Impulse

Context

This character is an original creation. We often call these “homemades” or “homebrewed” – think home cooking or craft beer.

Many of these characters were created to take part in tabletop role-playing game sessions. Others were invented as a creative writing exercise, often as part of a community event.

“Wink World” is the name of a setting by our contributor Mike. It has alternate, different versions of many DC Comics heroes.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Barry has come unstuck from the quantum field. His motions thus escalate to the threshold of the sound barrier. Barry can throw small object so fast the will strike targets at faster than 500 mph but he is careful about doing so. As Barry reaches high speeds a low-pitched wine is audible as he approaches.

Many of the things Impulse does do not seem to make sense from a physics point of view. Somehow the incident that gave him his powers made certain aspects of quantum physics apply to his actions.

For instance, as Barry moves at his top speed he will red shift (appear as if in all red light) if he’s coming at you and blue shift (all blue) if receding. These things should not happen until MUCH higher velocities but for some reason do in his case.

Skills

Barry is a trained crime scene investigator and a former beat cop. He is highly familiar with all aspects of crime scenes.

Since marrying Tran, he also has become familiar with Vietnamese culture.

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History

Barry was a CSU investigator in the NJ stretch of the Metroplex. He was called into investigate a murder scene – a murder by removal of the quantum field. While examining the quantum extractor their was a field shift that killed two, turned one into a crystalline statue, and changed Barry into impulse. The device then went inert.

Barry had been frustrated by the pace and bureaucracy of police work for years. By donning a SWAT helmet and with his red shift/blue shift to obscure his identity Impulse could remain anonymous. Barry, as Impulse, solved the Quantum Murder. The perpetrator was killed in an attempt to give himself impulse-like powers.

In the ensuing months Barry was asked to join the JLA. That came after he figured out the Darkest Knight’s disguise and identify after a scuffle with a polymorph.

Impulse remained a member of the JLA through the Hitani war. He often commented that if you split a bad sense of humor between The Knight and Superman then they would have triple what the started with. Wonder Woman and he never got along from the first.

He still works with them from time to time when the need his skills.

Description

Barry, when he uses his powers, is either a red or blue silhouette with a helmet on.

When he is not acting as impulse he has one of the most ordinary and forgettable faces.

Personality

Impulse is a bit old fashioned third generation cop. He is highly inquisitive detective and investigator. Much of the time he doesn’t think about danger until it is past, just the fun. He revels is the way being impulse makes him immune to rules.

Impulse and Wonder Woman have butted heads from first meeting. This and Barry’s traditional Vietnamese wife tend to imply more than a little chauvinism.

DC Universe History

Impulse would love the idea of alternate earths and how they interact with quantum fields. He’d be thrilled to meet another speedster, Flash (Barry Allen) best of all.

Impulse is very low powered by DC Universe Speed Force standards. It would be cool if he could meet Flash (Wally West) during his mach one phase.

Visiting alternate Earths would bring out the tourist in him. If accompanied by his JLA he will hold the line with them unless he feels that they are doing something unjust. It might be fun to have him break the solidarity with his JLA and have a plot exposed by him seeking out Wally West.

By Mike Winkler.

Source of Character: An alternate take on the JLA.

Helper(s): Sébastien Andrivet.