Archer

Odysseus of Ithaka

Not a superhero alias but some do insist on calling him Ullyses.

Biologically in his mid-twenties. Technically a whole lot older.

Archery, peak human combatant, a lifetimes experience of fighting mythological foes, unmatched cunning, the gift of tongues - the ability to understand and converse in every known spoken world language – which he uses with a glib ease.

Just a human (to the consternation of the Olympians.) Overconfident. As he was an old man when he 'died' he is now an old soul placed into a young man's body, and as such he has trouble controlling his new, youth sharpened passions. Anger and annoyance are forever closer to the surface than he remembers them being.

Walking the line.

Cunning, calculating, confident, witty, determined

You been living under a rock for the last two thousand-plus years? No? Good, then you know Odysseus' story. The Illiad, the Odyssey, the whole Epic Cycle, it's all true. I wont bore you with the time-worn details, but suffice to say that the King Of Ithaka lived a long and interesting life, had some fairly unique adventures, captured the imaginations of the common man, and died at a ripe old age. At the last he'd figured that the God's of Olympus had finished with him, and that he'd get to while out the rest of eternity in the Elysian Fields, with his beloved Penelope at his side.

How wrong he was.

You see back then the Olympians were the top dogs around, with plenty of worshippers making all sorts of prayers, sacrifices, and entreaties to them, which was good because prayer is the currency of the Gods. Since then they're fortunes have fallen pretty sharp though, not least because of a little thing called Christianity coming along and blowing them out the water, followed quickly by the apathy towards religion created by modern science in 20th century man.

Zeus and crew are down on their luck these days, but they still dream of the dizzying heights they'd once held, and would do almost anything to get it back. Their latest scheme was to jump onto the 'superhero' bandwagon, and create a masked crusader of their own that would inspire the common man to glory the Gods once more. Zeuz, Poseidon, and Athena convinced the lord Hades – the one God still in ascendancy since people still had to die regardless if they believed in him or not - to help them bring back one of their greatest heroes to serve the roll. Heracles, Perseus, Achilles, any fine demi-god would do.

Unfortunately they got Odysseus.

Zeus was appalled. No mere mortal, regardless of how cunning, would prove equal to the task. He demanded that Hades send the king of Ithaka back to the Elysian Fields, and to fetch him a real hero. It was too late though, as Hade's power was spent, and they'd be forced to wait until he was back to full strength, which could take years.

Athena managed to convince Zeus to allow Odysseus the chance to attempt the task of bringing glory to the God's in the mean time – an act that angered Odysseus himself, as he wanted nothing more than to return to the rest that he'd rightfully earned his first go-round. He argued against it, but arguing against the Goddess of Wisdom is like trying to hold back the tide with a pebble. Eventually he acquiesed only when the Olympians agreed to send him back to Elysian when the job was done. He was given boons to help him in his task; the gift of tongues, light armour forged by Hephastus, a pouch of gold, and his old bow, and told to go an bring glory back to the Gods.

And that's exactly what he means to do.