[b]Character you have created:[/b] Evergreen 

[b]Alias:[/b] Jaden Maxwell

[b]Speech Color (Actually say what you're using):[/b] Aqua

[b]Character Alignment:[/b] Hero

[b]Identity:[/b] Secret

[b]Character Personality[/b]: Jaden is for all intents and purposes a rather easygoing and calm individual. He enjoys life for what it is and tries not to worry too much about the future. Growing up with his Aunt and Uncle bestowed on him the values of hard work and independence, as such when he commits himself to something he tends to see it through, regardless of the consequences. Being a fanboy of anything related to anime or video games, when he runs into someone who shares what he is into, he can get surprisingly passionate and ecstatic, to the point that he briefly stops acting his age. 

Inspired by the comics he read growing up, he has a strong sense of justice and morals and tries to see the good in people along with being willing to stand up for those who can't do so for themselves. He does not want to see anyone else suffer the tragedy of lost loved ones, but that does not mean he is blind to the real world either. He is aware that unfortunate things happen regardless of what one does in life but does not see that as a reason to do nothing either. 
 
He does have a fun-loving side to him too, sometimes using his power to pull off jokes or pranks on his friends all in good fun. 

[b]Uniform/costume:[/b]  Back when he was human, his appearance was that of a young fair-skinned man with jet black hair in a crop cut with brown eyes and weighing around 200 pounds. He stood about 5 foot 10 inches and typically wore clothing that fit the climate, such as tank tops and shorts during warmer months and baggy pants and sweatshirts during the fall and winter.

Thanks to being transformed into a living plant, Evergreen is capable of morphing himself into a wide range of plant-based appearances. Here are a few examples:

[hider] [img]http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/05/407Roserade.png/250px-407Roserade.png [/img] [/hider]

[hider] [img]http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/2/21/549Lilligant.png/250px-549Lilligant.png[/img] [/hider]

[hider] [img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kamenrider/images/1/17/Utsubokazura_Kaijin_concept_art.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150105195246 [/img] [/hider]

[b]Origin Info/Details:[/b] Jaden had, for the most part, a normal upbringing growing up. He was born to a loving Mom and Dad who took good care of him for the first few years of his life and he had an Aunt and Uncle who thought the world of him that he frequently visited on the weekends or during the holidays. However, when he was about 7 years old...tragedy struck. 

One night, he was at his Aunt's place watching cartoons when the phone rang. His Aunt went to answer it only to drop the dish she'd been drying in horror at what the man on the other end had told her. Mr and Mrs Maxwell had been on their way home when a drunk driver slammed into them, killing both parents at once. Needless to say, it was like Jaden's entire world had come crumbling down in the course of just one night. 

After the funeral, Jaden was taken in by his Aunt and Uncle and it quickly became evident that despite the fact that they treated him well, that life was not going to be easy since both relatives were in their elderly years and they did not have too much money. As such, Jaden had to learn at a young age to pitch in and be self-sufficient, helping his folks around the house and gradually learned skills such as cooking, cleaning dishes and even pulling weeds out of the garden. It didn't help that they ended up having to move twice even before he got into high school.

Life was difficult but it wasn't bad by any means as the young lad excelled in his classes and enjoyed helping others with their work. He took on a part-time job at one point to help his folks too. Of course, he sometimes let himself get lost in video games and anime as he got older. Eventually, he graduated from high school to the delight of his Aunt and Uncle and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

However, that's when his life took a most unexpected turn. During one summer, he took part in a field trip set up by a club he use to be part of that were planting trees in an area that had recently been decimated by a wildfire. During the program, Jaden caught sight of a bear cub that had slipped into the water and was now heading down the stream towards a waterfall. Without thinking, he risked his life to save the cub and return it to its family. Despite not thinking much of it, someone else took notice of his act...

