Red Wolf

Red Wolf Aug 20, 2017 22:51:06 GMT -6

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Post by NITE OWL on Aug 20, 2017 22:51:06 GMT -6

William Talltrees

CANON HERO - Marvel

PLAY BY
Martin Sensmeier

RESIDENCE
Hillburn, NY. Just off of Brandt Road.

FAME / INFAMY
New York area.

LIVELIHOOD
Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Conservation Officer stationed at the Harriman - Bear Mountain State Parks and Services and surrounding areas.

RED WOLF

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

William is a striking man. Tall, powerfully built and possessing the stereotypically classic chiseled features of his ancestry. Long muscular legs carry him with swift stride, his tall sculpted physique denoting speed and agility, rather than just raw power. Typical of his people his skin tone is a burnt brown, his straight jet black hair worn long, but perhaps his most notable feature are his unnaturally amber coloured eyes, almost like those a wolf. A trait that in this age of mutants and super powered individuals immediately brands him as one of ‘them’, making it difficult to lead a normal life outside of his alter-ego, Red Wolf. His only disguise is red war paint which provides enough of a discrepancy to offer anonymity but William Talltrees he often uses dark coloured contact lenses or sun glasses to conceal the tell-tale trait caused by the Red Wolf transformation.

William likes to wear traditional Native jewelry. Earrings, necklaces, rings, etc, and is most comfortable in a pair jeans, t-shirt, boots and his weathered grey leather jacket. His hair is always immaculate, whether worn down or pulled back in a long braid and bound with leather ties. Typically, he likes to wear a traditional beaded necklace with a carved stone amulet of a black wolf and a beaded, leather bracelet. Often outdoors, he’s used to being prepared for whatever the weather may throw at him so tends to dress in layers (temperature permitting).

At work, as a New York Wildlife Conservation Officer, William wears a uniform, green in colour and drives an official vehicle.

* Due to the increased density of William’s muscles and skeleton he possesses and extra thirty pounds of weight to his tall, muscular frame.

COSTUME
As Red Wolf he usually wears a modified biker suit and he always paints his face in the same red & black war-paint design (if possible). Concealment is important. His costume is black and dark grey with red accents. Two red wolves facing one another span both sides of his broad chest. Bear arms, riding gloves and leather pants reminiscent of a native style with high topped, low soled boots.

To get around, Red Wolf rides a modified motorcycle able to attain high speeds on the highway and perform exceptionally off-road as well. The bike is red and black, the black helmut possessing a stylized picture of a red wolf on either side.

PERSONALITY

Stoic best sums up him up in one word. Quiet and introverted, Willam is not one to talk away the beauty of a sunset but don’t get him started on Native Lore. He loves a good story. Oral tradition is strong in the Native culture and William enjoys imparting the wisdom of his people in the legendary tales passed on through him. He see’s the world from the perspective of nature, everything made by man is simply blocking the scenery, but William’s realistic. You can’t protect the world by hiding out in the very thing that needs protection. You gotta go where the people are. The bad ones.

Deep down, William’s a gentle soul. Violence is always a last resort, preferring to talk his way to the core of a problem rather than beating it out of a person. Of course, if push comes to shove, he’ll teach a hard lesson. William hates it when people won’t listen to reason based on a foundation of basic principles and morals. A society that is unable to agree on basic morals is doomed to fail and he see’s this dissension everywhere he goes. But you can’t beat ignorance out of a person with your fists, so William is bound to lead by example. The ‘Red Wolf’ represents peace and tolerance for all, the governance of nature combined with compassion and empathy of mankind. This is his mantra, and William does not take it lightly. He lives by his word and never breaks a promise, but by that, he never makes a promise he can’t keep.

As a Native American, William knows well the LIES of the government but he is not so quick to blame “the government” for the problems of the world. The problem is the unwavering power of corporations and so ‘Red Wolf’ is ever at war with any form of corporate corruption influencing government policy that may inadvertently threaten the environment.

POWERS

SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH
The god, Owayodata transformed William into the ‘Red Wolf’, empowering him with great strength, increasing the efficiency of his connective tissue, increasing the density of his skeleton and muscles allowing his frame to support and lift approximately 3 tons.

SUPERHUMAN SPEED
Red Wolf is capable at running at speeds and moving with a quickness beyond Human limitation. He can keep pace with a wolf.

SUPERHUMAN STAMINA
The greater efficiency of Talltrees’ muscles produce less of a build up of lactic acid and more oxygen, allowing him to exert himself for several hours before naturally fatiguing.

