Character:
Code-Name: Shaft
Real Name: Harada Ichigo
Ethnicity: Japanese
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Relationship Status: Complicated (Married but his wife is in another universe he can't return to)
Team Affiliation: Xavier
Previous Teams or Organizations: Prodigy X, X-Men (Two separate incarnations), Big Hero Six, X-Force (Two Separate incarnations)
Position at the School: Self Defense Instructor
Appearance:
Hair: Shoulder length and pitch black
Eyes: Steel Grey
Skin: Has that typically light tan complexion that comes from his ethnicity
Weight: 240 lbs.
Height: 5'8”
Other: Ichigo's right eye is a cybernetic replacement for one he lost
Date Of Birth: August 17th, 2016
Place Of Birth: Osaka, Japan
Citizenship: Technically Japanese, but is also a citizen of Genosha
Information:
Personality: Ichigo’s personality has changed since he got married and becoming a father and a teacher. He is quiet and soft spoken (unless he feels he’s got something to say, then he’ll let you have it full force), but quietly arrogant about his combat skills. But despite this, he is a tried and true friend. Once he gives his friendship, he’ll give his life for you if it’s needed. He tends to be coolly indifferent to those whom he doesn’t count as a friend. And calculatingly hostile to those whom he considers an enemy.
Ichigo also lives by the ancient code of bushido, or as close to it as he can based off of books written three to five hundred years ago. As such, he seems to act impulsively, brashly, and without regards to what he says or does. But the truth of the matter is that he doesn’t care much about what people think, he lives each day as if it will be his last. And speaks with a brutal honesty befitting that, so as not to have any regrets. So he is definitely a man that takes some getting used too.
Background:History: Born to Keniuchio Harada, leader of the Big Hero 6 of Japan, his birth was the object of much celebration as he would inherit the legacy of his father and was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. Born into a world where humanity and mutantkind was at war with one another, where Apocalypse controlled the entire continent of Africa, the Middle East, and was making a push for Europe proper.
Yuriko raised her son in the only way she knew, in the heat of combat. From the moment he was capable of standing, she started to teach him martial arts. When other kids were outside playing, he was in the dojo learning how to fight and kill. All in preparation of the day when he would assume his father's position as leader of Clan Yashida and leader of the Big Hero Six. But it quickly became clear early on in his teenage years that Ichigo wanted a normal life. And he pursued that life, doing his best to avoid becoming entangled in the plans made by the villains X the Unknowable or Everwraith.
Instead he chose to pursue a historic past time, Archery. Through constant practice, determination, and the resources of the Giri Corporation, Ichigo made it to the Olympic Tryouts and eventually the Japanese Olympic Team. And was considered a strong contender for the gold in the 2031 Summer Olympics, up until his powers surfaced at practice and he blasted a hole through the target, the stadium walls and out into the streets killing 8 people who were unlucky enough to be in the path of the supercharged arrow that left him unconscious and nearly dead from a laceration to the neck when the bowstring snapped and cut deep into his neck, nearly severing an artery.
Due to this shameful situation, Ichigo stepped down from the Japanese Olympics team the day before the Olympics were to begin and publicly apologized to the families of those whom had fallen before his arrow. After which he quietly receded from public view as he trained in the Big Hero 6 headquarters. As he trained with his arrows, his other powers came into being quietly under controlled circumstances. It was here that he honed his already amazing skills to become an ally to his father’s team. With equipment designed specifically for him, he was capable of shooting what most considered to be impossible to hit.
After a battle with X the Unknowable that left most of the Big Hero 6 severely injured and incapable of continuing the fight did Ichigo fire an arrow loaded with what he now calls “Intent to Kill”. This act transformed his normal looking arrows into blasts of energy that left X the Unknowable dead and millions of dollars in damages to downtown Tokyo. It was this act that showed him he needed to separate himself from his beloved country in search of a means to better understand his powers on a level beyond just mastering them. He needed to understand the aspect of his powers that was influenced by his emotions and soul. He stuck around long enough to make sure that his father and friends would recover before packing a few changes of clothes and his superhero gear and heading to Westchester, New York in America to seek out The Wolverine that his father had spoken of so highly over the years. Maybe he and the X-Men would be able to give him Enlightenment that he feels he has yet to find.
