Jack Blackburn
Jack Nathaniel Blackburn is a Meta-Human | Para-Human hybrid. He is the current protector of Earth-101, a world without the IsoMatrix Users. His current hero name is Paladin - after being morally purified. Prior to this, he was the Arch-Enemy of Mosaic, and called himself Faust.
Synopsis
Jack Blackburn was the only child of Derek and Samantha Blackburn - former business moguls who were rivals to Silas Grayson and Archeon Incorporated in the 1980s.
The two moguls faced countless setbacks, as they attempted to compete with Archeon's nuclear fusion generators. After various failures in their attempts to bring competing devices to market, their business later filed for bankruptcy.
This led them to turn to organized crime, in order to maintain their lifestyles - a life that Jack would grow up into. Eventually, Jack would meet Aiden during their time in school - and a chain of events would lead to Aiden getting him and his family arrested for their crimes.
After originally becoming Faust due to experimentation done on him in prison, he would later fight his arch-enemy, Mosaic on several occasions.
Once Faust learned Mosaic's true identity - his disdain for the vigilante turned into outright hatred - leading him on a focused warpath against Mosaic.
Eventually, Faust would be converted into a hero through the magic of the Sorceress Supreme - after being defeated multiple times.
Now known as Paladin - Jack would repent his previous actions, determined to become a hero for those who can't fight for themselves.
Powers & Abilities
Power Manifestation
As Faust, Jack had the ability to manifest various Meta-Human powers depending on the situation. This was the result of the sabotaged experiment which infused him with a mutated version of the Metanium metal element.
Dark Dimensional Powers [Formerly]
As the conduit of Nyrian's essence, Faust gained additional powers involving supernatural elements and higher dimensions. Similar to the Sovereign - Faust had the ability to open dimensional portals, allowing monsters to appear from various other dimensions.
These powers were removed once his connection to Nyrian was severed by the Invertere spell.
Divine Conduit
As Paladin, Jack lost his connection to his previous cosmic master - instead gaining a proportional amount of magic power.
This magical power would then be used to mimic the combined power of 12 Greco-Roman Gods of antiquity.
Imbued with said Godly powers, Paladin is now capable of various supernatural feats.
Paladin has demonstrated immense superhuman speed, rivaling that of speedsters due to the powers of Hermes | Mercury - one of the Gods whom he draws power from.[1]
Paladin used the speed of Hermes | Mercury to fly into the air - breaking through universal barriers and making his way to a different universe, effortlessly.[1]
Notes
- Faust is the second major enemy that Mosaic has a direct connection to.
- The first enemy being Chiral.
- Jack is a thematic foil of Aiden.
- Whereas Aiden grew up with a present father, Jack's father and mother were both absent.
- Aiden's family built their business on the foundation of legitimate business. Jack's family was forced to resort to crime in order to grow their wealth.
- Aiden has genuine empathy for people, even if he is somewhat impulsive and abrasive. Jack harbored no such care of human beings - seeing them as tools.
- Jack has an inferiority complex towards Aiden - unable to accept his own failures and lack of personal achievements.
- Instead, Jack projects his insecurities and resentments onto Aiden - until his inversion event changed that.
- Jack ultimately wishes that he was more like Aiden - a sentiment he kept buried deep down in his heart.
- It was the inversion of his moral alignment and personality traits which ultimately forced him to admit that fact to Mosaic and the Sorcerers Supreme who were present at the situation.[1]
- Jack is currently on a world with supernatural threats - but no superhumans to defend it - which he sees as the ultimate proving ground for his redemption as a person.