Connor "Chase" Blake
Connor Blake
corin.jpg
Portrayed By Corin Nemec
Gender Male
Date of Birth January 22nd, 1993
Age 20
Zodiac Sign Aquarius
Aliases None
Place of Birth Seattle, WA. USA
Current Location Xavier Institute
Occupation Courier for Genoshan Embassy, NYC
Known Relatives Father - Daniel Blake, Mother - Alexis Blake, Sister - Shawna Blake (age: 11), Sister - Ariel Blake (age: 8)
Significant Other None
Identity Chase, Volk
Known Abilities Graviton Manipulation - Teleportation, Portal Generation, Mass Effect Field Manipulation, Dimensional Sight, Gravitic Planes
First Appearance April 6th, 2010

"A Realist is what an Optimist calls a Pragmatist… I think…"

History

Hailing from the Great Northwest, or more specifically the Seattle area, Connor came into the world the first son of a pair of parents who had agreed from their first days together that their family would always come first. Daniel Blake, his father, an aeronautics engineer and software developer for an aircraft construction company, while his mother Alexis would hop from part time job to part time job as her whims dictated, making sure that the bulk of her available time was made for her son Connor, and eventually her two daughters Shawna and Ariel.

From his earliest days of childhood, Connor was restless. It seemed as if he despised inactivity, and his room was only a place to do his homework and sleep, which was reflected by the fact that he never kept many things in there… his toys, his things, they tended to scatter themselves, always managing to come back together when he needed them. This was not an early manifestation of his abilities, but rather instead just the child's eclectic sense of property and propriety. In an effort to help him work out some of this restless nature, his parents enrolled him in anything they could find. Music lessons, sports camps, martial arts, even doing volunteer work with the intent on trying to find that thing that Connor was looking for.

Partially, this was abated to some degree when they took him to a comic book convention on his seventh birthday, and he listened to a panel of how comics were designed. The writing and the scope sparked his interest some, and soon it was that his family saw him taking summer school and after school courses in creative writing. His first work however, impressed and slightly disturbed his teachers. When his parents were presented with this, they talked to their son, and a second decision was made that he should begin to see a therapist. The contents of the story he wrote were a strange dreamlike tale of an almost HP Lovecraftian nature, beings of strange stellar power and influence, and how their presence would change and alter the world around them. It was not so much the content, but the vividness of the imagery he wrote down that disturbed both his parents and teacher.

Most of his more formative years were spent in this manner, between school and sports, or keeping up with classes in the Russian martial art Systeme, he would spend an hour twice a week with a therapist, talking about the things he wrote down, and the things that he dreamt about. In the reports to his parents, it was noted that for some reason the young man had an uncanny mind that can visualize things quite well, but tended to bring his darker emotions to the surface, often times translating the images from his stories into metaphorical concepts. Connor however merely treated it as if he was just doing what he was doing…. Writing like he was encouraged to do, finding a purpose in getting these images that came to him in his mind.

By the time he was fourteen it was determined that despite the strangely graphic nature of his writing style, there was nothing inherently wrong or troubled about him, so he was allowed to finish out junior high without having the stigma of being 'therapy kid' or several other names he'd had to tolerate during his adolescence.

Going into high school, Connor was one of those kids who ended up floating from group to group, able to be a part of any given group without really fitting in or really being a part of them. Jocks, Nerds, Actors, Goths, Stoners… if there was a crowd, he could find some way inside of it, and eventually was able to come and go as he pleased. Becoming an active member of the school's theatre club, he participated in two productions at school that required him to learn some basic dance moves as well as honing some of his singing voice. While not ever a main character in anything, he could almost always be seen in the background.

By the beginning of his junior year of high school he began to experience strange and occasional blackouts, going to sleep and waking up in other locations… sometimes outdoors, something in other rooms in his home, once even in school. While adept enough to get back out once more from the worse situations so that it was left undetected by his parents or the faculty, the strange feelings of missing time began to bother him quite a bit, and he ended up seeking help online. Finding a support group there for people who have had strange things happening to them, it eventnually came out that some of the people he was talking with were not actually having problems, but trying to use the place to find vulnerable indivduals and he quit the site after telling his parents what was going on.

Before they could bring him back to his therapist, the family was visited by none other than Dr. Reed Richards! Mister Fantastic himself at their door, with the news he had come in search of an abherrant energy signal that he had detected several weeks before. After some careful research, the pinpointing the source of the energy, he'd come to find out if it was benign or antagonistic. Discovering it was a seventeen year old boy, Reed offered to his parents to take him to the Baxter Building to help explore the nature of this energy field infusing Connor's body. A free trip to New York and a tour of the infamous home of the Fantastic Four later, Mister Fantastic took a week to discover that not only was Connor a mutant, but he was able to access the same kind of energy that he did when entering the Negative Zone. With his studies on the ill effects of such, he sat down with him and explained (With the help of his wife) what his gift was, and how dangerous it could be.