That night, he was visited by a voice in his dreams. The voice introduced itself as Gaia, Spirit Of The Earth. It had watched the man's act and, despite its usual indifference towards humans, had been intrigued by his selfless act despite the fact he had risked his life and got no reward out of it. He explained that he didn't do it for a reward but because it was the right thing to do and that he didn't want anyone else to endure the pain of lost loved ones. 

Growing ever more intrigued with him, the spirit handed him what she called the "Seed Of Gaia" and that she would give him the chance to prove to her that humans and the Earth could co-exist together. With that, the dream ended...Jaden thought no more of it.

One night though, he was in his room, doing some reading when he heard a commotion downstairs. Going to check, he saw several men in black suits ransacking the place while holding his Aunt and Uncle at knife point.

For a brief moment, he felt like a small boy all over again, like history was about to repeat itself...but not if he had anything to say about it. When the men saw him, they shot the young man on the spot...only for his wound to heal up within seconds, causing all those present to freeze in shock. Anger fueling his actions, Jaden's power activated and vines broke through the windows and floorboards, disarming the men and slamming their bodies against the walls over and over again with enough force to shatter the plaster.
 
However, just when it looked like he was ready to do the unthinkable and take their lives...his Aunt and Uncle's voices brought him back to reality. He collapsed to his knees, sobbing and wondering what he had become. His folks consoled him as the would-be murderers were taken into custody, likely traumatized for life by the ordeal. The police asked questions but nobody was in the mood to give the actual story.
 
After having some time to calm down, and being reminded that his Aunt and Uncle still loved him, it was decided that he needed
to learn control since the world was likely not ready for an individual like Jaden. As such, the next week or so saw him practicing
with his new abilities and growing quite adept at them. His body underwent more changes until he instinctively created a new
identity for himself to go with his new form. 
 
For a time, things went well. Jaden kept his identity a secret. He used his powers to secretly bring life and prosperity to neighboring farms and communities, sometimes travelling further to places that needed him. Of course, he always felt like there was more he needed to do...

And as more and more "Metahumans" appear in the world, he now faces the dilemma of whether to step forth and reveal himself...and what changes await both him and the world if he does so...the changes that he would bring as Gaia's Chosen Champion, Evergreen...

[b]Hero Type (Select one):[/b] Elemental

[b]Power Level (Select one below):[/b] World Level

[b]Powers (Be Specific):[/b]

Plant Manipulation: The power to control any and all plants and forms of flora within an area. The uses for this power are vast and varied, giving it immense versatility and almost unrivaled destructive power if misused. Jaden's control allows him to conjure giant vines and roots to wrap around, constrict or even crush a target completely. He can bring trees to life and have them serve as guardians along with being able to call upon the aid of a massive venus flytrap that is capable of tearing through solid steel like cardboard. 

Since plants are technically an extension of himself now, he can use them in order to listen in on conversations from vast distances and gather intel. He has a type of "Plant Sonar" that allows him to mentally detect the locations of plants and flora within an area. 

He can make constructs to do his bidding such as golems made out of plant moss and wood or even clones of himself. He can accelerate the growth of flora so that it quickly engulfs the area, or decelerate it back to a seed or sapling for easy transportation,  along with controlling the properties of fruit and vegetables, being able to form weapons and barriers out of them or increase their size and density to simply drop on his enemies, along with any other number of tactics. Since he has a deep connection to nature, he can revitalize decaying plant matter with his own energy, potentially turning once dying fields and gardens into lush, green areas full of life.
 
It is possible for him to also extend this power to being able to influence things that were made
from plants though he is still working on this.

Healing Factor: Jaden's entire genetic makeup has been radically altered and as such, he is closer to a plant now than a flesh and blood human. As a result, and as a reference to his main power, he can regenerate from wounds that would normally be fatal for a human in a surprisingly short time period. Gashes and cuts heal in a matter of seconds and even shooting or stabbing does little to slow him down. 

Also, as long as he can remain in contact with water or direct sunlight, his regenerative powers can go even further, to the point of being able to repair a destroyed head or regrow entire sections of his body in no time. Also, as long as he takes proper care of himself, he is likely not to age either as a result of his constant healing.

