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OOC: Cyclops
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Jan. 1st, 2005 | 10:17 pm
 the basics. [name] scott christopher summers.[nicknames] slim, cyke, summers. [birthday] august eighteenth, eighty-one. [age] twenty-nine. the mutation. [codename] cyclops.[powers] optic blasts: cyclops is capable of projecting, as it is put colloquially, "optic blasts of concussive force". the more technical explanation is trickier. obviously, this energy is released through cyclops' eyes - which are brown, though due to his inability to control these optic beams, a fact impossible to discern. the force itself is drawn from ambient energy in his surroundings, particularly derived from exposure to solar energy, which is absorbed automatically into cyclops' system and re-emitted as beams of devastating power. the proportion to which cyclops absorbs and releases the power is 1:1. that is, for cyclops to release a blast of a five second duration, five seconds of exposure to the sun would be needed to refuel. his 'tank' is not infinite, though. cyclops taps out at approximately fifteen minutes worth of concussive force - but cyclops can not presently emit a steady stream of energy for fifteen minutes. that puts undue pressure on scott's mind, resulting in painful migraines and crippling vertigo. consequently, cyclops utilizes his power only in bursts of under five seconds. the most common blast, the easiest to control, is two seconds long - and can be fired in rapid succession with the approximant accuracy of a firearm. if cyclops taps out this reserve of fifteen minutes worth of small bursts, he is rendered unconscious - and needs immediate exposure to sunlight or some source of energy. unlike the sun, these optics beams are not a source of heat. basically, the heat is absorbed into cyclops' system, and the energy is emitted as pure force, devoid of temperature. these pressurized blasts pummel, destroy, and obliterate - they do not burn or sear. at present state, cyclops can punch through a brick wall with one three or four second shot, but a steel wall of two or three feet takes several such bursts. a man would not be ripped asunder by a blast from cyclops' energy - think of each burst as a super-strong punch. bones may be broken, particularly in the target is thrown back against something unforgiving, but an average man will stand a good chance of surviving two or three shots from cyclops before being knocked unconscious. cyclops has never used his powers to lethal effect, the idea being equivalent to pounding a man to a bloody pulp with your fists - he's only used his bursts to knock back an opponent, or render them unconscious. the lightest burst, under a second, would knock a target back a step or two, and bruise - but not break bone. heavier blasts aim to strike a target unconscious as soon as possible. his maximum force is never used on living targets, only on such things as walls or vehicles. he can cause a car to topple over on its side and roll with a well-placed beam of maximum strength. in a fight, though, the best strategy would be to rely on cyclops' inability to focus his maximum potential against living targets. taking cover behind a dumpster or a truck would be wise, as cyclops wouldn't dare unleash a high-powered blast to bust through such cover, at the risk of fatally wounding a human or another mutant. the approximate range of a single blast is so far proven at one hundred yards, though cyclops loses accuracy at a point beyond twenty yards. and with every twenty yards, the blasts weaken in proportionate power - so that at a distance of one hundred yards, it would be no more than a moderate push. with applied concentration, cyclops can vary not only the strength of the beam, but its purpose. this is achieved through focusing his vision much in the same way a normal eye focuses to achieve different results. cyclops can reflect the beams off certain surfaces, creating a ricochet effect that is made all the more deadly by cyclops' knowledge of geometry - angles, distances, trajectories. at present, this is where cyclops' expertise lies. he can bounce a beam off most smooth surfaces if concentrating, though the more the beam bounces, the less force it exerts on its final destination. he is far more accurate at close range, though. standing right next to a door, cyclops can focus on emitting a very low-force, pinpoint-accurate beam to, say, bust open a locked car door, or break a handcuff chain without damaging those in the cuffs. natural immunity: cyclops is immune to the devastating force of his own blasts. it goes further than saying that, if exposed to one of his own blasts, cyclops would be knocked down but emerge uninjured. no, cyclops would not even be thrown back by the force of his own concussive force - rather, his body would simply reabsorb the energy. this enables cyclops the convenience of closing his eyes in an emergency, cutting off the constant stream of force. so yes, cyclops can stop the beam if his eyes are closed. the technical explanation is infinitely more elaborate. cyclops actually generates a psionic field that is in sync with the forces that maintain the rifts from which his destructive power pours. this field envelops cyclops' entirety, automatically shunting energy particles that have emerged from that other dimension back to their point of origin when they collide with any part of his body. because of this, cyclops is unwittingly protected against similarly-charged energy. it should be noted that this includes the energy emittance of brother, alex summers. solar dependency: cyclops' dependence on the sun as a power source does not come without its drawbacks. it takes an inordinate amount of time deprived on sunlight for cyclops to weaken, but weaken cyclops does. his powers are