Raphael D'Angelo
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AKA: Angel of Knight City; Archangel; Mirrorshades; Chrome?
Actor: Jacob Pitts, Ref: Justified (mostly)
Contents
Concept
Photokinetic, martial artist, super-spy/vigilante
Tropes
Power Trio: the Hero, the Lancer (Michael Fox), and the Heart ("Gabriel")
Details
Background
Early Life
Raphael was born and raised in the suburbs of Knight City, in an otherwise unremarkable family: two parents, and a younger brother and sister. He spent much of his time with his lifelong friend, Michael Fox, with whom he intended to join the Army after high school. However, in his sophomore year, his eyes began to mutate, resulting in vision problems that continued to worsen. He suffered from the inevitable internal and external social difficulties as a result, and his "disability" ultimately disqualified him from military service.
Education
After graduating high school, Raphael and Michael reluctantly parted ways, Michael joining the Army as planned, while Raphael instead took a graphic-design scholarship to Palm City University. At university, seemingly out of nowhere, Raphael was taken in by the mysterious martial-arts master known only to him as "Shihan," who helped him learn to live with and develop his new abilities, as well as training him in combat and tactics. Raphael quickly tired of college shenanigans, and dropped out after two years, to train with Shihan full-time. After seven years of training, Shihan [disappeared suddenly]. Left alone, Raphael decided to return home to Knight City to put his training to use.
Return to Knight City
Raphael's parents had moved to Farmville some years back, as a result of rising crime rates in their home suburbs, and a near-thing or two. Raphael temporarily lived with Michael, returned from the US Army after four years of service and now in the KCPD, and married. Restless, Raphael looked for work during the day, but patrolled the streets and subways at night, looking for opportunities to defend the weak, as Shihan taught him. His heroics won him the attention of a mysterious figure, identified only as "Gabriel," who approached him remotely with an offer to continue his vigilante work with full sponsorship—he accepted. Raphael was then placed with a bicycle messenger service company called Aegis Courier Co., a front for Gabriel's operation he referred to as Project Spectrum, which he would use to feed Raphael intel and takedown missions—mostly focusing on white-collar, corporate crime—while allowing him to slip unnoticed through the corporate world.
Super Abilities
Vision
He typically refers to his condition as pentachromacy, which is true, but it's actually far more than this. He sees all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet, all at once, all the time, which in daylight or around many radiation sources can be overwhelming (without his special sunglasses designed to block UV and infrared). If he concentrates, he can also see further up or down the spectrum, allowing him to see radio, radar, microwaves, or gamma radiation. As a result, he can operate in near-complete darkness without impediment.
Security Instinct
Through touch contact with another person, he can sense negative things they have done. He experiences it as more of a feeling or suspicion than conscious imagery. The intensity of this instinct varies: petty theft or assault gives a mild signal, while murder gives a very strong response. He also senses danger to himself that allows him reflexive action in personal defense.
Ergokinesis
He possesses, primarily, photokinetic abilities—the ability to bend and manipulate light, allowing him to create illusions, blinding flashes, or become invisible. He is also able to manipulate electricity and magnetics to a limited degree, including shorting out small electronics, and manipulating electronic locks.
Notes
- Mutant/Psi (Ergokinesis; ESP)
Social Network
Sidekicks
- Michael Fox: Best-friend, low-level policeman that occasionally goes out "hunting" w/ Rafe; a bit of an adrenaline-junky, and Rafe's "instigator"—will eventually develop a persona of his own for this "side job." Narrative: In ~15-20 years, will be killed in action, after which Rafe will finally turn a bit dark
- "Yuri" (Uriel)
- Rhett "Shadow" Mercatos: Traceur, skateboarder, and coworker at Aegis
- Samantha "Sting" Marsh: Traceur, inline-skater, and coworker at Aegis
- [TBD Hacker/Techie]
Extended Cast
- "Gabriel": Unseen Patron. Unknown whether he's corporate, gov't, or something else, but he's got money and connections
- Sarah Sainte: The crush (not GF yet). An early rescue he's been almost stalking since. More of a Pepper Potts type: not useless arm-candy. Narrative: Will eventually end up married to her, and stable, under regular pressure from the bullseye his life paints on her
- Immediate family: [Father]; [Mother]; [Y. Brother]; [Y. Sister]
Traits
- Trained by an Aikijutsu Master
- Traceur
Notes
- Essentially a "professional" white-collar crime troubleshooter/vigilante/corp-spy, specializing in getting in & out unseen, working for a voice-behind-a-computer. Turf is mostly in the financial district or industrial areas
- Lightly Catholic
- Almost OCD
- Lot of similarities to Daredevil
Trivia:
- This character & story comes from an unpublished/unfinished comic series dating back to 1990, worked by Rigil Kent and Gigermann after they met in the Army. His background is full of Easter-eggs that nobody else would understand.
