Real Name: Remus Romulus Reyes
Hero Alias: Zelus
Nickname: Rome
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Homosexual
D.O.B.: April 20th
P.O.B: Industrial District (West)
Faction: Unaffiliated
Occupation: Drill Sargent/Foreign Military Commander
Remus Reyes is a guy defined by contrasts, but what holds it all together is his rock-solid confidence. He trusts himself completely and believes there’s no problem he can’t solve. Whether it’s brute force, strategic problem-solving, or simply calling in favours, Remus always finds a way. He’s got a deep belief that no situation is hopeless, and if one approach doesn’t work, he’ll try another. Asking for help isn’t his style, but it doesn’t mean he can’t work with others—it’s just that he prefers to handle things solo. He’s used to relying on himself, and that self-reliance has carried him through a lot.
On the outside, Remus seems calm and collected, but emotionally, he’s always kept things pretty close to the chest. He’s sociable when he needs to be, but when it comes to his true thoughts and feelings, even his closest friends don’t really know the full story. Growing up mostly alone shaped him into someone who doesn’t easily share or ask for help. He carries a lot of baggage from his past, and while he’d rather not talk about it, those wounds run deep. That emotional guard helps him stay tough, but it also makes him fragile in ways he doesn’t like to admit. When life gets overwhelming, he had a tendency to throw himself into dangerous situations, partly to forget the anger and guilt that follow him around.
Over time, Remus has mellowed out a bit, especially after battling with his PTSD. He’s quieter now, more focused, and less likely to act out like he did in the past. His dark, dry humor slips out when you least expect it, revealing that despite everything, he hasn’t lost his edge. He’s still got that confidence, but he’s more careful with it, no longer the guy who’ll kill without thinking twice. Even now, he’s not above bending the rules to get things done, and sometimes his choices jeopardize relationships or alliances. He’s not a killer anymore, but teaching someone a tough lesson? That’s still very much in his playbook. Despite his flaws, at the end of the day, Remus is trying to do the right thing, even if his methods aren’t always clean.
Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent.
Vindictive
Ruthlessness
Paranoia
Isolationism
Cynicism
Manipulativeness
Discipline
Courageous
Empathetic
Adaptable
Leadership
Humility
Woodcarving
Tea (Prefers Oriental tea)
Playing chess
History (Warfare)
Nighttime Walks
Unnecessary Bureaucracy
Injustice
Tight Spaces
Unpredictability/Uncertainty
Lack of Initiative
Expert Martial Artist
Tactical Acumen & Strategist
Proprioception
Exceptional Physical Conditioning (Myostatin-Related Muscle Hypertrophy)
Synesthesia
Stealth & Espionage
Stern Silence: Often pauses before responding to questions or situations
Has a thousand-yard stare
Tapping: counts for 4 seconds before relaxing.
Eats ice cream when angry.
Snaps a rubber band on his wrist when anxious
Sighs often
Responsibility Anxiety (Fear of Burden of Command)
Metathesiophobia (Fear of Change)- Specifically, Obsessive Compulsiveness: Remus always tries to control every aspect of his environment and life meticulously.
Jensen Ackles
You might see me use images and gifs of Jensen when his hair was short and long interchangeably. For his present appearance I'll be using his short hair visage.
6′3″ (1.91 m)
225 lbs (102.06 kg)
Mesomorph
Brown
Green
Light Tan
In war, you win or lose, live or die, and the difference is just an eyelash. Wars almost never end the way starters had in mind.
Remus has three significant tattoos from his time in the military, each with personal meaning. The most cherished is a Latin quote, "Memento Mori," meaning "Remember you are mortal," inked on his lower left forearm. This tattoo served as a constant reminder to ground him during his darkest moments in the war. On his right upper forearm is a double-ring tattoo, symbolizing unity and strength. The final tattoo, a Valknut—a Norse rune representing "the knot of those fallen in battle"—adorns his upper back, nestled between his shoulder blades.
Remus gravitates towards darker, more subdued tones in his clothing. He typically wears simple, casual clothing, like a fitted black or charcoal grey t-shirt paired with worn-in jeans. A staple in his wardrobe is a weathered leather jacket, which he frequently wears over his t-shirts. On colder days, you might find him in a dark hoodie layered beneath the jacket. Remus also occasionally incorporates a militaristic flair into his outfits, opting for combat boots, cargo pants, or a utility jacket that adds a functional, tactical element to his style.
