Duke Thomas/Future State

## Duke Thomas

* Future State
* +30 years

Doug Thomas (step-father)

Jay (step-cousin)

Photokinetic Vision

Umbrakinesis

*In **Future State,*** the year 2025, Duke Thomas and the Batman Family fight against the facist Magistrate-controlled Gotham in the wake of the apparent death of the original Batman, Bruce Wayne. Duke becomes the public face of the civil resistance within Gotham and begins regularly smuggling protestors out of the city to "The Outside", under the protection of Katana, to protect them from the state.

## Chronology

**Future State: Outsiders**

At some point in time, Gotham City mayor Christopher Nakano employed the Magistrate, a private security force, who helped him free the city from his masked heroes and villains. Gotham City became a police state under the rule of the Magistrate, who would hunt anyone wearing a mask with deadly enforcement including the Batman and the Batfamily. After the the killing of Bruce as Batman, Duke's identity as the Signal was made public and he began to carve out a role as the face of the resistance. Duke regularly smuggles protestors and refugees out of Gotham, making him a wanted man by the Magistrate.

In a plot to capture Duke, the Magistrate planted a cybernetic soldier in with a group of protestors wanted for attending one of his rallies. Duke extracted the protestors, as well as the plant, out of Gotham to The Outside controlled by Katana. Black Lightning, now a cursed being of living lightning, catches wind of The Magistrate's plan and reaches out to Katana to save Duke. Together, the Outsiders foil the plot and defeat Kaliber, who had been working for the Magistrate as an enforcer.

In the aftermath, Duke vows to lift the curse on Jefferson and Katana gifts him the Soultaker II, anchoring Jefferson's electrical form to the sword.

## Characterization

### Relationships

* Bruce Wayne
* The Outsiders:
	+ Katana
	+ Black Lightning
* The Batfamily

### Enemies

* The Magistrate
* Kaliber

## Powers & Abilities

**Metahuman Physiology**: It's presumed that this version of Duke posseses the same powers as his present-day counterpart; meaning, he has the ability to absorb, manipulate, and redistribute both light and darkness.

* **Photokinesis**
	+ **Photokinetic Sight**
	+ **Darkness Manipulation**

**Magic:** On his quest to cure Jefferson of his elemental curse Duke became one of the most powerful mages on the planet. He at some point acquired a Demon Arm which allowed him to cast a time travel spell and hurl the Soultaker through time to modern day Gotham.

### Abilities

**Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)**: Duke's precognition and enhanced visual senses make him uniquely perceptive in a fight and a considerably skilled hand-to-hand combatant. He has been trained with the likes of Red Hood, Lady Shiva, Batgirl, Black Lightning, Katana, and the original Batman.

* **Martial Arts**
	+ **Stick Fighting**
	+ **Nunchaku**

**Leadership**: Duke's charisma and ability to gain the trust and loyalty of others are his defining attribute. In a Magistrate-controlled Gotham, his talent for coordinating and rally those under his command made him an icon of civil disobedience and a major enemy of the state.

* **Oration**: Duke is equally skilled at leading protests and giving speeches at rallies as he is at fighting in the streets.
* **Activism**: Since his identity as The Signal has gone public, Duke's experience as a crimefighter in Gotham and considerable leadership abilities has led to him becoming the public figure for a grassroots movement actively fighting the system. Duke organizes and leads protests and public rallies against the magistrate, as well as helps relocate citizens that may be wanted by the state for civil disobedience.

**Indomitable Will**

## Equipment

* **Signal Armor:** Duke still wears his original Signal suit but has foregone the helmet, since his identity is public knowledge. He now wears a black and yellow jacket over the Signal Armor.

Weapons

* **Soultaker II:** following the restoration of her original Soultaker, Katana gave Duke the Soultaker's sister blade. this sword contains the cursed electrical form of Black Lightning.

* **Bat-chet Sticks (formerly)**: At some point in the 30 years he searched for a cure to free Jefferson from the Soultaker Duke stopped using his modified eskrima sticks.

Transportation

* **Signal-cycle One:** Duke has further upgraded his Signal-cycle, now able to be called to him via voice command.

* **High-tech Muscle Car**: a tricked out car for outrunning the Magistrate's forces. it's bullet-resistant, has a high-tech visual display and can leap obstacles.

Signal-Cycle OneDuke's WhipBat-chet SticksThe Soultaker II

## Wikitorial Notes

* The Soultaker II is the fabled twin to the original Soultaker. While it is not known if the twin has a name in the comics continuity, the writer of the movie "Batman: Soul of the Dragon" Jeremy Abams revealed the Soulbreaker sword in the film is the rumored twin.