Vincent 'Vinny' Wilks (Outback) | |
Portrayed By | Steve Irwin |
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Gender | Male |
Date of Birth | April 4, 1985 |
Age | 25 |
Zodiac Sign | Aries - Ram |
Aliases | Outback |
Place of Birth | Melbourne, Australia |
Current Location | New York City |
Occupation | Work at Home |
Known Relatives | See Below |
Known Abilities | Hydrokenesis, Animal Powers |
Alignment | Neutral Good |
Affiliation | None (Yet) |
First Appearance |
History
Born in Melbourne Australia there were signs from birth that Vinny was going to be different, though the exact origin of his mutation remains a mystery as there is no history of genetic abnormality in his family line. Even as an infant Vinny displayed what was initially thought to be a severe case of Hypertrichosis, his face and body covered in a thick coat of hair. The condition was resistant to any form of treatment and his parents eventually just accepted that this was something they would have to live with. Thankfully his parents were rather open-minded types, they would need to be for what the future would bring.
Jacob and Jennifer Wilks both worked as biologists and conservationalists around the world. Much of their life was spent traveling to every corner of the planet educating or working as activists for endangered species and ecosystems. While respected in thier fields they had many conflicts with both corporate and political powers for their activism against pollution and the destruction of natural habitats, their work raised a great deal of money for various causes and left they rather well off though far from what most would consider rich. Vinny traveled with them most of this time under the care of his Nanny, an aboriginal woman named Hassi who had known the Wilks family for years. She acted as his caretaker and tutor when they traveled, and oversaw his home schooling when they were home in Melbourne and his parents taught as biology professors at the Melbourne University. Far from an average life by any means, but about to get a whole lot stranger.
At age thirteen his mutation manifested fully, while on a trip into the outback Vinny fell ill with a severe fever and at Hassi's suggestion was taken to an aboriginal village while a member of the expedition made the trip back to civilization to bring out a bush pilot to fly him to the hospital. During the three day wait in the hut of the tribe's medicine man he underwent a dramatic physical transformation. Webbing formed between his fingers and the bones in his feet warped and stretched into a more flipper-like configuration. Bone spurs began to jut from his under his skin at various spots and the addition of a Duck bill and thick beaver-like tail finished his transformation. As his parents observed with a combination of horror and fascination their son became a Hybrid of man and animal. Seeking answers the aboriginal tribe conducted a ritual called the Corroboree, a ceremony to commune with the spirits of the Australian dreamtime. At last the tribe's leader stepped forward and proclaimed that he had been touched by the dreamtime, and blessed by it's spirits. When the bush pilot finally arrived Vincent was secreted back to the family home outside of Melbourne while his parents tried to decide how best to hand this "Blessing", and worried about how their son would handle his transformation.
The next year brought about several changes, though to anyone viewing the family from the outside not much was apparently different. The family moved from the city area and bought a more private residence on the shore of a large lake near the borders of the Australian outback. Only those his parents felt could keep things in confidence remained on their staff and Hassi took over his education fully. Since they couldn't take him on a plane without attracting attention they took a private boat when they could to thier various work areas, when that wasn't possible he simply had to stay home under Hassi's supervision. During these more private moments Vinny learned that he had a natural affinity for the water due to his animal traits and spent a great deal of time in the lake near his home. By the time he was 18 he'd earned his GED and was taking a biology courses over the internet, as well as starting to looking into his condition. While Hassi insisted his hybrid state was the blessing of the dreamtime Vinny concluded that the more likely cause was genetic mutation. He looked into websites on scientific studies on the subject and then to various rights groups and activists. He began to get the itch to leave home and see the world on his own terms. But another change was coming, and it was the biggest of them all.
