Harbinger
The Harbinger
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Harbinger.jpg
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Portrayed By Elias Koteas
Gender Male
Date of Birth 11/13/1975
Age 34
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Aliases None
Place of Birth New York City
Current Location New York City
Occupation Junkyard Owner, Vigilante, Spirit of Vengeance
Known Relatives Harry Karlov (Father), Lucy Karlov (Mother), Eric Karlov (Brother, Deceased)
Significant Other None
Identity The Harbinger
Known Abilities Weapons, Training, Supernatural Gifts
First Appearance Unknown

If those that travel time such as Cable have taught us anything, it's that every decision breaks off a timeline into countless splinters of the original. Providing an endless list of possible outcomes and "What Ifs" that span far beyond what all but the most divine beings can comprehend. But our Story focuses on only two of these timelines. The one we dwell in now, and one spawned by one particular event.

Maxwell Karlow, the oldest of two brothers and the brawn of the pair. A chronic underachiever and reckless youth he turned to the Army to escape his brother's sucesses in life only to return to find him murdered by Pablo Cortez, the leader of a Cuban Drug Cartel. To avenge his brother's death he creates a persona that comes to be known as "The Hooligan" in order to take the battle to the Cartel outside of the boundries of the Law. The war rages for nearly two years before Cortez sends a pair of hitmen to deal with the Vigilante, and here is where the timeline sees it's crossroads…

In out timeline The Hooligan discovered the trap and dealt with the two hitmen, which prompted him to take the steps that lead to the death of Pablo Cortez a few weeks later. However in this branching path the Hooligan fails to check the perimeter for a second time, fails to notice the sniper in the rafters of the warehouse, and is shot in the back while engaging the first man in combat. As the pair leave him bleeding to death after the high-powered rifle shreds his body-armor he prays, he prays for someone, anyone, to come find him and give him the strength to finish what he's started.

Something in the darkness hears his call
Something Answers
And a Pact is made…

That night the Hooligan Died, and the Harbinger.. Spirit of Vengeance was born. That morning Pablo Cortez and the two hitmen were found in Cortez's Limo, their faces frozen in looks of sheer terror as they'd been bound and left in the car before it was set ablaze. From that day forward New York had a new protector and the Harbinger ruled the streets at night. This should have been the end of the story.

Fast forward two years.

The Hooligan of our time sits in an African Village after the defeat of the warlord Nero. To return to New York the Mutant Connor Blake opens a portal to send him to Hell's Kitchen. On his trip through the portal Max is shown what his life would have been like had things turned out differently, all the various versions of himself spread through the various timelines of the mutiverse. As he's hurtled through time and space he comes very close to this second timeline not unlike his own, he's given a glimpse into the time what spawned the Harbinger.. but you know the saying about staring into the abyss, and this time something definitely stared back. Sensing a soul not too unlike it's own the Harbinger reachs out and for the smallest instant the two spirits make contact, the Harbinger leaving a tiny fragment of it's own essence in the passing soul.

From that time on that fragment has sat dormant, feeding off it's new master's obsession with defending the weak and punishing the guilty. When the events with the church of Humanity began those obsessions only increased, burning with a new passion and the fragment has been feeding well. Soon it will be strong enough to grant it's new master the powers befitting a newly born spirit of Vengeance.

Notes:

Since the fragment of essence empower this version of the harbinger is only a tiny part of the original it has no sentience of it's own. While it instills a basic understanding of the powers it grants and will influence it's master in certain ways (mostly behavior, the usual speeches etc.) it has no control of it's own. Max is still fully in control of himself when he changes.

Since it was not spawned from any entity of our timeline, the Harbinger has no allegiance in the war between heaven and hell.. yet. Sooner or later something is going to take notice of the presence of this new Rider, weakened or not.

Soundtrack

Spiderbait - Ghost Riders in the Sky - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhKWZNxWIC0
Genesis - Land of Confusion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU9lv_WqK6k

Powers

Transformation - When changed he takes on the look that most would associate with a basic Ghost Rider, head on fire, spikes coming out of his armor etc. At first he will not be able to change at will, requiring a target in need of wreaking vengeance on. He can of course for forced to change by outside influence of an arcane nature.

Strength - When transformed his strength is roughly 3 times that of the human maximum, giving him a max lift of around a Ton. (So no slugging it out with the Hulk)

Endurance - When transformed he can withstand serious amounts of damage. Regular weapons, firearms, and minor explosives have little to no lasting effect. Though blows from heavy weapons, artillery, superhuman strength, hi-tech energy weapons, and similarly hard-hitting attacks will do damage and can inflict enough injury to put the Harbinger in a comatose state (Flames go out, little more than a skeleton in armor) for about 15 minutes. Though the hellfire will eventually re-ignite and he will recover.

The Penance Stare - One power he does share with a True Ghost Rider, looking into the eyes of the Harbinger's mask causes the target to relive all the pain he's ever inflicted on other people, from Their perspective. Only the truly insane or utterly emotionless can walk away unscathed from the touch of this attack. Most normal people are left in a gibbering heap that incapacitates them for at least 15 minutes, and likely will take mental help to fully recover from.

Weapons

Hellfire has infused several of the Hooligan's signature weapons, altering them into stronger states to use by the Harbinger. These are as follows:

Shield - Sheathed in hellfire, the shield can be thrown up to 100 yards and will always return. It's path guided by force of will it can duck, swerve, or otherwise avoid or ricochet off obstacles. Though the target must remain in line-of-sight.

Flashbangs - Dubbed "Banshees" these hellish devices release a shrieking wail when activated that can last for up to 2 minutes. The sound causing disorientation and panic in those within earshot. They can be shut off at will.

Smoke Bombs/Teargas - Dubbed "Hellfog" these nasties release a choking cloud of yellow-green gas reaking of Sulfur. Those in the cloud see shadowing figures moving within it, might see the faces of past victims or dead loved ones. Creepy as hell, stinks to high heaven.

Bat/Chain - Hellfire has turned these weapons into a single unit. The bat having turned into a large mace with a pentagonal iron head sheathed in hellfire, the chain attached to the mace by a large ring. The mace can be thrown, the chain extending to about 30 yards. Mace will always return, chain can be controlled mentally to coil and wrap around targets.

Motorcycle - When transformed The Hooligan's heavy Street bike becomes infused with Hellfire, this newly empowered machine can reach speeds of up to 300 miles per hour and can ride across the surface of water or even directly up a vertical wall. (Note: The bike does not leave a burning/melted path in it's wake, that was just for the movie. :P)

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