Marco Alessandro

⊗ Footballer. Mutant. Superhero. ⊗

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Character Info

Name: Marco Alessandro.
(FC: Gianluigi 'Gigi' Buffon).
Nickname(s): Capitano, Capi, Ale, Marcone, Maz.
Age: 34 (10/27).
Height: 6'3" (1.91m).
Weight: 183 lbs (83kg).
Born: La Spezia, Italy
Current Residence: New York City, NY, USA. (He also owns a house in Turin, