Name: Mikhail Peacemaker

Appearance:
[IMG]http://i68.tinypic.com/30k3sjm.png[/IMG]

Age: 16

Sex: Male

Power: Mikhail is the Champion of the Catalyst of Hope, and is thus granted the Blade That Ends Misery, a magical sword that allows one to sense Hope, his' and others', and transform that emotion into energy, which in turn can be made into constructs, force-fields, anti-gravity, and heal people. Basically, a Blue Lantern Ring* without the need for a Green one.

However, this power has a big drawback. Mikhail's powers are dependent on how much hope is in the area, and his own ability to be hopeful is failing. That means that he has to depend on other people to have hope, which does not always work. Thus, psychological warfare, as well as taking out any companions or bodyguards he has, is an effective tactic against him.

*http://greenlantern.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Lantern_Power_Ring

Short bio: Mikhail's parents were second-generation Russian Immigrants who came to Serendipity as architects for a new skyscraper that was going to be put up in the city, but who stayed in order to earn a living. Ethusiaists of Tolkien, they became members of the local Speculative Fiction fan club, which gave their son an early immersion in fantasy literature, as well as a circle of enthusiastic caretakers. However, Mikhail's family had a dark secret; they were running from a debt from the Russian Mafiya (yes, that's the spelling), a debt of several million rubles.

One day, as Mikhail and his family were sleeping, the enforcers of the Mafiya came in, and, snatching them from their beds, killed Mikhail's parents in front of him, before kidnapping the traumatized boy, no more than 15, as 'collateral' for the debt. After blindfolding him, the enforcers took the boy to a remote address, where they sold him to men in silken blue robes, with obscure cultic symbols threaded into them. These were now Mikhail's new owners and guardians, a Cult beyond the reaches of the law, a Cult made up of several people from various corporations.

What was the purpose of this Cult? To herald the return of the 'Catalysts' to this planet, and to prepare vessels for them through rigorous testing that bordered on, and crossed the line to, torture. There were other children with him, too, children who like him, were beaten, forced to carry large weights around the Cult's compound, denied food when they resisted, and struck with cattle prods at the slightest provocation. Mikhail could not comprehend such treatment. What did his tormentors want? What were they trying to accomplish? He was switching between hope and despair, damnit!

Worse were the rumors that on a certain night, he and the other children will be gathered, then killed...unless they can manifest [i]impossible[/i] powers...

[@Ikthaias]