GHOST

Real name: Christopher Mason
Occupation: Student
Identity: Christopher's status as a mutant is secret from the general public
Legal status: Citizen of the United States with no criminal record, still a minor
Other aliases: Christopher Baker, a number of others
Place of birth: Detroit Michigan
Marital status: Single
Known relatives: Joseph and Annie Mason (parents, deceased), an unnamed aunt and uncle
Group affiliation: None, though attending the Mass. Academy
Base of operations: Massachusetts Academy, New York branch
First appearance: December, 1999
History (last updated, April 29th, 2001):

Even before he went onto the streets, Chris never really had a place he could call home. His family moved around a lot, because his father was in the military. Usually, by the time he'd made some close friends, his father was posted to another city, and they all had to move. This lead to Chris not really developing social skills. He began to realize that any friends he did make he would have to say goodbye to sooner or later, and this made him reluctant to even try. He was always quiet, but now he became shy and withdrawn, never really fitting in with a crowd. Around this time, he also developed his love for reading; he never had to leave his books behind.

When Chris was 14, his life changed tragically for the worse. While he was at home, and his father was out on errands, his mother Annie was visiting a friend down the street. On the way home that night, she was sideswiped by a drunk driver, and killed almost instantly. Both Chris and his father were devastated. His father knew something Chris didn't (and still doesn't), which made it even harder to take; at the time, Annie was in the first stages of pregnancy.

After the initial shock had passed, it almost seemed as though things would be okay, but slowly, both lives began to deteriorate. His father turned to drinking more and more, eventually becoming an alcoholic. Christopher began skipping school more and more, not really seeing the point, and partly as an attempt to get his father's attention. It didn't work. He would, in the times he was skipping, hang around at the mall, or sit in the park reading a book. His father ignored the letters the school sent home, and Chris ignored that his father spent more time in the bars than he did at home.

Less than a year later, Joseph Mason was returning from a bar, drunk, when he got into another accident which claimed his life. Chris never tells anyone this, even when he's telling the story, but in the same accident, there was another car involved, and a woman (around his mother's age) and her son were inside. They both died. Chris didn't know whether to feel anguish or rage for the way his father died.

Social services wanted Christopher to go live with an aunt and uncle he didn't even know, and Chris didn't like that one bit, so he gathered together what little money he could (and sold some of his stuff to make more), and moved out into the world. He travelled from town to town, city to city, hitchhiking sometimes, and surprisingly, not getting himself killed or in any serious trouble (beyond occasional stealing). He slept on the streets, or occasionally someone would offer their home, or sometimes in a homeless shelter.

It was in a homeless shelter he first discovered his powers. It had started a few days before, with him having dreams of flying around the city, insubstantial. He would always wake up when he returned to his sleeping body. He thought nothing of it. One night, however, he awoke to find someone looking through his napsack to find his wallet. He tried to stop the person by putting a hand on his shoulder, but it passed right through. The thief freaked out at the ghostly arm protruding through his chest, stood up, and turned around. He turned white, dropped the wallet, and bolted out of the room. Chris looked back to see his body, and returned to it. For a moment, he thought it was just a dream, and then he got up and noticed his wallet on the floor, just where the thief dropped it. Chris grabbed his stuff, and left the shelter.

Over the next few days, he learned how to deliberately leave his body, and used it often in lieu of sleep. He also discovered he was less hungry the more he used it, which made him use it even more. His normal form was that of a wispy, indistinct man-like form, but gradually he gained some control over what he looked like... not much, but enough that he could look like his real self, or the ghost form as he wanted to, and to be anything from translucent to fully opaque.

When he was almost 16, Chris moved to New York City. He managed to luck in and find Aubrey House, a halfway house for teen runaways which, though the other teens were often troublemakers or worse, at least guaranteed a warm place to sleep and enough to eat. One of the rules of the house was that everyone inside had to go to school, or go to work, or both, so Chris re-enrolled in school.

Chris played the superhero role from time to time, as Ghost, most notably during Inferno when he spent nearly the entire time outside of his body, warning people of demon attacks, playing decoy, and relaying messages between families separated by the crisis.

However, it was as Christopher that he first became involved with the Academy. During a particularly cold day in late April of 2000, he bumped into Marie-Ange Colbert (also known as the Hellions' Tarot). The chance counter turned into directions, then dinner and eventually a friendship. Though she lived some distance away, they often spent time together when she was in the city. It wasn't long before he started to have feelings for her, but was confused about her hard to define relationship to a man named Manuel so that, coupled with his shyness, prevented him from telling her. For the first few months they knew each other, neither knew the other was a mutant.

