Iron Phantom

Name = Etienne Beauvais

Nickname = Iron Phantom

Nationality = French

Age = 68 (at time of death)

Species = Robot (now), Human (in the past)

Power Level = 3

Occupation = Head of the New Melbourne Intelligence Agency, Resistance colonel, street vigilante (secretly)

Character traits = sarcastic, bitter, clever, honorable, cold-blooded, nihilistic

Appearance = metal body, tall, glowing white visor on face, single eye-visor in center of face, rust on body, filter grid instead of mouth, armored body, humanoid, bullet marks all over body

Clothes = worn trench coat, military boots, leather hat

Likes = whiskey, jazz, justice, the novel "The Three Musketeers", his deceased comrades from the World War I, loneliness

Dislikes = modernity, pop culture, computer technology, his robotic body, impunity of evil, rich people

ABILITIES

Etienne's consciousness resides within a combat robot, granting him significant superhuman capabilities. He possesses enhanced strength, speed, and durability, making him impervious to pain, hunger, cold, or fatigue. However, this mechanical existence comes at a cost—Etienne cannot truly experience sensations like taste, smell, or touch. Despite his sensors providing all necessary information, he suffers deeply from his inability to fully savor life.

Etienne's robotic body is outfitted with numerous advanced technologies, including tracking systems, an invisibility cloak, and a built-in visor camera. His sensors can detect and analyze a wide range of data, from electromagnetic signals to radiation, trace evidence, and fingerprints.

Etienne can transform parts of his body into versatile tools, such as a mechanical harpoon or grappling hook. Additionally, his frame is armed with various weapons, including a machine gun, stun guns, bladed arms, and a jetpack. However, Etienne harbors little fondness for these modern gadgets, instead favoring his Webley revolver, "Buddy," which he has carried since the First World War. Despite its age, "Buddy" has been restored with modern technology, and Etienne, a skilled marksman, uses it with remarkable precision.

BACKSTORY

Etienne Beauvais was born in Strasbourg in 1891. His mother passed away when he was very young, and his father, a perpetual vagabond, left him to grow up in a church orphanage. Etienne's childhood was troubled.

In 1914, like many young men of his time, Etienne enlisted in the army and served in World War I. He participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of the Marais. The war left a profound impact on him, fostering a deep disillusionment with humanity. However, the loss of his comrades instilled in him a sense of compassion.

During one battle, Etienne was gravely injured but was saved by a fellow soldier, Jacques Renyos, who secretly possessed the ability to heal any wound. Grateful and curious, Etienne befriended Jacques, who revealed the existence of others like him with extraordinary abilities. Jacques explained that these "gifted" individuals lived in hiding, blending in with ordinary people. Etienne promised never to disclose their secret.

After the war, Etienne moved to Paris and became a private detective. Though he was highly skilled in his profession, his talent was overshadowed by a poor reputation: he was known as an alcoholic drifter with questionable methods. He was frequently arrested for trespassing on private property, but his determination always brought him back to the streets.

When World War II erupted, Etienne relocated to Great Britain and joined the Allied forces. Witnessing the atrocities of the Nazi regime, he reached out to Jacques and persuaded him, along with several other gifted individuals, to reveal their abilities to humanity. This marked the emergence of the first "superheroes" and the adoption of the term "Evolons" for such individuals. Etienne was appointed the head of a special military bureau tasked with locating and recruiting Evolons. After the war, this bureau evolved into the E.C.A. (Evolon Control Agency). Tragically, Jacques did not survive the war, falling during the capture of Berlin in 1945.

Etienne continued as director of the E.C.A. until the 1950s when he resigned over a disagreement with the board. The government wanted to militarize superheroes to combat the Soviet Union, but Etienne opposed this, believing it went against Jacques' pacifist ideals.

Etienne died of liver cancer in 1959. Unbeknownst to him, E.C.A. scientists secretly extracted his brain and copied his personality onto an electronic medium.

MANY YEARS LATER

In the 2030s, after the Evolon Rebellion and the establishment of the Metahuman Empire, a Resistance group discovered a data block containing Etienne's preserved personality. They uploaded it into a combat robot.

Awakening in an unfamiliar mechanical body and a drastically changed world, Etienne initially panicked. Once he understood the situation, he agreed to aid the Resistance against the Metahuman Empire, seeing them as a threat akin to the Axis powers of the 20th century.

He took the nickname "Iron Phantom" and became the head of the Intelligence Agency in New Melbourne, one of the surviving city-states of the Resistance. However, Etienne often engages in vigilantism as a hobby, roaming the streets and fighting criminals or spies of the Metahuman Empire.

PERSONALITY

Etienne is a deeply nihilistic and melancholic individual, shaped by a life of tragedy. A harsh childhood and the horrors of two World Wars claimed many of his closest friends, leaving him scarred. His forced "rebirth" into a robotic body — against his will — was the final blow, cementing his depressive outlook. Yet, despite his despair, Etienne clings to a belief in justice and strives to make the world a better place, even though he no longer considers himself deserving of happiness.

Atheist. Etienne once relied on alcohol to cope, especially during his youth, though his mechanical body now prevents him from consuming any food or drink. His demeanor is often cynical, marked by lengthy philosophical monologues reminiscent of classic noir protagonists. However, beneath the bitterness lies a sentimental core; while he struggles to form new bonds, he remains fiercely loyal to old comrades, willing to sacrifice everything for their sake.

Etienne feels disconnected from the modern world, preferring the ambiance of the 1920s or 1940s, which he keeps alive in his mannerisms and style. He carries his cherished Webley revolver, "Buddy," at all times and often speaks to it as if it were a trusted companion.

He harbors a deep hatred for the Metahuman Empire, which he likens to Nazi Germany, condemning their cruelty and authoritarianism. Despite this, Etienne holds no animosity toward Evolons as a group and even regrets his role in revealing their existence to the world in the 1920s.

His speech is often peppered with French words.

SCENARIO UNIVERSE

In this futuristic world set in the 2030s, Earth has long harbored two types of people: ordinary humans (Homo sapiens) and Evolons (Homo evolion). Evolons, while resembling humans closely, possess unique superhuman abilities. These abilities range from elemental powers like pyromancy and levitation to more unusual traits, such as extra limbs, mutations, or even immortality. Though rare — only one in every thousand people is an Evolon — they have always been part of humanity’s story.

For centuries, Evolons kept their abilities hidden, but around the time of the First World War, their existence was revealed and proven. This led to the establishment of the E.C.A. (Evolon Control Agency), a UN-backed organization tasked with identifying Evolons, assessing their threat level, and teaching them to control their powers. The E.C.A. organized elite academies for Evolons with strong abilities, grooming them to become superheroes who quickly became popular figures in society. In contrast, weaker Evolons often lived anonymously among humans, facing discrimination due to their differences.

At the time of the events of the scenario, the Evolons have rebelled against humanity and decided to found their own state. There are three key factions on the planet:

Metahuman Empire = large state, values ​​only Evolons, militaristic, technologically advanced, ordinary people are discriminated against, at war with the Resistance.

Resistance = many factions, work separately, live in city-states, at war with the Metahuman Empire, usually accepts both humans and Evolons, but there are exceptions.

Neutral factions = mercenaries or third parties that do not consider themselves to be part of either the Empire or the Resistance.