 Created by: Lawrenz Lano First appearance: The Unconventionals #1  Other appearances: The Unconventionals #2, #3, #4... Other Pictures:  Art done by: John Ridley | Real Name: Alex Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Height: 5 foot 8 inches Age: 16 Country of Origin: Canada Occupation: Residence administrator Base of operations: Pointe-Claire, Canada Ethical alliance: Good History Alex's mother had been a junkie and had died while giving him birth. Unfortunately for him, the overabundance of drugs in her body had severe repercussions upon Alex's life. He was born with a severe case of neural disorder. The doctors had given him many tests but could not help him in any way. They said his sensory configuration was out of whack, for lack of a better term. Alex could not do the simplest of motor functions. Even eating was a chore because he never seemed to see the spoon in front of him and had to be restrained for all of his feedings. Alex was placed in foster care for the first few years of his life, but no family could handle the severity of the task. He was eventually relegated to a privately owned orphanage and was essentially forgotten. Around age five, Alex started his first steps but like all of his other motor functions, it was disastrous. He constantly bumped into walls and any obstacle in sight so had to wear a helmet in permanence. He was twelve years old when he met Zack. Zack was 6 years older and suffered from a severe case of autism and never spoke. All he did was scream, yell and grunt, yet Alex could understand every word. But Zack was far from loquacious. He could stay days without uttering a single sound. On one Christmas Eve, Zack became very agitated. He started grunting that the orphanage had been sold and that they were going to be moved to a bad place. He said he had extrapolated the information through a series of algorithmic permutations. "A what?" Alex had asked confused. "It's what I do," grunted Zack. "Like you, I perceive the world unlike anyone else." "What do you mean 'like me'?" "There is nothing wrong with you. Only the network is wrong. Understand it and set yourself free." Alex was confused. He understood what Zack was saying but not his meaning. He wanted Zack to elaborate, but Zack was gone. He was staring blankly at the turned off TV screen. A few weeks later, new doctors came to visit the orphanage. They made many tests on the patients and took blood samples. They spoke without reservation. All the orphans being severely handicapped, they knew their words would not go beyond these doors. But Alex heard them. He heard the truth that Zack had warned him about; the doctors were going to take the patients' organs for transplant into rich children. That night Zack spoke up once more. As always, he was strapped up in his bed and he asked Alex if he was ready to escape. Alex thought he was joking. He couldn't even do three steps without tripping over his own feet, but Zack was serious. Zack told him how to visualize his world. "Do not look at the task, see only the result. That is what you must do. You wish to eat? Then eat. Do not think of the spoon. Do not think of the plate. Think "eat" and your body will do the rest." "Now come and untie me. Do not think how you will do it. Just untie me." Alex got out of his bed, crossed the room and unclasped the restraint. Alex was ecstatic. He had actually performed a complex task. "Now, we must leave," Zack grunted, and Alex followed him. As they passed the kitchen, guards spotted them and rushed to intercept them. Zack let out a scream, but Alex heard the words behind them; three guards were closing in. Alex panicked and tripped in the chaos. Fear gripped him. He banged in a table and glasses and plates crashed down. He froze as Zack's screams got worse. Their meaning was clear to him; "Help us, Alex!" Alex's hand touched something. In his mind, only one though echoed. "Kill the guards and escape." Forks and knives flew from Alex's hands. Some hit the ceiling, some the floor, some ricocheted off the walls, but all found their mark. The guards fell down. Knives and forks had sliced jugulars and stabbed eyes and throats. Alex and Zack made it out of the orphanage, but now what? Alex asked Zack what to do, but Zack was gone again. He walked on, a blissful smile on his face. Alex had nowhere to go, so he followed him. Zack had not been walking aimlessly, he was going home. He found the old abandoned house, walked to his room and climbed in his bed. Alex laid on the floor and rested. The next morning, Alex got up, went to the pantry found some cans of tuna and made a lunch for himself and Zack. Zack had helped him deal with his disability and he would take care of Zack in return. Over the next few years, Alex got a better understanding of how his body worked. It was true that his neural net was crossed and even fused in some areas, making normal motor functions impossible but by vectoring his determination, he could do anything. And do it better than most. Any lapse in concentration, however, and he would collapse. It was an unconventional way to live, but it was living. As for Zack, he too was unconventional. He was seemingly gone most of the time, but the man was a savant. He would start building things with no understanding of mechanics. Zack had even built a harness that could neuro-link to Alex's physical motor network. The device allowed him to walk and even run with little to no concentration, but it could only be used for a few hours at a time, so most of the time, Alex relied on his will power to accomplish his daily tasks. Alex decided that society needed to do more for unconventional people. Too many voices were stilled behind impaired limbs and minds. He decided that he would put to good use his unconventional abilities for the benefit of unconventional people. He would find others like him and Zack and make them part of something great. Led by Alex, code name Ricochet, and Zack, code name Zack (He did try to give him a name but nooo...), a team of unconventional misfits would take the world by storm. Meet The Unconventionals. Powers Accuracy: Alex has the uncanny ability to hit a target with precision even if he does not look at it. By simply concentrating on the result of an action, his abnormal nervous connections take over the vectorial calculations and determine the path necessary to reach the target. Even if Alex throws an object seemingly off-target, the object will still reach it. Agility: Alex must concentrate on the results rather than the actions themselves and when he does, his system takes over, and he can perform the most complex of motions. He travels by skateboard, can run parkour style and his spryness is unmatched. Weaknesses: Alex must constantly be aware of every action he performs. If his awareness wanders, his nervous system will return to normal and Alex will be unable to move due to his chaotic motor functions. His neural harness can only be worn for short periods because the neural connections tend to heat up and cause skin burns. Paraphernalia: Zack devised a harness that enables Alex to function in quasi-independence. The harness helps to regulate normal functions like walking and even running, thus allowing Alex to concentrate on other factors while in battle. Ricochet also carries a couple of Indian rubber balls. He uses these dense and highly elastic rubber balls as projectiles. They can cause painful welts without being deadly weapons. Curiosities: Alex's crossed wired system seems to be responsible for him being able to understand Zack's screams and grunts. |
