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Out-Of-Character Information

Optiman began as a simple concept in That Other Superhero MMO made by Cryptic, and was my personal tribute to all the classic ‘flying brick’ superheroes of the 1940s and beyond, especially the most popular of the character archtype in particular. The character concept still holds a lasting appeal to me even after the game’s sunset, and now, in his Champions Online incarnation, he’s also homage to the great futuristic superheroes of comic book fiction.

History

What Will Be, Was: A Thirty-First Century

In nearly one thousand years’ time, in a future in a state of constant flux, Earth will prosper still. The naysayers and apocalypse-seekers will be proven wrong. Earth will suffer through countless wars, endure multiple invasions, and, among other worlds, join a grand, far-spanning Galactic Federation. Modern-era enemies like the Gadroon will become allies, as will mysterious races like the Malvans and Mandaarians. Technology and concepts only possible in modern imaginations become reality in this era, such as faster-than-light travel, advanced terraforming technology that enables the colonization of far-off worlds, and even, in some instances, time-travel to past and even further future eras. Humanity, in this era of futuristic wonder and discovery, will put its collective talents of intelligence and imagination to good use, contributing to the fields of science and exploration. With one such experiment, the phenomena of superpowers would return to the thirty-first century after a millennium-long absence and with the arrival of an extra-dimensional conqueror-to-be, many heroes would find their beginnings in the struggle to protect the universe. As such, they were victorious, and the conqueror retreated. As momentary peace was attained, many would delve once more into exploring the unknown, some achieving powers of their own in the process. One of these lucky few would be Kenneth Albright, a Terran from Earth, a man who, despite his meek, modest nature, made it his life’s ambition to study the ancient archaeological subjects of other planets and civilizations of the known universe, as well as achieve vast knowledge as a scientist. After achieving moderate success in his field, he, with a group of other scholars, scientists and archaeologists, ventured to a previously-discovered planet, one left untouched since the Elder Worm-Malvan conflicts. On this world, dubbed Charyn III, many ruins and remains of a previous civilization dotted the humid, jungle-like landscape. One ruin in particular held some significance to the group, as sensor scans would reveal traces of a faint, anomalous energy source radiating from within. The source of said energy was in fact a piece of ancient technology, an artifact with a pyramid-like shape, and a bizarre, un-illegible language, along with a strange, circular symbol, etched into each side. As Kenneth’s team retrieved the artifact, he spent months studying it for any clues it might reveal about the civilization it once belonged to. One night, while alone in a personal laboratory, Kenneth was testing the artifact’s reactions to various conduits of power and energy, when a malfunctioning scanner suddenly exploded, taking the artifact with it. As he was bathed in the mysterious energy of the artifact, Kenneth felt his body undergo a vast metamorphosis, every cell in his body absorbing the mysterious power from the now-ruined artifact. Beyond relieved that he survived, Kenneth quickly left the group and reported to several Federation doctors to ensure that he truly was healthy and free of injury or sickness. To the doctors’ astonishment, he was beyond the peak of human health, his senses stronger than any human’s. He had become super-powered. As compensation for what he’d endured, Kenneth was temporarily relieved from his work for several months, deciding to use the time to test his new superhuman abilities. At the same time, he pondered what to do with his apparent gifts. Should he be a soldier? A construction worker? Go back to work as a scientist? As he searched through his century’s equivalent of the internet for more information about prospective careers, some brief pieces of data caught his eye. Sparsely-detailed and utterly lacking in accuracy, Kenneth discovered multiple records of various superheroes from the twenty-first century. After reading more of what he could about each hero, he noted the similarities between his own superpowers and how he received them to those of other super-humans of the distant past. Visibly inspired with what he’d discovered, he created a costume for himself with the advanced tools and equipment of the era at his disposal. During this process, he incorporated several examples of essential technology, such as atmospheric life support and integrated communicator technology. One unique feature that he added to it was a unique ‘compression’ system that would allow him to change in and out of the costume with simple button commands. As he used his newly-discovered powers of flight to observe a small Earth city and test his enhanced senses, his first act of heroism would involve saving a crashing starship, preventing it from falling into Earth’s atmosphere, and in turn saving the lives of hundreds. When asked of his name, Kenneth’s modest personality shone through his super-strong appearance, and many mistook his brief, mumbling stammer of “Just a man” to be a superhuman identity: Optiman. As he later observed the news reports on the Holo-Nets, Kenneth realized something significant. He enjoyed what he did that day. It gave him a sense of purpose and fulfillment that his previous life as an archaeologist never did. And he liked the name Optiman, it had a heroic, noble ring to it. And so, when his extended vacation ended, Kenneth returned to work as a civilian scientist-archaeologist, often donning a costume and fighting crime when possible as the outstanding Optiman! This would continue for several years, as Optiman would battle familiar threats like VIPER and Mechanon, the former an evolved, thriving galaxy-spanning terrorist organization, the latter an upgraded, time-displaced villain from the 21st Century. Optiman, or ‘Opti’ as many would affectionately call him, would also battle his own personal rogues gallery of villains, such as the bio-organic scholar-turned-sociopath Intelliac, the bizarre, Lovecraftian alien ‘god’ Shan-Oren, the crystalline-lobed telepath Rubikan, and the Roin’Esh super-villain and mercenary-for-hire known as ‘Crucible.’ However, this career of super-heroics, at least the one known to those living in the future, would come to an abrupt end. Three years after the start of Optiman’s career as a hero, sightings of a strange energy being that seemed to absorb entire planets would spring up around the fringes of known space. In reality, however, this creature was creating existing paradoxes by combining multiple versions of these worlds together from various points in time and space, in turn causing each of them to be rendered non-existent in a manner of seconds. Optiman’s attempts to battle this creature would be a momentary success, his ‘eye-beam’ powers’ searing ionized plasma ripping through the humanoid shape’s right shoulder. With one, retreating strike of its hand, the being instantaneously swiped Optiman out of time and space. To all who observed it, and to those who later recount the story, it was an unforgettable moment in history. The creature fled and faded out of the thirty-first century in an instant, and Optiman had won the day. It was indeed a heroic victory- but at a very tragic cost to those of the 31st Century: Optiman was dead.

