Name: Ulrich Kemmler
Codename: Lich
Shield Staff-position yet to be determined.
Major Power: He's a lich, effectively an undead wizard.
*Can bring the dead back to life. This is greatly affected by willingness and how recently they died. EX: a mentally/spiritually strong and recently dead enemy will not be easily controlled or stay up long. Yet say a follower that willed himself into undead service will come right back, albeit under Ulrich's complete control.
*Healing, by way of bringing dead tissue to life, or halting the decay process.
Minor power: low-level wizard abilities. Things like ventriloquism, weak fireballs, electric grasp, etc. Can also animate inanimate objects, like in the wizards apprentice. Does not work on advanced or complex machines.
Weaknesses:
*Do to his extended period of being held in a crypt(explained in the backstory), his powers are extremely weakened. EX: can only control a few bodies at a time, it takes a great amount of energy and power to regenerate things, and can't remain outside his body or phylactery for too long. He can slowly build his power back through absorption of recently dead things(or currently alive things but this is frowned upon). He can quickly build his power back by gaining followers in the manner of a religion or his own private school, but immediately recognized how difficult that would be in the modern age.
*Can only eat things untouched by fire. No cooked foods, no processed meats. His preferences lie closer to dead and decayed, but has changed that in recent times to adjust to his new world.
*He is greatly weakened by the faith of others. As such, he can't attack those of the clergy, and if enough of them are concentrating on him(or just one person at a very close distance), they can lock him down. The effort needed to shut down his Necromantic powers will be greater as his power expands.
Appearance- Dresses quite often in a single color of either black or white. Long sleeves, high-boots, turtleneck, and gloves. Usually wearing a pair of small round glasses. This is to hide the fact that his current body is made up of parts from several others, the exploration team that was exploring his mausoleum. If you pay close enough attention, he is never standing straight as his legs aren't the same length, his left hand is a little bigger than the other, among other small differences.
Personality- Ulrich is an extremely curios individual, intensely fascinated by the new world. He is power hungry, yet his approach is not devious so much as it is overwhelming. He will attempt to gain power through the most beneficial methods available, as he strongly believes in the importance of allies and loyalty.
He has attempted to become more likeable, and has adopted a rather morbid sense of humor. He loves to play pranks, but given his abilities his pranks have been known to cause anxiety attacks and, in some occasions, hospitalize a person. His patience is endless, as is his thirst for knowledge and willingness to try anything.
Backstory-Ulrich Kemmler was born in at the beginning of the dark ages many centuries ago. He grew up in a religious family, one strict on proper behavior and following the faith. An extremely inquisitive child growing up, he was kicked out of his own home after a heated discussion with his father on the truth of religion. That was when the strange old man that lived on the edge of town took him in, and told him there was more than faith in the world. There was magic, real magic, and Ulrich's journey began.
Many years were spent studying under the ageless individual, until Ulrich's curios nature once more got the better of him. He was exploring the old mans land, when a voice called. Unable to see the source, Ulrich was led to an unmarked grave where he eventually dug up a body. A spirit appeared before him, spinning to him a tale of dread and woe. The old man was not ageless as he had seemed, the spirit whispered. He was not kind as he had acted, the spirit moaned. He cared nothing for Ulrich, the spirit warned.
By the end of the spirits tale, Ulrich knew the truth. The old man was a follower of darkness, an abuser of the naivety and kindness of his "pupils", that hopped from body to body as the one he had grew old. He had remained that way for many years, undiscovered under the guise of his "pupils" taking their masters place.
So it was that Ulrich was lead to the old mans secret basement, where he slept during the day. Ulrich absconded with everything he could carry, spread rumors around town of the old mans evil nature, and left. He found out, many years later, that the old man was eventually burned alive by the clergy after a long and arduous chase.
Ulrich spent the next century in isolated study, gaining a deep understanding of his darker capabilities and mastering them as best he could. When he felt ready, he emerged into the world with a new "faith" to the people. He promised a life after death, showed proof that death was not the end, and quickly gained followers. Given the slow spread of information, his power-base was too-far gone for a simple and hushed solution by the church. Centuries of effort was spent dissuading the religion he had built, bringing him to a level where he could be stopped.
By the time enough power was gathered to silence Ulrich, he had already gone through the process into true undeath and gained many followers. Knowing they would not be stopped, Ulrich set into his mausoleum. As his true-followers were killed and he felt the combined will of the Church bearing down on him, he spent the last of his power to send his phylactery deep underground to where the Might of man and the Will of faith could not reach.
It was there, that day, that the combined forces of the holy church locked away Ulrich Kemmler, setting a curse upon his mausoleum. Should it ever be disturbed by power or magic, it would collapse. They did this as a last ditch effort, believing that some of his followers may have survived. None did, but their efforts were in vain.
His spirit spent the next several centuries in quiet reflection. Had he grown mad, in his final years? Was he wrong, to rise to power in the way he did? If he ever got out, how would he do things differently? Many years were spent lamenting his closest followers. At the time, he had looked at them as tools and stepping stones, albeit important ones. Over time, he came to think of them as friends, important in their loyalty and support. He made a promise to himself that if he got out, he would do things differently. His goal would be the same, but his methods different.
So it was that one day, a brightness entered his personal tomb. Strangely dressed men, carrying strange fire-sticks, entered. It was at that moment that the wave hit, the blue glow washing over his tomb. In a moment, the power of the glow broke the enchantments hold his spirit to the mausoleum. It also activated the curse, crushing all the explorers as his tomb crumbled. He watched their spirits look on in horror as he repurposed what of their bodies he could. He was going to need a new suit for his adventure into the world.
Walking, for the first time in 600 years, out into the sunlight he smiled and thought "What kind of lives will i live now?"
Sometime later, Jarvis alerted Tony Stark to a rather strange attempt at a system hack. After some frantic searching, and with SHIELD's assistance, it was traced to none other than Ulrich Kemmler residing in a hotel near Stark Tower. After an extensive interrogation, to which Ulrich was mostly amused, SHIELD decided to recruit him before HYDRA did. Ulrich, no longer wanting a life in the shadows, was more than happy with this arrangement.
(Let me know if I should shorten all this, or what all I should change to make it acceptable. I have a few other character ideas if this one isn't well received)