Remus was born with a severe form of Mitochondrial Myopathy, a genetic disorder that affects the energy production within cells. This condition would have been fatal before birth, but was saved through external intervention, stabilizing his mitochondria and saving his life. Although this allowed him to survive, the disorder left him with a "broken" mutant ability, manifesting in unpredictable ways that require intense focus to control. The instability in his mitochondrial function also leads to occasional fatigue, migraines, and fluctuating physical performance. Despite these challenges, his resilience and determination have allowed him to adapt and excel, particularly in his military service, where he has turned these obstacles into strengths.
Remus bears several scars from his past battles, including bullet wounds scattered across his lower abdomen and upper back. His chest and upper forearms are marked by slash scars, each a reminder of close encounters. The most prominent scar is a dark, discolored patch on his upper left leg, a lasting consequence of a grenade explosion that tragically claimed the life of a comrade.
Remus was grown before his time, as a young boy doing work that should have been adult responsibilities. He lived in poverty in the Western District, always trying to find a way out for his mother who suffered with Sickle Cell disease and from what happened when they killed their Father. He had been rebellious and aggressive; his defiance was offset by a fierce loyalty to his mother. A real or imagined provocation against her would set him off. He would tore holes through the bullies that targeted him at school until all that was left of them was their ugly past, released by some lifelong urge to shield the only family worth having.
And at 13, everything changed for Remus. It was there he finally ran into a pack of bigger kids out for revenge against whomever slashed their baby brother (those same kids who tried to bully him at school) to pieces in retaliation. These guys were headed his way when Remus flipped this switch deep inside himself and—BAM! The pain, fear, and the anger released from the latent mutation in him birthed a terrifying cataclysm. So as the transformation occurred it caused an explosion of purple energy to cover a large portion of Western similarly pushing out and activating any other mutant ability near him yet also his conscious amplification, projecting, moving and imitating powers near him. A chaotic dance of powers twisted, shifted, and reshaped in the space. The story goes so far that abilities were invented because of him, several superpowers changed around his instability. It was a bloody nightmare for everyone concerned, most of all Remus.
His frail mother climbed out of bed, gathering her strength to seek for son in the thick smog. His mother found him on the train and took him home, but it was too late. The source of the commotion came from the Industrial District where military was already combing. When Remus's mother finally caught on just how much trouble they were in, she contacted her brother overseas. The two decided that Remus had to flee the country to avoid getting caught by officials. He didn’t want to go at first, but his mother convinced him that life had a different path for him. The goodbye at the airport was tearful, and little did Remus know, it would be his last time to see his mother alive.
Remus went to live with his uncle, a tough but fair man who signed him up for the military. Remus thrived off the regimented lifestyle and flourished in an environment that gave him boundaries through which to direct his anger and confusion. It trained him to be even tougher in ways, both physically and emotionally; thus the military became his new home. He kept in touch with his mother, but he was 18 when she died and it destroyed him. Arriving back for her funeral, Remus was once again on his own with only the military to be around, which kept him centered.
Over the next ten years, Remus went on to fight in a dozen wars around the world. The traumas cut so deep that he physically and mentally bled. His very being was sucked dry of warmth and life by that incessant war, drained away forever. Still, even in this image of a killer grown cold from the life structured around him, some saw traces of another boy—charming and affectionate—a boy who might have made something more out of himself. Those rare glimpses were of the battles raging inside his being; struggles by which he tried to make sense of who he was and also, relate in some way to what had once been.
At 29, Remus returned home to the West District, following his uncle's suggestion to take some time off and rest. Around that time, he also received an invitation from SOTO about a possible recruitment opportunity. Initially, Remus ignored it, but later reconsidered, thinking it might be a good way to stay occupied while he was there. He knew he could find work in the military sector, but that didn’t appeal to him. Becoming a vigilante seemed like too much hassle, and he preferred having the freedom to do whatever he wanted without the law constantly on his back.
