"There's a new officer on deck. Old one wasn't up to the task."
The Second ExemplarName: Douglas Stewart
Aliases: The Sea Master, the Duke of the Depths, the Human Monsoon, the Tidebringer, the Atlantic Avenger, the Titan of the Oceans, the Blood of the Earth, the Trench Tyrant, the Hydrogod, the Atlantic Atrocity
Occupation: Pacifier, Ex-Naval Captain
Age: Exemplar Spirit is ageless. Captain Stewart is 45.
Species: Human hosting corrupted Exemplar Spirit
Height: 6'3
Weight: 215 lbs
Base of Operations: Bermuda Triangle
Alignment: Saving lives.
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Origin
For countless generations, the Exemplar had watched over the people of Earth, mighty powers at the sole command of a benevolent being who embodied the atmosphere itself. The Spirit itself would possess a being pure of heart, using their body to advance its benevolent goals. Protecting the planet when no others could arise, it vanished when a new generation of heroes emerged to combat the malevolent powers that threaten the world on a daily basis. Then, in recent times, it reemerged, its power sought once more. Possessing a Middle Easterner by the name of Danyal Adama, the new Exemplar sought to pacify his homeland, only to be met with relentless opposition. It was there that he faced a new challenge, unknown to the Spirit and Man alike; one who commanded the forces of nature with equal might. It was when he fought Joseph Beckham that the Spirit met its match, a young boy possessed by the immortal Zeus himself. When the lightning of the child struck Danyal, something changed within him. The Earth's Spirit had been made aware that there was another being with greater command of the sky than it, an usurper to the unseen chair dethroning the Spirit with mystic lightning. The message was clear: the sky no longer belonged to Danyal Adama.
Now, the seas belong to Douglas Stewart.
Powers
Geomagnetic Vessel / Willpower Based Augmentation: The Exemplar is a living, breathing embodiment of the planet's geomagnetic field. Constantly surrounded geomagnetic energy, he even emits his own gravitational field, which he can bend to his needs. In layman's terms, Exemplar is roughly the closest analogue we have to a living, breathing planet, contained in a man-sized body. The field that surrounds him can be amplified or decreased, as well as utilized in conjunction with the planet's for devastating effects. Additionally, the stronger the Exemplar's willpower, the greater his powers will be amplified, pushing him farther than his body could normally go. Because of his boundless potential, the upper limit of his strength and durability has yet to be measured. Even the idea that there is a definite ceiling to his power is pure speculation; he will always be as strong as he needs to be. Following his transition from an air-based to a water-based being, his musculature and sensory adaptations have altered themselves to account for life deep under the sea.
Invulnerable: Exemplar is apparently immune to all conventional attacks due to the presence of his personal geomagnetic field. The field, comprised of thousands of electron-thin layers of pure energy, is completely invisible to the naked eye, but this belies its effectiveness. Described as being unbreakable, the field surrounds his form with pure energy akin to the vast magnetic field that surrounds our planet, deflecting all manner of physical attack. Due to the presence of the field, telepathic attacks on his form often fail or are mitigated. While the being known as Exemplar can be harmed, one would need to be a superhuman of equal or greater strength to do so. Physically piercing the micron-thin barrier that protects his body would require strength far in excess of a hundred tons. That is not to say that he cannot be struck physically; while the field absorbs the impact, he can still be knocked off of his feet by a weaker superhuman foe, particularly if he is unprepared for the attack. Exemplar does not need to breathe or ingest food, but continues to do so out of general enjoyment. He is not susceptible to disease or food poisoning, and attacking microbes will be purged from his system within an hour.
While the previous Exemplar seemed to be a being fit for existence in the sky, there is no doubt that the current one is perfectly adapted for underwater survival.
Accelerated Healing: While rarely injured due to the presence of the geomagnetic field, if he is somehow injured, he will heal approximately three times as quickly as a normal man.
Indomitable Strength: As a result of the geomagnetic field surrounding his body, as well as his gravitational manipulation, the maximum output of Exemplar's strength is borderline immeasurable. He can exert forces on targets using only his fists that would crumple battleships, or lift entire buildings from their foundations. A manifestation of the Earth's power, he can press in excess of one hundred tons with minimal effort, and can press more by applying his gravitational powers to the target.
Hypersonic Speed / Reaction time / Flight: Exemplar's body has been amplified by his geomagnetic field to not only reduce air friction, but utilize it to accelerate. Subtly pulling on every electron particle in the area, he can build up enough momentum to move at escape velocity. Surrounded by static electricity, he can easily break the sound barrier, once being measured to go four times as fast. Exemplar cannot reach his maximum speed on planet Earth because doing so would result in massive gravitational shifts that could threaten the planet. Exemplar previously possessed the ability to fly, though this has been supplanted with superhuman command of the ocean. His strikes are fast enough to appear as little more than blurs, and they have been known to cause sonic booms with every blow.
