▲ N E R O
Julian Barclay
╟ 29 || British || Male ╢
⋙: Ｒ Ｅ Ｐ Ｕ Ｔ Ａ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
William Shakespeare
Born into a well-off family in Southern England, Julian has experienced little in the way of material struggles. Everything in life has been more or less handed to him on a silver platter, and to some extent some would say, as were enhanced powers. He achieved no noble feats before he was 'given' these powers, and was in fact something of a underachiever, living off of his parent's money.
Attending a costly private school and leaving with only average grades, he has proven that throwing money towards something is not always a viable solution. He did, however, make it into Cambridge University to study International Relations after an interview. Perhaps his family's charitable donations towards the institution and it's fundraising events had something to do with it, or perhaps not. Julian would believe the latter, stressing that he performed well in the interview and that grades do not account for everything. Indeed, this need for Julian to prove that he has not gotten where he is because of wealth that he has not earned has lasted throughout his life. At university, he was something of a bon viveur, dedicating little time to study and instead focusing on the more social opportunities that presented themselves throughout his time there. It was during the second year of his 'study' at Cambridge that he met the woman who would become his wife, an Irish student by the name of Aoife. The absolute antithesis of Julian, she appeared studious and equally ambitions with a set plan for her future. Opposites, in this case, did attract. Meeting by luck at a student party, one of the few she attended, the two sparked an immediate chemistry that would go on to last for the rest of their time at university and beyond. She has been, and remains, one of the few people he has developed a close bond with.
It was at the graduation ball he proposed to Aoife, and much to his relief, she accepted. While his family were concerned he had been too quick to make such a judgement, the two were wed the next year and have remained in a successful marriage since. Unlike his wife, however, who began to plan for her future, Julian found himself stuck in the past and looking only to enjoy life as it was in that moment. More than anything, he wanted to avoid the future that he dreaded, being trapped within a restricted work schedule for the rest of his life. Despite encouragement and nagging from his parents and wife in equal measure, he continued to avoid searching for work, going so far as to ignore interviews arranged on his behalf in efforts to force him into work. This continued for roughly a year, before his wife came home with news of a job opportunity abroad, in the USA. Detroit, specifically. It was a well-paying job in a sales capacity for business-to-business transactions, an offer she felt too good to refuse. Accepting her proposal to emigrate and accept the job, the two set off for Detroit.
In their new home, bar their surroundings, little changed. Julian still found himself out of work, and unwilling to find any, only now he had less friends to waste away his days and nights with. It was on a totally ordinary day that Julian was 'awakened'. Sitting on the couch watching TV, in fact. From then, everything changed. He was given a purpose by life itself, and he suddenly found himself more motivated than he had ever been. Training in secrecy wherever possible, and after proving to his wife that he had not either lost his mind or created an elaborate prank during his months of unemployment, he was convinced by her to keep to secrecy for the time being. Indeed, it was not even by his own intention that he was approached by the Coalition of Heroes. He had not heard of them, in fact, until they approached him.
Filmed by a stunned onlooker and plastered over social media as so many things are, he found his anonymity and secrecy torn from him. At the same time, he found his job. A Superhero? Yes, please.
⋙: Ｐ Ｏ Ｗ Ｅ Ｒ Ｓ ＆ Ｆ Ｉ Ｇ Ｈ Ｔ Ｉ Ｎ Ｇ Ｓ Ｔ Ｙ Ｌ Ｅ
A B I L I T I E S
A T M O K I N E S I S
Atmospheric Adaption
With little effort or exertion, Julian is able to have his lungs act as 'filters' to enable him to survive and breathe in toxic gasses such as carbon monoxide. Furthermore, he can survive in environments with particularly low-oxygen, such as areas of a high altitude. This is particularly useful when combined with his ability for flight, allowing him to fly at heights simply unreachable by most.
Elemental Adaption
Similar to atmospheric adaptation, Julian can also regulate his body temperature to survive extreme environments on both sides of the spectrum, from the biting cold to scorching heat.
High-Speed Flight
Having found himself particularly gifted at flight, and coupled with his ability to survive extreme environments, Julian is able to reach heights and speeds previously among the skies previously considered impossible even by enhanced. His ability to manipulate the air enhances his flight, allowing him to reach great speeds that make him perhaps the fastest in-flight enhanced currently known. His ability to survive in low-oxygen environments means he may still breathe with comfort despite the extreme speed and high altitude. He does not, however, have super-human strength that would allow him to use this in many offensive capabilities, for smashing into a person or object at such speed will undoubtedly be the end of him. Instead, when in combat, he adopts hovers at height, giving him the advantage of oversight which he uses to great effect when combined with his other, more violent powers.
