Marshal Underwood

Marshal Underwood is the oldest son of Corbin Underwood. Formerly his father's sidekick, Marshal's heroic career came to an end after his younger brother Matt was murdered by the vigilante Tygr. Arriving first on the scene, Marshal killed Tygr and was forced to go on the run. He subsequently became a rogue crime fighter, eschewing any costume or moniker, and formed the vigilante gang the Wild Bunch.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Marshal grew up knowing almost nothing of his mother, Doris Riley, beyond the fact that she had died in childbirth. He was raised solely by his father, Corbin.Bad Things Happen Being only nineteen himself, Corbin was little prepared for parenthood,quipquipquip: "'Bad Things' Happened And Now Everything Hurts" and Marshal was no ordinary child, displaying superhuman senses, strength and durability from an early age.
Marshal's enhanced senses give him a unique way of perceiving the world, and during his early childhood this created some difficulties. While grocery shopping, Corbin would have to put a bib on him, as being surrounded by so many food smells caused Marshal to drool uncontrollably. Before he was old enough to understand the concept of personal space, he would greet everyone by sniffing the apocrine glands in their crotches or armpits. He was three before he started talking and walking regularly. Although Corbin knew that his son was fine, he frequently had to cope with strangers asking what was wrong with the boy.
Because Marshal's ears were sensitive, he could easily become overwhelmed in crowded places, so Corbin kept him away from situations with large groups of people. He attended kindergarten for a few months, but after a law was passed requiring Alphas to wear identifying color bands, Corbin pulled him out and homeschooled him.
From early on, Corbin sought to train Marshal in using his abilities. Many of his methods were adapted from dog training techniques.
===Sidekick===
By the time Marshal turned nine, Maillardet's Foundation was putting increased pressure on Corbin to come out of retirement and send his son to the Academy. They suspected that Marshal was an Alpha, and if that was the case he would be required by law to receive proper training. Corbin realized, however, that Marshal was unsuited to the Academy's teaching style. He agreed to return to the hero game and go public with his identity on the condition that his son could remain with him, training under his instruction as the sidekick Little Bird.quipquipquip: "Things To Know About Corbin Underwood"
Thrust into the public eye, Marshal went from a relatively secluded lifestyle to a dizzying circuit of TV talk show appearances. He proved immediately popular, and his gregarious and talkative personality went a long way towards rehabilitating the Rook's public image.quipquipquip: "Things To Know About Sidekicks"
One cold, rainy October night, while out patrolling with his father, Marshal found a little winged girl crying in an alley, soaked to the bone and clearly suffering from hypothermia. After rushing her to hospital, Corbin attempted to track down her parents, with no luck. Marshal, who was already thoroughly taken with the little girl — Ellie — talked his father into taking her in. He became a devoted brother, and she, in turn, followed him wherever he went.
As Marshal was entering puberty, his father married Amira bint Balqis, and soon the family was expecting a new addition. He was thirteen when his little brother Matt was born, and he instantly adored him.
By this stage, Marshal had gone through a growth spurt; he was beginning to look like a "tall, strapping teenage hero," and the insatiable media responded with glee, harassing him with invasive questions about why he didn't have a girlfriend, how he felt about having a stepmother, and why he still called himself Little Bird when he was growing into such a big young man. As he grew older, Marshal became increasingly resentful of the constant media attention.
When Marshal was sixteen, his baby brother was abducted. It was Halloween night, and Marshall was alone at home with Ellie and Matt, their parents having been called away by work. He woke to find Matt gone, and, defying the Rook's orders to stay put, used his enhanced senses to track his brother down. He was too late. By the time he arrived, Matt was dead, tortured and killed by one of the Rook's former rivals, Tygr.
Marshal lashed out, using his superhuman strength to drive his fist through Tygr's skull. After that, there was no going back. He was considered a rogue poster now, and if he were caught, the authorities would make an example of him. He hadn't intended to take Ellie with him, but she refused to be left behind. With the aid of his father's friend, Sal Santini, Marshal went on the run.
===Vigilante===
Marshal leads a vigilante group called the Wild Bunch.quipquipquip: "I don't understand how Marshal Underwood's name is a pun" As a vigilante, Marshal does not use a moniker, or wear a mask or costume.quipquipquip: "If heroes are required to register and have their identifies known, what's the point of wearing a mask?"
