Civilian name: Alan Hyll
Alias: None. (For now.)
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Hero or villain: A very uncommitted villain.
Civilian looks:
This, with a thick pair of glasses. Alan is a rather lean individual, who looks stretched out and lanky. He has an honest face that is prone to frowning, and almost always looks pre-occupied. He does not care much about his attire, wearing jeans and a hoodie on most days, with a pair of non-descript sneakers.
Costume: On the rare occasions Alan does need a costume, he puts very little into it, throwing on a cheap mask (of which he has plenty) and pulling up his hood.
Powers: Alan has the ability to phase through objects. He can make himself intangible, going through objects or letting things pass through him. When active, this power also makes him invisible. Despite its defensive applications, his ability leaves much to be desired when on the offensive.
Alan’s power has many drawbacks. He uses it rarely, as it makes him feel slightly noxious when he puts his head through anything solid, as he must hold his breath. Furthermore, should Alan ever stop phasing while in solid matter, he will most certainly die, or the very best, lose a limb, depending on the circumstances. Fear of this has led Alan to rarely use his power, so he is inexperienced, though his reflexes are good enough that he will instinctively activate his power should he ever be in danger.
Skills: Alan has a basic knowledge of firearms, though he’s never fired one at another person. He also plays bass guitar and sings.
Personality: Alan is a cynical, introverted teenager, and even his power does little to change this. He is immensely self-deprecating, and not proud of his time spent as a criminal. He has a small ego, though he is witty and biting, a trait that makes him fit right in at Blackwood. Despite this, Alan is a hopeful person, and does often see the good in everyone. He also deeply appreciates all that comes with living, as his own life would have been cut short had he not been gifted with his power.
Bio: Alan lived with his father in New York for most of his youth. His father, a kind man and an enormous optimist, took great care of the budding child. Alan would often ask about his mother, but his Father would pointedly ignore the questions, moving onto other subjects with a smile on his face. Alan went to school, made friends, and generally led a normal life until he turned fifteen. At that point, Alan’s father lost his job, and Alan, trying to ease the burden for both of them, took to the streets with his older friends to get money any way he knew how. His father had taken him out hunting a few times, and although this was poor training, he would borrow his father’s handgun when he went out with his group.
The group were no strangers to this sort of thing, though with the introduction of Alan, things began changing. While they started hitting only a couple of small places a week and occasionally mugging individuals, Alan had grander plans, and ran them on a tight schedule that was well-know across all of the city. Still, Alan remained anonymous, as he and his group always made sure to cover their faces before attempting anything illegal.
As time passed, the group grew and turned into a sort of gang, with Alan playing a large role in its leadership. He personally began to lead groups, but even this grew boring. Alan had no need for the money anymore, he was earning plenty, but he had become addicted to the thrill of crime, and would never have turned away had his final heist gone the way he had planned.
On a warm summer’s day, Alan and his gang executed their plan to rob a large department store. Although Alan thought he had it all planned out, things quickly went sour, with police sirens wailing. Alan immediately attempted to cut and bail, and ran out the front doors of the building with his pistol in hand. Police had always come late in the past, and the sudden shift frightened him more than anything. As he exited the building, police officers were already surrounding it. They had guns pointed at him, and, as if in slow-motion, he felt his arm raise the pistol, aiming directly at the nearest officer. He heard shouts, then a loud crack as an officer fired. He winced, prepared for the excruciating pain and probable death that came with a slug being fired into your chest. With eyes closed, Alan braced himself to hear the sound of his own screams.
Instead? Only the sound of the glass doors shattering behind him. Alan opened his eyes, and couldn’t see himself, or anything at all. He could see the police officers shouting, questioning where the masked youth has disappeared to, and questioned whether this was the afterlife. To this day, he still jokingly muses that going to Blackwood may be purgatory for his sins.
As Alan ran home, he renounced all his future plans of crime. He unphased after passing by the police and making sure no one was nearby, and threw the mask in a nearby garbage can, wanting only to go home and see his father.
When he arrived however, his father was no where to be found. As he searched the house franticly, slowly convincing himself that he was actually dead, he heard the sound of footsteps in his father’s bedroom. He entered the room, to see a strange woman dressed like a character from television, who turned, scowled, then hugged him. Alan, increasingly confused, pushed her away, asking where his father was. The woman was vague, stating that he had left NYC for good.
It was as this point that Alan’s mother finally introduced herself, and told him they were leaving immediately. She brought him to River City, and immediately had him enrolled in Blackwood, where he now studies. She was quick to head off, and he rarely receives correspondence from her, though her last package included the masks of all his friends who had been involved in the heist gone wrong.