Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8531258" data-attributes="member: 30538">Mike Macklin/Golden Glow<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-CR7rnvM/0/ae6767a3/S/burnout-S.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />As has already been stated, nearly twenty years of work by Professor Andrew Gibbon to refine the Ultimate Accelerator devised by his father have produced versions of it that can empower at best poor copies of the powers bestowed on the "test subject" for the original, and whose powers do not last nearly as long between doses. The best results were those obtained when the 2015 version of the formula was tested on one Michael Macklin, a private investigator vetted by Argus, who retained super-speed abilities for nearly a full week. He reported no side effects, but as the formula failed to produce the desired results, Macklin was just thanked and told that Professor Gibbon would contact him if there was anything further.No one could have predicted, when this happened, that within a year the Blue Bolt would suffer serious injuries during the so-called "Clash of Daikaiju", leaving him physically unable to continue his activities and emotionally uncertain about doing so. Professor Gibbon, with the authorization of his backers, contacted Macklin and offered to outfit him as a replacement for the Blue Bolt, using the current Accelerator formula. According to the after-action report, Gibbon believed that this was to be a temporary measure intended to spur Jimmy Irving to reclaim his identity. There is some evidence that Macklin believed that the position was to be a more permanent one, but no proof that he was deliberately misled that this was the case.Rather than use the Blue Bolt costume, Macklin wore a metallic yellow suit patterned on the original under the alias of "the Golden Glow". His results were generally good, if not exceptional, especially as other members of the Powerhouse, particularly Polymorph, were willing to assist him. However, Gibbon did notice signs that the experience was giving Macklin something of a swelled head. That said, his activities -- which included far more time spent interacting with the media than the Blue Bolt ever did -- were not dangerous as such, and regarded as useful in some quarters.After a bit less than two months, however, the Blue Bolt believed himself to be recovered and met with Macklin and Gibbon to discuss what should happen next. He was interested in the prospect of working with the Golden Glow as a partner, and while Macklin was not enthusiastic about that notion, he nevertheless agreed. However, Professor Gibbon interrupted these discussions with the news that Macklin would not be able to continue after all. The length of time he was able to go between doses of the Accelerator had been steadily decreasing, to the point that he could now last only a couple of days between them, and the Professor had also noticed signs that withdrawal symptoms had begun to set in. The formula was beginning to fail.Macklin refused to accept this, attacked the Professor and the (still unpowered) Blue Bolt, and stole a supply of the formula. While he was unsuccessful in escaping, especially after the Blue Bolt regained his abilities and gave chase, the Golden Glow managed to do a fair amount of damage before he was caught. After the current dose wore off, with the withdrawal symptoms apparent even to himself, Macklin was able to admit that he had a problem, and that he was terrified of going back to being the nothing he had come to consider himself without the powers.At his trial, Macklin was given a suspended sentence in light of this being his first offense, and required to do five years of community service. It was arranged that he would perform this by giving community and school talks about the dangers of "origin chasing". This has somewhat satisfied his need for public adulation, and he has managed to hide the fact that he still craves the power of the Accelerator even though he also recognizes that it will probably kill him in short order if he starts taking it again. Better to burn out than fade away, right?Mike Macklin/Golden Glow -- PL 7Abilities:STR 1 | STA 1 | AGL 2 | DEX 1 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 1 | PRE 0Powers:Super-Speed: Enhanced Advantages 22 (Agile Feint, Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative 6, Instant Up, Move-by Action), Quirk (Close Attack is only enhanced against targets with a lower Initiative total); Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Movement 3 (wall-crawling 2, water-walking), Limited to running; Quickness 7; Speed 9 (1000 MPH) - 55 pointsFast Attack: Strength-based Selective Burst Area Damage 4 (includes Strength 1) - 11 pointsAdvantages:Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 6, Improvised Weapon, Instant Up, Move-by Action.Skills:Athletics 6 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+5), Intimidation 5 (+5), Perception 4 (+5).Offense:Initiative +26Unarmed +9/+6 (Close Damage 1)Fast Attack -- (Burst Area Damage 4)Defense:Dodge 11/5, Parry 11/5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 3/1, Will 6Totals:Abilities 22 + Powers 66 + Advantages 17 + Skills 11 + Defenses 14 = 130 pointsOffensive PL: 5Defensive PL: 7Resistance PL: 6Skill PL: 2Complications:Fame--Motivation. Power Loss (all, without daily serum dose.) Weakness (becomes Impaired on all checks and Vulnerable after dose wears off.)</blockquote>

Verification