Enhanced Strength: Can shift the density of certain parts of his body to unleash a devastating punch that has enough force to wreck a semi truck with little trouble. Even without this, he is still strong enough to carry two fully grown adults around with minimal trouble and throw punches with enough force to break concrete or create a small blast of air.

Enhanced Mobility: Having had almost all of his bones replaced with organic plant matter has given Jaden a massive increase to his level of agility and overall mobility. He is light enough to either stand on or even run across water and can jump remarkably high and vast distances, being able to clear entire city blocks with just a few leaps. He can also balance himself on cables and tall vantage points with little trouble and is surprisingly acrobatic too.

Enhanced Endurance:: Another benefit to having no real bone structure is vastly heightened levels of stamina and endurance, being able to work for hours at a time and survive falls from the tops of buildings with hardly a scratch.

Healing: Although nothing amazing, Jaden is capable of a modest form of healing thanks to being able to manipulate the genetic structures of fruits and vegetables that, once consumed, significantly accelerates the human body's natural healing capabilities, to the point that wounds that normally take months to heal can be patched up in a matter of days. 

Transformation: Yet another extension of his already versatile plant manipulating powers. Being a living plant means that even
without all his already extremely potent long-range capabilities, Evergreen is still a force to be reckoned with due to being able
to morph his body in all sorts of manners. His arms being able to stretch up to multiple feet, forming blades and drills that can cut or dig through solid steel with enough effort, alter his size to an extent, form shields strong enough to resist even gunfire from assault rifles or grenades, and even alter his form to anything that's plant-related and so on. This also gives him the added benefit of limited camouflage, being able to hide in plain sight to ambush a target.

[b]Attributes (Select one at each category):[/b]
[indent]Strength Level: 10 Tons (When using constructs, can go up to 100 tons)
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 80 MPH
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 4 Hours.
Intelligence: Above Average
Fighting Skill: Untrained
[/indent]

[b]Resources:[/b] Average

[b]Weaknesses:[/b] Despite the enormous power and potential at his disposal, Jaden has a number of weaknesses, mainly related to his new physiology. For one thing, Fire is his worst enemy as it can destroy his constructs with little effort and even inhibit his regenerative capabilities as long as he remains close to it. Also, being mostly a plant now means he draws a great deal of power from the Sun and to a lesser extent the water so he can be at a disadvantage when fighting in dark locations or that is far from a body of water, weakening the durability of his weapons and constructs to below even decaying wood eventually. 

[b]Supporting Characters:[/b] Adrian Maxwell: Jaden's Uncle. Runs a store tailored to the maintaining of anything garden-related. A
rather tall, well-built man who at first seems rather imposing but actually has a big heart and values his loved ones and his work.

Laura Maxwell: Jaden's Aunt. A kind, sweet woman but at the same time not somebody you want to cross and more than willing to put her foot down if she feels something is going too far. She was even the one who taught Jaden to fight for what he believes in. Despite the changes happening, she and her husband trust Jaden to do what is right and make a difference.
 
Gaia: The spirit of the Earth itself and the one responsible for giving Jaden his powers and mission. She watches over and protects all life but in recent decades her power has started to wane due to pollution and humanity's wasteful ways and as a result she has begun to lose her faith in them and distance herself from them and their affairs. Despite this, she is willing to give Jaden a chance to prove her wrong.
 
[b]Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?:[/b]
 
What do YOU think? XD

Sample Post:

[hider]
My name is Jaden Maxwell. I wish I could say I'm writing this down for archival purposes...but I'm not. To be honest, I'm writing this more for myself and to hold on to some shred of my sanity after all that craziness that has happened in my life over the past couple of weeks. I don't know if anybody aside from me is going to ever read this but my Aunt says this might be theraputic so I'm not gonna argue with her. Trust me, arguing with her on anything is a bad idea. 

