best he can be - at least, where the mastery of the martial arts is involved. Of course, his need to do so overwhelms any qualms about doing what is necessary to achieve this.

Costume:

In battle, Gregor typically wears a stereotypical, Tong-style outfit. It consists of loose-fitting, black silk trousers, a black silk shirt, a dark gray leather belt, a black scarf over his nose and mouth, and dark gray, 'two-toed' boots that allow him to climb most any surface with ease.

Personality:

Gregory is a head-strong, stubborn fellow, and incredibly impulsive. He doesn't bother thinking about what he does, or the consequences thereof, he simply does what he wants to, when he wants to. Of course, he's talented and relatively powerful, and as such generally used to getting what he wants...

Real Name: Gregor Aegis
Occupation: professional athlete, criminal
Legal Status: Greek citizen with a criminal record in Japan
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: the Tenacious Ten

Height: 6'
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown
Weight: 190 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Gregor has a tattoo on his chest of a clenched fist, one holding a bolt of lightning.

Story:

Gregor began his adulthood as a professional martial artist, competing for money in various competitions across Europe. Of course, the money was just incidental, for Gregor only wanted it in order to support him while he studied various fighting styles native to the countries he visited.

He continued on in Europe until something weird happened... he spontaneously combusted. Now, Gregor wasn't actually burned, but instead totaled the taxi cab he was riding in. Fleeing the scene, Gregor subsequently caused a severe fire in Madrid, and virtually wiped out several neighborhoods.

It took Gregor awhile, but he eventually figured out that he had some sort of natural fire-generating ability, and after several months of isolation, got a general handle on how it worked. Thinking the matter closed, he then continued on in his quest to master the martial arts, and journeyed to Japan.

There, while seeking out tutors in various combat forms native to that land, Gregor heard rumors of a dread fighter, one supposedly possessed of unnatural fighting power. Thinking this to be a person with a 'skill' like his own, Gregor sought the man out, though his inquiries only brought trouble on his head.

This mysterious fighter, the dangerous Chen Wu, was the leader of a considerable criminal empire, and his minions didn't like uppity foreigners asking questions. Brought before said minions' master, Gregor was forced to explain himself - and quickly - before he met a rather unpleasant demise.

Having no choice, Gregor demonstrated his power to Chen Wu. Seeing that he could be a powerful pawn, Chen Wu handed Gregor a staff, and directed him to focus his power into it; though Gregor thought this odd, he did so. Much to his surprise, his flames readily entered the bizarre, crystalline weapon.

This item, given to Chen Wu himself by a Mindwatch operative who mistook him for a psi, was useless to him except as a trophy; Chen Wu killed the Mindwatch recruiter shortly after that fellow found out he had no psionic powers, and demanded that he return the staff immediately.

Knowing that a powerful weapon had stumbled into his midst, Chen Wu made Gregor a bargain: he would give him all the martial arts training he wanted, not to mention that staff, if Gregor would faithfully serve him. Since this is what he wanted in the first place, Gregor readily agreed to Chen Wu's terms.

Gregor then spent several years in intense combat training, learning how to use the strange, psionically active staff that Chen Wu gave him, both with and without his psi powers. He also mastered several additional, eastern martial arts styles, only occasionally having to do some unsavory deed in exchange.

This changed after Chen Wu was humiliated at the hands of the one Akuji Osaeru... otherwise known as the Crimebuster. After this occurred, a power struggle engulfed Chen Wu's criminal operations, and that villain knew of only one way to ultimately end it: to get revenge upon Crimebuster!

To this end, he charged Gregor with the slaughter of this hero, who had since journeyed to America. The odds against him would be severe, especially since Crimebuster had allied himself with several powerful heroes, but his honor was at stake - and thus, so was Gregor's.

With this in mind, Gregor journeyed to America; he held no truck with this silly 'honor' notion, but he'd agreed to do what Chen Wu asked, and he figured this would be enough to settle his debt with the criminal overlord. He began to stalk Crimebuster in New York City, but was whisked away before he could strike.

This was done by the powerful dragon techno-sorceress, Elys, who needed Gregor to take care of several of her foes - one of which was Crimebuster! Thinking this redundant, since he was going to do so anyway, Gregor nonetheless agreed to help Elys. Besides, saying no out of spite looked dangerous.

Dragons have that effect on people, no matter how stubborn they are. So, Gregor joined Elys' other minions on an all or nothing assault on the heroes opposing their new boss, as a member of the terrible Tenacious Ten. He meant to go after Crimebuster, naturally, but those heroes were too wily.

They switched opponents after the Ten declared who's clocks they were going to clean, and Gregor (in his new identity of Zenus - a blend of various gods' names that he thought sounded keen) wound up getting trounced mightily. Luckily for him, though, he and his allies were transported to safety after their defeat.

Not that this helps Gregor much. Having failed in his mission, it was a certainty that Chen Wu would send minders out to see what happened to him... minders that would probably react negatively to his failure. Assuming that Chen Wu survived the power struggle that threatened to topple his empire.

So, Gregor has decided to hang around whichever members of the Tenacious Ten remain together after their defeat - if only for protection. Who else decided to do so, and who has decided to split off from this group, remains to be seen, though, as is Gregor's ultimate fate...!

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