DEUS EX-MACHINA (Power Level 7)
Real Name: Ryan Mueller
Height / Weight: 5’10” / 158 lbs.
Hair / Eyes: Brown / Green
Place of Birth: Fort Truman, United States Military Base, Berlin, Germany (September 9, 1988)
First Appearance: New Vindicators #1 (Ryan Mueller), New Vindicators #20 (Deus ex-Machina)
Biography: Born on a military base in Germany, Ryan Mueller came into this world as an army brat and was the pride and joy of every man who served under his father. Each soldier stationed there was like a second father to the young man, each influencing him in different ways. Thanks to them and their guidance, Ryan’s interests varied from chemistry to music, sports to the military.
When Ryan was twelve, his father was promoted and began working for the Department of SPB Affairs, overseeing the covert team of operatives known as SHAKE: Super-Human Attack Killing Enforcers, a group that would be deployed to terminate super-human assaults. The group was employed in the five year period in which the world went without the protection of the Vindicators. Still, the covert nature of SHAKE prohibited Mister Mueller from revealing the nature of his assignment to his family. Instead, a cover was drafted that his involvement was in the science and technologies division. As SHAKE was outfitted with technology developed by Patriot Robotics, Noah Meinstein became involved in the cover and became something of a family friend…
NEW VINDICATORS: Radix Malorum est Cupiditas
Ryan’s sudden introduction to American school systems left him timid and shy. The only friend he had was David Meinstein, Noah Meinstein’s son. David drafted Ryan into a world of gaming and slowly he found his niche in junior high.
He also found himself attracted to the wild child of the band room, Katie Merrick. Katie Merrick was infamous for being fast but in those moments where he saw behind her in band, Ryan began to get to know the real Katie- a young woman who was hurt and scared.
Over the years his infatuation continued to blossom as their friendship grew. Finally, in their senior year, he had worked up the nerve to tell her how he felt… only to watch as a new transfer to Eleanor Roosevelt High School (as well as his newest friend), Ben Altair began dating the changed and absolved Katie.
Watching them together pushed Ryan over the edge and he began putting his chemistry knowledge to good use, engineering explosives and attacking everyone Katie had ever dated. While the police began hunting for the arsonist attacking the city, the New Vindicators began to suspect Katie as the culprit, and when her Neo-Sapien powers were exposed, ZERO suspected her as well. For the crimes Ryan had committed, ZERO beat Katie viciously- forcing her into a coma and forcing Ryan to flee…
NEW VINDICATORS: Memento Mori
Ryan’s father was able to hide him in the military, stationing him in Alaska. There he learned to fly military helicopters and came to endure the cold. He returned to New York months after graduating from the academy and used his family’s connection with Patriot Robotics to gain employment as Noah Meinstein’s personal pilot.
There he was able to prevent an assassination attempt on the man and was rewarded with a different job. Rather than piloting a helicopter, he was given command of the 002 battlesuit, an armor Noah intended to use to bring down ZERO and Portal. Though Ryan, dubbing the armor Deus ex-Machina (after a corruption of duos, for the 002) managed to take down Portal, his zeal helped to bring him down. He added Ben Altair, the New Vindicator known as Frostbite to his list of targets and captured him as well. This move brought the wrath of the New Vindicators and the group of super-powered young people managed to best the armored villain in combat.
NEW VINDICATORS: Absit Omen
Ryan resurfaced in the 002 armor as part of Terahertz’s raiding party. Given the order to terminate anyone he came across- excluding Oscillator, Dipole and the Iron Curtain –Ryan headed straight for the apartment provided for Ben Altair and his pregnant girlfriend, Katie Merrick.
In a fit of jealous rage, Ryan assaulted the pair and possibly could have won had he not struck Katie with a blast of flame. Seeing her injured, Ben was pushed over the edge and went all out against him- destroying parts of the armor and literally tearing Ryan from his shell.
The beating Ryan received left him comatose for several days. When he woke up, he found his interrogator was a calm and collected Ben Altair. Frostbite informed him coolly of Katie’s death and claimed they shared the guilt for it. Armorless and powerless, Ryan voluntarily turned himself over and is now serving time in Riker’s for his crimes: arson, abduction and murder.
STR 14 (+2), DEX 12 (+1), CON 14 (+2), INT 14 (+2), WIS 10, CHA 10
SKILLS: Climb 4 (+6), Drive 2 (+3), Intimidate 2, Knowledge (physical sciences) 4, Knowledge (tactics) 2, Notice 2, Perform (wind instruments) 4, Pilot 4 (+6), Profession (soldier) 4, Survival 4, Swim 4 (+6)
FEATS: All-out attack, Dodge Focus 2, Endurance, Power Attack, Teamwork
POWERS: Device 14 (002 battlesuit [hard to lose]; Blast 10 [fire; Alternate Powers: Blast 6 {Extras: Area (line, +1)}, Blast 6 {Extras: Area (Explosion, +1); Power Feats: Triggered}, Dazzle 10 {visual}, Stun 10], Flight 5 [250 MPH], Protection 8 [Extras: Impervious {+1}], Super-Strength 5)
COMBAT: Attack +4, Grapple +11, Damage +2, Defense +4 (+1 flat-footed), Knockback -9, Initiative +1
SAVES: Toughness +10 (+8 Impervious), Fortitude +7, Reflex +6, Will +3
DRAWBACKS: Normal Identity (5 points)
COMPLICATIONS: Enemy (Frostbite), Obsession (Katie Merrick)
Abilities 14 + Skills 9 (36 ranks) + Feats 6 + Powers 56 + Combat 12 + Saves 13 – Drawbacks 5 = 105 points
Dante Thao, Gwendolyn Llewelyn, Joan Okafor, Luther Okafor, Mikayla Garrison, Nicholas, Rembrandt Van Benthuysen