SUPERHUMAN DURABILITY
Denser muscles and tissue make him more resilient to damage. He can withstand great impact and blunt force damage equal to a fall of several stories onto concrete, or being repeatedly struck by another being with superhuman strength. He suffers little to no damage from concussive injuries that would kill a normal human.

SUPERHUMAN AGILITY & REFLEXES
Talltrees’ balance and coordination, his overall dexterity are enhanced beyond human levels. He would be comparable to a cougar in this respect. His increased reaction time gives him a significant advantage over ‘normal’ humans.

SUPERHUMANLY ACUTE SENSES
Talltrees’ senses have been augmented to those of an actual wolf. He can see further and with greater clarity, maintaining this acuteness even in near total-darkness. He can actually, with a very close range of approx. 25 yards, see into the infrared spectrum, allowing him to see heat signatures. His hearing detects sounds that humans cannot pick up on, and at far greater distances and highly sensitive sense of smell allows him to identify scents with extreme accuracy and track them over great distances.

QUIRKS • WEAKNESSES • FLAWS

William is inherently a ‘lone-wolf’. While he is not adverse to seeking help, he only does so when it is his last course of action, and even then the words do not easily pass his lips. A suspicious person, he does not trust easily, always expecting people to have ulterior motives even when they are completely genuine, in this, he tends to dwell on a person’s negative traits instead of the positive. Naturally he has a strong sense of justice, William can be, and is often, quick to judge a person’s actions if they are crossing the thin line between his black and white world. The laws of nature are absolute and the Red Wolf believes in it’s harsh lessons; he is not one to believe in second chances, especially when a person has exhibited a blatant disregard for morality. It comes as no surprise, given his other flaws, that William can be quite blunt. He simply doesn’t see a reason to beat around the bush when speaking with an adult. Lastly, his fierceness, the trait that makes him so formidable in battle, often lands him hot water as his extreme convictions are often accompanied by passionate, violent reactions. While it’s difficult to get a rise out of the man, once one pushes him over the line, it’s difficult for William to find his way back.

The Red Wolf being a ‘magical being’ is more sensitive to the laws of the mystic realm. He cannot disregard spiritual rules, they are as real to him as the physical world, for example, he CANNOT tread on the burial grounds of his people. Sacred ground must be respected and disobeying the laws will always have repercussions in some form or manner.

William’s ears are extremely sensitive, thus making him susceptible to high pitched noises out the range of Human hearing. Loud sounds can also be disorienting. He’s more sensitive to bright lights and it takes his eyes longer to adjust from dark to light conditions. His powerful sense of smell can also make life difficult when assaulted with pungent stench or chemicals, like cleaners that can severely irritate his nose.

SKILLS

ARTISTIC
William has a natural talent for traditional native painting. When the inspiration strikes him he’ll take the time to put it down on canvas or other source. A lot of his art work can be found in hanging up in the various establishments of Wolf Point.

MARTIAL ARTS
A skillful fighter, Thunderhead trained William from a young age to use his fists and feet. He’s an accomplished striker, defensive fighter, and combat gymnast, armed with the knowledge of blocking and counter punching combined with exceptional skills in grappling.

MILITARY TRAINING (MARINES)
William is a trained soldier, possessing tactical and weapons skills.

STICK FIGHTING
The original Red Wolf, ‘Wild Run’, used a tradition Coup Stick. The weapon seemed to stick with ‘Red Wolf’ but over the years the style of the weapon changed with the times. William uses a steel police baton (impractically heavy for human levels of strength) and is adept at fighting with any similarly sized baton. His grandfather passed his skills onto to him, and William is skilled in combat as well as incapacitating and restraining an opponent.

RIDING (HORSE)
William grew up around horses. He knows how to take care of them and is an accomplished rider.

HERBALIST (SURVIVALIST)
William can live off the land. He’s knowledgable in hunting, tracking, constructing shelters, skinning, drying meat, etc. He’s also familiar with flora and fauna of the mid-western region and north eastern coast of the United States, able to identify various plants and how to prepare medicines from them.

NATIVE HISTORY, TRADITIONS & LORE
William is very knowledgeable in the history and lore of Native Americans in general and specifically knowledgeable in the Cheyenne, Assiniboine and Sioux (Lakota and Dakota) tribal traditions.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION OFFICER (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW)
William completed a two year degree while on the job.

CORPORATE & CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
As an advocate for the environment and Native Americans, William has spent years studying and apprising himself with the law of the land. He’s no lawyer, but his knowledge surrounding corporate law easily rivals most in the field.

