Blue Marvel

The Blue Marvel is an accidental superhero and co-leader of the Paragons.

## Biography

in 1989 Corporal Adam Brashear was serving as a tank commander in the Royal Hungarian Army when the Warlord declared his intention to overthrow the country. The outdated equipment of Hungary's armored divisions was no match for the Warlord's high-tech weaponry, and even with a heavy numerical advantage the Hungarians suffered devastating defeats in the first days of the conflict. Desperate for a way to tip the scales, the authorities immediately began testing a dangerous antimatter-based superweapon for field use. This weapon was in fact a repurposed version of a long-scrapped reactor model that had never functioned properly; knowing this, the authorities decided to test its weaponized form with its most expendable troops. Corporal Brashear, the son of undesirable Muslim immigrants, was drafted for this duty.

The jury-rigged weapon's magnetic containment fields failed on the very first shot. But instead of being annihilated along with his tank, the hapless Brashear found himself thrust between dimensions, becoming a living bridge between this universe and a duplicate universe formed of pure antimatter. Overflowing with power as anti-particles streamed through his flesh, he accidentally destroyed a large portion of the Hungarian countryside before he finally managed to gain control. Despite the failure of the field test, when the dust settled the authorities knew that they had created a superweapon after all.

Soon afterward a masked hero called the Blue Marvel appeared on the battlefield. Although his efforts were still clumsy he managed to beat back the Warlord's tanks and forced the villain's retreat with the help of several European heroes who had volunteered for the fight. Overnight the Blue Marvel became the country's savior and a national treasure. But Brashear was forced to keep his identity a secret due to the country's deeply entrenched prejudices against immigrants and minorities. Although he went on to fight for Hungary for over a decade, eventually he tired of wearing a mask and dramatically revealed his identity to the world in 2001. There was an immediate public backlash when the Blue Marvel was revealed to be a black Muslim, and despite all his years of heroics the Hungarian authorities promptly retired the Blue Marvel and even stripped him of his former rank in the army.

Although he still aided UNTIL from time to time, the Blue Marvel accepted his retirement and rejoined civilian society. By 2021 Hungary had shifted alarmingly towards authoritarianism, and the Hungarian government sought to evade sanctioning in the EU by building goodwill with its neighbors. To that end they volunteered to supply the Blue Marvel to the burgeoning Paragons, which had been floundering in committee at the time for lack of powerful heroes. This move surprised everyone, particularly the Blue Marvel himself, but he graciously accepted the appointment despite his prior poor treatment at his government's hands. Given his experience, military record, and vast power, he was appointed to a co-leadership position and has directed the team's deployment ever since, showing a remarkable ability to anticipate where their strength will be needed most.

## Personality

The Blue Marvel is a tough commander with a wry sense of humor. Although a bit of a cynic, his honesty and never-say-die attitude have earned him the respect of both friend and foe. He acts as a father figure to some of the younger Paragons and in particular tries to help Joules overcome his insecurities.

Marvel shares leadership responsibilities with his teammate Vagabond. This is an awkward arrangement that was devised during the political back-and-forth that brought about the group's official charter. But he and Vagabond share a mutual understanding that allows the two of them to manage quite well. They also share a military background which helps them both compromise to keep the team efficient and combat-ready.

## Powers

The Blue Marvel is inextricably linked to an alternate universe which scientists have tentatively named 'the Negative Zone.' This dimension is theorized to be a mirror image of our universe composed almost entirely of antimatter. Blue Marvel has the unique ability to draw on the particles escaping from this other universe, fueling himself with the limitless power of a stable antimatter reactor.

Over the course of his long career, the Blue Marvel has learned to draw out this antimatter energy in several ways. He can fire a variety of energy blasts, but he can also fling clouds of antiparticles as a short-range attack that can violently dissolve even the densest substances. He can even emit these particles in every direction at once, providing himself with a destructive forcefield for defense. Even attacks that bypass his forcefield to strike him directly have all or some of their force negated by the antiparticles swarming through his flesh. By carefully manipulating this forcefield Marvel can achieve flight for himself and any nearby allies, transporting and protecting them at the same time.

Over years of study into the nature of his powers, the Blue Marvel gained a broad scientific knowledge that is extremely useful in understanding high energy phenomena common in super-technology. He has even published a few controversial articles on the behavior of antimatter particles and is considered one of the world's foremost experts on the topic. The Blue Marvel was also once an elite tank commander, and retains the knowledge, martial skill, and piloting expertise he cultivated during his time as a soldier.

## Weaknesses

Blue Marvel's powers operate in what he calls "an exponential cascade reaction." In layman's terms this means that the more antimatter he draws into his body, the more powerful and unpredictable his abilities become. When he uses his abilities at full power he is capable of incredible feats, but each time he risks losing control entirely. If that were to happen, he would ignite in a catastrophic antimatter explosion, annihilating everything within a large radius around himself and then blasting everything within several miles with a wave of killer radiation. As a result, Blue Marvel keeps a tight rein on his powers and almost never fights at his full strength.