Gold Lion

> "*Why do I obey the rules? Because I was just freaking turned into a human. I was a lion three weeks ago. I'm just guessing that whoever's up there at the wheel doesn't like it when people mess around.*"
> ― Gold Lion, to Black Phantom
>
>

**The Gold Lion** is a lion gifted by Mrethus with human shape and mind. He currently has the natural abilities to speak to lions and other cats, and run incredibly fast. His suit, the Gold Lion 2.0, was designed and created by Black Phantom. He has an alter identity as Agent Beren of the FBI, who starred in National Geographic in the show *Lion Man.* He is good friends and teammates with Brutus Sole and the Black Phantom.

## Early Life

Beren was a lion for half his life. He was part of the Akara pride in Northern Africa, being the lone cub of Akuna and Imani. He lived as the prince of the Akara tribe until his father was killed by a rival pride, making Beren and the rest of his clan under the other's rule. Just as they accepted Akuna's death, a poacher's plane flew overhead, firing rounds. The rival pride mostly escaped, with only their alpha and his deputy being killed. Beren and his pride ran, but eventually they were all shot except for him. He pretended to be shot until the plane landed, then mauled one poacher and ripped the rifle out of the other's hands, who was really Henry Outra. Outra fled in terror, leaving his partner to die. After the plane left, Beren fell asleep and was visited by a manifestation of Mrethus, who granted him human form and mind as reward for avenging his pride and as consolation for his father's death. When he awoke, he was picked up by a National Geographic helicopter and became a full fledged human, although he always could see things through the mind of a lion, never lost his predatory instincts, could speak to cats and lions and could see in the dark.

## Events of *The Golden Lion*

After earning his fame in the show *Lion Man,* he was kidnapped by thugs working for Crusoe Industries. He was held in an auction in which the highest bidder would recieve him, after talking with Crusoe himself. He was bought by Brutus Sole, who had a bone to pick with him about *Lion Man* removing the chance of his series returning to the big screen. They however settled their differences and became a team for a few years, with Beren working in his estate while Brutus became the local Head of Police. Afterwards, Brutus told Beren that he should move into the crime-fighting business himself and ordered a "golden-like lion suit" from Isle 451. This became Beren's prototype Gold Lion suit.

Beren worked with Brutus Sole in the police force, keeping his identity secret and appearing as the Gold Lion. He stopped using this suit during a raid on one of 451's hyper-diamond mines that was conquered by Crusoe's troops. Beren was sent with Brutus and NAVY soldiers into the chasms. They entered to find that the miners were corrupted by a strange virus known as the Harvesting. They killed the infected creatures and progressed into the mine, where they found Crusoe's soldiers struggling to hold off the Harvested miners. Among them was the Black Phantom, who was supposedly hired by Crusoe to kill the Gold Lion. Black Phantom escaped after almost being strangled by a Harvested. He climbed up the chasm walls and escaped with a major payload of hyper-diamonds. Gold Lion and Brutus delved deeper, but were halted when the troops they had transformed into Harvested and had to be killed.

Eventually, the two found their way into the heart of the mine, where a large creature known as the Harvester lay, encased within the Earth for millenia. He corrupted Brutus Sole and turned him into a Harvested, but was resisted by Gold Lion because the Harvesting virus was specially adapted to humans, and he was still half lion. He killed the Harvester by ripping it apart from inside itself, after being swallowed by it. Brutus Sole was cured of the Harvesting virus, as was any miners who were not killed by it. Brutus Sole, however, never lost the strength of the Harvesting virus and is now virtually stronger than anything living on Earth because of it.