Frederick "Gallant" Crawford

Frederick is a man who spends a lot of time on his appearance. His reputation is important to him, and he tries to walk that fine line of being approachable and friendly, while also not seeming lax or lazy in any way. His hair is a golden blond and kept short. His eyes are a dark blue-green. While nothing like what's common on Manta Carlos, Frederick doesn't quite look his age. He could easily pass for someone in his mid-thirties due to general good upkeep. His clothes tend to be high end when he can get them, and there's always a smile on his face. He does his best to keep his demeanor welcoming.

He tends to wear long pants that hide his ankle tracker.

Frederick is charismatic first and foremost. He's the kind of guy who's friends with everyone, and with whom even a casual meeting feels important. He always has time for the little people, no matter how inconsequential they might be to others. He's eager to be everyone's friend and trusted confidant, but has trouble trusting others with his own secrets. He feels intense pressure to be Gallant, and at times feels like Gallant is more true than Frederick.

As a legacy hero, he expects himself to live up to his own personal code. The needs of the common man are paramount, and he's constantly twisting himself around to meet them. He aims to be that paragon of good that other people can look up to, and believes very strongly that someone always has to fulfill that role. His lack of a heir--someone to take up that mantle now that he's retired--is what he considers his greatest failing.

Down to my Level: Gallant's signature move. By pointing at someone (generally a villain) and demanding that they fight him, he's capable of dragging them down to his level in terms of abilities. Any supernatural abilities someone has above and beyond a normal human are considered null and void. Any physical abilities above and beyond a normal human are also considered null and void. It's like getting slapped in the face with a human capability charm, but not one you can take off. The effect lasts indefinitely, even if they manage to escape from Gallant, but Gallant can only have the effect on a single person at a time. If he wants to change targets, he needs to release the first one.

Technically speaking, he doesn't have to issue a challenge at all. The effect is entirely mental, but almost no one's ever seen him use it without the pointing and the challenge. While not public knowledge, he can also get a general sense of the direction and how far away the person he's tagged onto is.

Warnings for child abuse mentions.

• Frederick is either the fifth or sixth gallant, depending on how revisionist you want to get with your history. The Crawfords claim that they can trace their lineage back to King Arthur, but the actual historicity of that claim was foggy at best.
• Frederick was raised knowing he'd step into his father's shoes, and faced a demanding training regime long before he was ever ready to even to debut as Gallant. He never worked alongside his father or any other member of the family, instead having them at his back when he finally did debut.
• Gallant had always been a popular hero, but Frederick pushed it past any prior limits. Under his care, the name exploded, pushing him into the position of the most beloved hero in Halcyon City.
• While taking part time college classes, he met his wife, a star struck young woman. The marriage was deeply passionate, but crashed and burned not long after they had their first child, a young boy he named Godfrey. She divorced him, leaving Godfrey with him to be raised entirely by Fredrick.
• Fredrick fully expected Godfrey to become the next Gallant, and when he began to express that he didn't want to become a hero, Frederick was devastated. The Gallant name was a family thing, and the only one worthy to take on the name would be his his child.
• When Fredrick expressed his desire to retire and pass the name to Godfrey despite his wishes, the two had their big falling out. Godfrey left the house, abandoned the family name, and emancipated himself, while Fredrick was left to figure out how he was going to manage things.
• He didn't have much choice in things. When he was seriously injured not a month after Godfrey left, Gallant announced his retirement and the end of the Gallant name. Rather than leaving the spotlight entirely, he campaigned for the position of mayor, winning by an absolute landslide.
• Fredrick was still mayor when the world began to end, and at that point he took back up his mantle, becoming Gallant once more. When the portals opened up, he was the last one through, ensuring that all the people remaining from his beloved city made it through.

Next to nothing. Freddie lives in a small apartment provided by the island and lives off welfare while he searches for a job. He has no savings.

Gallant's signature phrase is "Come forth, that justice be done upon you!". It's a Lord of the Rings reference.

Went to prison from November 7th, 2018 to May 7th, 2019. On parole until Nov 7th, 2019.

October's Gift: A seed which will turn into a tiny potted tree when planted. The tree produces one of whichever fruit you like best a day.

Art Credits: Official art of Keith Goodman from Tiger & Bunny.