The truth of the matter is that he already understands everything about his powers and how his emotions and soul affect his powers, but having only fired five such arrows as he fired that day against X the Unknowable and the disastrous results of which has left him afraid of his powers on a subconscious level. He doesn’t want to harm anyone. And the fact that he has killed one entity intentionally and eight others accidentally has been a burden on his mind and soul that he must come to grips with and realize that in combat lives hang in the balance. And that sometimes a hero must do the unthinkable and kill.
Ichigo’s trip to the United States began with a nasty fight that left Ichigo on the brink of death, having gotten on the short end of a fight with a group of Sentinels. The meeting he’d wanted to have with Logan, left him unfulfilled when he was told to go with Shatterstar, the then Headmaster of Greymalkin Institute, and join Prodigy X where he would learn more about himself and his powers. And over the course of time he did indeed discover more about himself and his powers, when in a training simulation he used his powers in a manner that could have potentially killed everyone in Greymalkin Point (not just the school but the entire town) had Emma Frost, the then Headmistress, reacted and enveloped him in the most powerful forcefield the danger room could produce. The damage took hours to repair as the Danger Room generators had to be overhauled and several projectors replaced by the maintenance programs.
Ichigo had drained himself to the limit and was taken into the Swiss Alps somewhere (Not even Ichigo knows exactly where), and trained with Exodus for a full month. The training was exponentially more intensive than anything his own parents had put him through. His training happened even during his sleep as Exodus used every possible moment to instruct him in a myriad different things. It soon became evident that Exodus had telepathically tampered with him. Though his powers became more refined, it came at a price that Ichigo found he had no choice but to pay. The raw power of his tachyon abilities was restrained and filtered through a telepathic ‘screen’. Exodus explained it to him once, but the concepts were out of his league.
It was then that Exodus told him that Apocalypse’s forces were attacking Greymalkin Point. Ichigo grabbed his gear and said he was ready. Exodus looked at him solemnly and shook his head slightly. “Not yet. You must prepare for what is yet to come. This skirmish is unimportant in the grander scheme. Stay and prepare. I will return in due time. You know what must be done.”
Ichigo was crushed and infuriated. But it mattered little, Exodus left without him. Ichigo burnt through his rage and frustration working out. It would be nearly a week later that Exodus came back and tested him. Once the test was complete, he told Ichigo that it was time to return. Ichigo and Exodus teleported to New Genosha where over the course of a morning, was reunited with the survivors of what was soon dubbed the Greymalkin Point Massacre.
Ichigo’s own confidence in his own skills and abilities led him to butt heads with the new Headmistress, Dr. Katie Malone. His anger and frustration had caused the alternate personality within a student to manifest. Ichigo, leaving Dr. Malone’s office was rendered immobile and struggling to maintain consciousness. Dawn, the alternate personality sent him flying into a wall and telepathically erased all memories of his time in New Genosha. Then with the aid of Franklin Richards, he was transported to a hospital in New York, where he was recovered by Bishop and Cable.
He was never asked to formally join the X-Men, it was simply assumed that he was to be a member when Natrone had him equipped and put into a training simulation with the Red Strike Team. From there he quickly proved himself to be a valuable member of the team and perhaps the most physically dominant member on the team, until Natrone left without a word and Najai returned. The sparring match between Najai and Ichigo was quick and silent. With Najai proving himself clearly the better. Ichigo not to be out done simply devoted himself to training harder with Najai’s help.
From there it was a waiting game, one that ultimately cost him the life of a friend and the discovery of a new love in life, he found himself falling in love with fellow teammate, Lauren aka Cadence. Together they grieved for their lost comrade before working on their newfound relationship.
When it was finally found out why Natrone left and supposedly why mutants everywhere were dying, Ichigo shook his head and stayed apart. He had no proof that an infant was responsible for the potential extinction of mutantkind. So would not bring himself to participate. But when Natrone seemingly disappeared into the future with Baby X, and Kanye Summers took over the X-Men and negotiated a blanket pardon for the X-Men in exchange for all of their members signing the General Mutant Registration Act (GMRA for short). Ichigo flatly refused and told Kanye in no uncertain terms what he thought Kanye could do with the GMRA, packed his belongings and left. He returned to Japan, pitting himself in the underground prize fighting circuits. Finding no one to challenge him like Najai had, he simply wandered Japan on foot for the better part of a year before coming back to Tokyo and stumbling across Akira Logan and Najai having it out in the streets. He kept his distance and simply watched.