A Splintered Time: Optiman in the Present

Kenneth would awake in a burning crater, nearly several minutes after he’d impacted against the ground from the atmosphere. His surroundings appeared arid and desolate, with no sign of any life around him. Despite this, however, his suit’s sensors still indicated his arrival on Earth, though recalibrations of the date and time would have to be made later on. Nauseated and disoriented, Kenneth would attempt to fly to Millennium City in Michigan, dimly noting the lack of aircars and hovercraft in the sky. As his dizzied, sickened state of mind and being soon faded, he entered Millenium City’s limits, and his present situation dawned on him. He was in the past, the 21st Century, in the age of heroes that inspired him to become one himself. It was then that he realized that something was inherently wrong. He shouldn’t be here, in this time. His mere presence would affect his future. Despite this feeling of discomfort, his instincts would react faster than his wits, as he would soon break up a bank robbery and subdue the criminals within moments. Upon realizing his mistake in uttering his heroic identity to a group of policemen and reporters, he feared the worst, that reality would correct his presence in some way. And yet, it did not happen. He remained whole and unchanged, seemingly unaltered in memory, physical appearance, even the superpowers he used. After conducting research with several local, prominent scientists about the current nature of his existence, Optiman would feel a mixture of relief and worry, as well as the continued, lingering self-distancing about living in the present. Despite this, however, he still kept his focus on fighting crime, making sure that his actions did not contradict what he believes to be the ‘proper’ state of things. Two years since his arrival in the present, he has continued to fight for justice and protect the innocent, despite personal misgivings and struggles with contemporary-era villains.

