AJ Shepherd

AJ Shepherd is a Leader, Zealot & Profit of the Church of Ancients, a secret cult running under the pretence of a private militia.
AJ plays host to an ancient being known as “Xivass” One of several astral creatures of unknown origin. By being possessed by this monster, he is granted a few supernatural powers at the expense of always hearing the voices of the creature in his mind.
Despite not truly believing in the pantheon he himself started, he leads the cult with the conviction and ruthlessness of a devout zealot that truly believes in the cause.
== Biography ==
=== Appearance ===
AJ is 6 foot tall, he has an average build with swept back blonde/brown hair. He is caucasian with a completion akin to an average pale English man. Shepherd had blue eyes prior to being possessed, The presence of the Psycho Entity possessing him leaves his eyes red.
When channeling the Psycho, he grows slightly taller and becomes covered in black tattoos written in ancient runes and strange languages. Outside of this he can also summon spectral arms of the Psycho that protrude from his back and can fully function as prehensile appendages.
=== Attire ===
Shepherd wears a variety of outfits. He tends to opt for dark clothing, commonly black. His most common outfit is a black suit similar to a priest’s clothing along with a long black coat. At his religious services, he wears a more elaborate set of black, white and red robes with a pointed hood. In any outfit, he is never seen without a pair of sunglasses that hide his red eyes.
As the Psycho he tends to be shirtless and go without shoes, this is also the only time he ever appears without sunglasses.
== History ==
=== Early Life ===
Augustine J Shepherd grew up in an unknown area somewhere in England. He notably had a fascination with the occult as well as a jealous interest in religions throughout history and their ability to influence and manipulate people through the power of fear, deception and hope.
=== Para-Military Career ===
At some point Shepherd received training in hand-to-hand combat and use of melee weapons and firearms. This training came as preparation for serving in a mercenary platoon that he worked for. He achieved the rank of Sergeant and eventually took control of the unit before encountering the Psycho Entity known as Xivass on a mission to discover Parts Unknown.
=== Psycho Cult ===
On an expedition to the now long-forgotten unknown location, AJ’s squad raided an ancient tomb full of mysterious artefacts. Inside they came across a shrine to forgotten deities as well as historic markings depicting these beings’ arrival on earth, their rise to power, and their rule over ancient civilisations.
Upon the alter in the shrine stood a Phylactery, This came in the form of a pitch black crystal orb. Upon touching this orb, the spirit of Xivass was released and latched itself onto the person touching it, Shepherd.
Shepherd retained his mind and his free will, but was able to hear strange whispering voices in his head. After learning to communicate with the voices he learned the nature of the monster and of its mystic powers.
The Entity made a deal with Shepherd. In exchange for a share of these powers, AJ would work with the Entity to act upon his will and bring forth a new pantheon in the shadows. Using his powers of influence, persuasion & leadership, AJ called forth his army unit and reformed them into “The Defenders of the Faith”, The private army of his new church that would (lead by him) recruit followers forcefully and lay down an iron fist to control the believers and dissuade rule breaking and rebellion. Promoting himself to the rank of General, Shepherd began spreading his “religious” influence around the world in the militia’s wake, the Defenders of the Faith at his side.
As the cult spread, he appointed himself High Priest of the church (now known as the Church of the Ancients) Shepherd also declared himself a profit, hiding his true nature and the fact that he was being possessed by the patron he pretended to worship. The Cult eventually spread internationally and was present at varying degrees in each continent. In the mainstream the pantheon existed as a seemingly harmless religion designed to manipulate the gullible and con rich people out of their money. Meanwhile the real cult underground had much more shady affairs as well as several splinter organisations featuring fanatical zealots and guerrilla warfare terror organisations.
=== High Priest ===
As head of an underground cult complete with its own holy militia, Shepherd held quite a lot of sway among those who knew the truth about him and the nature of his religion. He worked with President Remune, the two shared a friendly professional relationship as well as an underground partnership where they would unofficially assist each other. Remune was even an honorary member of the church and was somewhat under the cult’s protection. Many other celebrities were also inducted members at various levels of privilege, some true believers and many enducted personally by the high priest, well aware that the religion was a sham.