After the discussion and a video-conference with his parents, Mister Fantastic ended up calling fellow scientist and colleague Hank McCoy, informing him of the young man and his extraordinary ability to manipulate what Reed had coined as 'Phase Energy'. Both Connor and his family had agreed it would be best for him to learn to harness and control this unique power so that the blackouts would cease, and it would perhaps help him refocus his life. With bags packed, and a leonine blue Beast behind the wheel… Connor drew up to the gates of the Xavier School, left with a sense of awe and wonder that he might have found whatever he was chasing.

Powers

According to quantum field theory, a graviton is a massless elementary energy particle that mediates gravity. This particle and the fields it generates are postulated to be partially what creates proposed folds in space and time, such as wormholes. At the center of the Negative Zone is a vortex of supreme gravitational and electromagnetic power that can lead to a crossroads of dimensions if one can survive the trip.

This gravitic Nexus of this parallel universe is the direct link and source of Connor's powers. Originally thought to be the phase field of the Distortion Zone, that was actually acting as a filter for the energy source, blocking him from his full potential. This power is similiar to the Darkforce in as much as it is something that leaves marked changes on the person wielding it, and has many and powerful applications.

Skills

Since a young age, Connor has been trained by his mentor Yuri in Systema, a Russian martial system that emphasizes freedom of motion in body and form to meet the situation. Training was focused mainly on hand to hand, with a strong bias towards binds, takedowns, and combination strikes to parry and counter. He has been learning this style of fighting for roughly 12 years. With the Advanced Combat Training Course he has under the Xavier School, he has started incorporating some of the more agility-based ninjitsu and Xavier School's more unique Danger Room fighting techniques.

Specific Weapons in combat were taught by Yuri, or more recently through Psylocke and others in the Advanced Combat training course that Connor took in place of standard gym class for his senior year at Xavier's:

  • Knife - Taught by Yuri; He is proficient in most standard attack, binds, parries, counters, and other knife-fighting techniques, specializing in the use of Spetznaz Spring-blades, which he often uses in pairs.
  • Staff/Stick - Taught by Psylocke; Attack and Parry techniques, plus techniques for taking on multiple opponents with a moderate proficiency. Intense weekly training via the Danger Room has expanded his repetoire to be able to hold is own for a few seconds with some of the better staff-fighters in their database. He is not to the par of Gambit, but is able to take on opponents the likes of The Hand and HYDRA.
  • Sword - Taught by Psylocke; Mainly instructed in the Ninjato and Wakizashi, as well as basic iaido with the Katana, these techniques can be applied to almost any long blade. He has been taught basic attack and parry, as well as countering with either a forehand or backhand grip for one-hand short swords, and a two-hand grip for katana. This is still foundational learning, and any weapons expert can pick out the Japanese influence on his sword-style almost immediately. While he continues to train in this style, he has not expanded or improved in any fashion.

Equipment

Connor owns a few items of merit from his family and time at Xavier's.

  • A high-end dual touch-screen laptop capable of playing MMOs and running graphics/artwork processing software.
  • DROID-style Smartphone
  • Armored X-men style 'Volk' uniform with a commlink and HUD lenses as part of design.
  • Unstable Molecule Academy Uniform
  • Collapsible Metal Fighting Staff
  • A pair of Spetznaz Spring-Blade Combat knives, a graduation gift from his Uncle.
  • A classical typewriter, a graduation gift from his parents.

Because of the events having to do with Mutant Registration, and his almost being outed publically as a mutant, Connor now wears two leather watch-style bands which have several options built into them by SHIELD. Using the same Zero Point Energy matrix as was designed for Captain America's use in his new energy shield, they have the ability to 'lock down' his teleportation abilities, as well as provide him with a holographic comm system and computer interface. The offensive abilities of these units have been locked out for the time being. A side benefit of the ZPEM being active is that it shields his signature from scanning.

