The Future
Is Weird
Charles "Charlie" Baker
West-coast based british tech contractor
Quick info
Name: Charles “Charlie” Baker
Age: 24 years old (January 27th)
Origin: Oxford (England)
Job: Independent tech contractor
Species: Unspecified mutate
Blood type: AB+
Sexuality: Bisexual
Charlie Baker's story
Charles Baker was born the middle child of three, raised in Oxford by two parents who chose quiet, ordinary jobs and rarely spoke about their lives before England. The family moved there when Charlie was barely twoTravelling to the isles when Charlie was barely two, and growing an apparently normal child, a semi-dormant power began to manifest—one that appeared to give him control over light. This control, however, was faulty and unpredictable. He could influence brightness, and color and intensity of light, but the effects were inconsistent, sometimes powerful and other times barely noticeable. His powers were unstable, fluctuating wildly and activating even subconsciously, often causing internal strain that left him vulnerable to dangerous energy outbursts.Haunted by the fear that he was no different from the mutants portrayed as “villains” in the news, Charlie struggled to conceal his powers from nearly everyone around him.Driven by the need for answers, Charlie immersed himself in the study of Physics, Biology, and Technology, hoping to stabilize his powers—or at least find a way to survive them. Study became his refuge, and he was good enough at it to enter university two years early.At sixteen, Charlie left for the United States on a scholarship to attend a prestigious university, his family following. His academic excellence served as both a cover and a lifeline. But his life was soon upended when his powers changed again after terrigen clouds were left loose all over earth, unlocking the full potential of his already unstable abilities, supercharging his connection to the electromagnetic spectrum. What had been a faulty influence over light became a connection to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. The powers he had once struggled to control grew more intense and volatile, but with enough focus, Charlie was now able to exercise more consistent control over them—so long as he remained calm and concentrated.Despite this newfound control, Charlie remained untrained and unsure of how to manage his powers. His fear of becoming a hazard to those around him led him to take up work as an independent technology contractor, hoping to keep his abilities hidden from the public eye.Now, he faces the terrifying reality that his powers are no longer faulty— but dangerously volatile. If left unchecked, his unstable connection to the electromagnetic spectrum could turn him into a radiological hazard, endangering everyone in proximity. Even with his improved control, there’s always the risk of an overload, an out-of-control burst of energy that could have catastrophic consequences.He has never found an answer for what he is. No test he can run explains it, and the one problem he has spent his life on remains unsolved. And the longer he looks, the more he suspects his family knows something they’ve never told him.Charlie must find a way to continue hiding his powers while navigating the challenges of his life in the U.S and the looming question of his powers—and whether his destiny will pull him into a world he’s tried to avoid for so long.
Appearance
Charlie Baker stands tall at 186 cm (6'1"), with a stocky, muscular build developed through rigorous physical training—a discipline he adopted to help control his unstable powers, making his presence intimidating at first glance.With a skin more averagely tanned than most people from his homeland and decorated with faint freckles, his most distinctive feature is his copper-ish red hair, medium-length and wavy, which forms loose curls if left to grow longer. Complementing this is his unkempt beard—a slightly darker red, giving him a rugged, weathered appearance. The only contrast to his otherwise red-toned hair is his striking deep green eyes, often the first thing people notice when meeting him.Charlie’s usual attire reflects a balance of practicality and casual comfort. He often wears long boots and tight jeans, paired with comfortable shirts or a jacket over t-shirts—pragmatic enough to handle unexpected physical strain, but relaxed enough to avoid drawing too much attention.
Powers
Charlie possesses the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum—the entire range of electromagnetic radiation—from radio waves to gamma rays.
However, unlike most other energy-wielding individuals, he cannot generate radiation or light from thin air nor become radiation himself. He can only manipulate the existing electromagnetic energy present in his environment.
Abilities & Applications:
Radiation Manipulation:
- Control over ambient EM radiation, including visible light, radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.- Can concentrate, redirect, reflect, or absorb radiation to varying degrees.- Can theoretically "combine" lower-energy radiation (like visible light) to create higher-energy waves, though this is inefficient and extremely draining.
Light and Color Manipulation:
- Change the color and intensity of light.- Bend light around objects or himself for limited invisibility or stealth.- Create illusions by redirecting light — visual-only, with no physical presence. These require less energy than constructs but still drain him.
Construct Creation (Solid Light):
- Can solidify light temporarily into simple, functional constructs (shields, barriers, small weapons) with limited detail and size — no bigger than himself.- Max 1-2 constructs at a time. Maintaining them drains energy significantly and demands constant focus.- Constructs vanish the moment his concentration breaks.
Radiation Storage:- Can temporarily "store" radiation within his body, but his biological limits make this dangerous.
Enhanced Senses and metabolism:- Passive sensitivity to electromagnetic changes—allowing him to detect radiation levels or see wavelengths beyond normal human vision (infrared, UV) when focused.- Part of the radiation he can absorb is reconverted by his body in a somewhat autonomous way. While this is not nearly as powerful as a healing factor, it helps to shorten the time needed to heal wounds and a lot of metabolic and immunologic processes.
Limitations:
Environmental Dependency:
- Cannot create radiation. Limited by the amount and type of energy available in his surroundings.- In low-light or low-radiation environments, his power is drastically reduced.
Internal Strain:
- Manipulating higher-energy radiation (UV, X-rays, gamma) is immensely taxing and can cause internal damage or trigger his overload state.
Overload Risk:- Prolonged use or excess absorption leads to uncontrollable "venting" — dangerous, often involuntary bursts of radiation, turning Charlie into a radiological hazard. This state is chaotic, destructive, and harms him internally as well as anything in his immediate vicinity and beyond, depending on the strength of the energy released.
Personality
Trapped between the science logic world and emotions he oftentimes can't control, Charlie Baker is methodical, perceptive and extremely intelligent, but also introspective to a point that might sometimes touch emotional numbness.Even if he has a warm social exterior, he usually can't afford to be overtly trusting and, seemingly distant when people try to reach out, with his errors, ambitions and his unstable powers usually weighing him down. Despite the guarded exterior, there’s a quiet urgency in him—a need to understand, to fix what’s broken, to fix himself.Charlie isn't interested in being a hero—he doesn't wear a name or chase recognition. He works in the margins, uncomfortable with praise, cautious with connection, dragging buried emotions to the surface.Through it all, Charlie keeps going—not out of heroism, or because it is what's right, but out of obsession, out of some deeper question he can’t let go of. He's not trying to save the world. He's trying to make sense of it.