From the shadows he controlled the will of the people, utilising hope and manipulation to indoctrinate people to join him, and scare tactics to bring fear to the hearts of those who opposed him. In addition to the cult, Shepherd organised a branching empire that beneath him. Across Europe, America & East Asia he recruited a number of under-bosses to manage his worldwide criminal enterprises involving: street gangs, Mafia, Yakuza, mobs & crime families. He was the CEO of many large corpirations across the globe each provided with a trustworthy and indoctrinated COO to run each company with absolute loyalty. 
AJ & the Psycho worked together as equals, their relationship lead to better results than either expected. Shepherd had the powers and control he had always craved while the Psycho Entity had worshipers once more.
=== Wrestling Career ===
His cult self-sufficient, AJ was able to pursue his own interests and take advantage of his powers in a more selfish and crooked way. Namely AJ first perused a pro-wrestling career, with WWE Owner Vince McMahon as a high-up cult member, AJ was able to sign himself to the company, organise the founding of the Throwdown brand & create his own character using an abridged version of himself including an “evil” role for his Psycho alter-ego. The only restriction is that he could not be seen to exhibit any of his secret powers in a manor any more convincing than that of a regular WWE promo for any supernatural superstar.
Shepherd got to know the rest of YMM while on the Throwdown roster, wrestling alongside them as part of a number of teams. The group all became close friends and took advantage of each others’ secret identities and backgrounds. Eventually he arranged for himself to be “awarded” the title of general manager of the Throwdown brand (as of this point, Throwdown became an independent promotion; free from McMahon control) after doing so, he froze the other members of YMM out of the company and kept all the power for himself. What seemed like a petty grab for power, in truth was just the latest branch in his ever-growing empire of criminal enterprises, legitimate businesses & religious brethren. 
=== Mortal Qombat ===
== Powers ==
AJ has inherited a number of abilities from his patron. This Dark magic is channeled from the Psycho into him and can be harnessed for an array of uses. Because of the energy these powers consume, he can only ever use one ability at a time and therefor cannot achieve the full power of his patron.
=== Psycho Form ===
The Pscyho is an alter ego he can transform into on command, this can also occur involuntarily during surges of emotion. AJ becomes very slightly taller and hundreds of intertwined black tattoos in the shape of ancient runes and scratchy rambling words form all over his body. His personality becomes bestial and he acts more like a chaotic evil monster.
In terms of power, this ability grants him inhuman strength & endurance, limited mind control (to the extent of making people freeze in place or become unable to attack him) and the ability to teleport (only when fully concealed in darkness or shadow)
In this form, AJ & the entity practically become one and are unified with equal control, AJ speaks with the entity’s abyssal demonic voice and can speak ancient forgotten languages.
=== Stand Manifestation ===
Instead of becoming the Psycho, AJ can extend his soul to form a spectral body for the Entity to inhabit. For a brief period, AJ can use his own energy and power to fuel the Entity’s ghost in the form of a “Stand” that will appear beside him. Shepherd is fully in control of the stand and uses it as an avatar equipped with a more amplified set of his own powers.
The manifestation of the stand is very taxing and can only be sustained for a short time while adrenaline is kept high. In this form, the Entity stand can be moved around but not freely, he will naturally float adjacent to Shepherd but can be moved in a small radius around him. The two share a mutual life-force and feel each other’s pain when attacked.
The stand takes the appearance of the Entity’s true form and can appear and disappear at Shepherd’s will. The Stand exhibits all of the Entity’s powers and can channel them via AJ, although Shepherd is not powerful enough to enable most of them unless powered up to X Ultimate levels.
=== Spectral Arms ===
When needed, AJ can channel the Psycho Entity’s power to summon skeletal arms that claw their way out of his back and act as a super strong and vicious pair of clawed ghost arms that prove very useful in combat.
These arms appear just behind his shoulders and have a wing-span that can stretch from 2 to 4 meters wide.
=== Black Magic ===
Using the powers of his other-worldly patron, he has a limited array of spells and curses he can cast as well as the knowledge of rituals that can enable him to summon.
Shepherd’s magic functions in the same way as any Warlock. The Presence of the Entity within his mind grants him the knowledge of several different spells while the entity actively channels his energy granting him the power to actually use magic.
These spells include summoning creatures and monsters, clairvoyance, protection and damaging spells. These spells are not actually known to AJ in terms of exact verbal components or rituals, but the knowhow to perform the incantations come to him as and when he tries to cast them.