==Personality==
Once Marshal had gotten his teeth into something, he was a bulldog. He would not let go, he would not back down, and he would not bend. He would break before he compromised, and as of yet, he hadn’t so much as cracked. The Rook had taught him to be that way, encouraging his determination. In the end, it’d made them too alike.Origins, Issue #7
==Physical appearance==
Marshal is physically imposing, being 6"4" and solidly-built. Even in his Rook-shift, Corbin was several inches shorter than his son.Origins, Issue #4, p. 154 He has shaggy, rusty-colored hairOrigins, Issue #7, p. 347 and blue eyes.The Posterchildren: Nesting
==Powers and abilities==
Marshal has extremely heightened senses, "stronger than a hundred baseliners' combined." His sense of smell is particularly powerful. He also has an enhanced metabolism, and exhibits superhuman strength and durability. This unnatural strength was evident even before he was born, and has only increased with age. His skin is tougher and his bones are denser than an average baseliner's. By the time Marshal was eight, he could lift close to five hundred pounds; by sixteen, he could lift fifty times his own weight. As an adult, he could defeat the Rook in close quarters hand-to-hand combat, no small feat.Origins, Issue #7
Marshal should technically be considered a purple-band Delta, and not an orange-band Alpha as is his official classification. Since his father was a shapeshifter, Marshal inherited not only Corbin's postergene, but also some of the Rook's superhuman traits. Knowing that if the Foundation was aware of Marshal's unique makeup, they would undoubtedly want to study him further, Corbin sought to protect his son by forging his testing paperwork. Had this deception been discovered, both the Rook and Little Bird would have been blacklisted, as only Alphas and Betas are eligible to be sidekicks. His "true" posterpower is not his heightened senses, strength and durability, but his internal homing ability.quipquipquip: "Why would Marshal be categorised as a Delta?"
==Relationships==
===Corbin===
Corbin and Marshal’s father-son relationship is a complicated issue. Corbin was only nineteen when he lost Doris and gained Marshal, and I think that it goes without saying that he was not the most stable of teen dads. His upbringing didn’t prepare him for fatherhood—really, most of his parenting was guided by doing the opposite of what his own father had done to him. Marshal wasn’t an easy or normal kid, so it wasn’t like he could consult any old self-help book. Most of his “tests” were adapted from dog training techniques. Whether it was right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy, is something that is fiercely debated in-universe.
===Mal===
Marshal was furiously protective of both of his siblings—-so much so, he resented Mal when he showed up in their lives. Ellie had still been young when they lost Matt, so Mal’s resemblance to him didn’t bother her as much as it did Marshal. In fact, Ellie pitied Mal. Marshal flew off the handle completely when he saw a new Little Bird at Rook’s side. The first time he met the brother he hadn’t known about, he directed all of his betrayal and anger squarely at Mal. ... The only thing Mal had done wrong was look like Matt would have, had he had the chance to grow up. His sudden appearance ripped the scabs off of a lot of old wounds, and everyone was so wrapped up in the anger they couldn’t let go of, Mal didn’t have a chance.quipquipquip: 'Things To Know About Ellie Lark"
==Trivia==
*Marshal has made it a goal to have one of his false identities pronounced legally dead in every state. He has managed 18 out of 50 so far, his favorite being a faked death by drowning in a vat of pistachio pudding: "Staging elaborate and ridiculous deaths for his identities takes time and effort, but everyone has to have a hobby."quipquipquip: "Posterverse fun fact of the day"
*Marshal lacks appreciation for color, but likes yellow because he associates it with Ellie's golden glowing feathers. He used to like very bright blues, which recalled the blues in Rook's costume, but that association has soured now.quipquipquip: "What are the kids' favorite colors?"quipquipquip: "Is there a story behind Marshal's (favorite color)?"
*Marshal loves Christmas, as it is a time full of warmth and delectable scents, but was never a fan of Santa Claus: "A strange man coming into his home, eating his cookies, and leaving bribes to smooth over the whole breaking-and-entering did NOT sit well with him. He believed in Santa, and that was why he made a holiday tradition out of booby-trapping the fireplace."quipquipquip: "What did the holiday season look like in the Underwood-Balqis home when things were good?"
*Marshal's godmother is Amira bint Balqis.
*Marshal has a Jack Russel terrier named Tolstoy. His girlfriend knitted him a dog carrier sling for his birthday. It was a joke, but Marshal wears it anyway: "Marshal Underwood is not overly preoccupied with presenting himself as a manly man. He loves his dog, and said dog has tiny little legs that get tired. Mock him at your peril." quipquipquip: "I'm slowly beginning to drown in head canons and speculation about every aspect of Marshal and Ellie's lives."
*Marshal's name is a pun on the Old West town marshals.
*If Marshal were at Hogwarts, he'd be a Gryffindor.quipquipquip: "Hogwarts houses"
==Appearances==
*Origins
*Bad Things Happen (POV character)
*Untouchable
*Castling: Part Two
==References==
Category:Alphas
Category:Orange-bands
Category:Characters
Category:Sidekicks
Category:Vigilantes
Category:Origins characters
Category:Bad Things Happen characters
Category:Untouchable characters