When the fight ended and Najai agreeing to join X-Force, Ichigo made his presence known from a safe distance before inquiring if he could join. Akira accepted him after Najai gave his own backing as to Ichigo’s skills.
Ichigo’s time with X-Force was cut drastically short when he received word that his father was dead. Packing his things, he informed Akira that he would be gone for about a week to settle things at home with the passing away of his father. Upon arriving in Japan, he met with his mother who informed him that his father had been murdered. Ichigo said nothing and gave trust to Japanese Law Enforcement, that they would find his father’s killer and bring the man or woman to justice.
But after the funeral of his father, he was arrested, outside the very graveyard where his father had been buried, for the assassination of the Vice Prime Minister of Japan. Going into custody willingly, he hoped that his cooperation would aid in proving his innocence. Meanwhile, his mother contacted X-Force and they moved in to do their own investigation.
Soon it became evident that the man responsible was his own half-brother, the ‘legitimate’ son that the Silver Samurai had had with Viper, who by all legal rights was his wife. Harada Kouhei, had crippled his mother and ruled Madripoor in her stead, and had been the instrument of his own father’s assassination and the setup of his half-brother for the assassination of the Vice Prime Minister. When this information was brought before authorities, they freed Ichigo and told him that his help would be needed in bringing Kouhei to justice.
Arming himself, he went to Madripoor with the teleportative abilities of his teammate, Pockets, and confronted his half-brother. The ensuing fight was brutal as each did his best to kill the other. But soon their fight was brought to a close when the continued clash of tachyon field on tachyon field produced a rift in the spatial barrier of the world. Kouhei was the first to be sucked in, and so was Ichigo.
Encountering the strangeness of this new reality, he has encountered strange and powerful foes, entangled himself in someone’s scheme without even realizing it, and nearly getting himself killed in the process. A world in which mutants had rights, just like any other enthicity or race. A world where only superheroes and villians were forced to register themselves (the latter upon capture). And now has come to America to seek out the X-Men of this reality. Or more specifically their leader, a reality tossed mutant with whom he’d served on the X-Force team. Finding that Brandon Paris was indeed the same man he knew and cared for, he hoped to call Xavier’s home once again, as he looked to the horizon for what was to come. All the while hoping that he would be given the opportunity to avenge his father’s murder and settle the matter of his stained honor.
But as with any good war, staying in one place for too long turned out to be a bad thing as the X-Men were attacked by X-Factor. In a bid to keep the X-Men from getting killed, Brandon allowed himself to be arrested by SHIELD. During this time, Ichigo in turn was arrested for the actions of the Ichigo native to this reality. It was a tough time for him as he had to keep from losing his temper and killing everyone who called him an assassin, murderer, and other things. Though in time, with the aide of his sister, it became clear he wasn’t the man they wanted.
And through some more quick bargaining by Brandon, all charges against both Brandon, Ria, and Ichigo would be dropped in exchange for doing some black ops works for SHIELD. Their first target turned out to be Raine, the Son of Apocalypse. The mission went from bad to worse as soon as they encountered Raine who had in his possession a Cosmic Cube.
Using experimental technology, Ichigo teleported the small team of three out of the complex to Muir Island where both men fell into comas. It was through the aid of a monk trained in mystical arts that they were allowed to be healed. But in doing so, he brought both men closer than they’d ever been by temporarily connecting their souls.
From there it was a mad dash to get prepared for the invasion and altercation that would be dubbed ‘The Two Day War’. At the end of this altercation, the fighting was called off when it became evident that a greater threat was posed by an invading alien force called the Brea. Who assimilated the strong and ate the weak.
It was a game of cat and mouse from that point onwards. But eventually the Brea pulled back as the world came under silent and hidden attack by the Dark Association. A group of highly dangerous individuals from various dimensions bent on the complete annihilation of dimensions, the stolen energy from their death was to be used to catapult them to the power levels of Celestials. Something that had to be stopped at all costs.