=== Telepathy ===
Mind Reading is an ability he is granted by the Entity. When activating this ability he can see through the eyes of his target and see what they see. In addition he can read their thoughts and know exactly what they are thinking about. To a more intrusive degree he can probe his target’s mind and discover other things they know in addition to what they are thinking of.
=== Combat Training ===
Outside of The Psycho’s powers, Shepherd received military level combat training in hand to hand combat as well as various melee weapons and numerous standard firearms. These skills prove useful in scenarios where he cannot use powers as well as being he backbone of his pro-wrestling move-set ( where he is not permitted to use powers in addition to the consequences of being exposed if he did.
=== Zealot Influence & Cult Command ===
Shepherd also has the uncanny ability to influence and command unsuspecting people to listen to him and believe his teachings. Through this he can indoctrinate masses of civilians to do his bidding. Those who believe in his cause feel compelled to follow his command, tricked into truly believe his orders are not only fundamentally important to the cult but also extremely beneficial to themselves. This power is increased by the Psycho’s influence but does also involve Shepherd’s own powers of manipulation stemming from observing religious history.
== Pro-Wrestling Persona ==
Sgt AJ Shepherd is a pro-wrestler on the Throwdown brand at WWE. He has been an authority figure heel since 2015 with a military gimmick from his background as the leader of a private army. He was also host to an alter-ego split personality known as “Psycho Austin”, as a cover for his Psycho form.
Over time this wrestling character also developed more alter-egos, each of which claiming to be possessed by different entities with comical results. Such as a flashy “corporate” character, a noir gangster character and more. These other personas were purely fictional and served as fodder to discredit any rumours that the Psycho persona might actually be real.
He is a several times winner of the Throwdown Championship, Manly McMahon Championship & Television Championship. And winner of the Shinny & Vinny Tag Championship belts & Throwdown Tag Championship belts as part of “The West Bridgford Boiis” & ”The Aviators”
He usually works as a heel but sometimes becomes a face exclusively when he’s joining forces with the rest of the West Bridgford Boiis.
When not working for himself, he will often take commissions to do other thins such as wrestling somebody on someone else’s behalf.
=== Character Backstory ===
Sgt AJ was the leader of his own militia that worked as mercenaries for hire; until in 2015, he was hired by Mr.McMahon who mistook him for a “wrestler for hire” instead of an “army for hire” and signed him on to become the new “star” of the newest brand “Thursday Night Throwdown“. Regardless of his actual profession, he took the job and has worked as a wrestler ever since. (Taking mercenary jobs on the side)
In 2016 he was on a mission into Parts Unknown when he came across a dark & mysterious shrine to an evil god in an ancient temple. Inside he had a run-in with the evil entity the shrine was dedicated to. This entity; known as “The Psycho Entity” possessed him, leaving behind some of himself inside Sgt AJ’s mind, creating the personality known as “Psycho Austin”. This personality was not under Sgt AJ’s control and there would be much conflict between the two different minds.
During Early 2017, Sgt AJ became 1 of the 5 members of the tag team stable “The West Bridgford Boiis”, where he would turn face for any appearance as part of this team due to the group‘s fun-loving and humorous nature. This team consisted of Sgt AJ, President Remune, Nuk, Macdaddy & Brad. This group were the most dominant team on Throwdown and won the Shinny & Vinny tag championships a record number of times. This team is still going strong whenever they choose to reunite,
In mid 2017, Sgt AJ also founded his own team known as “The Aviators“. This was a heel group that would come together to beat up their victims and give each other an unfair advantage against unsuspecting face opponents. The team‘s included 3 members from the West Bridgford Boiis as well as the character known as “Fake” Callam. This team was fairly present during the following year, but was quietly disbanded behind the scenes due to changes in storylines & characters.
In late 2018 the “Season of the Stones” began. This event saw several members of the Throwdown roster be given magical glowing stone artefacts that grant the welders certain powers. Sgt AJ obtained the Stone of the Mind. This stone took the form of a ring and enabled several psychic powers. The stone enabled him to take control of the Psycho as well as control the two new personalities “Hardcore AJ” the high flying daredevil & “Amsterdam Austin” the drunk partyboy. The ring also enabled limited mind reading & divination powers, making Sgt AJ able to foresee some enemies moves.