Air Manipulation
One of his more offensive abilities, his control over air most commonly takes the form of a blast of compressed air, sending the target hurtling back a considerable distance at varying degrees of force. There are no particular requisites for Julian to perform this basic power, and so when indoors, it is his preferred method of attack. Defensively, he can whip objects hurtling towards them in another direction, and also create a gust of wind around himself, shielding him from many forms of attack. Energy and light based attacks, however, will go unaffected by such defensive capabilities, and such attacks could prove particularly effective against Julian. His means of defending against these attacks is not so different from the common man, having to rely on his ability to dodge or otherwise evade such strikes. One of his more unique uses of air is to utilise it as a insulator of sorts, allowing him to handle great electric forces in his hands without harm to himself.
Electric Manipulation
His most violent, and 'favourite' ability, Julian has become exceptionally skilled at harnessing the electric energy found within the skies. Summoning vast thunderstorms, Julian can control the thunder of the skies and target strikes (with relatively poor accuracy) from the heavens above towards his foes. Additionally, he can contain great bolts of thunder within his hands, and project these individual strikes towards his enemies. Such strikes tend to have much more accuracy. Most recently, Julian has been training with the ability to solidify electrons into a loose state, much like a whip. Importantly, these skills can only be used when outdoors, as he relies on the electric energy of the thunderstorms to draw his power. He cannot interface with the electricity in man-made objects such as televisions, computers or otherwise. His power comes purely from the sky.
C O M B A T
Julian, in almost any fight he is involved in, can be found near the center of the action. Hovering above, he uses his view over the entire fight to his advantage, targeting his individual strikes with good precision. Against groups of enemies, he can target thunder from the sky to a more general area with varying degrees of accuracy, and this proves useful when trying to suppress foes or force them into cover. Fiercely independent, if he believes he has an opportunity he will take it regardless of whether it was part of the pre-approved plan. Avoiding indoors combat whenever possible, if forced into the situation he will act more defensively, blasting opponents away whilst focusing his attention on deflecting and protecting against incoming attacks. If indoors, he will generally search for the closest means of exit to the outside as soon as possible.
Certainly one of the more powerful enhanced, Julian is always looking to train further in his various fields and continue to develop his abilities. When outdoors, he is at his most dangerous, combining several of his abilities to devastating effect with solid defences and strong attacks. Indoors, he finds himself vulnerable, being unable to call on the thunderous power from above, and so he will keep himself solely involved in outdoors combat whenever possible. Furthermore, his greatest weakness comes from the enhanced gifted with the ability to manipulate light and energy, for he has no defences against such attacks and must rely solely on his ability to avoid these strikes. Undoubtedly, a well-placed strike from a manipulator of such energy could bring him down.
⋙: Ａ Ｐ Ｐ Ｅ Ａ Ｒ Ａ Ｎ Ｃ Ｅ ＆ Ｐ Ｅ Ｒ Ｓ Ｏ Ｎ Ａ Ｌ Ｉ Ｔ Ｙ
L O O K S & S T Y L E
Costume
Within the triangle on his chest is a golden C, as opposed to the diagonal line.
Something of a vain individual, as reflected through his costume, Julian takes care to maintain appearances when not on duty. Often found wearing smart-casual attire with a variety of fitted blazers and crisp shirts combined with slim, designer jeans or suit trousers and a pair of brogues to match. Rarely will he be seen around others wearing more casual clothing, although when at home he is likely to wear comfortable clothing such as sweatpants and hoodies. P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S
⌬ Self-Indulgent
Perhaps it is his typically posh-British accent, or maybe it's his handsome looks. More than likely, it is because of his love for the adoration that has been afforded to him by the masses and his ability to play to their appeal, but Julian has long held the eye of the public. Coming to be known as the 'celebrity' of the group, Julian has often been found hovering above the streets of Detroit showing off a variety of tricks for any onlookers. Fond of 'insider' interviews, too, he is keen to be in the public eye so long as they will continue to shower him with praise. Certainly, he has has always been one to enjoy the opportunities afforded to him, with drinking and partying playing a heavy role in his social life. More than once since his rise to fame he has attended clubs as the 'special guest', something he knows the Coalition would not approve of. Ever since the incident, Julian has become something more of a recluse, reacting poorly to the turning public opinion that he had enjoyed so much until now.⌬ Protective
Julian cares greatly for those close to him, including his fellow members of the Coalition. He feels a connection to the other enhanced, for he can relate to them on a level few others can. Only they would truly understand the heavy burden of being a member of the Coalition, and he holds a deep respect for them all. Since the incident, and the reveal that there are in fact more enhanced, Julian's mind has turned increasingly towards the concern for other enhanced as opposed to the concern for humans, and believes finding their fellow enhanced should be given priority not only for their own well-being, but also so that they may have more aid in their second battle with this new foe.⌬ Resentful
Julian has always been quick to hold a grudge, even toward those he considers friends. After the incident, Julian has felt growing resentment towards those he works to protect. While the humans have not grown entirely distrustful of the enhanced yet, he cannot help feel but a growing lack of faith for those he aims to protect.⋙: Ｆ Ａ Ｍ Ｉ Ｌ Ｙ ＆ Ｒ Ｅ Ｌ Ａ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ Ｓ Ｈ Ｉ Ｐ Ｓ
L O V E D O N E S
C L O S E R E L A T I O N S
Aoife Barclay
Wife. 28. Irish. Alive. The two, having met in their second years of education at Cambridge, married young. Julian emigrated to the United States with her when she lined up a particularly well-paid job in Detroit, working in business-to-business sales. Sticking by him when his powers first emerged, she is more than aware of his membership of the Coalition, and she disapproves. While she complains that it is not a proper future and that he should find a 'normal' job, it is her worry for his safety that causes the most distress. Due to their conflicting work schedules, it is not often they will get to spend significant amounts of time with one another, though they do try to have lunch and dinner together several times a week. In spite of this, the two remain the closest confidants of one another, and Julian cannot picture a life without her.