Timeline

  • Since coming to the Academy, Connor was assigned to the Excelsiors under Hank McCoy.
  • 04/16/10 - Awarded a Gold Star by Magneto… for reasons best kept between himself, Rashmi, and the Master of Magnetism…
  • 05/15/10 - Several tests have been recently performed on Connor, and revealed two strange facts. One was that he was misaligned to the 'source' of his power, which was causing the erratic behaviors and access to the Distortion Field's mood-altering effects. The second is that he has been artificially enhanced. By whom and what is uncertain, but the point that it occured seems to have been close to when the recent 'Inferno' event occurred in New York.
  • 07/12/10 - A potential future version of himself swapped minds with him in order to get defenses in place against a time-travelling Ahab. This lasted until 07/24/10 when another attack from Ahab overwhelmed the psychic tether and forced them both back into place.
  • 08/07/10 - Outside Salem Center Mall, alongside Tara, Connor was forced into a fight with Ahab, and managed to get enough of an upper hand to get Addison Falk involved, thus stopping the man from his goals in the present.
  • October 2010-11/05/2010 - Lost with several students and staff in a pocket dimension under a Demon of fear, Connor succumbed to the personality of Renfield, and spent the majority of his time under the influence of the character's insanity. He has since returned to normal and to Earth proper.
  • 12/17/2010 - Present during the Gamesman attack on the Pro-Mutant concert and was part of the small contingent of mutants who defended the crowd from attack by several masked and unarmed men. At the time was wearing his X-men Training uniform, and speaking with a Russian accent to disguise himself from the attackers.
  • 02/02/2011 - A member of the student group in Africa responsible for the downfall of the warlord Nero and the destruction of his base and mansion in Nigeria.
  • 02/27/2011 - Helped to break up a cell of policemen who may have been part of 'The Game' and kidnapped Lil as hostage to force Dingo to assassinate the mayor.
  • 8/18/2011 - Current Status: DEPOWERED. After spending nearly a month missing in action due to Upgrade's effects on his powers, he reappeared to help apprehend Heather's parents. Doing so he invoked an alternate Connor… The Horseman of War. A timely blow by Jules was all that kept him from remaining in that current shape on this Earth.
  • 09/01/2011 - Officially no longer in residence at Xavier's, Graduating with a 3.5 GPA, and is now a resident in Mutant Town in NYC.
  • 09/04/2011 - Current employment status - Confidential Courier for the Genoshan Embassy. He quit three of four other part-time jobs with this job offer, made by Magneto himself.
  • 05/18/2012 - After 2 months of searching, coupled with an intense 3-week training regimen on the Blackbird, Connor flew a small team of individuals to Romania to rescue several kidnapped girls. This operation was SHIELD-sanctioned and monitored.
  • 05/18/2012 - Current Status: Powers Possibly Restored, but degree is unknown.
  • 01/01/2013 - After the Purifier execution's interruption, Connor Blake was considered a National Security Risk, but under SHIELD auspice and monitoring. He left US territories with Robyn Larkin to several undisclosed location.
  • 04/15/2013 - Current Employment Status: Officially Unemployed, working under the table at Nowhere as a Bar-Back, relief Bouncer, and is learning Bartending.

Quotes

  • "I'm from the land of Coffee, Teriyaki, and videogame companies. We don't get much superhero stuff out that way except for the nightly news."
  • "And when people want to avoid stuff like say… bus fair… or customs… suddenly everyone's your friend."
  • "The difference between you and me? You expect the worse, and I hope for the best…"

Trivia

  • Connor's natural eye color is blue, but now they are a blue-green, and become more intense depending on his power.
  • Connor is Left Handed.
  • He's a bit of a neat freak, and hates outdoor sports and activities when he can avoid them, though he enjoys swimming.
  • Anyone entering his room, or his half of a dorm will find little or no decoration, prefering to keep his personal tastes to his PC or laptop.
  • Connor has a diagnosed compulsive disorder since just before puberty. This causes him during times of anxiety, stress, or heavy emotion to intensely focus on almost ritualistic activities. In Connor's case it's cleaning, physical exertion, or playing video games… often to the point of forgetting basic needs such as eating and sleeping. It is normally managable and barely noticable, but there are signs. One such is when he pushes his hands into his pockets and begins clenching and unclenching.
  • While the Compulsive Disorder is present, in recent months due to the work by staff and interaction with students, his condition has been considered benign and easily managed.
  • Connor had a bad habit of porting into the Rec Room when he thinks others will not be there to play video games.
  • He is currently on the outs with his father due to receiving an invitation to the Barnes Academy for college, friends have noted their arguments over the phone more than once.
  • Due to the events of the Purifier kidnapping, Connor how wears his head shaved down, which displays a scar that runs from the top of his forehead, just misses the eye, and goes half-way down his cheek.

Theme Song

  • Safe And Sound - By Kyosuke Himuro feat. Gerard Way - Youtube Video

Relationships/Friends

Yuri Ivanov (For actor reference, use Kevin McKidd)

'Uncle' Yuri is a Russian ex-patriate soldier from the former USSR who worked with Connor's father when he was a military contractor liaision. Neither has ever disclosed the nature and extent of this relationship, but when he came to the US, Yuri moved in close by the family, and has maintained ties ever since. When Connor was young, and the restlessness was noted, it was Yuri who suggested teaching him Systeme as a means to help focus and discipline him. Yuri is the one mainly responsible for any self-defense and combat training, as well as being something of a mentor for the boy when his father was not available. He is very much an old world man… he believed in honor, dignity, and country until it betrayed him as a Captain in Spetznaz, and his men were left for dead on the altar of politics, something he is forever bitter of. While he is unmarried himself, he has a picture of his wife and two sons who still remain in Russia while he attempts to earn enough money as a security consultant to support them, and eventually bring them over. The discovery of Connor being a mutant has not changed the man's opinion of the boy he'd mentored most of his life, only his worry about how it will change the boy's life, knowing that groups like the X-men and the Avengers, which he'd seen in action in the Russian Army had faced individuals like these. He has kept his military ties open as much as he can, and would offer those resources to help Connor if they were needed.

Gallery

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