Omnivore

Omnivore is a Brazilian superhero, formerly a supervillain but now reformed. He is a member of Watchtower.

## Biography

Paulo Siqueria started his life of crime as a boy running errands and committing petty thefts for the *Falange Vermehla,* a notorious cartel operating in the heart of Brasilia. By the time he'd grown into a man he was a captain in the ranks of the brutal smuggling and drug-running organization. The cartel rewarded earners, and Paulo was always hungry for a big score... the bigger and more audacious, the better. After all, the profits from his crimes were the only thing keeping his family fed after his father's death, and his mother and siblings were all counting on Paulo to provide.

It was this drive to earn by any means necessary that led Paulo and his gang to raid a laboratory that was studying... whatever. He couldn't care less about what the scientists were up to, but Paulo *was* interested in their expensive laboratory equipment. He and his gang cut the alarm and burst in, pleased to find the lab deserted at night. But as they set to work with crowbars and began hauling out the most expensive-looking pieces of equipment, Paulo accidentally activated a test sequence on some sort of energy chamber-- a device whose safety mechanism had just been disabled when Paulo's men tore open the casing. As the device spun out of control, Paulo found himself at the center of a terrifying energy vortex that seemed to draw everything into it, vaporizing research notes, lab equipment, and men on contact.

When the vortex finally died away, Paulo emerged alone from the ruined building. He walked straight through the perimeter fence and staggered all the way home to recuperate. Days later, having realized the power he now possessed, Paulo paid his bosses a visit to discuss a new arrangement. When the dust settled, he'd instantly become the undisputed master of the *Falange Vermehla* and the most feared man in the Brazillian underworld.

Calling himself *El Onívoro,* Paulo led his crime syndicate against rival gangs to seize more of the lucrative drug trade. But despite his newfound status and wealth, he found that his heart wasn't in his work. He had achieved a better life for his family, but the violence and betrayal at the highest levels of crime sickened him. Events came to a head when, while leading his best fighters on a raid of a heavily defended bullion depository, he was foiled by the sudden intervention of the superhero team *Justico.* A fierce battle ensued and Paulo only escaped by taking the superhero *Relâmpago* hostage. Back at his headquarters, Paulo interrogated the young hero, and quickly realized that the two of them had a great deal in common. Both had come from the same crime-ridden slums, and both had once been on the wrong side of the law. But *Relâmpago* had turned his life around and was accomplishing great things, while Paulo was mired in a violent life he had come to despise. After days of rapt discussion, Paulo made up his mind: he got his family safely out of the country, then turned himself over to UNTIL along with a mountain of evidence to help convict the remaining members of *Falange Vermehla*.

He spent two quiet years in maximum security until the arrival of the Lustrian Empire on Earth caused his wardens to reevaluate his sentence. With the planet's fate at stake, a small number of repentant supervillains were released to combat the aliens, and 'Omnivore' as he now called himself was chief among them. He fought tirelessly, eager to to redeem the senseless violence of his past by risking his life against the invaders, and was present at the final battle of Olympus. His actions that day impressed Citadel, who secretly negotiated with UNTIL to commute the remainder of Omnivore's sentence to probation. When Citadel then offered him the opportunity to fight global threats as part of a unified team, Omnivore jumped at the chance and became one of the first members of Watchtower.

## Personality

Although only in his early thirties, Omnivore has seen a lifetime's worth of violence and suffering-- much of it inflicted with his own hands. He has grown tired of conflict and his only motivation to engage in super-heroics is protecting the innocent from harm. He has also seen every walk of life, starting as a destitute boy, growing into a filthy rich criminal kingpin, and then spending two years in lonely imprisonment; this varied experience has given him wisdom far beyond his years. He is humble and contemplative, and spends a great deal of time lost in thought. But he also has a lighter side that revels in life's simple pleasures, and his *joie de vivre* is infectious. He is well-liked by his teammates and he is grateful for all his new friends, particularly as he is only just starting to adjust to life outside of prison again.

## Powers

Omnivore has the ability to 'feed' off nearly any form of energy or matter-- hence the name-- to fuel his incredible powers of energy projection. His skin absorbs energy with extreme efficiency, and the stolen energy is then stored in his cells until he chooses to unleash it. Omnivore's touch also causes matter to quickly dissolve, the molecular bonds breaking down in a chain reaction that releases energy via fission for him to absorb. This turns anything within his reach into a potential source of crude nuclear fuel. He can use this ability to selectively destroy objects, such as dissolving armor or an entangling restraint, as well as allowing him to destroy weapons that strike him. In the past he has used his devouring touch to simply annihilate any enemy he could get his hands on, though he has recently sworn off such brutal tactics.

When properly charged, Omnivore is one of the most powerful blasters in the world, able to unleash a hellish torrent of radioactive energy. Although his blasts lack subtlety and precision, the sheer strength of his attacks makes him a force to be reckoned with. If a foe proves difficult to hit with a direct attack, he can conjure up a small nuclear explosion, or even surround himself with a continuous swirling torrent of energy. This last tactic is extremely draining but very effective against speedsters and other nimble foes.

Omnivore is capable of flight, but his uncontrollable power makes such travel so fast, clumsy, and dangerous that he prefers to hitch a ride with a teammate whenever possible. He wears a lightly armored suit made out of a special material developed by Citadel that is impervious to his destructive touch. Thanks to the nature of his abilities, Omnivore has exceptional energy defense and is immune to the effects of radiation or extreme heat in the environment. His flesh also breaks down any foreign substance he contacts into fuel, making him mostly immune to airborne diseases and poisons as well.

Despite turning his back on crime, Omnivore still has many underworld contacts he can call on for favors or information. A few of these individuals owe him debts, but mostly they will aid him just to avoid the wrath of the dreaded *El Onívoro*.

## Weaknesses

Omnivore must concentrate to avoid destroying everything he touches. When he is fully charged, this is relatively simple and he can safely hold objects or even have skin contact. But as his power drains, he quickly begins to lose control. His skin turns into a pitch black void as it absorbs all light and anything he touches will immediately be 'digested' involuntarily. This is exacerbated by the fact that Omnivore can't hold back his attacks very effectively, and even his most restrained blasts use up great reserves of power, so he is quite likely to enter this all-devouring state in any given battle.

After a lifetime of brutal violence, Omnivore has sworn a code against inflicting unnecessary pain and will not kill except to save an innocent. He tends to suffer from excessive bad luck, which he considers a karmic punishment for his old ways.