rendered ineffective without exposure to the sun on a somewhat regular basis - a good five minutes a day are enough, something we receive without even trying under ordinary circumstances. it is presumed that once cyclops' powers go, his health would follow. deprived of sunlight, it is thought that cyclops would weaken physically as someone might dehydrate - ultimately proving fatal. colorblindness: further distressing, cyclops' reliance on the ruby quartz comes at a further cost. he is colorblind, so long as he is unable to control his powers. while normally this would cast everything into shades of red, the ruby quartz counteracts this effect - and instead, cyclops sees the world in shades of yellow. residual memories of the way things were prior to age sixteen allows cyclops to assume certain truths about the world around him. similar to the manner in which someone who is not colorblind might watch a black and white television and almost 'see' in color, so can scott. he knows the sky is blue, the grass is green, and blood is red. and his mind helps to make these leaps, even if his eyes cannot. [additional abilities] rose quartz paraphernalia: it is rose quartz that gives cyclops the ability to harness this destructive energy. synthetically created, these crystals resonate at the same frequency as cyclops' psionic field. thus, they too are indestructible when exposed to the full fury of cyclops' concussive blasts. such quartz has been applied in a myriad of devices for cyclops' use. a pair of fitted goggles, particularly useful when sleeping - or underwater. a pair of sunglasses, the lenses curved entirely around the peripheral, convenient for public exposure. a pair of contact lenses, the most subtle of cyclops' paraphernalia, but the most difficult to remove in an emergency. and the visor. this visor incorporates two flat lenses mounted longitudinally, capable of levering inward to provide a narrowed exit for built-up energy. an "inverted clamshell" mechanism, the visor is operated by dual miniature motors. as a failsafe, there is a constant closing pressure on the lenses provided by springs. the visor is otherwise made of high-impact cycolac plastic, and operated in one of two ways. there is an overriding finger-operated control mechanism on either side of the visor, just shy of each temple. but the standard operation is through a flat micro-switch embedded in the thumb of cyclops' gloves. natural talents: cyclops is not without a host of abilities at his disposal. an innate knowledge of mathematics and physics is only bolstered by a college education, cyclops possesses a certain uncanny affinity for angles and vectors. he seems just as naturally inclined towards the piloting of most aircraft - early in his adventure west, cyclops was treated to the rare opportunity to fly under the supervision of a spirited pilot, who became quite the friend for a few months there. cyclops demonstrated a natural talent to flying, taking to the pilot's training and instruction with vigor. he holds no official license, but cyclops has flown a number of private crafts. never a commercial or industrial airplane, though - but cyclops would at least stand a fighting chance in the cockpit of one. furthermore, cyclops picked up a reasonable know-how for vehicles, both automobiles and motorcycles, and their maintenance while in los angeles, a trade that was established after a number of jobs as a part-time mechanic. extensive training: but cyclops' training did not stop at xavier's. he maintained an athletic physique, going so far as to enroll in any and all courses available in martial arts. as it stands, cyclops is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, with an array of techniques at his disposal. presently, cyclops is formally trained in only two faiths - wing chun and taekyon. the first a punch-heavy discipline, the latter a kick-heavy one. he has an even more intimate knowledge of simple brawling. one picks these things up in anti-mutant crowds. without the aid of his powers, cyclops could potentially take on three or four opponents in close-range combat, with considerable effort. he is no master, though would easily excel against untrained combatants. his innate sense of tactics would further bolster cyclops' approach to a fight, should there be more than a half dozen hostiles present. connections: it should be considered an advantage that cyclops was one of the first to be taken under xavier's wing. his is a somewhat father-son relationship with the professor, strengthened all the more by the absence of a biological father, and the poor examples set by the men in cyclops' adolescence. while not an original member of the x-men, cyclops was one of xavier's prized pupils. and his mentorship remains something cyclops does not want to lose. as it stands, there is an understanding that cyclops is always welcome back at the school. having graduated from xavier's, cyclops is trained in the use of his power, and exceptionally suited as a leader. his mind seems to have no trouble juggling five or six different thoughts, a trick that is best utilized on the field. [affiliations] currently xavier's school - instructor of mathematics: trigonometry, geometry, calculus. the family. [hometown] born in ancourage, alaska. raised in omaha, nebraska and westchester, new york. currently in new york city, new york.[mother] katherine anne summers, presumed dead. [father] major christopher summers, presumed dead. the personality. [first impression] a badass, from the dark shades to the brown leather jacket. usually unshaven and unkempt, a rough-hewen and ruggedly handsome man.