A vigilante renowned for his ruthlessness and resilience, Mortem earned a fierce reputation after hunting down several serial killers, psychopaths, and gang leaders. Uncaught and unchallenged, rumors of his perceived immortality have spread like wildfire across the criminal underworld, cementing his place as symbol of fear for those willing to spurn justice.

Real Name: Henry Pool

Abilities: Pain suppression; self-trained in martial arts, edged weapons combat, ranged weapons combat, and close quarters combat

Affiliations: None

Background

Henry Pool was eight-years-old when his drunken father abandoned his mother and him. Henry came home after school one day to fight his mother hanging by her neck from the rafters. Transferred into Foster care where he remained for several years, the well-off Brachure family eventually adopted Henry, providing him with therapy, education, and support throughout his teenage years. He grew especially close to his adoptive sister, Nora, who served as a role model and mentor to him throughout high school. Henry later graduated with honors from medical school and strove to become a surgeon, quickly earning praise from his colleagues and establishing himself as a foremost expert in reconstructive surgery.

Arriving home late one night to find his front door splintered, however, everything changed after Henry engaged a house burglar and took his life. The event dredged up trauma from his past; coupled with mounting frustrations at work, Henry experienced a psychic break. Taking time off to recompose himself, Henry decided to take it upon himself to help mitigate the evil of the world, vowing to take a sinister life for every one he saved.

Donning a bulletproof vest and faceless helmet, Henry began stalking the streets of Rochester and Gonic armed with little more than a knife and handgun. He hyped himself up with various substances before battle before inventing a personal concoction that repressed his central nervous system, eliminating all pain. Henry began his crusade by hunting serial killers and tackling gang violence. It wasn’t long before he took on bigger game, trying several times to hinder the Nitro Syndicate. After every successful job, Henry would leave a calling card in the form of the word Mortem in blood around his victims. The word became a name, and the name became a symbol.

Although preferring to work alone, Henry entrusted his colleague Fredrick Chikitsak with his secret, allowing the doctor to pull bullets and stitch wounds that Henry couldn’t reach. Mortem has on notable occasions also allied with the A.R.C.H.E.R.S Association to help keep Nitro in check, and once joined the Stalker to track down missing shipments of narcotics that led back to the S.K.U.L.L. organization. Unafraid to face criminals head on regardless of consequence, Mortem earned himself a fearsome reputation that alone kept evil to a minimum.

Related Pages: The A.R.C.H.E.R.S. Association / The Nitro Syndicate / The Stalker / S.K.U.L.L.