When the season of stones was over, the ring was lost and the powers were gone. Hardcore AJ & Amsterdam Austin ceased to exist and Sgt AJ lost the ability to control the Psycho.
As of 2020, He has become the General Manager of Throwdown. Sgt AJ now wrestles as himself slightly less often but will happily put himself into a squash match against someone he can easily beat, or give himself a title opportunity ahead of other deserving contenders.
The Psycho has also become more dominant, wrestling far more often than his sane counterpart.
Since a brief absence at the end of 2020 he returned in early 2021 alongside “The Psycho”, returning personas Hardcore AJ (Now known as “The Daredevil“) and Amsterdam Austin (now known as “The Freak”) as well as a few more personas such as “Corporate Austin” & “The Sheriff”.
It is now established that each of these personas is an aspect of a different entity possessing him each taking over at different moments. From this point on, he was actually in control of all of these personas (apart from The Psycho) being able to call upon each of them at will and change between them freely. Psycho Austin still remained out of the Sgt’s control and able to take control independently.
Wrestling Attire
His standard ring attire consists of black jeans, black Doc Marten‘s boots, a white button-up short sleeve shirt with an orange and blue scorpion on the chest & a pair of black Aviator sunglasses.
His entrance attire includes the addition of a full length black coat with “Shepherd” on the back and the occasional addition of a brown Stetson hat.
His outfit stays the same as part of the West Bridgford Boiis but as the Aviators he dons a different outfit made up black trousers, a black shirt, black shoes, fingerless gloves with “GG” written in blue & a leather jacket with the team name written on the back in blue.
His alternative outfit during 2019 was his covert desert gear with a black longsleeve shirt, trousers, boots & aviators. Brown full length coat & a face covering scarf.
=== Personas ===
The Sergeant has a number of different personalities that appear, each of which represent a different supernatural entity possessing him.
* The Psycho (Psycho Austin) - Psycho Entity
** Austin Wyatt - Member of the Wyatt family Cult
** Austin of the End - Evil Doomsday Profit
* The Daredevil (Hardcore AJ) - Adrenaline Entity
* The Freak (Amsterdam Austin) - Debauchery Entity
* The Billionaire (Corporate Austin) - Corporate Entity
* The Outlaw (Sad Cowboy Austin) - Cowboy Entity
* Los Muertos (Reaper Austin) - Death Entity
* The Gangster (Gangland Austin) - Noir Entity
== Trivia ==
* AJ Shepherd was first created as Austin’s self-insert character for the YMM roster on the various WWE wrestling games in the same vein as Nuk, President Remune & Brad etc, He was given an arbitrary military gimmick early on similar to John Cena. This had no real life significance and was purely a fabricated personality.
* Psycho Austin was created to be part of the “East Tunnelford Lads” an evil parallel version of each of the self-insert characters in the “West Bridgford Boiis” team. 
** Originally as “Austin Wyatt”, the character was a shirtless lookalike wearing a fedora. He was intended to be the 5th member of the Wyatt family. Although in real life the Wyatt family had been disbanded before the character was made, as a result the character was changed to become something else (more importantly, something that didn‘t appear to be a fan-fiction OC)
** “Austin of the End” became The character’s new name. He was altered to be covered in tattoos and ditched the fedora. This version of the character was meant to be a doomsday profit able to see horrors from the future. The character was intended to be misunderstood and considered mad by people who didn’t believe him (namely everyone).
** The character was further changed to be “Psycho Austin” and later just “The Psycho”. The doomsday visions being replaced by a monster gimmick.
* Shepherd‘s Psycho persona takes inspiration from WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt’s various gimmicks. Initially the character was an evil Sgt AJ lookalike meant to be a part of the Wyatt family. Before the character was changed to be a crazy evil tattooed monster. (Coincidentally, not long after this Bray Wyatt debuted a new version of his character as a demonic masked monster)
* Sgt AJ has been a wrestler in 2K17 & 2K19. He has not (yet) been added to 2K20. It is unlikely that he will be added in future.
* So the character could be transferred to other mediums more seamlessly, the “Sgt AJ” aspect of the character was reduced to just a wrestling alias. This left the character available to be given a richer more fleshed-out history not dependant on being a wrestler first & foremost.
Category:Characters
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Category:Throwdown
Category:The Aviators
Category:The West Bridgford Boiis
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Category:Church of Ancients