Optiman Today

Optiman has become a popular super-heroic figure in the two years of accomplishments he’s made in the present. He has developed cordial relationships with super-teams like the Champions and Sentinels, as well as with members of several police departments in the cities he’s fought crime in, which include New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta. Many view his mysterious origins in the future with mixed reactions. Some are visibly bothered by his superhuman abilities and advanced technologies, especially those in the IHA, as they fear that eventually -all- humans will develop superhuman or mutational abilities by his era. Others consider his knowledge of future events to be both detrimental and beneficial. Many assume he’s hiding something, or believe he’s been sent back in time to prevent a future disaster. As such, many find it difficult to trust Optiman at first, despite his politeness and modesty.

Powers and Equipment

Optiman is a traditional flying brick with superhuman abilities granted by the alien energy that is imbued in every cell in his body. He possesses super-strength, flight, super-speed, enhanced durability, and enhanced senses. In addition, he has the ability to control the temperature of his breath, allowing it to reach both sub-zero and metal-melting degrees. He is also capable of mild energy projection from his eyes, and can enable it to act with both kinetic, plasma, and thermal attributes. Contrary to popular belief, he has a threshold of super-strength, though while capable of lifting a skyscraper or jetliner with ease, anything close to a planet in mass or density is not within his limits. His threshold of flight tops out to Mark 3, though his ground speed is slower, limited presently at 100 miles per hour. This difference in speed occurs due to how the energy in his cells reacts to gravity and the friction of his feet touching the ground. In the air, his cells act as energy conduits, allowing him to literally push against gravity and soar through the air with ease. His super-senses act in a radius of nearly several kilometers at full strength, though the effect wanes as he uses his senses across a much larger distance. His durability allows him to withstand most small-arms fire and strong attacks from contemporary firearms and other weaponry. He is also able to withstand the effects of strenuous environments and extreme temperatures.

Weaknesses

Optiman is not invulnerable, despite what many believe. Even with his superhuman endurance, exhaustion can take hold. As this happens, his powers wane in effectiveness and strength. Radiation poses a significant threat, as the energies in his cells must constantly purge radioactive particles from his body, causing his powers to fluctuate at random, and even ‘switch off’ for extended periods of time. He is not immune to the effects of magical or dimensional attacks, and is affected by them much as an ordinary human would be. Mental attacks and intrusions pose another threat, as his mental defenses are honed and trained, but not infallible. Optiman also possesses a unique weakness, one defined by his status as a man out of his own time. Occasionally, he endures brief periods of what he describes as ‘temporal sickness.’ While mostly exhibited as mild discomfort or nausea, instances of physical pain, lapses in memory, or perception distortions also occur. These perception issues range from blurred or dulling sensations, to seeing multiple versions of one point in time at once. While Optiman can hold his breath for long instances of time, he is not capable of breathing in space or underwater. For such situations, he relies on the technology in his suit.

Optiman’s Supersuit

The suit itself is made of an advanced material, both tear-proof and fireproof, and capable of enduring extreme hypertension. It also functions in a similar manner to Kevlar, and has several technological functions integrated into the suit’s belt, each function can be easily-activated either by button-taps or voice command. The AI that triggers each program is simplistic and devoid of any sentience or personality, much like that on a phone or laptop computer. As stated above, the suit possesses an integrated life support system that manifests as a translucent ‘layer’ above Optiman’s body, allowing him to filter water into breathable oxygen, or carry a sustainable supply of oxygen for extended periods of spacetravel. The suit also possesses a communicator node, allowing him to connect to most modern (By 31st century standards) or primitive communication networks, much like a cell phone would to a present-day internet modem or reception tower. The suit’s default template is the grey, red-caped costume that Optiman was known to wear in the 31st Century, but the easy programmability of the belt that the suit contracts into allows him to store different costumes, though those are of lesser quality than the one he possesses, and do not contain the same technological features.