Edward - Psion

[Edward]

POWERS
Psion is both telepathic and telekinetic. His powers grant him clairvoyance, an eidetic memory, and a number of consequential abilities related to his primary gifts.

[Edward]

BIO
The young hero known as Psion first discovered his remarkable powers at a very early age, much earlier than most other mutants discover their abilities. When Edward was a child, his abilities were triggered when he unwittingly flung a woman out of the path of a speeding truck - apparently, just by thinking about it. It was clear that his mental effort in that exciting moment had led to a physical reaction. After that event, he soon began to find that his thoughts had a definite effect on his environment, demonstrated by the ability to move objects with his mind, defying the laws of physics. This led to the discovery that Edward could move matter telekinetically - in other words, his thoughts can manipulate the world around him. As his powers matured, he found that he could do more than move matter by will - in addition to his telekinetic powers, he also found that he possesses tremendous psychic abilities. Edward's telepathy allows him to read, influence, and communicate with the minds of others. By reaching into the thoughts of somebody else, Edward can access any information he pleases in a moment, and as a result of his unusually configured brain, he possess an eidetic memory.

As Edward's powers were developing, his mother, in truth the Marvelous Mom-Lady, Magnificent Mother of Might, kept a close watch over his progress and growth. As soon as she had secretly assessed his powers, Mom-Lady asked him to appear at the Secret Kitchen, where he learned that his family and friends had also been gifted with strange and powerful talents. Realizing the potential good that they could do for the world, Mom-Lady organized them into a specialized unit designed to fight evil. This new team of heroes would wipe out threats to the community's safety while promoting freedom and peace. After a time the team extended its responsibilities to assume mission profiles all over the globe, and petitions for their aid soon came from even the highest levels of government. In just a short time, they had become fearless protectors of homes and nations, and Mom-Lady quietly decided to call the team simply, The Family. As one of the most involved ambassadors for the team, Psion soon became one of its leaders, using his psionic gifts to further their noble cause. He is always deeply invested in the concerns of The Family and is mindful of their welfare at all times, especially that of his older brother, Bryn, who under the name of Helios has demonstrated incredible and cataclysmic powers that have made him both unstable and conflicted. Psion's psychic therapy and counseling have proven beneficial to him, though it is doubtful that it will have the power to fully heal Helios' tormented psyche. However, their sessions have certainly proven to be good practice in the use of Psion's gifts.

Psion has refined the use of his telekinetic abilities to the point that he has almost total control of anything he can perceive. He can move, levitate, and manipulate matter by using his thoughts; in addition, he can channel the force of his telekinesis to create psionic force blasts which can strike opponents with enough strength to shatter a mountainside. His psychic power is refined enough to manipulate dozens of components through mid-air in complex patterns. By exciting the movement of molecules, he can create thermal energy, and by slowing them he can quell fires and explosions. By using his powers to force matter away from himself, he can even create a defensive shield to protect himself from attack. In addition, Psion possesses "telekinetic sensitivity," allowing him to psychically sense and probe the texture of objects, their molecular compositions, their contact with other objects, and their movement through space. In fact, his mental fine-motor skills are so acute that he can even read braille letters from miles away. Psion can also use his powers to control his physical movements to a certain extent. He can telekinetically affect the neural signals in his brain, quickening his reflexes and heightening his senses to an incredible extent while allowing him to perform stunning acrobatic feats, making him one of the world's great fighters and swordmasters. Psion wields a unique vibranium blade with magnificent skill, and using it in conjunction with his gifts Psion can deflect almost any assault; nothing it seems can penetrate his defenses when he is maximizing his psychic abilities.

Edward's telepathy is one of the wonders of the world. He can probe the minds of others with lightning speed, and has it would seem unlimited access to their thoughts and memories. He can also manipulate their minds, bending them to his will or causing them to think or believe whatever he desires. He can communicate with the minds of others, and can open channels between himself and huge numbers of people at once, as well as connect the thoughts of others to create complex webs of telepathic communication, all under his control - much like a 'psychic telephone operator,' as he says. He can affect and create dreams, remove or implant memories, or even, frighteningly, unhinge the mind itself, leaving the victim little more than a helpless vegetable. This is the great danger inherent in his powers. Were he to concentrate too hard on any person, it would likely wreak havoc on their psyche, leaving them irreparably damaged. This is a fact Psion cannot countenance, and because of this deep-seated fear he avoids using his telepathy to a certain degree, and when necessary he is extraordinarily careful with it. He is deeply committed to his ethical standards, and refuses to take advantage of others when possible. He does not read minds without permission unless he feels information is crucial to obtain, and he tries his best not to 'eavesdrop' on the thoughts of those around him. However, he cannot entirely block out the thoughts of others, and when he lets his mind wander stray thoughts are heard by him just as the talk in a crowd is heard by others. He trains hard to control what he hears, and is for the most part remarkably successful, but his concerns keep him from exploring the full potential of his telepathic abilities, and it is possible that he is far more powerful than he has yet realized.

