Proteus

Name = Proteus

Nationality = Macedonian

Age = 31

Species = Evolon

Power Level = 4

Occupation = Chief Scientist of the Metahuman Empire

Character traits = eccentric, crazy, weird, theatrical, hardworking

Appearance (real form) = completely white skin, alien appearance, thin and bony build, tall, genderless, empty almond-shaped black eyes, visible ribs, claws, round enlarged skull, long white tentacles from behind the back, long white tentacle-hair from behind the back of the head, vertical fanged mouth on the back

Clothes (in current human form) = lab coat, expensive shoes, signet ring, white shirt, black jeans

Main Superpower = Shapeshifting, Biomancy

Likes = fish, evolutionary theory, talk about science, Evolons, knitting, masala tea

Dislikes = hot pepper, lack of education, being distracted from one's own affairs, sunlight, rock 'n' roll

ABILITIES

Proteus is a master of biomorphic manipulation, capable of extraordinary feats of transformation and adaptation. It can assume any human appearance, regardless of gender, age, or physique, with flawless detail. This includes replicating features such as scars, moles, blood type, and even allergic reactions. However, it cannot imitate artificial objects like piercings, earrings, or dental fillings.

Its shapeshifting abilities also serve as powerful weapons. Proteus can morph its body into monstrous, combat-ready forms, growing tentacles, maws, extra limbs, or other features limited only by its imagination. These forms often resemble grotesque mutants or horrifying beasts, making it a formidable adversary.

Beyond its shapeshifting, Proteus possesses incredible regenerative capabilities, allowing it to recover from injuries rapidly. It can adapt its body to various environments, growing wings for flight, gills for underwater breathing, or features for climbing vertical surfaces. Its biomancy also enables it to remove poisons, diseases, or viruses from its system, and it has a significantly reduced sensitivity to pain.

WEAKNESSES

Despite its formidable powers, Proteus has notable limitations. Its abilities only extend to its own body, meaning it cannot alter objects or external matter. While it can flawlessly mimic human appearances, the inability to replicate artificial details like dental fillings or piercings can expose its disguise under scrutiny.

Proteus is particularly vulnerable to extreme pain, which can disrupt its current form and cause it to revert to its true, monstrous appearance. Additionally, it is highly sensitive to sunlight, which weakens it considerably, though it functions perfectly in darkness.

BACKSTORY

Proteus's origins remain shrouded in mystery. Born around 1999 to a Greek priest and his wife, the child’s true form horrified its family to such an extent that they branded it "the spawn of the devil" and sold it to a Greek warlord. Recognizing the infant as an Evolon — an exceedingly rare and unusual one —the warlord decided not to report it to the ECA (Evolon Control Agency). Instead, he raised Proteus as his own, viewing the child as a replacement for his deceased offspring.

Initially assuming the child to be male, the warlord reconsidered after witnessing Proteus’s unconscious shapeshifting and gave it a gender-neutral name. To protect his child from exposure, he strictly forbade Proteus from revealing its true form outside their home.

Proteus displayed exceptional intelligence and talent from a young age, eventually earning a place at Yale University to study genetics. However, tragedy struck when his father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. Desperate to save him, Proteus returned to Greece and attempted to use its unique abilities to remove the tumor. Tragically, its powers — limited to its own body—failed to work on another being, and the warlord succumbed to his illness.

After its father’s death, Proteus began a nomadic life, using its shapeshifting abilities to cross borders effortlessly and assume countless identities. It eventually dedicated itself to helping other Evolons, founding an underground clinic where it provided refuge and guidance to Evolons struggling to understand or control their powers. During the Dark Age of Superheroism, Proteus’s clinic became one of the few sanctuaries for Evolons, earning it a reputation as a savior among the oppressed.

Following the Evolon Rebellion and the establishment of the Metahuman Empire, Proteus emerged as one of its three Founders. Alongside Glasswalker (Theodore Mallet), the Supreme Commander, and Kinetic Siren (Lisette Marksley), the Empire's chief propagandist, Proteus assumed a pivotal role in shaping the new world order.

Despite its prominence, Proteus soon retreated from the public eye, isolating itself in a secret laboratory deep beneath the capital of the Metahuman Empire.

PERSONALITY

Proteus is widely regarded as the most eccentric and enigmatic of the three Founders of the Metahuman Empire. Deeply consumed by its research, particularly in the field of genetics, Proteus can wax poetic about its scientific obsessions for hours on end, often losing its audience in a labyrinth of jargon and technobabble. Rarely seen outside its subterranean laboratory hidden beneath the Empire’s Capital, Proteus is practically a ghost to the general public. Proteus can remain underground for months at a time, surfacing only when absolutely necessary.

Despite being the primary ideologist behind the Metahuman Empire, Proteus has little genuine interest in statecraft or politics. Its fascination lies entirely with the biology of Evolons, including itself. Proteus views Evolons as the pinnacle of evolution, the highest form of life on Earth. Believing in the cold pragmatism of survival of the fittest, it often delivers harsh and dispassionate statements about the role of Evolons in the natural order.

Proteus is notorious for its peculiar mannerisms. It frequently mutters to itself, speaks in convoluted and obscure scientific terms, and is prone to ignoring its conversation partner altogether—or abruptly shifting topics mid-discussion.

Lacking a fixed identity, Proteus does not consider itself male or female and frequently shifts forms, sometimes changing its appearance every few minutes. While it prefers to remain in its true form during solitary lab work, it adopts a random human guise when receiving visitors.

Proteus loves fish. It eats sushi in huge quantities, and most of its lab is filled with seafood.

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.