Spiral

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.

This specific character was part of the Wild Hunt, a community-created super-team circa the year 2000.

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History

Kevin Michael Andrews left home at the age of 13 to get away from his abusive father. His mother died during childbirth and his father blamed Kevin for this. His father was an alcoholic and although he never hit Kevin, he was derogatory and always told his son that he was worthless. Kevin, not knowing any better started to believe what his father said was true.

In Grade 8 one of his teachers got Kevin involved in the school’s music class. He e was taught to play the guitar. This opened new doors for Kevin and he was able to express and articulate some of the pain he was feeling inside. He started listening to Industrial music like NIN  and KMFDM  and in it he found something that he could relate to.

Things with his father came to a head one night when Kevin came home to his drunk father who started yelling at him about his music. Saying that Kevin would never succeed the father smashed the guitar. Kevin left home that same night.

Runaway

Over the next three years, Kevin fended for himself and though he wasn’t much for studying, he was bright. He became a thief to get money and bought another guitar. He joined various bands around Gotham, not really going anywhere. He just spun his wheels, stealing and playing in bands to make ends meet. At least until shortly after his 16^th birthday.

One day Kevin woke up in the afternoon with a splitting headache and he couldn’t figure out why. He didn’t have *that* good a time last night… He took some aspirin and went back to sleep. Later his current bandmates arrived to pick him up for a gig that night and his headache had subsided to a dull throbbing, but hadn’t really abated.

One of the band members was into some drug trafficking and a competitor wanted him removed. During the set, one of the audience pulled out a shotgun and proceeded to shoot the druggie band member.

Surprisingly the buckshot bounced off the musician without hurting him at all. The club was plunged into darkness, but Kevin could see the lights were on. No one but Kevin could see anything though.

Angered that this idiot opened up in a crowded club with a shotgun the rage boiled in his head, and in a flash of clear thinking, the rage and the headache were gone. The goon however had been slammed into a wall and knocked unconscious. The lights seemed to come back on and everyone saw the goon KO’d on the floor but no one had seen what happened.

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A little bird

Later that night, the band was crashed out at Kevin’s place. A second group of goons showed up to finish the job. However, Robin the Boy Wonder was after the same group of drug smugglers. A fight ensued, where Kevin began to use his new abilities to bust some heads.

Robin, not expecting the backup, was impressed with what Kev could do, thanked him and left. When the police arrived to question the band members (no one was hurt) about the attempted hit, it came out that the competitor was Louie Richson. Taking this info, Kevin began his own hunt for good ol’ Louie. Later that night, he found Louie down by the docks, as he had heard that a big drop was going down.

Unknown to Kevin, Robin was also present. Robin stepped in to stop the deal, but there was a bodyguard who arrived late and was behind Robin. Kevin protected Robin with his Force Field and joined the little war, which was soon over.

New York, New York

Robin and Kevin talked for a few minutes and Robin told Kevin that it wasn’t safe for him any more in Gotham. The pushers would have little trouble finding Kevin if he stayed in town, so Robin suggested he leave.

Kevin, seeing that there could be problems, went to his shot up apartment, got his guitar, packed and headed for New York.

Realizing that he might be able to make something of himself as a protector of people, he adopted the name Spiral, from the album ’The Downward Spiral‘ by Nine Inch Nails. He thought it was an apt description of his life with its ups and downs. It was a good a name as any.

Description

Kevin is a reasonably handsome, thin 16 year old male. His hair is normally brown, but he has died it black from his bouts with depression. It’s shoulder length and he usually wears it in a pony tail.

He normally wears a black leather jacket over a T-shirt (usually an industrial band logo on it) combat fatigues and big black boots. He has several ear pierces,and a tatoo of a clockwise black spiral on his left shoulder blade.

Generally Kevin has an altitude of apathy about him, but he does care about people who are too afraid or too weak to defend themselves. This caring sometimes makes him uncomfortable, but it doesn’t stop him from doing what he thinks is right.

Epilogue

There have been two other occasions where Robin has pursued a case to NY and the two have crossed paths. They worked well together and have a mutual respect.

Kevin has cleaned up his act and no longer steals from people, he uses his skills to help people who cannot help themselves. He has a particular dislike for drug dealers and is pursuing his music in the NYC industrial scene.

By Chris Gordon for the Wild Hunt project.

Source of Character: Homemade.