LYCANTHROPE


Created by Michael Kramer

Real Name: Jonathan Harte
Occupation: Chef
Base of Operations: Pasadena, CA
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5’9
Weight: 145lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: To Be Announced

History:


Jonathan Harte was a terrific cook who loved to travel. His favorite pastime was going from country to country teaching cooking seminars for various universities. While visiting Great Britain, John ran into his old friend Mike Kramer. As the two sat at dinner one night they heard stories being traded around the small tavern they were in about a rash of unexplained deaths that had been occurring in the area. Michael, who had recently become the Superhero known as The Golden Dragon listened intently to the stories especially when the word werewolf was mentioned. John on the other hand scoffed at the idea.
John was not usually one to rule out unusual phenomena. However, he viewed werewolves as being one of two things in reality. The first was that they were simply lunatics who wore old dog hides and behaved like wild dogs. Or that the people attacked were in fact killed by some rabid wolves that had just been in the area. That night he would find however that true werewolves were behind this particular rash of deaths. Or at least one werewolf was anyway.
Michael bid good night to his friend exited the building and flew off once he was certain no-one was looking. John finished his after dinner drink and paid the bill. Then despite the protests of the locals he decided to take a walk in the night air. It wasn’t long before John heard the cries of a young woman being attacked. He rushed down two more blocks to find a large figure standing over the young woman as John called out to distract the attacker his voice caught in his throat as he found himself face to face with a full-scale werewolf! The werewolf attacked John instantly and bit him hard right over the heart. John pushed the beast away but it was Michael as the Golden Dragon who subdued the creature and rushed john to the nearest hospital.
As John recovered he awoke one night to find a cloaked figure by his bed. The figure passed onto John a silver medallion and said that it would allow him to control his new powers. When John questioned the figure he lifted the hood of his cloak back to reveal his fur covered face. And opened his cloak to show his own medallion. The figure was one of a race of Werewolves that had been chosen to protect mankind from their evil brothers. He explained to John that his destiny was to now fight evil using his great power. John realized he had little choice in the matter. He accepted the medallion and put it around his neck as he looked up for the werewolf’s approval he discovered that the werewolf had gone as if he was never there.
When John returned to his home in the United States, he told Michael the amazing story and as if to prove it to his friend he showed him his wound and his new silver medallion.. Michael assured John that no proof was needed but he wanted to see John use his powers. John almost instantly trans- formed into a snarling werewolf reminiscent of the Wolf-Man in the old Universal Monster Movies of the 1940’s and 50’s. Michael, astounded by his friend’s new powers encouraged him to join Michael as a member of the new super team he was developing with Erin Gilligan AKA The Blond Banshee and the enigmatic heroknown only as The Seraph. John agreed. Michael suggested the name Lupus but John felt that the term Lycanthrope was more appropriate. Michael couldn’t argue with his friend’s logic and welcomed Lycanthrope to the team.

Powers:


Being cursed with Lycanthropy or Werewolfism as it is known is not the greatest power a person could hope for. Nor is it the most pleasant to receive as it requires the recipient to be bitten by a werewolf. Also the rather well known weakness of werewolves to silver makes it excruciatingly difficult to survive more than a week. However there are definite upsides to the condition. As Lycanthrope, John Harte has developed far greater reflexes and agility. When transformed into his full Wolf stage he can run up to speeds of 55mph. Also his super-enhanced sense of smell has allowed him to cultivate an unparalleled tracking ability. Also being invulnerable to any kind of attack save those by silver has accorded John with immortality. The Medallion John wears around his neck magically allows his will to overcome his inherent bloodthirst as a werewolf. However the moon weakens this aspect making him far more vicious on nights with a full or nearly full moon. The rest of his powers are strengthened by moonlight and as such he is at his strongest at such times. The season of Autumn is when his Lycanthropy his at it’s strongest and his control is at it’s weakest. Therefore he usually takes a vacation from super-heroics in the Fall, concentrating more on his first love which is cooking.
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