Remus possesses the ability known as Power Manipulation, or Superpower Manipulation, which allows him to influence the powers of mutants within his immediate vicinity. However, due to a rare genetic disorder, his ability developed with certain limitations. Unlike true capacity of it's namesake, Remus cannot steal, negate, erase, or otherwise destroy the powers of others; his manipulation is solely focused on enhancing, creating, regulating, replicating, i.e the more beneficial sense.
Despite these limitations, the scope of his abilities remains vast, giving him an incredible range of control and adaptability when it comes to interacting with other mutants' powers. Remue's true strength lies in his mastery of Power Replication, which he relies on heavily in most situations. He can mimic the abilities of nearby mutants, adapting them to his own use, though his replication isn't merely a copy—his form of replication mimics every aspect of the ability from its weaknesses down to its quantum make-up, as such he can't further improve on it on his own.
Remus's abilities can manifest through a distinct flare of unknown purple energy, which appears as a visual representation of "the focused totality of power itself." This energy serves as a marker of his power's activation, a visual cue to the immense potential he holds, even if much of it remains untapped.
The Power Nexus is a manifestation of Remus' ability to manipulate superpowers. It acts as a focal point or "nexus" for his mutant power, concentrating the energy of his abilities into a tangible form. This circle-like manifestation allows Remus to access and manipulate the various aspects of his power with greater efficiency, range, and potency. Remus is able to release energy blasts, form barriers against attacks, as well as attain a hyper focus to acquire greater precision pertaining to his abilities.
Power Burnout is the most severe downside of this ability, triggered by pushing his limits, particularly when using Power Augmentation or Power Nexus. This phenomenon mirrors overclocking a CPU or overloading a battery, consuming immense energy reserves and leading to a complete shutdown of his mutant power. During a Burnout, Remus's abilities become highly unstable and are temporarily exhausted, making it impossible for him to use his powers or even access passive aspects of Power Manipulation. The Burnout lasts for about a minute, after which his abilities remain unstable for up to an hour. If Remus attempts to use his powers during this "cool down" period, it further prolongs the recovery time, making the abilities even more erratic and extending the time it takes for full recovery.
Remus's power might seem limitless at first glance, but it's far from easy to manage. For one, there's Power Strain, which happens every time he pushes his abilities too hard or for too long. Whether he's manipulating powers from a distance or trying to maintain control over multiple abilities at once, it drains him physically and mentally. He can't keep it up forever, and eventually, it leaves him exhausted and vulnerable.
Then there’s Power Burnout, which kicks in if he pushes himself too far with Power Augmentation or Power Nexus. It’s like overloading a battery — his abilities completely shut down for about a minute, and even after that, they stay unstable for up to an hour. During this time, if he tries to use his powers, it just makes things worse and extends the recovery period. Power Echoes are another problem. They leave behind traces of powers he's manipulated in the past, causing unpredictable side effects that can interfere with what he’s doing in the moment.
His Mitochondrial Myopathy adds another layer of difficulty. It affects his energy production, so using his powers takes a bigger toll on him than it would on someone else. The strain wears him out faster and makes it harder for him to recover. Lastly, when he replicates someone else’s power, he also takes on their weaknesses. These Inherited Weaknesses might not last forever, but while he has the copied ability, he’s just as vulnerable as the original owner. All of this means that Remus can’t just rely on brute force. He has to be smart, careful, and know his limits — because when he hits them, the consequences can be severe.
Remus’s abilities come with specific limitations that vary depending on which aspect of his powers he's using. Whether it's the strain of replicating powers, the energy drain from augmenting them, or the instability caused by Power Nexus, each element carries its own unique drawbacks. These limitations aren’t just general; they directly influence how and when he can use his abilities effectively. Click the button below to access a detailed breakdown of these limitations, as well as an expanded explanation of his general weaknesses.
Remus Reyes hasn’t set foot in Sentinel City since he was 13, and it’s been over a decade now. After his mom passed away, he had no reason to come back, and honestly, he didn’t want to. In the years he’s been gone, he’s made a serious name for himself in military circles overseas. He’s won wars, handled international conflicts, and has the respect of foreign governments. Organizations like SOTO have reached out to him because of his reputation and what he’s accomplished. But in Sentinel City, no one really knows who he is anymore. The city doesn’t have much contact with the outside world, so all of his achievements have gone unnoticed. To them, he’s just a guy who left and never came back.