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Mister Midas (Character Profile)

Giuseppe Rossi: Superhuman Daredevil
Giuseppe Rossi: Superhuman Daredevil

The Metal-Powered Man-of-Action: Mister Midas

Name: Giuseppe Rossi

Alias: Mister Midas, (Signor Midas)

Occupation: Daredevil, hired mercenary, high-class citizen

Nationality: Italian

Age: 33 years

Species: Human mutant

Place of Birth: Rome, Italy

Affiliation: Neutral-good, idealistic

Origin: As a child growing up in the capital of Italy, Giuseppe Rossi soon discovered that he gained certain "talents" when in proximity to specific substances. The presence of different metals would endow him with unnatural abilities, powers that would alter both himself and the world around him. He could move coins without touching them, or breathe underwater for minutes at a time. His eyesight was sharper than any other child's, and he could sprint for miles without growing tired...but only in the presence of metal. He was a mutant that drew in power from metallic substances, conduits that acted as a catalyst for his abilities. He soon found many ways to cash in on his superhuman status, starting as an athlete, becoming a celebrity, and then, following his discharge from sports, a hired mercenary. Now cultivating a small fortune following the completion of several assignments, Giuseppe continues to accept only the highest-risk jobs, looking to satisfy his borderline irrational hunger for adrenaline...perhaps a side-effect of his powers.

Powers

Siphoning several metals at once gives Giuseppe an undeniable (if brief) advantage in all fields of combat.
Siphoning several metals at once gives Giuseppe an undeniable (if brief) advantage in all fields of combat.

Metal-Siphoning Physiology: Giuseppe's mutant ability is to sense, absorb, and utilize various metallic properties as a catalyst to activate a wide variety of normally dormant superpowers. He can sense the presence of nearby metals, and is able to navigate his environment without the use of his other primary senses based solely on the locations of said metals. When he is in close proximity to a metal, his nervous system subconsciously releases a series of hormones that travel to various mutant organs in his body. These organs than receive and interpret the signals delivered by the hormones, causing a sub-cellular genetic reaction that alters one of Giuseppe's traits. Typically, he reaches his greatest potential when the metal is close to or touching his skin. He can only siphon the "energy" of metal samples for a limited amount of time, save for gold, which he can absorb indefinitely. There is no external observable "evidence" of Giuseppe's siphoning; it is impossible to tell with the naked eye whether or not he is currently doing so.

While it is far, far easier to siphon the metal elements from a pure state, Giuseppe can also extract the energy from compounds, but with less effectiveness. A primary example would be him siphoning the sodium from sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt.

Primary Examples of Siphoning Metals and their Effects

Gold: Giuseppe's signature metal, and the source of his alias, Mister Midas. Gold has a unique effect on Giuseppe because he can use it without limit. When in proximity to gold, Giuseppe's body reaches a new state of evolution, utilizing latent DNA in order to develop new cellular structures that drastically affect his body structure. Gold causes Giuseppe's cells to add new tasks to their original purposes, including the reconstruction of aging, diseased, or damaged cellular structures. When siphoning gold, Giuseppe's body gains powerful reconstructive properties, enabling him to heal from a multitude of wounds. The gold causes Giuseppe's pain receptors to momentarily desensitize, in order for his cells to continue to function at maximum capacity. Gold also increases the energy efficiency of Giuseppe's tissues; he can sustain himself through intense conditions, storing far more energy in his mitochondria than a normal man could. Perhaps due to the directly positive effect it has on his body systems, Giuseppe can siphon gold indefinitely, unlike his other metals. Giuseppe is most skilled in using gold above all other metals.

The world slows down around Rossi as he siphons some copper in conjunction with lithium.
The world slows down around Rossi as he siphons some copper in conjunction with lithium.

Copper: When siphoning copper, Giuseppe's five senses grow far more acute than an average man's. The cellular tissues in his eyes, nose, tongue, and ear grow more effective, causing him to pick up on much more of his environment. The nerves in his skin also become more sensitive, causing his sensation of touch to triple in precision. The biological centers managing the data his senses collect also grow more complex, enabling him to make sense of his newfound abilities to detect the world around him. His mind itself grows sharper, enhancing his reaction time nearly ten times. His focus augmented heavily by the copper, he can perform calculated movements and actions on pure instinct, such as aiming a firearm while jumping out of a burning building, than grabbing onto a flagpole to save himself...all in one single thought. Siphoning copper can also be dangerous, though, as his more acute senses can be exploited by his foes. It took years of training for Giuseppe to only augment one of his five senses at a time, a strategy he is still in the process of refining.

Steel, Iron, or Lead: These three metals do not affect Giuseppe internally, like gold or copper; rather, he is able to reach out to them, using his mutant abilities to manipulate their electron fields to actually move them without touching them. As Giuseppe is limited by both his proximity to the metals and their relative volumes, he cannot lift much, instead altering the direction, speed, and shape of said metals. He mainly uses these powers for finely manipulating his tools, such as keeping a good grip on a gun when in intense combat, or altering the trajectory of his unique grappling hook. Because they do not siphon directly into him, Giuseppe does not run the risk of "running out" of power to use with these metals.

Sodium: A dangerous metal to keep around due to its high reactivity, pure sodium enables Giuseppe to excite the electrons in an object of his touch, making them explode after a short delay. When Giuseppe siphons sodium, it becomes less reactive, as he is moving the excited electrons from it into an object of his choice. Additionally, Giuseppe can siphon the explosive potential of the sodium directly into himself, repurposing it into a "kinetic field" of sorts. When doing so, Giuseppe is far more resistant to heat than normal, as well as weak blunt impacts such as thrown punches, kicks, or ambient shrapnel.