Gravitational Manipulation Hydrokinesis: The Exemplar's greatest offensive power is his gravitational field manipulation. As the embodiment of our planet's mass and energy, he can physically rip through gravity, contorting it to his will through his vast power to manipulate electron fields. He can focus this gravitational attack into a pulse of energy, an enormous burst of repulsive power that can launch a target for miles. Being the center of a gravitational field has also enhanced his body, shaping it into the muscular epitome of conditioning as a result of the constant pressure on his form. Exemplar can also increase or decrease the amount of gravitational pressure on a certain target, causing it to become lighter than air, or to sink into the ground.
Exemplar previously possessed the ability to fly, but he no longer has this ability following the conflict in the Middle East.
Weather Manipulation: Exemplar can utilize his geomagnetic powers to excite the electrons in the air, moving them to higher energy levels in their valance shells, causing them to emit light when they fall back down. Akin to the Aurora Borealis, these impressive displays are trivial compared to his other powers. Using gravity to stir up wind currents and create lightning, he can induce storms of massive proportion, hurricanes of pure power that surround his form. Using these abilities, he can generate winds that can rip apart buildings, or torrents of rain that can flood entire cities within a half-hour. The Spirit's grasp of weather manipulation seems to have increased tenfold since the fight in the Middle East, extending more to the oceans than the air. Water, it seems, has become his primary weapon, rather than wind.
Geomagnetic Hydrospheric Sense: Physically connected to the Earth's magnetic field, Exemplar can sense disturbances in the equilibrium of the atmosphere. However, following the conflict in the Middle East, his innate knowledge of the Earth's stratosphere has been replaced with an intrinsic link to its oceans instead. His mind is linked to the hydrosphere, a subconscious knowledge of every path and obstacle under the ocean's surface.
Enhanced Intelligence / Reaction Time: Exemplar's brain synapses are empowered with the same electricity that merged Douglas and him together, enhancing his thought process nearly tenfold. His memory is impeccable, but his grasp of more advanced science is admittedly lacking. While he is undeniably wise, he is not particularly interested by computers or electronics, focusing instead on politics and inward meditation. Exemplar is resistant to telepathy.
Abilities
Powerhouse fighting style: The being known as Exemplar has existed for thousands of years, engaging in combat with hundreds of powerful entities. The main focus, however, of his combat style, is in deadly, precise actions that make the most use of his superhuman strength. When up close, he will use his limbs to collide forcefully with an opponent, amplifying the damage through gravitational attacks alongside physical punches. Always a collected, precise fighter, he does not employ acrobatic maneuvers or dodges, preferring to tank whatever attack comes his way and physically smack whatever has dared to fight him. Imbuing his attacks with lightning for extra damage, he can strike other metahumans with enough power to launch them through buildings, or smash them into the ground with enough force to cause an earthquake. Following the Middle Eastern conflict, he is particularly adept at underwater combat. Whilst in his element, he is all but unstoppable. His attacks brutalize foes, breaking limbs and ending fights before they have even begun.
US Naval Training: Douglas Stewart, the current host of the Exemplar Spirit, possessed training from the United States military, as well as twenty-five years of experience.
Intuitive Leader: Exemplar's ultimate function is to be a ruler of man, a calling he has often ignored for the greater good. He is naturally predisposed to assume a leadership position, and will issue orders without hesitation. His intuition extends itself to predicting the moves of opponents, and preparing for them accordingly. Exemplar is an excellent, if not ruthless, strategist.
Favorite Attack: Backhand.
Paraphernalia
Trident of R'lyeh: Retrieved from an intricate labyrinth sunken deep within the South Pacific, the trident possesses extreme durability, with the geomagnetic energies focused through Exemplar's body exponentially increasing its structure and sharpness. Exemplar can throw, guide, and retrieve the trident through use of his powers, and utilize it to focus his weather-controlling abilities. He is highly proficient in its use for combat.
Troopers
The soldiers under Douglas' command remained loyal to him following the Exemplar Incident, and he used the Spirit's power to grant them enhanced, shell-like armored suits and more powerful weaponry optimized for use underwater and on land. Each trooper is capable of autonomous operations, with advanced training in both close-quarters-combat and long-range marksmanship. The quasi-organic suits enable each soldier to breathe casually underwater and in hostile conditions, and to operate even at the crushing pressures of the deep ocean. The suit's composition is that of a highly flexible, but nonetheless dense, organic shell, securing the soldier within and enabling them to operate in exceedingly hostile conditions. Advanced sonar systems allow the troopers to navigate deep underwater without issue, and the propulsion packs on their backs and heels enable them to move quickly through the water. Each trooper is equipped with an advanced "homing" rifle, with powerful "burst" rounds that can lock on to a target and slightly change their course to ensure maximum contact. The outer layer of the armor can change color to camouflage the soldiers as well.
There are approximately 1,250 soldiers under Douglas' command. Those who did not answer to him were abandoned with their memories wiped.
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