Now, there's a lot to cover so I'll try to summarize as best I can. It all started one summer some time after I had finished high school and had been laid off from my job working at the grocery store. I didn't blame my boss though and it wasn't any fault on my part either. It was just...well, the economy was pretty lousy at this point and so the store I worked at needed to "cut corners" if you will, and guess who was among said corners? 

Anyways, I needed something to occupy me over the summer so I decided to contact one of the clubs I used to work with and found out they were going on a week-long trip out near where a wildfire had recently destroyed a sizable chunk of the local habitats. We would plant some trees, gather some notes, and then create a presentation that would hopefully better educate people on the dangers of leaving fires unattended. 

Now, before you go accusing me of being a hippie, I'm not. In all honesty, I enjoyed a good steak or piece of fried chicken as much as the next person. I mostly went cause it meant I got to hang out with some old classmates and cause I was bored as all get out.  So yeah, I went on the trip and it was pretty standard stuff as you might imagine, and I thought it would stay the way...

It would've too...if I hadn't chosen to make one fateful decision...

We were just beginning to pack up for the night when suddenly, I heard a loud yelping. I blinked and looked up from the bag I was packing, "You guys hear that?" The others shook their heads and I decided to just shrug it off and continue packing...only to hear said yelping once again, only louder this time, and closer, "Ok, I know I'm not imagining things now!" 

"Oh no, look!" One of my friends, Jennifer, called out while pointing to the river. I took a closer look and...there was a bear cub yelping as it tried to frantically paddle through the water, but the current was strong...too strong, it seemed.  On the other side of the shore, I could see two larger bears, likely the mom and dad, roaring and trying to follow along.

For a brief moment...I felt like that small boy from so long ago...the one who could do nothing as the world took away two of the people I loved. I couldn't let this happen, so without thinking, I hauled off my coat and started making my way down to where some rocks were. Despite the protests of the others, I managed to hop over to one of them, nearly slipping into the water as I did so. The bear cub sniffling as I used my coat to catch the poor animal and keep it warm as I headed back to shore. I dropped the cub off and let it return to its family, safe and sound.

Needless to say, I got quite an earful from the others when I got back on what a stupid, irresponsible thing I'd done. Did I listen? Of course I did...but I didn't regret it either, as at least now this meant one less family would be split up. I went to sleep that night feeling pretty good about myself...that's when SHE appeared though. 

She came in my dreams. A female voice that spoke to me, "Greetings, Child Of Man...I am Gaia, Mother of the Earth."

"Umm...hello there?" I said in return. Hey, if someone greets you, it's only fair you do the same in return.

For a moment, I swore I heard a faint giggling, "Your confusion is most understandable. After all, it is not everyday that I choose to make contact with one of your kind..." I then thought I heard her sighing, "In all honesty, it is difficult for me to even remember the last time I was even capable of doing so..."

"I'm...sorry?" Ok, in all honesty I was getting more confused by the minute. 

"Do not worry yourself over minor details," I got the impression of someone giving a dismissive wave, "I speak to you now because I wish to thank you for saving one of my children...and to also ask you why."

I found myself tilting my head, "Why?"

The impression of a nod reached my mind, "Yes. I have watched your kind for a long time and I see them growing increasingly concerned only with their own needs and wants. They destroy everything I create in the name of progress and wage their wars over what they think belongs to them and them alone. I have endured this for such a long time that my power is beginning to fade...and that brings me to my question. You risked your life even knowing you got nothing out of it to save one who is not of your own kind...Why is that?"

I winced and felt myself lowering my gaze, "...Well? It wasn't for anything fancy...I just...I thought it was the right thing to do...because I know how it feels to lose someone you love. If I see somebody in front of me suffering and I have the ability to do something about it but choose not to...well, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."

"Hmm...you do realize that even if you save one family from being split apart, that does not mean you can save all of them, correct?" It wasn't accusatory. She was just asking.

"I'm not stupid, Miss Gaia. I know I can't solve everything on my own..." I shook my head, "But that doesn't mean I should just stand by and do nothing either....even if it seems hopeless...you have to try, no matter what."

