Monsters of Note: Father Freak

The usual categorization for supers is "heroes, villains, and monsters". That's inaccurate, so here's the low-down:

When a child with super potential is born, they advance to Stage 1. Immediately the mitochondria in their cells starts a process of evolution, trying to bond with the cells and "repair" the body (which in reality has only been delivered, not injured). If they are successful, the child will advance to Stage 2 in a week's time. If they fail, they'll eventually bond, but imperfectly, and this process takes about three weeks. We call the former children "heroes or villains", but the original researchers dubbed them "Children of Eve". We call the latter "monsters", but they are also called "Children of Lilith".

Lilithim are invariably disfigured, grotesque, and inhuman, but they are still supers. Like any other human being, they can make moral decisions and do what they think is right. Since they tend to be rejected by society, they're more likely to be outcasts and misfits. They don't fall into the traditional "villain" role - they are often more destructive, and less social. And then there's some who are real monsters.

A great example is Father Freak. He is sometimes called "the demon of Detroit", and is monstrous both physically and mentally. He holds a twisted Black Mass at the St. Joseph Roman Catholic church, near Lafayette Park, and has destroyed the building's treasured stained glass windows.

Past

Some say he's a former priest, or an ordinary man whose faith was shattered. Either way, it is known that he holds an undying grudge against Christianity, and most benevolent expressions of other religious belief (such as the practice of alms and charitable giving among Muslims).

Personality

Father Freak doesn't seem very tormented, although psychological profiles suggest a deeply-rooted self-loathing and persecution complex. He occupies the St. Joseph church as his home, and is known to be a Stage Five superhuman. He seems content to practice Satanic rituals and other defilement at the church, and the police have proven repeatedly unable to stop him. He isn't destructive enough to prompt the military to approach with sufficient force to pose a real threat to him.

He welcomes guests to the church, provided they make no obvious attempt to worship; he enjoys the company of nonbelievers, the wretched, the outcast, and other kindred spirits.

Powers

Father Freak stands eight feet tall. His "skin" is a deeply black armored chitinous shell and affords him significant protection. Numerous cracks or fissures in the shell, and other orifices such as his eyes and mouth, continuously emit a peculiar silvery light. His vision seems to have compensated by spreading into the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum. He has six fingers and toes, and an extra joint in each major extremity.

He is capable of generating tremendously strong concussive blasts at range, apparently via some highly energetic interaction with the atmosphere. This power can also be used defensively; if he focuses, he can wrap himself into a nigh-impenetrable shield of force. This combined with his armor and inhumanly fast healing rate make him almost invulnerable. Even without his shield, he has shrugged off rounds from anti-materiel rifles and is known to have walked through a barrage of 20mm rounds from an M197 Gatling gun without breaking stride.

Problems

Father Freak's numerous psychological problems seem centered around his hatred of spirituality and teachings of love or kindness. It is believed that his feelings are based on his development as a Child of Lilith, and that his monstrous form unhinged his mind. If so, reminders of that trauma would probably trigger a very strong response.