Real Name: Henry (“Hank” or “Stringbean”) Martin
Codename: Hyper
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Appearance: Hyper is a tall, lanky man with shortish, messy, dishwater blond hair. He has a long nose, a strong, clean-shaven jaw, and sleepy-looking blue eyes. His costume is an olive green jumpsuit with yellow trim and lots of pockets. He wears a reinforced bomber jacket over the suit, and a vintage-looking aviator's helmet and goggles.
Personality: Hank is a the epitome of the friendly, laconic Midwestern boy, polite and unassuming. He believes that people are, by and large, good inside, and treats them that way. Cynics might accuse him of being Pollyanna-ish, but he's not as naive as some would think.
Powers/Abilities:
- Super-speed flight: Hyper can fly at supersonic speeds, easily faster than any aircraft or missile on Earth.
- Inertia shunting: While in flight, Hyper shunts his inertia, giving him turn-on-a-dime maneuverability. He can also use this shunted inertial force as a powerful force field, and project it as a concussive force blast.
- Super-reflexes: Hyper's brain can process sensory stimuli fast enough to keep up with his speed in flight, giving him lightning-quick reflexes.
- Physical abilities: Hyper has the typical physical abilities of a young male in good physical condition, with the following exceptions: his reflexes (as above), and his soft tissue/joint flexibility, which is on a par with a professional contortionist. This allows him to more easily slip into/through small spaces, escape restraints, etc.
- Judo: Hyper holds a black belt in judo, and has taken some training from Captain Marvel in using judo throws in flight.
- Mechanical skills: Hyper is a whiz with mechanical contraptions of all sorts, from simple machines to combustion engines.
- Pilot: Hyper is a licensed pilot (small planes only).
- Equipment: Hyper wears a bomber jacket and old-fashioned aviator's leather helmet and goggles. The jacket has military-grade armor to provide some protection when he's not flying, and the goggles contain telescopic vision and night vision enhancements.
Avengers Sponsor: Captain Marvel
History: Hank grew up in a small Illinois college town. His long and lean build earned him the nickname “Stringbean.” He learned many of his skills from his father, who was a crop-duster, mechanic, and also helped manage the local airfield. His mutant power manifested itself at age 14 when a hotshot crop-duster, intent on buzzing Hank, got a bit too low, and when Hank leaped desperately out of the way, he found himself soaring through the air instead of rolling on the ground. He was quick to experiment with his new powers, particularly in executing aerial maneuvers that no airplane could possibly perform.
It was during one of his flying session that he nearly collided with Captain Marvel, who was in hot pursuit of a villain. Captain Marvel, thinking Hank was an attacker, engaged him and defeated him, but soon discovered her mistake and rushed him to Avengers' Mansion for treatment. Feeling responsible for the young man, she guided his training and became his sponsor for the NEO program. With his incredible speed, Hank splits his time between the coast and his hometown.
Fading Memory