In August of that year, Marie-Ange was possessed by one of a group of Earth Spirits, and committed terrorist acts under its influence. Her own personality was not entirely suppressed, and since Chris, as Ghost, attempted to stop them, she learned that he was a mutant. She told no one, not even him, when she was finally returned to normal. During a visit to her school he got the impression she knew and asked her about it, and she admitted it, but said nothing about her own mutant status.

The staff at the Academy learned of Chris' powers from that visit anyway, and Azure, another Hellion who also managed some of the administration of the school, made Marie-Ange a deal, that if Christopher attended the Academy, he would be protected from Manuel in case something were to happen. She agreed, and Azure approached Christopher, telling him about the basics of the Academy, that it was a school for mutants and everyone there, including Marie-Ange, was one. Since it sounded like a great opportunity, he accepted, moving in almost immediately.

He fit in well at the Academy, even making a few friends, but was growing concerned that there seemed to be a lot of things Marie didn't tell him, and that she seemed to be in some kind of trouble, but he didn't press and much of the trouble seemed to clear up on their own.

In November of that year, Marie noticed some odd behaviour of Christopher's, because he seemed to be uncomfortable, since she was spending a more than usual time close to Manuel. She talked to him about it, and in the course of the conversation he finally admitted his feelings for her. She was shocked, having apparently had no idea, but upset mostly because she thought it would make Chris in danger from Manuel, since she couldn't hide the information from him. Though they agreed to just be 'friends', Christopher's feeling hadn't changed.

As it turned out, Marie-Ange didn't have to hide the information from him for long, as one day when she was off campus alone, she was attacked and knocked unconscious. When she came to, she not only couldn't remember the attack, but also couldn't remember the previous week, including Chris' confession. When he learned of this, he decided he would not tell her again.

However, she learned of it anyway. When Christmas approached, he let it slip that something important happened that she could not remember, but would not tell her what. Finally, on Christmas day, Mystique arrived and wanted to talk to the two of them in a private place. Marie took them to the same place she took Chris before, a private spot she'd used before. Watching his face, she guessed that he'd been there before and he confirmed it when asked. This allowed her to put two and two together. This time, though still worried for Chris, she was happy, and the two kissed... and later, after exchanging gifts, did so again, Marie taking advantage of the mistletoe and the general happy emotions flooding the campus on that day to not worry about Manuel learning of it. However, Chris was still aware she could not leave Manuel.

Since coming to the Academy Christopher has learned some of what's going on underneath. Using his ghost form, he stumbled across the underground Hellions complex. Azure knew of the intrustion, and suspected Chris because of his powers, so confronted him on it, explaining that it's for the Hellions, who protect the students of the school from outside threats. Chris accepted this, also coming into the knowledge that Marie was probably one of these Hellions.

Christopher and Marie have grown closer, especially after Manuel seems to have disappered. In fact, Chris inadvertantly became Marie's "owner" for a while, but because he refused to order her around and was a little uncomfortable about her advances on him, she now lets her teammate James Proudstar serve as the one who gives her orders, while still dating Chris. She has also made those in charge of the Academy promise not to recruit Chris into the Hellions.

Height: 5'5" Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Brown Hair: Dark brown
Unusual physical characteristics: None
Strength level: Christopher possesses the normal human strength of a boy his age, height, and build, who has recently begun to engage in moderate regular exercise. As Ghost, his strength is yet unmeasured, but presumably does not exceed his own human strength.
Known superhuman powers: Christopher is a mutant who has the ability to transmit his consciousness and life-force into an intangible entity he calls his 'spirit form.' While in this form, he is immune to most forms of attack, save mental and magical. Sound and bright lights can also cause pain and disorientation, but no lasting damage. Coherent beam lasers can do damage to him, but he is so far unaware of this.

Since this form is created by his mind, he can alter his form to some extent, however he has only limited experience so far, able to alter his coloring, clothes, or to appear in a generic undefined ghost-like shape to hide his identity. It is possible in the future he may be able to mimic specific people, or even animals. Unfortunately, he can not make any sounds that his own voice cannot make. It is unclear whether this is a physical limitation, or a mental block. The spirit form can also not be completely invisible, but it can be translucent.

While in this spirit form, Christopher's body lapses into a coma-like state, similar to suspended animation, where nearly all metabolic processes, save respiration, slow to almost a stop. He does not require food or water while he is out of his body, and it functions as a substitute for sleep for periods of up to four days. However, Ghost has no idea of the condition of his body while outside, unless he is looking at it. If it were moved, he could not find it except by mundane means. This may be Christopher's greatest weakness. It is unknown if he can survive the death of his physical body.
Other abilities: Christopher has ambitions of becoming a writer, and has considerable talent in that area.
Weapons and paraphernalia: None
Other notes: The (top) picture is of Jason Behr, who I think is the closest actor I can find to what my vision of Chris looks like. :)