Mike Galarza (Impact)

The Rebounding Hero.

Hero Name: Impact

Quirk: Payback

The user has the ability to absorb kinetic energy upon contact, temporarily store it inside his body, and deliver it back at the target with physical attacks such as punches, kicks, and jumps. He can retaliate with the exact amount of kinetic energy stored from a single attack, or he can continue to store energy for a certain amount of time for a more powerful attack later. He can also tell how much energy he has stored within himself by his heartbeat -- the more energy stored, the faster the heart rate.

Limitations:

• He cannot absorb self-generated energy, from both physical and with the help of a weapon.
• He is limited to how long he can store kinetic energy. The bigger the amount of kinetic energy stored, the shorter time he has to return it. Small amounts (ex: punches and kicks, small weapons) he can hold within period of 15-20 minutes, while larger amounts (ex: larger weapons, motor vehicle impact) he can hold for several seconds.
• If he does not allow himself to release the kinetic energy in time, a shock wave will be created and all of the energy will release onto himself. Mike takes a large amount of damage from these shock waves, depending on the amount of energy, and can incapacitate himself. Anyone within very close range of a shock wave will also take some damage.
• He is also limited to how much kinetic energy he can store at a time. Too many large amounts of kinetic energy stored will cause a shock wave.
• Overusing his quirk will give him heart palpitations (dizziness, chest pain, short breath, fainting) due to the changing in heart rate.
• He cannot absorb or deliver kinetic energy while being incapacitated.
• While absorbing energy makes him more powerful, he is not invulnerable to damage and pain.

Primary Course Focus: Pro Hero

A young man whose mouth operates faster than his brain. Mike projects bright and sunny energy onto those around him, as he's always up to chat and cheer someone up. At times he chats way too much, which often leads to getting on someone's nerves. He loves taking risks and thinks little of what would happen if he went to this place or did this thing. He just jumps right in and hopes for the best. Mike doesn't get easily disheartened by disappointments and setbacks. He tries to stay as positive as he can, even against all odds. He truly has a big heart; he cares a whole lot and easily empathizes with those around him.

Unfortunately, Mike is incredibly reckless and may push himself too hard. He gets himself scraped up and bruised constantly and doesn't seem to care. Not only that, but he's prone to performing dangerous stunts for the sake of the thrill and boosting his ego. He likes to set high goals for himself, sometimes unrealistic goals, in order to prove himself. This leads him to overexerting himself and piling one too many things on his to-do list.

His kind of humor is childish and obscene, which can be overbearing or annoying to strangers. And with that on top of never being able to shut up, it only makes him look more obnoxious. Mike isn't the book-smart kind of student. He doesn't always pick up on fancy terms or catch onto hints. He's not completely void of common sense, however. He doesn't fret about neatness, so he tends to leave his workplace messy. Not only can Mike not be able to clean up his own room, he almost never plans ahead in an organized manner.

Born in Sacramento, California, Mike was the second eldest child in his big family. His father was a part of a team of pro heroes, and Mike looked up to him with immense admiration. Growing up under a pro hero's wing inspired him to be just like his father. The child loved to bury his nose in his father's work and watch all of the heroes live on TV. He desired to be that powerful, famous figure who could help those in times of need, even from a young age.

Mike's quirk manifested while roughhousing with his siblings; it became apparent when he was leaving bruises that would normally not be left from a small child. His family discovered that Mike had inherited a unique combination of his parents' quirks, much to the child's happiness. Though his quirk allowed him to gain strength temporarily, he was quick to be reckless with it. Even after incidents of overexertion, including the first time he held in too much kinetic energy and induced a shock wave, he had trouble learning his limits. Mike's parents both had a hand in helping him learn, but it was his father who he truly looked up to for guidance. But once he got the hang of his quirk, young Mike would continue to go through many impulsive actions with good intentions... and many band aids.

After Mike had turned ten years old, his father was convicted of aggravated assault against another pro hero of his team -- which caused him to lose his connections with his hero agency and his hero license. Unable to find another job and regain a good reputation, the father moved his family across the country to live in a small neighborhood in Queens, New York. Though Mike could see the shame his father carried, he still wanted to believe was a good hero. Through the rest of his childhood and teen years, he still longed to become a hero. But the very idea of another blow to the family name was enough to make his parents, especially father, discourage him from doing so. Not to mention they were very aware of how often Mike would use his quirk to make bad decisions. Mike would try out school sports and other activities, but none interested him into pursuing it as a career. He had such an outstanding quirk, and he wanted to believe that he could bring honor back to the family name. After months upon months of begging, favors, and fighting, Mike convinced his father to let him train to be a pro hero, to prove that he wasn't too reckless to be a hero. So sure enough, he was enrolled in a local hero-oriented high school with some side training by dad himself.

Because he wasn't the brightest bulb, Mike grew scared when it came time to take exams. Afraid of letting his family down, Mike tried his hardest to get his grades as high as he could, even if it meant tutoring, and lots of it. He was set on attending the most well-known and successful university, so naturally Schuyler was his top school. And though he wasn't expected to be accepted the first time around, he managed to get in against all odds.

Likes

• Jaguars
• Internet-viral challenges
• Graphic t-shirts
• Skateboarding
• Drinking from glass bottles
• The beach
• Soccer
• Race cars

Dislikes

• Strict rules
• The smell of nail polish
• Heavy coats
• Being nagged at
• Very fancy events/establishments
• Being forgotten
• Falling behind his peers
• Negative talk about family

Extras

• He can speak Spanish and English fluently.
• Did track & field and soccer during his childhood and still loves doing both.
• Is currently trying to learn how to skateboard.