But the opening salvo against the X-Men did not come from the Dark Association but rather an unexpected quarter, Apocalypse. A man long since thought killed off. Ichigo having survived an attack on his Halo drop gathered allies to avenge what he, and the rest of the world, thought were dead allies and loved ones. In time, he was reunited with all of them. During this time, he bore witness to the death of a world and forced to make a decision between doing what needed to be done, regardless of the lives lost or hold true to concept of being a hero. Ichigo chose to remain behind and be the eyes behind enemy lines.
Joining a new X-Force Team, he helped save three separate universes from utter destruction in what became known as the Celestial War. In the time after the war, there was total and complete peace. Then the nations of the world turned their attentions to capturing all that remained of the forces who had intended on slaying all of them. Unfortunately, because of the tactic used to locate the central base of the enemy, Ichigo and X-Force were added to that list of enemies.
But the Brea had returned, sending out scouting parties. Their intent was destroying Earth utterly. So when X-Force was captured they were given a conditional pardon. Ichigo's sister was forced to go live with the Auran, an alien group of pacifist diplomats who had made huge advances in medical technology. Her task was to make it so that technology could be used on the human and mutant physiology.
Ichigo took on the responsibility of his wife and himself and became the Self-Defense and Combatives Instructor at the Second Generation Academy in Genosha, all while doing Black Ops work for SHIELD.
When the Brea attacked en masse, Ichigo was part of the spearhead that met them head on. He watched as Magneto proved with his death why he was called the Master of Magnetism when he brought asteroids from across the solar system and used them as weapons against the enemy fleet. Through the course of the battle, Ichigo lost many friends and allies. He had even been forced to carry a dying Shatterstar to an evacuation pod. When the old interdimensional alien warrior died, he entrusted the young warrior with his swords with his dying breathe.
Ejecting from the ship that was in the midst of self-destructing, the warp field sent him catapulting not only through space but time and across a dimensional border. The escape pod crash landed in the snowy lands of the Northwest Territories and immediately spiked Cerebra's attention and notified Professor Xavier about the new mutant who appeared in Canada.
Ichigo was retrieved by agents of Xavier in Canada and made his way to the School where Xavier scanned his mind, with Ichigo's permission, because of Ichigo's intense psychic defenses. Then after realizing the huge differences in this universe than the one from which he was native, informed him of a lot of those differences. And offered him the aide he would need to start a life here, in exchange for putting his skills as a Self-Defense instructor to good use.
Accepting, he made it known that it was only going to be until he could find a way to return to his own universe.... or whatever might be left of it. After all he had a wife and two kids. One a time tossed teenaged daughter and the other was a three year old boy.
Mother:
Name: Yuriko Oyama
Race: Human Cyborg
Father:
Name: Harada Kenuichio
Race: Mutant
Other Relatives:Harada Shingen, Grandfather (Deceased)
Kenji, Grandfather (Deceased) “Lord Darkwind”
Mariko Yashida, Aunt (Deceased)
Madame Viper, Step-Mother
Harada Kouhei, Half-Brother
Harada Mariko, Sister
Harada “Addison” Haruko Cho, Daughter “Voltic”
Harada Takeo, Nephew "Kazeshini"
James Randall Harada, Son “Jack”
Powers:[Major] Tachyon Field Manipulation – A permutation of his father’s ability to manipulate Tachyon fields, he is capable of sheathing both arrows and his blades in Tachyon fields. Where it has been believed that his father is incapable, (though Ichigo would like to think hasn’t tried). This energy has yet to be stopped short of powerful TK fields, adamantium, vibranium, carbonadium, and energy absorbers/manipulators. It will go through flesh like it’s not there, leaving nothing behind in it’s wake.
Since his time with Prodigy X and a month long training regimen with Exodus, Ichigo has learned much more control and finesse with this power. He can now coat just the arrowhead instead of the arrow, if he chooses too. He can also cover the entirety of his swords now so that it looks like they are merely glowing a whitish-blue instead of a blazing inferno of whitish-blue energy.