"Hmm...." For the longest time, the voice went quiet, as if pondering something. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it spoke again, "I see...you intrigue me, Child Of Man...and as such, I will charge you with the task of being my emissary among the humans..." With that, a bright green light appeared before me, "Take this...the Seed Of Gaia...use its power and prove to me that both humans and the Earth can co-exist together some day."

"Huh? What are you-" Before I had a chance to finish, the light went into my chest, causing me to wince, "H-Hey!!"

The dream started to warp, "Our time together is almost up...the rest is up to you, my champion..." With that, the dream faded...

I awoke from my sleep and for the next couple days, nothing happened, and before long, I had, for the most part, put the experience behind me...at least until I returned home. The moment I went into my Aunt and Uncle's garden, something just felt...off. You know that feeling you get when you're on stage during a concert or a show and you got everyone's eyes on you? Well, that's kind of what I was feeling...only it was happening while I was walking among the flora in the garden. Yeah, it was a pretty creepy feeling, to the extent I imagined that plant monster from Little Shop Of Horrors was gonna appear and try to eat me. 

Shuddering, I turned and headed in doors...but not before I caught, for a split second, one of the plants slightly turning, as if watching my every move. Trying to keep my head on straight, I went to my room and dug out one of my old Superman comics and relaxed on my bed for a bit. 

Just as I was fishing around in a bag of potato chips though, I heard a loud smash downstairs. Curiosity getting the better of me, I crept down the stairs and peeked into the living room...only to see a sight that made my blood turn cold. Several men were surrounding my Aunt and Uncle, the latter of whom was lying against the wall with a bloody noise and one of the men was restraining my Aunt despite her putting up a fight. 

"Alright, that's enough!" One of the burlier guys cried as he pulled out a gun, "Don't make this any harder than it has to be! Just give us what we want already!" 

Seeing the phone lying on the table not far from me, I cautiously crept towards it...only to suddenly feel someone grab me from behind, "Hey boss! Look who we got here!" I found myself dragged out into the living room and upon seeing me, my Aunt's face went as white as snow, "It appears we had a rat ready to tattle on us!"

"Oh? We can't have that now, can we?" The supposed leader of the group remarked as he turned his gun on me.

"W-Wait!" My Uncle groaned as he wiped the blood from his nose, "I'll give you whatever you want...just don't hurt my family..."

The man chuckled, "Good man. That wasn't so hard, see? Come along now...you guys bring the old hag and the other guy." We found ourselves being dragged towards the fireplace where an old portrait lied on the wall. My Uncle removed said portrait to reveal a small safe set in the wall. With a gun at his back, my Uncle input the combination and opened it up before being roughly shoved aside as the man grabbed all the money inside. 

"...Aunt Laura.." I whispered in her direction, "...How long have you had that much money...?"

My Aunt was quiet for a second, looking away as if ashamed of herself for some reason, "...I'm sorry, Jaden...we wanted to tell you sooner...but we were saving that money up so you could go to a good college..."

For a moment, my heart seemed to stop beating. They...they had always been thinking about me, and now we were all gonna die...why was this world so unfair? First, my Mom and Dad were taken from me and now this? No...No, I wouldn't accept this! I would never accept a world built on such cruelty! 

[i]You don't have to...[/i]

I looked up. Did I just imagine a voice in my head? "Keep your head to the floor!" I yelped in pain as I found myself smacked upside the head and knocked to the floor. 

"There!" My Uncle finally found the courage to speak up, "You got what you want, now please leave my family alone! We won't call the police either!" 

"I have no doubt you won't..." The leader remarked with a nod before glaring over at me, "But I'm not so sure of the little snitch over there...in fact, I think we should make an example of him...pick him up, boys!" My relatives screamed in protest but were unable to do anything as I was picked up and restrained. I tried to fight only to get punched hard in the chest several times. Was this really how it was all gonna end for me? 

