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-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.
Abilities
- Mutant/Psi
- Photokinesis, Electrokinesis, limited Precog (impending violence, by close proximity—like Unbreakable); uncontrollable Hyperspectral Vision (pentachromacy) resulting in obvious mutation of the eyes, which he keeps hidden behind "prescription" shades
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
Social Network
- "Gabriel" (Davenport): Unseen Patron. Unknown whether he's corporate, gov't, or something else, but he's got money and connections; refers to this operation as Project Spectrum. Has Rafe "on retainer" as a troubleshooter, enabled by a mostly-fictitious delivery business (that often gets Rafe access to corp buildings)
- Michael Fox: Long-term buddy, grew up together. Went Army, but Rafe had to stay behind after his vision went weird. Currently a married, 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
- 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
- Regular parkour group he runs with; notable: Rhett "Shadow" Mercatos, local pro-skater of some repute
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.