Recently due to spending time with his half-brother and father, he’s begun working on using his manipulation techniques to allow him more flexibility in his use of this power.
[Minor] Enhanced Speed – This power allows him to move at a rate four times faster than a human athlete in peak physical condition. It also allows him to react faster in combat situations.
[Minor] Kinetic Energy Dissipation – A recently acquired mutation, this ability allows him to absorb kinetic energy and allow it to bleed off harmlessly. The side effect of this is he can fall from greater heights than most people as well as take punches, kicks, and blows from blunt objects. While it doesn't prevent injury from getting shot, it does greatly reduce the damage done by the concussive force of the bullet.
Power Limitations:[Major] Tachyon Field Manipulation – Ichigo’s tachyon sheaths that coat the blades are weaker than those he generates over his arrows. But the intensity of the sheathes over his arrows are more powerful because of the short duration. Which is compensated by the speed of his arrows.
[Minor] Enhanced Speed – He can only move four times faster than a person in peak physical condition.
[Minor] Kinetic Energy Dissipation – It's a recent mutation and he doesn't fully understand how it works yet.
Non-Power LimitationComing from another universe where the technology was much more advanced than this reality, he can grow very frustrated with both it's limitations and the fact that he feels challenged using working 'antiques'.
Also his knowledge of current history is incomplete because his history is nothing similar to what is considered common knowledge.
Equipment: All of his equipment was made specifically for his use by his sister Harada Mariko (aka Shade)
A Titanium bow with a carbonadium bow string made, the bow also has a very nasty surprise in store for anyone who decides to try and use it other than Ichigo as the grip stores a small amount of tachyons that discharge destroying the hand that holds it. It’s a DNA encoded lock that disarms only for Ichigo.
He also carries a department on his tactical belt that allows him to carry a plethora of specialty arrowheads ranging from the mundane explosive arrowheads to more advanced arrowheads that deliver an EMP blast to a limited radius, liquid hydrogen payloads and more.
Two pair of vanadium katana and matching wakizashi, in a extra-dimensional storage sheath across his back. These are used for when he needs to go into close combat situations.
Personal Body Armor - Utilizing advanced technology, both native to this timeline and not, it is a lightweight body armor that utilizes dozens of small overlapping forcefield projectors to create a personal force field that repels most normal and hi-caliber ammunition and equally powerful energy blasts without effecting his forcefield.
Anything that may be powerful enough to breach the force field renders any number of emitters non-functional, weakening the overall effectiveness of his armor. Once the forcefield is non-functional, it is little more than fire and electricity resistant elements combined with armored plating. Due to recent missions it has become necessary for his armor to also include a layer of radiation protection, allowing him to survive high levels of radiation without being affected.
A slot in the left leg of his body armor that replicates arrows composed of ‘hard light’ as fast as he can draw them. These arrows last for about two minutes before they disappear.
The head piece has a built in camera that records all data when the armor is in use. Be it from a mission or just a training simulation. Ichigo can, using controls in the fingertips of his gloves, change the visual spectrum in which he can see through his visor. He has the capacity to switch from normal to either nightvision or infrared. The commlink is also built into the head piece.
Skills/Training: Mixed Martial Arts (He’s studied a great number of martial arts over the years and has incorporated them into his own personal style), Archery (Beyond Olympic Level, he’s perhaps one of the top five to ten archers in the world at this point), Combat Archery (Including but not limited to Teleportation Archery [a skill he’s had to acquire through many months of hard work, and is now a defunct skill as he no longer has the ability to teleport as a mutation], Trick Shots, Long Range Shots, Sharpshooting, Shooting into Melee, Multiple Arrows (Up to four at a time)
Yoga, Meditation, Combat Meditation, Gardening, Lockpicking, Escape Artist.
Ichigo also speaks English, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, and he’s beginning to learn Kynian and Shi’ar Common.
He’s also heavily studied strategy, teamwork, and battle planning skills. While he isn’t a Nyu Tanumera or Randall Storm, he does what he can when he can.
Strong Psychic Defenses.
Hobbies and Interests: Gardening, reading, and fishing. Anything really quiet and peaceful, things that always seemed to be in short supply in his life.
OOC Ons and Offs: See my O/O List
