Author notes

BURNING GAZE, Page 12

alschroeder

on May 30, 2013

Gust's power affects loose-moving molecules the most.  Solids are too locked into their molecular bonds.  Winds are easiest for him to effect, but to a lesser extent, he can speed up—or slow down–liquids too. Winds are easy. Waves are harder.  He's a little like Storm or Weather Wizard, but he can't summon lightning or rain at will. Just–wind. But if you're facing tornado-level winds, that's enough.  His costume is designed to protect him from windburn, although usually he can make a calm "bubble" around himself, like the eye of a hurricane. Additional glider wing/cape (not shown) allows him to fly, if need be. He also has a mask—again, to protect against windburn, not for disguise.

Gust headed a bunch of Nordic/Germanic survivors of the Zha'Tahn, which called themselves the Superiors. Soul called his group, basically gathered from the lands that belonged (or once belonged) to the British Empire, the Command.  Remember that Soul began his group in the late Elizabethan age. Even for superhumans, world travel wasn't as easy as it is now.   Later, after a clash between the two groups, they eventually merged to the group called The Next Level.  Soul became the leader and Gust became the treasurer.

More on THAT later.

Genesis (no Phil Collins jokes please) has one of those powers that sounds like nothing at first, but if you think about it, is extremely powerful.   He sort of combines Chemical King's, Clorophyll Kid's, and Swamp Thing's power.  He can speed or slow down chemical and biochemical processes, a human catalyist. But growth, both of plants and animals, is a biochemical process, so he can make plants grow in minutes—or wither, for that matter. Yet he can also make tumors and cancers grow—or slow down metabolisms to a coma….
Again, more on HIM later.

There are plenty of other Next Level members you haven't met yet.  Like the Legion, or the X-Men currently, they have a pretty large roster.

 But what happened to the humans caught by the Zha'Tahn who DIDN'T escape?  And why did the Zha'Tahn give them superhuman powers anyway? Again…

More on that later.