Arthur Barclay
Brother. 26. British. Alive. Remaining in Britain, the two occasionally get in touch to discuss much the same topics as they always have. Their moaning mother, the terrible weather, and how they're finding work. Despite being aware of Julian's involvement in the Coalition, their relationship has remained much the same, and Julian finds his brother to be a pleasant reminder of how his life used to be.
I M P O R T A N T R E L A T I O N S
Harrison Barclay
Father. 67. British. Alive. Rarely keeping in contact with Julian, the two have no ill-feelings towards one another, simply having fallen out of touch with one another.
Angela Barclay
Mother. 64. British. Alive. Keeping in touch with Aoife more than Julian himself, she continues to mother him as she always has, though indirectly through Aoife. Julian is accustomed to hearing the words from his wife, "You're mother was on the phone today." and will generally make several phone-calls a week to her. Despite her son being an enhanced, she is more concerned with his ability to iron clothes, cook a decent meal, and pull his weight around his home.
Y O U R L I F E S O F A R
⌬ Born the first child of a lawyer and civil servant to an upper-middle class family in Southern England.
⌬ The brother of Julian, Arthur, is born. The two would form a close bond over the coming years.
⌬ Attended the fee-paying private school of St. James Boys School.
⌬ Went on to attend Cambridge University, studying International Relations. Meets Aoife in his second last year.
⌬ Graduated from Cambridge with full honors. Despite this, struggled to find work, having lived comfortably thus far and finding no motivation to seek employment.
⌬ Proposes to, and marries, Aoife soon after graduating.
⌬ Aoife finds well-paid work that requires her to emigrate to Detroit. Tempted by the money, she is keen to accept, and asks Julian for his thoughts. The two emigrate to Detroit.
⌬ Despite encouragement from his wife, Julian still opts to instead remain unemployed.
⌬ Powers emerge. Julian admits this to his wife, who is supportive herself, but encourages him to keep his power hidden from the world.
⌬ Video emerges of Julian practicing flight, thinking he was alone. Soon after, he is approached by the recently formed Coalition of Heroes. Accepts their invitation to join them.
⌬ Develops and becomes confident in his power. Enjoys the increasing appreciation he receives for his work.
⌬ Defeated by the new enhanced, he is currently nursing his wounded ego more than any physical damage.
⌬ The brother of Julian, Arthur, is born. The two would form a close bond over the coming years.
⌬ Attended the fee-paying private school of St. James Boys School.
⌬ Went on to attend Cambridge University, studying International Relations. Meets Aoife in his second last year.
⌬ Graduated from Cambridge with full honors. Despite this, struggled to find work, having lived comfortably thus far and finding no motivation to seek employment.
⌬ Proposes to, and marries, Aoife soon after graduating.
⌬ Aoife finds well-paid work that requires her to emigrate to Detroit. Tempted by the money, she is keen to accept, and asks Julian for his thoughts. The two emigrate to Detroit.
⌬ Despite encouragement from his wife, Julian still opts to instead remain unemployed.
⌬ Powers emerge. Julian admits this to his wife, who is supportive herself, but encourages him to keep his power hidden from the world.
⌬ Video emerges of Julian practicing flight, thinking he was alone. Soon after, he is approached by the recently formed Coalition of Heroes. Accepts their invitation to join them.
⌬ Develops and becomes confident in his power. Enjoys the increasing appreciation he receives for his work.
⌬ Defeated by the new enhanced, he is currently nursing his wounded ego more than any physical damage.
⋙:Ａ Ｎ Ｙ Ｔ Ｈ Ｉ Ｎ Ｇ Ｅ Ｌ Ｓ Ｅ
I quite like Professor Xavier, myself. Especially after Logan!
FC: A young Ralph Fiennes
