Hot Rod

Caiden Smith, also known as Hot Rod is a mutant supervillain from The Saviors of Sunset City, and a member of the Road Crew. He is best known for being brutalized by 10.
== Personality ==
Hot Rod is very much a petty crook, but is prideful in what he does. He seems to have skeletons in his closet, however.
== History ==
=== Origin Story ===
Hot Rod, at some point, was alleged to have raped a woman named Angela. Only Hindsight knows the truth of this scenario. His mother eventually came down with leukemia, and he committed crimes to fund her treatment.
=== The Saviors of Sunset City ===
Hot Rod was first seen being blackmailed by Hindsight into giving him one of the Road Crew's shipments of Bliss, forcing him to become his minion to shake off the Eight. Oracle attempted to intimidate him with her scythe, but failed before Big Red tackled him to the floor. Leaving him there for a moment while they detained Hindsight, Void later interrogated Hot Rod, using Big Red as leverage, asking about his boss and his goals. He told them that he worked for the Road Crew and that his envoy was soon approaching. The identity of his envoy went unresolved, however, as Hot Rod was soon locked up in the Eight's base alongside Hindsight.
Later on, after Hindsight's disappearance, Big Red partially strangled Hot Rod to get information on where Hindsight could've gone. He told them that sometimes supervillains just escape custody through green portals, but didn't know the source. He was deemed out of information for the moment, and Void and Big Red left to interrogate Moth Mogul. This wouldn't last long, however, and 10 would transform into Rath to interrogate Hot Rod further, losing control and accidentally brutalizing Hot Rod, putting him in a coma. After transforming back, 10 was mortified at what he had done, and desperately rushed him to Elm Tower.
10 later visited Hot Rod again in Elm Tower while the other members of the Eight went to see Soulshaker, and was distressed that Hot Rod's condition was not improving. Spinflux tried to use Laughter Inducement to awaken him, to no avail.
Shortly after the battle with Flood, the Eight visited Elm Tower once again, being delivered the news that Hot Rod didn't make it. Big Red put his hand on 10's shoulder, telling him that he can't save everyone, and Dr. Paean told him that supers accidentally kill villains all the time, but that this should be a learning experience for 10, telling him to make sure this doesn't happen again. 10's guilt was worsened when he found out that Hot Rod entered crime to take care of his sick mother's medical bills. Oracle hugged 10, trying to comfort him, patted him on the back and told him that even she couldn't have seen that coming. 10 later went to decorate Hot Rod's grave with flowers adorned with a strange watermark. Shortly thereafter, Spinflux rolled God's Wrath, using it to resurrect Hot Rod and put him in his mother's hospital room.
== Notable Moments ==
* Being blackmailed into helping Hindsight
* Being brutalized by Rath
== Powers and Abilities ==
=== Super Speed ===
Hot Rod can run faster than most, but the exact pace is unknown.
=== Pyrokinesis ===
Hot Rod can shoot flames from his hands.
== Trivia ==
* Hot Rod's helmet was inspired by the Wheelie from the Kirby series.
Category:Characters
Category:NPCs
Category:Antagonists
Category:The Saviors of Sunset City
Category:Humans
Category:Mutants