As a result of his complex and powerful mental abilities, Psion's brain requires a much greater intake of blood than the average human being. Thus his metabolism is extraordinarily high, and his heartbeat is twenty-five percent faster than a normal male his age. This requires him to eat and drink far more than the average person, he requires a huge supply of vitamins and minerals to maintain his health. Such intense physiology means that Psion tends to be rather excitable, even jittery at times, although the result of this is that his brain can function at more than five times the speed of even the most gifted human, and even that speed can be accelerated by using his powers. Edward's psionic gifts make him somewhat clairvoyant, allowing him to witness events anywhere in the world through his mind when he is focused enough to concentrate.

Despite this vast array of powers and abilities, Psion has many other limitations, some of which stem from his comparative inexperience in being such a high level mutant, and some from his own personal impediments which cause him to shy away from fully exploring his potential. His telepathic abilities are not trained enough to read the minds of animals or extremely young people, and deep comas and brain trauma can also make it difficult for him to access thoughts and information. His telepathy can also be hindered by stupendously powerful or well-trained minds using complex mental techniques and exercises, and the potently strong-willed can sometimes challenge his telepathy - although he can succeed with concentrated effort. But he fears such force, as too much focus could shatter their will utterly, causing damage he is not yet capable of repairing. Were he to try too hard, he could even kill them.

Psion can levitate using his telekinesis, but he is not skilled enough to "fly" in the sense of freely moving through the air. He can indeed lift himself up and "float" himself forward, but his physiology is not designed to handle the effects of true flight on the body, and he cannot withstand extreme altitudes or velocity much more than any normal human, and frankly, he is not fond of heights anyway. Interestingly, Psion's high-speed metabolism, while necessary to the function of his tremendous mental powers, also makes him rather unfocused, and the very physiological systems which make his abilities possible can also impede their actual use. In fact, Psion is far from reaching his full potential. It is an undisputed fact that Psion is one of the most powerful telepaths and telekinetics in the world. In some ways, Psion may even be as powerful as his brother, Helios, who is by all accounts a living force of incalculable energy. But Psion does not yet have the skills and training necessary to harness the full might of his abilities, and while Helios' struggle is with controlling his own powers, Psion's is instead an effort to fully wield them. Yet despite all these limitations and fears and mysteries, Psion is in fact surprisingly and remarkably confident in his talents, even sometimes to the point of unabashed performance. Still he is both insightful and perceptive, and poses a terrible threat to evil. He is in fact one of most powerful members of the team.

Early in his superhero career Edward traveled to his early home on the streets of New York City, using his powers to help the desperate and needy who were trapped in the slums of the tired metropolis. There he battled crime at every level, from petty theft to the organized crime which plagued the very heart of the city. His actions won him the praise of the boroughs and the love of their people. Fearless, cheerful, and compassionate, he soon came to be known by the press as "the Marvelous Mind Warrior," and it was there that he took upon himself the name of "Psion," ever fighting to free the city from the burdens of crime and depression.

During his university education in the mountains of Utah, Edward began the study of Psionics, an exciting new field invested in the research of psychic powers and abilities. During his time there, however, he came across an evil organization known as The Faction, a splinter group of super-powered students bent on material gain and the perpetuation of evil purposes in the world. As their numbers grew, Psion took it upon himself to organize the forces of good into a protective force to thwart the designs of The Faction and its leaders. Thus began the growth of The Family beyond the family itself, continuing the discovery of new individuals with unique abilities. Using his telepathic powers Psion has discovered dozens of such people, constantly laboring to unite them under the principles of honor and truth while working against the foul schemes of The Faction and other nefarious leagues and peoples. In this Psion has become a world voice and public figure, and his tremendous abilities have allowed him to accomplish much while in the field.

Although he is well-loved by his family and friends, Psion’s flashy style and deliberate showmanship can make him something of a show-off at times, and he is rarely subtle in his actions even if he is always judicious in his thinking. His enemies view him as insufferably self-righteous. Even to his teammates he can sometimes seem too vocal about his opinions and ideas, and hard-headed about following through with them. Yet while he may try a bit too hard to garner attention during the team's daring escapades, Psion is always fiercely loyal to The Family, and he is uncompromisingly moral. He may be easily distracted and is hotly opinionated at times, but his allies are nevertheless grateful for his optimistic personality and his unique skills as a counselor and leader. He is tenacious and forthright, but also compassionate and empathetic. He has sharp focus and cutting insight, although he is often accused of seeing things in black and white, almost to a fault. Dangerous, powerful, charming and unpredictable, Psion is indeed the “Marvelous Mind Warrior” to both the press and the people he protects - as well as to his enemies, who resent his confidence and abominate his relentless dedication to protecting the world. Ever ready to make new friends and establish new alliances, Psion has become one of the world's most active defenders of good - and one of its most beloved heroes.