The leader of the men raised his gun...and I heard a loud gunshot...as a bright red spot formed on my chest. Complete silence reigned over everything as it seemed like the world had come to a stop. I should've felt everything going black...I should've slumped over and accepted the inevitable...but for some reason, I refused. 

[i]No...I'm not dying...not here...[/i] I forced myself to stand and as I did, the guys holding me backed off, looking as pale as ghosts. One look down revealed that the hole in my chest was rapidly closing up. "B-Boss! What's going on?!!" 

"I-I...kill him! Kill that freak!" The boss and two of his men fired upon me. I noticed nearly a dozen holes open up on me...and yet I felt hardly anything. I walked forward as the wounds closed up even faster this time. I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted these monsters, these pathetic excuses for human beings to pay for their crimes.  I took off at the leader and slammed into him with enough force to knock him against the wall and hold him up with one hand. 

"Boss!" Two of his men, briefly regaining whatever courage they had, went on the attack, trying to pry me off him but I simply threw them aside with as much effort as swatting a fly. I casually tossed the boss over my shoulder and he crashed into the wall hard enough to shatter some of the plaster. "You demon!" One of the men got in the way and managed to stab me in the chest with a knife...like the guns, it did jack squat and I sent him flying with a swipe of my arm.

I advanced on the boss once more who looked ready to wet himself as he backed up against the wall, scared so much I swore he might have a heart attack on me. "I...oh man...dude...it...easy there...it was all a joke, ok? I'm sorry...listen, you can have the money back and hey, I'll give you even more money! I...I'll turn over a new leaf, I promise!" 

Before I could reply, the goons all jumped me at the same time...but I could take no more. The rage boiled over and the floorboards exploded as giant vines and roots shot out and pinned all of my foes to the walls. It would've been so easy to just snap all their necks right now and end their scourge upon the world...

"Jaden! Please stop!" But a familiar pair of voices brought me back to reality. I turned to see my folks standing there, huddled together, yet still staring me down, "...Please...this isn't you..." My Uncle remarked, trembling, "You're not a killer....you're better than that, and you know it.." He held his wife close, "Come back to us...please..."

The words I heard managed to give me clarity. I let the men fall to the ground as the vines retreated back underground. The power faded...but it didn't disappear. I found myself collapsing to my knees and looking at my trembling hands, unable to comprehend what I'd just done, "I...I...oh god no...I...what on earth am I...?" I was too hysterical to even think straight, and the rest of the night passed in a blur. The police came and took away the would-be murderers into custody. I stayed in my room with my Aunt who did her best to console me.
 
I explained to my Aunt and Uncle what had happened and what we were going to do from here. It was quickly agreed upon I needed to learn control as if I blew up in a public place and couldn't keep my new powers on a leash...yeah, it was NOT gonna go over well. So yeah, the next couple weeks passed and with each day I found myself gaining greater control and discovering new aspects of my power....which both excited yet scared me. Plants grew when I wanted them to, or I could cause them to revert back to seeds. I could change the properties of fruit and veggies, trees bent to my will, and so on. Of course, as I had found out that first night it was very VERY difficult to deal any sort of lasting harm to me...as long as it wasn't fire but I accidentally learned I could amplify my healing with some water.
 
My powers grew by leaps and bounds, and even my own body was changing, becoming closer to a plant than a human. I found this out when I accidentally made flowers bloom out of my own arm. Needless to say, I felt like a mix between Green Lantern and Plastic Man...which is exactly as terrifying as it sounded.
 
Before long, I was putting my powers to work, revitalizing dead crops and bringing life wherever I could. It was small steps but it was something at least.
 
Lately, I been hearing more and more reports about so-called "Metahumans" appearing in the world...and now I have to ask myself if it would be worthwhile to step out into the limelight and show myself. After all, the world is changing, and I have a feeling I'm gonna have a part to play in it...whether I want to or not.
 
I'll sleep on it and figure it out later. To those of you who somehow found this, thanks for listening. This is Jaden Maxwell, alias Evergreen, signing off for now. [/hider]