Vance Astro

* Cold War
* Burning Sails

Vance Astro is a former United States Army private who underwent a super-soldier experiment at the behest of his government in 1955 and went missing when a rocket carrying a nuclear weapon was redirected by Vance and flung him into the depths of space in 1962, leading to his long sleep for centuries as his body shut down in a form of cryostasis.

## History

#### Early Life

Born on July 4th, 1930 in the small town of Anderson, Missouri, Vance was your average country boy. He helped his dad on the farm, lived a quiet life, and was able to pass school with relative ease. He enrolled into the University of Missouri at 18 in order to gain a university education, however the outbreak of the Korean War would spur him to put his education for a History major on hold and he applied to join the US Military in 1951, to the disapproval of his parents.

### Military Career

Vance Astro was quickly brought into the 27th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, also known as the "Wolfhounds". He would receive deployment and see heavy action throughout his time in Korea, most notably on 7th February 1951, where his regiment led a complete bayonet charge onto Hill 180. Vance saved dozens of lives when he charged ahead to take out a machine gun nest as well as tackling his commanding officer out of the way of a grenade. For this, as well as the success of the bayonet charge, both Private Astro and his CO, Captain Lewis Millett, received a Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman.

### Super-Soldier Candidacy

Soon after the Korean War reached an armistice, the United State military reached a consensus that to combat the spread of communism around the globe, they would need an elite unit of soldiers that would be capable of fighting in any conditions and overpower the enemy or to operate deep behind enemy lines in a self-sustaining manner. With a green light from President Eisenhower, the Patriot Project would commence with the recruitment of scientific personnel, including one Dr. Ackens, as well as searching for suitable candidates in the military.

No sooner than a month after Vance had returned from Korea, he was approached with an offer for the program due to his stellar service in the front lines. Seeing it as a chance to continue serving his country, he accepted. He and 9 other candidates were taking to Camp [REDACTED] for evaluation and training. On 12 June 1955, Vance Astro would be selected as the first official candidate to receive the modifications created by Dr. Ackens and her associates. After the procedure, Vance experienced large changes to his physiology and he was put into extensive monitoring to ensure his safety and health.

### The Fight for Freedom

After being enhanced, Vance was found to be *better* than a regular human in almost every way. Tests showed that his physiology had changed to the point where he was able to perform feats of human strength, dexterity, and speed previously thought impossible for a human to achieve. The problem, however, was that the other 9 subjects were either crippled or mutilated in more ways than one which left Vance is the only viable "super-soldier" to have passed the modifications made.

Afterwards, Astro dedicated himself to fighting communism wherever his government needed him to be, whether it be covert operations deep in enemy territory or seeing actual combat. It was at this point that the US government used his public image of the now Captain Astro as a point of anti-communist propaganda, as a symbol to deter younger minds from deviating towards the red flag of socialism, as well as a icon for the American spirit in the Cold War.

### Lost

In 1962, a rogue Soviet commander had planned an unauthorized nuclear launch with intentions of striking West Germany from Vozrozhdeniya Island after declaring a mutiny and seizing the island for himself. General Secretary Khruschev hesitantly asked the United States for help with a solo insertion of Vance Astro to help deal with the problem. After successfully infiltrating the island and interrogating the rogue commander, Vance rushed to stop the launch as he boarded the rocket and redirected the trajectory in a sacrificial move to space.

It became apparent that without food or much air could only spell grave news which left Vance's body in a sort of biologically induced comatose, freezing his metabolism and biological functions as he flew through the void. Meanwhile on Earth, with Astro presumed dead, the Patriot Project was permanently shelved and its documents sealed and locked away deep.

## Abilities

### Superhuman Strength/Agility/Stamina

With the doctor's gift ingrained into his body, Vance's physiology is enhanced to that of superhuman levels on several fronts, including his physical strength, stamina, and agility.

### Regenerative Healing Factor

The gift also had an effect on his cells, boosting their capacity to metabolize and heal by several orders of magnitude, allowing for fast natural repairs to occur against wounds and aging.

## Equipment

**Navy MARK II Spacesuit -** Provided by NASA and the US Navy for his rocket launch, it comes with all the essentials; a helmet, pressurized body, onboard radio communications, helmet flashlights, and the all-important emblem of the United States of America.

**Experimental "Ray-Gun" -** Vance's trusty sidearm, an experimental laser weapon provided to him by the Patriot Project, never leaves his side, and has accompanied him into space.

Captain: Valencia Blackwell
First Mate(s): Lauren Blackwell • Damien Blackwell

**Crew**
Pilot: Roku Saito • Aesha Drach
Mech Pilot: Olivia Kovak • Vixaya Vor’Spirran • Katja Tikkanen
Infiltrator: Nathalie Walker • Kalashi Vor'Pangn • Shelby du Pont
Gunner: Roge Igualli
Raider: **Vance Astro**
Sniper: Amy Koronova
Surgeon: Easel • Typhon
Armorer: Lvishka Dravko
Technician: Pearl Gorgus • EVE-001
Chief Mechanic: Zadra Masir
Mechanic:
Drones: Loudmouth

Leader: Valencia 'Valkyrie' Blackwell
Former Co-Leader: Jester • Uric Corbett
Captains: Slade Beckwith • Zhao Chang
Members: Lauren Blackwell • Damien Blackwell • Zadra Masir • Roku Saito • Lvishka Dravko • Vixaya Vor’Spirran • Pearl Gorgus • Taur Gorgus • Aesha Drach
Drones: Loudmouth
Main Vessels: The Guillotine • The Alexandria • The Changdao • The Mordred • Various Pirate-Controlled Vessels
Smaller Craft: Gladiator-Class Fighter • Various Pirate-Controlled Vessels