Charles Christian Kingsley III

## Backstory

Born in London Charles life was in danger from the moment he came into the world. It was always rumored that the government feared mutants as a danger to the commonwealth and crown and stories of people that manifested strange abilities vanishing in the night. Rumors that sadly were based on reality. With pointed ears and skin that sparkled as though covered in glitter he was without a doubt a mutant which had to be turned over to the authorities. But a healthy bribe to the delivering doctor and the nurses and a significant donation to the hospital his wealthy father secured him and his mother a private room away from prying eyes. Upon moving home his parents then subjected him to all manner of ways to cover up his unique physical attributes. He was required to wear heavy makeup, body covering clothing and gloves and always a hat whenever anyone outside the family came to visit or the rare occasion, he went out of their penthouse on the fiftieth floor of the high rise. This included his daily home schooling by private tutors.

Charles had very few friends growing up since his parents rarely allowed him outside without them present. He spent his days reading books and playing video games and of course the daily visits from the tutors. To say that he led a sheltered life would be an injustice to the term understatement. But he did have two friends, James and Jannette, children of one of the private instructors that came with them on their visits. Part of their time was spent playing games, chess, backgammon, and the like. Occasionally they could go supervised to a nearby estate. Charles never took off his protective makeup and covering clothing. As the years passed and the visits from his friends increased Charles found another thing stirring inside himself. As most boys grow attracted to girls at that age, he found that he was more and more attracted to James rather than to Jannette. This was also something that Charles felt he had to hide as such feelings were taboo in his family. For him it was just another thing he had to cover up like he covered his body. By that time he was used to hiding his true self.

It was a fateful night that Charles’ actual mutation manifested itself. Feeling a pain in his stomach he rolled over on his back in the night and wondered what it was that he had eaten to cause such discomfort. But it was not indigestion but the first time his power was released. A beam of energy shot from his navel and through the ceiling, the light blazing out of the windows of the 50th floor penthouse for all awake to see and piercing the remaining five floors to shine into the night sky like a beacon.

The response from the authorities was swift. While none were hurt in the incident the government was certain that nefarious powers were at work. Terrorist, mutant, or otherwise. They did not know right away where the piercing beam came from but by the time they had narrowed it down to Charles’ room he was already gone, fled to the streets of London. Terrified, lost, and ignorant of the outside world Charles was in great peril. It did not take long for the X-Man team sent to locate Charles to find him. When they offered him passage to the Xavier Institute and promised him safety and above all, a life without hiding who he was, he could not refuse.

The first four days of his arrival at the Xavier Institute he spent weeping. Not so much for the loss of his home or his few friends but from the unbridled relief of finally going about without covering himself up or pretending to be something he was not. “I was born to SPARKLE!”

## Powers & Abilities

He has the uncanny knack to make straight guys question themselves and cause homophobes to have brain aneurisms. Also shoots a laser like energy beam from his navel and can control the intensity, focus, and width of it.

### **Weaknesses**

A sheltered boy he is sometimes cowardly and avoidant of conflict unless there is a great need.

All he knows about the world is what he has learned from private instructors, books, and three years at the Xavier Institute. He is quite Naïve.