[hider=Alter]

[b][i]"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." - Elbert Hubbard[/b][/i]

[b]Name:[/b] Paul "Polo" Phillips, Jr.
[b]Codename:[/b] Alter

[b]Age:[/b] 29
[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Power:[/b]

As a Biotech, Alter has the capability to manipulate most any type of technology, including the ability to graft that technology into a biological system. During his tenure with Obsidian, his expertise and creativity were crucial in the creation of numerous weapons, tools, and systems for use throughout the organization, from the simple procedure of implanting an artificial heart (of his own design), to the creation of the notorious Hard-light Obsidian Training Simulator (The Hot Room).

Most frequently in the field, Alter made use of a custom "Auto-Lock" armored suit of his own design, which could compact itself into a small pack on his back. Bulletproof and extremely durable, the Auto-Lock drastically increased Alter's strength and speed, which allowed him to compete handily with his fellow operatives and their more spectacular abilities.

More recently, however, he's spent the past few years utilizing biograft "augments" to enhance his personal capabilities, including the incorporation of experimental exo suit tech in a sub-dermal fashion. This has allowed him to enhance his personal strength, speed, and durability, without having to fully deploy his Auto Lock suit.

[b]Appearance:[/b]

Six feet tall, with a sturdy build and broad shoulders. Polo has cropped sandy hair (currently dyed dark brown), green eyes, and pale skin. There is a hint of pan-Asian heritage in his features, evidence of his distant Singaporean ancestry intermixed with his more prominent European ones. Though he has kept himself relatively "fit" over the years, his body shape is rather average, allowing him to blend into a crowd rather easily.

During an incident during a specific past operation in Syria, (and ironically, the mission name - Steel Hook), Alter lost his right arm. He has since replaced the appendage with a mechanical prosthetic, which functions admirably, but which Alter has taken to enhancing and adjusting over the years. The arm itself is painted to Alter's skin color, and is relatively similar to his other arm, but houses within it multiple weapons, tools, and gadgets for drastic situations.

[b]Personality:[/b]

Alter is a planner by nature, constantly thinking up back-up scenarios and alternate options in case of emergencies. He has not only one plan, but seven, each with a few extra contingencies just in case. This makes him extremely cautious, as he does not like to be caught unprepared, and so has a difficult time dealing with "spontaneous" personalities and situations.

That said, Alter was never as hardened as many of his fellow operatives, and often looked for ways to circumvent "evil" situations. Realizing the asset that they had in him, Obsidian usually kept Alter away from the most questionable assignments, instead focusing his efforts on mercenary and war resolution - engagements that were generally easy to justify.

Sarcasm is Alter's preferred tone of speech, and he has a talent for wordplay and clever remarks, which often put him at odds with some of his more "serious" teammates. Alter almost always had a smirk on his face, and usually didn't take things all that seriously, despite the daily dealings of death in his new life.

Alter doesn't like bullies, and often butted heads with the more brash and dominating members of Obsidian, but was never one to throw the first punch. Instead, Alter was often more creative with his interpersonal conflicts, leaving others often wary of his approach, and leaving Alter often without too many close friends.

[b]Strengths and Weaknesses:[/b]

Though a formidable combatant in his own right, Alter is much more likely to trust in his custom-made weapons than his martial skills in a fight, which leaves him at a disadvantage in a situation where his technology is not an option.

This is tempered somewhat, though, by his ability to learn, adapt, and utilize opportunities, as well as his ability to make use of most any kind of technology that he can get his hands on.

[b]History:[/b]

Born into a middle class home, Polo was born with a distinct physical propensity owed to him and his brothers. Though he excelled in multiple pursuits throughout his young life, he never seemed to have the motivations to pursue a specific path at length, instead engaging into multiple pursuits all at once. These included hockey, football, boxing, and water polo, as well as a curiosity for computers, cars, and electronics.

Polo never seemed to stay with a pursuit too long, but always seemed to excel at whatever he tried his hand at, at least until he understood it and became bored.

After graduating high school at the age of sixteen, Polo went to University to study bioengineering, during which time his family was killed in a suspicious airline disaster returning from Paris to New York. Polo inherited a modest sum from his family, but barely completed his degree before starting to wander. He was eventually found by Obsidian and offered a chance at "a new life," which he accepted in lieu of having little else in his life.

A mainstay in Obsidian, the newly-christened "Alter" became invaluable to the organization, diving into his own work in creating numerous weapons and technologies for use by many of the different operatives. He hid his pain behind a smile, and took mild pleasure at being able to gut-check the world for abandoning him. Still, though, there were doubts in his mind about the entire enterprise, right from the beginning.

Unbeknownst to his fellow operatives, Alter was instrumental in the creation of the ominous "Kill-Switch Protocol" (KSP) which was eventually implanted into all Obsidian personnel. He had assumed that such a plan would eventually be needed, considering the remarkably dangerous abilities of Operatives throughout the organization. The idea seemed rational, and the plan seemed necessary.

His attitude changed a year into Alter's tenure, however, when an operator's handler began to use the KSP as leverage for sexual favors, which eventually led to the death of an operative on Alter's own squad. It was then that he decided to put an end to this "electronic leash" that he had helped to create, and he began to work tirelessly alongside several of his fellow operatives to bring about the end of Obsidian.

In the past few years, Alter has dived deep into the internet, absorbing his time and energy in the web as a way to keep himself out of the public view. He has resigned himself to life as a hermit, avoiding any contact with his former colleagues, but always keeping tabs on them whenever possible.

[b]Other:[/b]

Alter always keeps his newest version of the Auto-Lock on his person, usually in a case in his shoulder bag, which can be activated within a moment's notice though voice or other activation means.

[/hider]