After The Storm:Alan

Concept

Can generate fire at will from hands and/or feet. Can project a narrow beam of light to illuminate a small area like a flashlight. Can do a light-based Dazzle effect, single target only. Immune to fire and heat unless they reach extreme levels. (A house fire is of little concern, but stepping into molten steel is not advisable, although even that would not be instantly crippling.)

During the Storm, origin of powers

Alan Copperton is the son of Walter Copperton, an electrician and electrical engineer who until the Storm owned two electronics supply shops (both ruined now, of course). Walter ran afoul of some career criminals running a protection/extortion ring. Walter refused to pay so they burned down his house with the family inside. Alan had an Origin. * Using his new powers he rescued his father and younger sister Mabel. His brother Benedict died in the fire. His brother Matthew and sister Alice were shot dead by the waiting thugs who had set the fire. Firehand is not gentle with mobsters who run protection rackets. Alan's mother Elizabeth ("Bitsy"), and his younger brother Dominic (who hates to be called 'Dom") were seeing their family doctor at the time and so escaped harm.

The Storm happened while the Coppertons were trapped. Alan was affected by the gamma ray burst (and whatever else was going on) and by random radiation bursts from all the electronics in the house as they were fried. This triggered latent genetic attributes in Alan's brain and nervous system. The exposure to roaring flames, toxic fumes and extreme stress conditions contributed to his power eruption and helped determine the form his powers would take.

By Alan's own words

Originally posted on the IC thread page 6 posts 55 and 57

"We, my family, were targeted by the Demons. Extortion. Dad said no and they burned down the house and killed three of us. I was in the workshop and all the electric and electronic stuff was sparking and blowing up or melting down. House was afire, Matthew tried to run out the door and the demons shot him dead. Something fell on me--I never knew what-- caught my clothes afire. Then I was in the kitchen grabbing Mabel, and out the door with her and down the block with the demons shooting, and then we were out of range." He looks down at his hands. "I went back, found Dad, got him out. Too late for Benny and Alice. Demons got Alice. Benedict died in the house."

Current situation

Alan lives at home with his surviving family. Father (Walter), mother (Elizabeth "Bitsy"), sister Mabel and brother Dominic. Both parents and Mabel know Alan has powers. Dominic (who is ten years of age) does not know, and for now the family wants to keep it a secret from him. Dominic does know that Mabel sometimes makes electrical stuff stop working when she's around. He knows not to talk about it in front of other people. Alan's father Walter makes a living repairing electronics and salvaging parts from ruined devices as well as importing and selling when he can. Perhaps he can build some new devices in his workshops. Local tech having regressed, he can build from older designs and still find customers. Which could be why Alan can have a rebreather in his mask and a functional smartphone. Walter's workshop/store is in the same building at the family's home. They moved to the largest store building since their house was burned down. Mabel takes care to stay out of the workshop. The family owns a car (secondhand; the old car had too much electronics to be repaired). They use bicycles as much as possible, like many people these days. Alan has become a skilled bicycle repairman, using a corner of his father's shop. Mabel helps as she can and is on the way to being a competent repairwoman herself. Of course she avoids the rest of the workshop, the part with all the electronics.

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Sidekick Mabel has powers related to electricity. [Update: Mabel has assumed the superhero persona Corona]

Personal details

Alan wasn't the strongest kid in his class but he's nimble and quick and can be stubborn when he thinks it's important. He did well enough in the occasional schoolyard fight, and was a good enough athlete to earn the respect of other boys. Not a brilliant scholar, he still did well by applying himself to his studies He likes video games, or did when they were available. Dislikes contact sports, in part because he had early encounters with jocks/bullies who used them as an excuse to get overly rough with less strong or skilled players, and partly because of a couple of incidents in which Alan himself accidently hurt another player. He enjoyed non-contact sports though. Sprinting and middle-distance racing, obstacle races, the pole vault. Not that he was equally good at all of them: he wasn't. But he enjoyed them whether he could win or not. He's an avid reader, fiction and non-fiction alike.

Alan´s parents on superpowers

Walter Cooperton sits at his workbench watching Kenji Nakahara on his laptop. His wife Elizabeth stands at Walter's shoulder watching.

Walter: "Protectors of New York. It looks like Alan's made some good friends."

Elizabeth: "And put himself in mortal danger. I'm not sure I'm happy with this."

Walter, reasonably: "What would you have, Bitsy? Should Alan have ignored all those people caught in the fire?"

Elizabeth, quickly: "Of course not! He had to do what he could for them. It's just--"

Walter interrupts gently: "It's just you're scared for your son."

Elizabeth, softly. "Yes. We've lost so much. Benny, Matt, Alice--"

Walter: "I'm frightened too, Bitsy. But I'm proud of him too. Look what our little boy has turned into. A real life super-hero."

Elizabeth: "Well, you just keep working on those protections. I want us ready if some super-villain comes knocking on the door."

Walter: "And so I will my dear one. So I will."