Mercury: Siphoning mercury is nearly as dangerous as siphoning sodium. A variety of effects take place; Giuseppe's cells become softer and more malleable, taking on the soft nature of the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. He becomes far more acrobatic, but less durable, aiding him in quick escapes or in slipping out of bonds. Giuseppe can only alter his cellular composition with mercury for a very limited amount of time; otherwise, he would risk structural decomposition to his tissues, and he would need gold in order to heal the damage done.

Titanium: In a way, the effects of siphoning titanium are opposite those of siphoning mercury. Rather than becoming pliable and liquid-like, Giuseppe's cells multiply and condense, adding body mass to his form. His weight increases exponentially as new cells are created and compacted into where old ones used to be. The result is a massive growth in Giuseppe's body density, strength, and durability. When empowered by titanium, Giuseppe can lift approximately one ton. Rather than use his new strength for lifting, however, he channels it into striking power, targeting the more easily broken parts of his foes' bodies. He also uses the strength to increase his mobility, pulling himself great lengths along on his grapple wire at high speeds - a feat of strength no ordinary man could accomplish.

Lithium: Siphoning lithium affects the bio-electric fields put off by Giuseppe's so-called "excitable cells," which include muscle cells, neurons, and some endocrine cells. Amplifying the galvanic reactivity of his muscles and linking them directly to his neural cells, lithium supercharges Giuseppe's nervous system, causing him to move his body at the upper limit of human mobility. Giuseppe can also release the rapidly built-up bioelectricity through his touch, akin to an electric eel, or to endure high-voltage shocks. While not particularly useful for combat purposes, Giuseppe can use this "release" to power small electronic devices, or to send electric currents through conductive substances.

Skills

Advanced Combatant: Giuseppe has spent many years refining several martial techniques for use in his adventures. With an emphasis on powerful, strong strikes, as well as high mobility, Giuseppe targets the extremities of his foes, looking to cripple arms, legs, and the head, rather than aiming for a traditional body shot. His main technique involves the use of his metallic grapple claw's reel as a whip, lashing his opponents with metal-imbued strikes, or entangling them within a lethal web of steel-fiber rope.

Experienced Firearm User: Giuseppe has experience using most conventional firearms, such as pistols, rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, and rocket projectors. His aim, grip, and reaction times are all aided by his siphoning abilities.

Freerunning Expert: Giuseppe has practiced the art of freerunning since childhood. Otherwise known as parkour, freerunning employs the use of acrobatics to move across obstacle-ridden environments at high speeds, often using the environment as a method of travel.He can use agile spins, flips, vaults, and wall climbs to traverse urban areas quickly.

Conversationalist: Giuseppe is socially adept, and is capable of holding a conversation with most people successfully.

Poly-lingual: Giuseppe is fluent in Italian, Spanish, Russian, and English.

Weaknesses / Quirks

Literal Adrenaline Junkie: Perhaps as a side effect of his metal-siphoning powers, Giuseppe feels the need to engage in activities that cause his adrenal glands to manufacture adrenaline. Whether this is a physical or mental dependency is unknown; it may be a combination of both. This often causes him to act impulsively, diving headlong into danger. This need for adrenaline has also gotten him in trouble with the authorities before, but never for anything too serious...

Arrogance: Giuseppe is arrogant, and he sometimes overestimates himself.

Paraphernalia / Resources

Giuseppe's favorite toy - Il Rampino
Giuseppe's favorite toy - Il Rampino

The Model '10 Rampino: With a pressurized gas chamber designed by top scientists in conjunction with Giuseppe, as well as a special steel-fiber ripcord that can withstand even the greatest weights, the 2010-designed Il Rampino grapple claw is truly an engineering marvel. The claw itself is reversible; it can grab on to nearly any surface through either sheer pressure or through magnetic attraction subdevices (designs inspired by Avalon Enterprises Technology). Giuseppe uses his Steel-Siphoning to help direct the claw, as well as to reel himself in using the siphon-activated switch kept within. The claw can be used as a whip for close-ranged combat, or to precisely grab far away objects. With Giuseppe's siphon-enhanced aim and control over the entire device, he can maneuver expertly through any environment at bedazzling speeds.

Golden Cross: Giuseppe uses a family heirloom as his main source of Gold-Siphoning, keeping it on his body at all times in order to use his powers whenever necessary.

Il Paracadute
Il Paracadute

Il Paracadute: Giuseppe's retractable parachute, built into the back of his harness, is used in conjunction with his grappling hook and Steel-Siphoning abilities to allow him to traverse large distances in record times. He can instantly retract the chute along a predetermined path using his mutant power, a factor that was considered heavily in the design process. It can deploy almost instantaneously, with the 5% iron-steel-fiber thread woven into the design maximizing his ability to control the chute while allowing it to remain lightweight and easily stored in his harness.

Assorted Guns and Ammunition: Giuseppe has connections to the so-called Grey Market, a mostly-legal way of obtaining devices that aid him in his thrill seeking.

High Net-Worth: Giuseppe has access to a large sum of money, which he often uses to fuel his adrenaline-seeking habits. He can purchase or rent nearly any normally available vehicle, afford crates full of guns and ammunition, and hire additional thrill-seekers and adventurers to work with him. Giuseppe lives in a villa outside of Rome, and owns property in the Swiss Alps. He doesn't have much use for cash, though, preferring to live in the moment. Giuseppe donates large portions of his income to various charities, as he has little use for the money himself.

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