ANIMAL TRAINING
He’s experienced in training both horses and dogs. William has always had a natural talent working with animals.

FIRST AID (MEDICAL EXPERTISE)
A combination of his father’s veterinary skills, his grandfather’s mentoring, the marines and conservation officer training have shaped William into a confident medic when it comes to treating damages to both people and wildlife.

MARKSMAN
As a marine, William was well trained in the use of firearms. When necessary he’ll employ the use of guns and carries a 9mm side arm when on a mission, utilizing the weapon when ranged combat is required.

ARCHERY
It was important to his grandfather that William mastered the bow. It possessed a natural talent with the weapon and by the time he was a young man easily possessed the skill of a competitive archer but is also able to shoot on the move while on foot or horseback. He does not often employ the weapon as Red Wolf, as those before him.

KNIFE FIGHTING (THROWING)
Trained to fight with a knife by his grandfather and then the marines, Red Wolf also carries a standard combat knife balanced for throwing.

RACING/OFF-ROAD RIDING
William spent a good part of his young life riding dirt bikes and racing off-road vehicles on the track outside of Wolf Point. He was always a favourite, able to routinely perform daring, gut-twisting stunts. It’s the main reason he chose to use a motorcycle to get around.

MECHANICS
Aside from being able to ride motorcycles very well, William is also able to build them. His grandfather Thunderhead was a mechanic and taught him all he knew. He, went one step further, however, learning more about the machining side as well so that with the proper tools, William could build his own part if necessary. He keeps his motorcycles in optimal condition, optimizing them to peak performance.

LANGUAGES
William’s first tongue was English but his parents made sure that he could speak, read and write Cheyenne. He can also speak Assiniboine, Sioux, Lakota and Spanish.

ORIGIN STORY

William Talltrees was born in Wolf Point, a picturesque hamlet on the Missouri River tucked up in the northeastern corner of Montana. It’s the largest community on the Fort Peck Reservation, populated by bands of Assiniboine and Sioux (Lakota and Dakota) tribes. His parents had moved there two years prior after his mother received employment at the Community College, Rebecca a teacher, and his father, Thomas, a veterinarian and member of the tribal council. The Talltrees had been fortunate to purchase a large parcel of undeveloped land at a fair price with aspirations of developing it into a nature preserve, catering to wild as well as domestic animals. They had moved up from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in the southeastern corner of the state and if ever asked the reason for the relocation the answer was always ‘business opportunities’, but the truth was because of Thomas’ father, Thomas Wakely-Talltrees. A veteran with chronic PTSD, he had been placed in the care of his son after his failure to continue his anti-psychotic medications. During an episode in which he assaulted three ranchers, the court offered two options, institutionalization or falling under the charge of his son. It had been a stressful ordeal for the entire family, but people from Thomas Senior’s checkered past assisted in ensuring the ‘old hero’ was taken care of. People, his son had never accepted but tolerated out of respect to his father, whom, despite him never being there for him, loved very much.

Thomas “Thunderhead” Wakely-Talltrees, grew up on the Cheyenne Reservation in Western Oklahoma where his father John Wakely had retired. He served in the US Army as a Ranger and the highly decorated veteran would upon his return to the States use his skills and ‘powers’ to, alongside other costumed vigilantes, bring criminals to justice. His ‘alter-ego’ was known as Red Wolf, and in order to protect his family used the name Thunderhead, the maiden-name of his biological mother. His father, John Wakely was adopted and it was through the exploration of his Cheyenne roots that he discovered where he came from and his ties to the ‘spiritual power’ that flowed through his veins. Wildrun, a 19th century warrior and hero of his people had been the first to wield the strength of the Red Wolf, an ancestor, of the Talltrees (Tsėhe'ėstó'ohe’hoohtsėstse), his family name. Supposedly this spirit-guide empowered a chosen-one to assist them in their fight for truth and justice. But as impressive as Wildrun’s feats were they were still within the realms of human ability, still, Wildrun preferred to believe that the spiritual power of a supernatural force coursed through him. No one really argued. The native legend mumbo-jumbo he spewed was harmless and in Thomas’ day, people loved the act, at least that’s how they perceived him. The belief seemed to push the ‘Red Wolf’ to the apex of his abilities and so long as he got results it was all good. The one trait, however, that each of them without a doubt possessed was an unusual longevity. Wildrun was said to live to be over 140 years old, his body exceptionally strong for his age up until the day he died. Of course, both Wildrun and Johnny Wakely both lacking birth certificates placed some scrutiny on the tale and by the time Thomas Thunderhead came along, he guarded the truth of his physique, taking advantage of his increased resilience against aging. He still got old, but much slower, looking like a man barely in his thirties when he was approaching sixty, allowing him to have a child rather late in the span of a ‘normal human life’.

