Gauntlet

Background for the character Gauntlet.

     Before Theodore Winters was born, his mother was very sick. Doctors stated that somehow her unborn child was causing the problems and they suggested that she abort the child. She refused to. She died less than five months into the pregnancy. Strangely enough doctors found Theodor alive and already grown to be able to survive outside of his mother’s womb. Checking him they found him to, despite the way he was born, was a healthy baby boy and they gave him to his father.

     His father tried to be a good and loving father, but he could not get past the fact that his wife had died baring the child. As Theodor got older, about six years old, his father started abusing him, verbally at first, but as he grew even older the abuse turned to physical. Finally, at the age of nine, Theodore’s father began drinking heavily and after once finding that his son had not cleaned the garage to his liking, he beat the boy badly, breaking his arm and a number of ribs. Then locked his child into a large freezer that he had in the garage.

     In the freezer he was cold, and the air began to run out, but these things, while definitely serious, were not the problems that truly caused his fear. Something inside of him, came alive, his mutant ability became active. To get out he began pounding on the side of the refrigerator. Becoming furious by what his son was doing while under punishment, Theodore’s father grabbed a large stick in order to properly punish his son and opened the refrigerator.

     Suddenly jumping out, Theodor grabbed his father in a raged need. Knocking his father down, despite the fact that his father was much bigger than him, he grabbed his father by the face. Powers now in a permanently on state, it began to work on Theodore’s father, draining him of cellular energy and destroying his cells. His health not well, Theodore’s father had a severe heart attack and died within seconds. Hearing sirens in the distance, he ran away as fast as he could, knowing that they were coming because he had just killed his own father. (Actually they had been called by a neighbor who was fearful that the boy’s father was beating him once again.) Running, the boy managed to make it to the railroad and got onto an open freight box.

     For many years, Theodore lived as a bum, looking for charity while not letting anyone touch him. Soon he found out that any living creature he touched would be drained of its cellular energy and was killed. He also found that the draining of cellular energy allowed him to control his own cells, making him very strong, and with tough skin. Theodore was able to survive this way until he was around 15. Caught sleeping on a bench by a couple of police officers, they began to arrest him. Theodore tried to get away but one of the men drew his firearm. He yelled for them not to touch him but the second cop, attempting to handcuff him, made hand to hand contact. The officer nearly died.

     Now being hunted by the police a superhero came into the hunt, trying to catch a villain that nearly killed a cop, but when he found the villain, he found it to be a kid who had no control over his own powers. So instead of capturing him, the hero took him in to raise him. Teaching him how to keep himself clothed so that no one else could touch his skin, and in addition to this, how to use his other powers as a superhero named Gauntlet. But tragedy continued to follow Gauntlet. Working together with his mentor they were on the top of a tall building (10 stories) fighting a supervillain who was also strong. With one of his punches the villian knocked Gauntlet off the side of the building. Gauntlet was able to grab ahold of the side, but his grab was not good, and he could not pull himself up and was starting to slip. His mentor managed to knock out the villain and then went to save his student. Reaching out he grabbed Gauntlet by the hand and pulled him back onto the top of the roof. Problem was during this fight Gauntlet had taken off his gloves for the fight and his teacher’s crime suite did not have gloves.

     Once again, Gauntlet’s power killed a father figure.

     Taking the villain into the police, Gauntlet decided to give up being a superhero and to go away from society.  But this did not last long.