[personality] personality, coming soon! [goals] [quirks] frowning when thinking, self-massaging either shoulders or neck. [likes] jameson whiskey, newcastle brown ale, drowning sorrows in booze, snarking and arguing, geometry and trigonometry, bar brawls, motorcycles, pilotting, the boar's head bar and grill, blackberries. [dislikes] incompetence, misuse of powers, prejudice and persecution, heights, fools. the history. a native of anchorage, alaska, scott summers was the eldest son of usaf major christopher and katherine anne summers. his were ordinary early years for the son of a military man - and not entirely lonely. a few years shy of scott, the summers gave birth to a second son - alexander. unfortunately, alex would not enjoy as many peaceful summers in the alaskan quiet as scott was able to. private owner of a de havilland mosquito, christopher arranged to take katherine and the two boys for their first flight - a family outing that was supposed to culminate in a picnic, somewhere further up in the alaskan wilderness. it was not to be. hell broke lose at a critical altitude, the party responsible not immediately obvious - though it was almost certainly an outside influence, presumably another airborne entity. with the plane in a downward spiral, katherine acted quickly. she harnessed the only parachute to scott's back, and strapped alex to his older brother. pushed from the plane, the two would survive, but just barely. their parents presumed dead, scott and alex managed a rough landing. the parachute burst into flames during the descent, and scott was stuck in the temple upon touchdown. it is this childhood injury that is attributed to both scott's amnesia regarding those early years, and his tragic inability to switch his optic blasts to 'off'.the next chapter in scott's adolescence was no less arduous. with scott hospitalized in a coma for an entire year, child services could not prevent the separation of the two brothers. alex was whisked away to an adoptive family. when scott awoke, amnesia had riddled away all memory of a brother, or even the names of his parents. with no known relatives, scott was shunted into an orphanage. located in omaha, nebraska, this orphanage could have inspired the story of oliver twist. it was run by the cruel mister milbury, a devious character with a few too many secrets. scott was subjected to a battery of "experiments", their purpose never explained. now a teenager, a ray of hope arrived in the form of jack winters, who agreed to take scott into foster care. but winters was actually the mutant criminal, jack o'diamonds. he tried repeatedly to manipulate scott into assisting in a number of crimes, but even at such a tender age, scott summers was a boy scout. so instead, winters abused scott, both physically and mentally. but sixteen was to be a turning year in scott's development. piercing migraines would send scott into a near faint, growing consistently more and more frequent. one fateful day, passing a construction yard, those headaches struck a new high. dropped to his knees, scott summers was born anew as a mutant - those optic blasts burst forth, the first of which struck a nearby crane. its load plummeting to a crowd of innocents below, scott managed a second blast to obliterate the falling debris - and thus save the day. both the villain and the hero that day, scott ran. he set for the outskirts of known civilization by freight train, distraught at the thought of almost murdering the workmen at the construction site. however, scott's exodus was intercepted by an agent of the federal bureau of investigation, who happened to be an acquaintance of one professor charles xavier. with the school opening its doors that next fall, scott summers was enrolled as one of the first few to walk the halls as a student. xavier became a close mentor of the young scott, who showed great promise as a scholar. he even displayed a number of admirable qualities, noted even as a teenager - loyalty, leadership, confidence, honor. perhaps just scott's attempt at redemption from a childhood of violence, tragedy, and crime. unfortunately, it soon became evident that the headaches were worsening. and very early on, scott discovered an inability to prevent the concussive force. a series of tests revealed the brain damage scott suffered, but also inspired xavier to run a few deep mental probes. the amnesia partially dislodged, scott was flooded with the fleeting images of his mother and father. and of a blond haired brother named alex. thankfully, xavier's resources were extensive enough to find a cure for scott's handicap. rose quartz was revealed to be the single substance capable of deflecting scott's optic blasts. a number of solutions were formed, including fitted goggles, wrap-around sunglasses, discrete contact lenses, and the infamous trigger-operated visor. each outfitted with ruby-red lenses. this was not enough to convince scott to stay onboard as faculty, though. graduating from the school years before xavier thought to institute the x-men, scott summers set out on his own at the age of twenty-one to find alex, just five years after encountering professor xavier. his became a sobering journey. emboldened by xavier's lessons in tolerance and passivity, scott was stubborn to admit that the world was not so likeminded. it took a series of unfortunate events - the witnessing of a mutant lynching, a brutal rumble in a mutant-unfriendly bar, the sight of a misguided pair of mutants mugging a helpless woman - for scott to face the facts. it just didn't seem to stop. everywhere scott turned, xavier's dream was absent, not fledgling - but completely unheard of. his journey took scott west across the country, to los angeles. here, scott managed enrollment at the age of twenty-one into an mathematics program at the university of southern california. graduating a ba with an emphasis on trigonometry and vectors, scott summers finished one year early, and within the top fifteen percent of his class. the search for alex, though, was not so successful as scott's