When his son, Thomas Jr. was born, Thomas ‘Thunderhead’ promised to settle down but the ‘Red Wolf’ was thick in his blood. An exorcist named Gabriel, known as the ‘Devil Hunter’ would request the help of the medicine man in battling demons and the hero was off again, saving the world one town at a time. Perhaps it had been for the best. Without the influence of his father in his life, Thomas Jr. excelled at scholastics. The ‘Red Wolf’ slept within him, waiting to be passed on to his first born, William.

William was a difficult child. From the start his parents could hardly control him. It was as if their was fire in the boy that just couldn’t be extinguished not matter what they tried, until Grandpa (męémé) ’Thunderhead’ came along. The old man had a calming effect on William who was immediately intrigued with the elder and by contrast, William seemed to renew the old man’s spirit. Thunderhead’s PTSD became next to non-existent. They spent every day together, William soaking up everything that his grandfather taught him. Admittedly, Thomas Jr. was jealous of their relationship. He was more of a father to William than he had ever been to him but he bore no animosity; deep down he knew what bound them together. The ‘Red Wolf’.

William grew up learning the old ways from his grandfather. He taught him how to survive in the woods, how to fight, and how to speak with the spirits. He learned of Owayodata the god of the Red Wolf, the spirit that lives in the blood of the Talltrees and it’s powers. He loved his Męémé’s stories, growing up with the tales of Ho’ neoham’ aestse, the Red Wolf, but as he got older the young man grew skeptical of the spiritual powers and like everyone else, dismissed them as exaggerations of Native legend.

When William was eighteen he enlisted in the army. He wanted fight for his country as his grandfather had done, even though Męémé Thunderhead had been dead set against it. He served abroad for many years as a marine taking on dictatorships and sometimes setting them up. He fought alongside his trusted comrades, Fong, Josh Cooper and Jim Rhodes (War Machine) until news of his grandfather’s failing health brought him home.

William returned to a different world. Wolf Point was under siege by Roxxon Oil Company, a greedy corporation that had discovered a large oil deposit on the Talltrees’ property. It was an all too common clash between the corporatist and the environmentalist. Cornelius Von Lunt, a greedy and unscrupulous businessman would stop at nothing to own the rights to the land but even with the governor and federal judges in his pocket it was treaty land. It was after learning that the Chief of the reserve had struck a deal with Cornelius, that Thunderhead confronted the tycoon, but his ‘superhero days’ were long behind and after a brief physical altercation, the old man was drugged to make it look like he had suffered a seizure. William knew better, he knew his Męémé. When Cornelius’ henchman tried to intimidate the Talltrees family, William made short work of them. With the son returned, getting rid of the Talltrees got that much harder and so while William was distracted by a threat to an old friend, Melissa Sparrow Bear, the henchmen returned to Talltrees homestead. They tried to force Thomas to sign papers that would give the Chief rights to the land and when he refused the situation became violent. His parents and grandfather were murdered and the house burned to conceal the evidence. Von Lunt used his money and thugs to ensure that no one dared investigate any further and all William could do was grieve the loss of his family and pray for vengeance. He prayed to the old gods as his grandfather had taught him, far away from civilization beneath the stars, only him and his faithful wolf-dog Lobo. For several days he fasted and on the third night, he came to him, his grandfather Thunderhead, young and strong. There were others with him, a long line of his ancestors who had all bore the name Red Wolf and then they made way for a grand figure, who was no man. Owayodata towered above him and as he sang of the legend of the Red Wolf the crimson fire revealed to him the history of the protective spirit. A hallucination? A manifestation of a mutation? Magic? Willam embraced both the worlds of science and mysticism, to him, they were one in the same and so he accepted the power and took up the mantle of the Red Wolf as his forefathers had before him.

Time passed. Taming the Red Wolf was no small matter, it took discipline and effort. A remote hunting cabin became his home, he lived off the land as his ancestors had done, mastering his inner spirit, until he and the Red Wolf were one and his powers were mastered. A year later, William would return to Wolf Point to learn that the corrupt Chief who had sold out his people had died in a tragic accident. During the preliminary excavation of the site a massive sulphur deposit had been accessed, bathing the area in toxic fumes, killing the Chief and several members of the Roxxon crew. The sulphur had leaked into the oil and rendered it useless. Von Lunt lost millions, a small satisfaction, but William would not content until he was brought to justice to the murder of his parents, so he headed to New York and sought out the Avengers. If anyone could take Cornelius Von Lunt down it was them and, Rhodes owed him one.

