Information
Name: Collin Harrison
Cape Name: Formerly Sonar, now known as Anonymous
Theme Song: Aspects
High Concept: Keeper of Secrets
Trouble: The Voices won't Stop!
Origin: The Wards think I'm Dead
Growth: Bubble bubble, toil and trouble… Cauldron’s a bitch
Adventure: It's all I've ever known
Bio
Personality: Collin personifies “used to be such a sweet kid.” Outgoing, friendly, energetic, charitable, and heroic to the point of rashness, these are traits that have been beaten out of him the hard way. Since his focus helmet was destroyed and he's been subjected to the harshest extent of his powers, Collin has grown weary of humanity as two-faced hypocrites, even finding some poetry in his status as the kid with no face at all. He sees no point in justice and heroism in a dark, dying world that has no true kindness to give. As far as he's concerned, humanity is just kidding itself. If we’re not lying to each other then we’re lying to ourselves just to feel better about the fucked up nature of things. So if that's the case, why not look out for number one, just like everyone else, by selling off all their secrets?
History: Born James Anderson on Earth Keth, Collin doesn't remember anything about his time back home… or that he ever had another home. Cauldron, in their never ending experiments with Eden and power creation, took the 11 year old James by way of the Clairvoyant and Doormaster, so that he could be experimented on to further perfect their craft. Naturally his memory was wiped just like every other experiment, and the results were not terribly pretty. What used to be a handsome young boy was mutated by the power serum he'd been administered, becoming an official documented Case 53. While the dead Eden shard provides to him gathered sound, and allows him to control his own sounds to an extent, it took away his face. No longer able to see, smell, or taste, the experience traumatized him as much as one could expect. Without fully realizing what powers he'd been provided, the young boy was able to escape after hearing the combination lock to his cell.
Stumbling away, terrified with no idea who or what those people were, he only knew he wanted to get away in that moment. That's when he was found, and by a Protectorate hero! … not that he knew what exactly that meant, but the words spoken to him by this “Hero” were comforting. Hero took him away, explaining that he was one of the four founding members of the Protectorate, that he was a tinker, and that he could make something to help the young boy… That help came in the form of a helmet designed by the world’s greatest tinker, a piece of equipment that would restrain and focus his powers so as not to become overwhelmed by the sheer information input. Once he had adjusted, they came up with a name together for the amnesiac boy: Collin Harrison.
Inspired, Collin agreed to join the Protectorate’s Wards program. His abilities proved to be absolutely invaluable for information gathering, for there was absolutely no barrier, no precaution, no possibility off hiding anything from Sonar, so long as it was within his range. His Stranger ability meant that coordinating a team was fantastic as well, being able to communicate in a manner that could have been mistaken for telepathy. Unfortunately, despite being the best qualified for the job, Sonar was passed up for the position of leader of the Wards thanks to the prejudice inherent in the system against Case 53s. He was informed that he just wasn't qualified, and took the answer to heart. It was only two weeks later that he heard the truth from the horse’s mouth, thanks to the Boston director of the PRT accidentally getting a bit sloppy when Collin was supposedly out of range. This hurt, but it wasn't unexpected.
However something both unexpected and devastating came not long after. Collin’s personal inspiration, the man that let him function, and the paragon that brought Sonar into this world, Hero, had been killed by a new villain called the Siberian. Collin was devastated, as were many of the Protectorate, but for him it was so bad that Sonar made no public appearances for a month. Yet this event had further reaching consequences he had yet to realize. His helmet was tinker tech, which needs maintenance and occasional repair. What's more, the helmet was made by
Hero, greatest of all tinkers present and future. As such, the technology was beyond anyone affiliated with the PRT. For better or for worse, Hero was just that good. So began the slow, steady decline of the helmet’s performance…
Collin was 15 years old when the course of his life changed forever. In the midst of battle against a villainous parahuman, Collin had his head slammed to the ground with such force that his helmet shattered, and he suffered a severe concussion. Though unconscious, his power still refused to turn off. Rushed to a hospital, home of many terrible, horrible things, the sounds, conversations, failed breaths, flatlines, declarations of death, dark secrets spoken behind closed doors, and so much more, these things forced their way into his unconscious mind without restraint. They took shape within his mind, driving the visions and dreams he had while unconscious for two entire weeks. Once he had woken up, Collin had already become a very different person, and this would only snowball as his power ran unchecked. Before leaving the hospital, Collin came to a terrible realization. By his logic, flawed as it was, he had been used and betrayed by Hero when the tinker designed that helmet. It wasn't supposed to help him, it was to keep him from seeing the truth of humanity. It actively scrubbed horrible things he had every right to know. Heartbroken, Collin made a decision.
The teen faked his death and escaped out on his own. For years he survived by keeping to himself, stealing identities with great ease and doing nearly everything online. Dark thoughts grew and grew, until surviving wasn't enough anymore. He had to act. Putting on a
new mask and creating the identity of Anonymous, Collin became an information broker with absolutely no moral boundaries. So long as you pay, he will provide you any information on anybody that you want without question. While he primarily operates as an independent entity, he's recently found employment with The Consortium, who can always make use of his unique skills.
Abilities
Classified as a Thinker 4 Stranger 1, Collin’s abilities aren't great for active combat use, but phenomenal for field tactics, and even better for information brokering. All sounds within a half mile radius of Collin, no matter how quiet, are heard and understood clearly as though he were right next to the cause of the sound. It's not difficult to see why he was known as Sonar when in the Wards, as he's able to map out his surroundings extremely well with this power. The downside is that he cannot choose to shutoff his power, or ignore some sounds in favor of focusing on others. He has to hear everything, all the time, simultaneously. Thankfully he isn't catatonic due to his Shard assisting with the sensory input, so every sound is distinct and separate for the others, but he constantly hears things he'd rather not.
The Stranger portion of his abilities also has to do with sound, but usually is far from harmful, though one could call him the world’s greatest ventriloquist. Any sounds that he makes, Collin is able to focus and project to specific individuals (within earshot). This means that only those he desires to can hear anything he says or does. Speaking of, well, speaking, although he has no face, he is still able to speak by virtue of vibrating his vocal chords as normal, then utilizing his Stranger ability to ensure its projected and focused directly into the ear canals of those he wishes to understand.
Leaves