attempt at an honest education. and so, scott turned for home - new york, that is. his journey back across the states was just as disheartening, the once-optimistic pupil of xavier's turned somewhat grimmer, darker. today, scott is twenty-nine. his natural talents for leadership and tactics lurk beneath the surface of a scott summers more akin to the one canon would sculpt only after the discovery of his third brother, gabriel summers. [this is not a known fact, but it is an assumed one, given that christopher and katherine were not killed in the crash.] scott is on currently amiable terms with xavier, now back in town - even jaded as he's become. a more pessimistic scott, discouraged by the violence and intolerance across the country. he remains the same introverted man of morals, but with a hint of scruff and a secret fondness for whiskey-flavored liqueur. it is not the canon poster child for the mutant boy scouts of america, though none of those high-and-might virtues have disappeared entirely. he is today a slightly dour character, with a sardonic opinion of the world - and occasionally plagued by depression. currently residing in a run-down apartment in new york city, scott summers is reluctant to return to the grind of xavier's, even as a teacher. and how can he, with such budding doubts in the dream already? as recent developments go, scott is back at xavier's. funny that, eh? seems that ol' charles xavier is a forgiving and understanding breed. patient, too. so scott's been employed, brought into the fold as faculty. mathematics, to be vague - trigonometry, geometry, and calculus to be more specific. but scott is still pretty rough around the edges, a touch of a maverick as far as teachers. maybe with time, both the school and xavier's presence may build structure and stability, guiding scott back towards the straight and narrow. for now, though, scott may still be spotted down at the boar's head, once evening falls. the appearance. [height] six-foot-three, on the tall side of things.[weight] proportionate to his height and build. somewhere in the market of close to two hundred pounds. [hair] dark brown, usually cropped close and worn disheveled. [eyes] normally a warm brown, but due to an inability to "turn off" his power - uncertain. because of the rose-colored quartz of his eyewear, such as the contacts, they usually appear a dark red without irises or pupils. [build] athletic, imposing, but not hulking - slim, one might say. like a swimmer or a runner, muscle defintion is chiseled and anything but cumbersome. [gait] stalking, with a certain forwardness and confidence. when drunk or hungover, tends to slouch or slump. [dress] basic, fundamental. usually jeans and a white t-shirt, belt and heavy boots. always a brown leather bomber jacket, fingerless gloves. and of course, the distinctive eyewear - goggles, contacts, sunglasses, or visor. the relationships. [friends] [sexuality] uh, heterosexual. thanks. [status] single. [crushes] none, for the most part. [turn ons] redheads and blondes first and foremost, assertiveness, challenges, moments of vulnerability, honesty, spontaneity, a sense of independence and confidence, teasing, cold hands, babbling, a cute nose - determined by how it looks wrinkled. [turn offs] snorting, holier-than-thou air, self-deprecation, disregard for consequences, obscenely large breasts. [past relationships] none of any significance. the options. [the rowena] this is the boy-on-girl crush. it is probable that scott will prove either too proud or too stubborn or too shy to make it clear, so it might only be noticeable in subtle alterations of scott's behaviorisms. may continue to be sarcastic and cynical, but may or may not also hold doors for this person or go out of his way to surprise her.[the mortianna] this is the girl-on-boy crush. scott may or may not be aware of this situation, depending on the person. and again, may or may not reciprocate the attraction - which may or may not allow for possible romantic situations. most likely, if scott is aware of the crush, scott will antagonize or inflame the situation, thinking the person is not serious. [the nurse] this is the platonic thing. this is a straight-up friendship between a boy and a girl, without sexual interest or attraction. this friendship is probably one scott highly values, even if he rarely says as much - and will endeavor, through thick and thin, to continue such a relationship. this person is probably someone who sees through scott's antics and defenses without antagonizing or condescending the man - a rare, honest friendship. [the little john] this is the best friend. whether theirs is a friendship founded on a big brother-little brother dynamic, professionalism, or just recreational drinking, this is a friendship that takes priority. there is no slippery testosterone struggle here, they understand each other. all rules of the man code apply here. [the will scarlet] this is the annoyance. for some reason, this person gets under scott's skin. it isn't enough to be declared downright loathing or maliciousness, but there is a persistent antagonism here. a soft rivalry, these two bicker and banter daily. they probably wouldn't cross swords, but scott would definitely make his dislike clear. [the king john] this is the lifelong rival. an archnemesis, a mortal enemy - however you want to put it. these two duke it out, every time - unless forced to cooperate for the greater good. there is no love lost here, this is scott's sworn opponent. and there does not appear to be any reconcilliation on the horizon. [the maid marian] this is the one true love. probably not evident yet, this is the one who scott ends up with, down the road. the otp! the ooc. [soundtrack]simon & garfunkel :: homeward bound [mun] annie. [pb] ian somerhalder. [credit] me! [disclaimer] i disclaim! |