The fall of the Von Lunt empire lifted a weight off his spirit, but the burden of injustice was heavy for a superhero. Red Wolf couldn’t return to Wolf Point, not while, he and people like him were needed in the world. When the Chitauri attacked New York, he provided support in upper Manhattan, his dog Lobo dying in the fray. After that, he stayed close to the city. William took a job as a ranger in Harriman - Bear Mountain State Park and lives in a modest home just south of the Village of Hillburn off of Brandt Road. The two bedroom ranch house lies deep in the bush, only a few minutes away from the New York, New Jersey border.

Męémé = grandfather: his ~ hemęemo my ~ namęéme your ~ nemęéme
Ho’ neoham’ aestse = Red Wolf

SOCIAL RELATIONS

Red Wolf's main connection to the Marvel World is through James Rhodes whom he served with in the marines, though now, they're on opposite sides. Red Wolf being a 'street level' hero has come in contact with other iconic New York heroes like Spiderman and the Defenders.

BACKGROUND

Red Wolf has access to an old storage building in the Bronx. The former owner of the property gave it to him for saving his life. The place appears abandoned but beneath a heavy trap door (requiring super-strength to budge) is a ramp leading down to a basement where William has a safe-house set up with a garage to fix his bike, medical supplies, food, etc.

WRITING SAMPLE

“She hasn’t moved.” Mentioned the girl, her wide and worried stare focusing on the prone red fox at her feet.

The creature lay still on the path, panting heavily, glazed eyes wearily staring into the bush.

“How did you know it was a girl?” The conservation officer curiously inquired.

The girl shrugged and the officer grinned as he descended to her level, long powerful legs folding under him. The smile rising like the sun upon his dark face, the grim lines softening to a welcoming glow as she stared into his deep brown eyes with concern. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Looks like she’s sick.” He told her, eyes momentarily flicking back to the mother standing a few paces behind, his sensitive ears detecting the bleeps of typing fingers. “Don’t get too close, Miranda.” She warned.

“It’s okay.” The officer informed her, as he slipped on a pair of protective gloves.

As far as he could tell the animal was in shock. Glancing about the area, a fall was unlikely and she didn’t seem to have any serious injuries, then he saw it, a tiny stream of blood issuing from her ear.

The girl followed the officer’s eyes to the minute amount of dried blood. “What’s that.”, she grimaced.

“I think that’s where the fox got hurt.” He told her, brow furrowing, his keen senses scanning the area.

There was the slight scent of metal in the air, the discharge of an electrical device. A few miles back on his patrol he’d heard something, an unnatural whine. He’d thought little of it at the time, high frequency sounds not being uncommon for him to pick up on once in a while.

Slowly, he gently laid a hand on the fox’s soft fur.

“Is she going to be okay?” Asked the girl, backing away as the animal let out a weak, but still menacing, defensive growl.

“Yes, Miranda. Thanks to you.”

The girl smiled proudly as she watched the ranger carefully place the fox in a small container with a caged door.

“Are you an Indian?” The girl innocently asked.

The officer secured cage door, calmly studying the Mother’s reaction to the derogatory term. There was none. “Native American.”, he politely corrected her.

If the girl had seen Native people before she wasn’t sure,. At least none like him, with beaded leather strands entwined in the long dark braid falling down his broad back. He wore an ornate traditional necklace and bright coloured earrings. “My name is Talltrees.”

Rising up, the officer carefully picked up the animal-crate by it’s handle and placed it in the back of his SUV. The girl had trailed behind him to her mother’s annoyance. She wanted to get back to the vehicle already. He could always tell the jogger-types from the true hikers by their lack of wonder. The nature stroll had been her daughter’s idea, or something she had felt they could do together. The attitude, the outfit and the shoes were a dead give-away.

Walking back over Officer Talltrees handed the girl one of his business cards. “Our website is on this. If you want to know how the fox is doing check it tomorrow, okay.”

“Okay.” The girl beamed.

He waved one last time to her from the window of his vehicle, watching her disappear over a hill, expression returning to stone before accessing a map and comparing his previous position with that of the fox. He had been positive the high pitched sound he had heard coincided with whatever damaged the eardrums of the fox.

Post by NITE OWL on Aug 20, 2017 22:51:06 GMT -6

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