His folks had returned from a trip to Africa where they were part of a protest against clear-cutting forests that contained various endangered species. They were a bit concerned about the events during one of their protests were a bit on edge, though they refused to admit it. Vinny got the feeling they were afraid of something but couldn't get either of them of open up about it, the subject was quickly dropped. A week after their return Vinny was out for a swim when he heard the approach of a boat on the lake, quickly ducking out of sight he peeked up in time to see a speedboat pull up near the dock to his house and three men opened fire on the home with automatic rifles. Ducking underwater quickly out of fear he started swimming towards the house and found himself moving faster than he ever had before, as he neared the boat his fear turned to anger and he shot out of the water like a rocket, only to find he was literally standing on a column of churning water! The men in the boat were just as stunned as he was but recovered and raised their guns towards him. On instinct he held up both of his arms to shield himself and shouted "Go AWAY!" The water seemed to react to his command and the boat was launched out of the lake by a sudden blast of water and hurled several yards onto the beach. The men sprawled across the ground as the boat tumbled over and quickly scattered with the new threat of the angry mutant. His folks managed to survive the incident with minimal injuries and the men were caught by the local police a few days later. They were mercenaries hired by the lumber company the Wilks had been protesting and were sent to eliminate them. The thought that they'd made an enemy willing to kill them was a shock, but the fact that their son had now been publicly outed as a mutant by the men was a bigger concern.
While the public reaction was minimal, the professional one was a bit harsher. Many of the Wilks family supporters pulled thier funding, not wanting to be seen supporting "Mutant-Lovers" and even some of the activist groups they'd worked with were distancing themselves. While they were far from going bankrupt it seemed their days of traveling the world were over. While his folks seemed content to settle down this only strengthened Vinny's desire to leave. There was no secret anymore, no reason to hide. After a bit of difficulty he gained a passport and with a trust fund set up by his parents he left Australia and headed for the united states. The research into mutants the most of the hot-spots for mutant rights seemed to be centered there, so that's where he wants to be. Maybe he can find out a bit more about himself in the process. Since it seemed to be a trend to take on a new Mutant title for himself, he's chosen something a little close to home. So look out New York, here comes Outback!
Timeline
General Information
Name | Race | Relation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Jacob Wilks | Human | Vinny’s Father | A passionate and brilliant mind in the fields of ecology and biology. At one time he toured the world preaching for preservation of animal habitats and the destruction of pollutants. These days he works as an animal handler and educator at the Melbourne Zoo. |
Jennifer Wilks | Human | Vinny’s Mother | Charismatic and a skilled public speaker, working with her husband Jennifer was a staunch activist for protecting endangered species and their homes. She was the more public face of the two and garnered most of thier fundraising. She currently works as an animal handler and educator at the Melbourne Zoo. |
Hassi Dooloo | Human | Caretaker | A lifelong friend to the wilks and a skilled tracker and guide in the Australian outback. Aboriginal by birth she holds a great deal of mysticism and the old ways. Currently staying with the Wilks family as a caretaker and housekeeper. |
Powers
Vincent has recently learned that he has the power to control water, at the moment his limit is around one hundred cubic feet of water, or about Five hundred and seventy gallons of water, give or take. It's easiest to control when he has access to a large source such as a lake or a swimming pool, but with time he can gather a suitable amount to him from any nearby source. His maximum range of control is about 100yards in all directions. In this area of control he can sense amounts and location, as well as the direction it may be flowing. While he doesn't need to see the water to control it it makes things a great deal easier.
The amount of control he has is limited, gathering water from smaller sources takes times. He can gather around 5 gallons every 30 seconds. The majority of his skill in manipulating water takes the form of crude geyser-like blasts or large flowing waves, anything more subtle or complicated takes a great deal of concentration and renders him unable to do anything except stand there and focus on what he's trying to do.
In combat the force of his blasts depend on the amount of water he's using. He can inflict 2lbs of force for each gallon he uses, most blasts use around 50-100 gallons. Mud, slush, or any other large amounts of contaminates make the water heavier and double the force, but is a lot harder to control in any way other than a water blast. A favorite trick is to summon a large wave and either surf it using a board or similar object, or body-surf it naturally.
In combination with his natural aquatic prowess due to his animal breed he can use his Hydrokenesis to triple the time he can stay underwater and propel himself at short bursts of up to 75mphs.
Recent Edit: Vinny's control has increased significantly after his arrival in mutant town. After months of nightly practice and several small battles have grown his power by leaps and bounds. He's now able to control nearly 1500 gallons of water at once, can gather 15-30 gallons every 30 seconds, and can now form and control crude shapes and forms without focusing. A new trick is to compact his controlled water to triple it's density for use in both offensive and defensive manners.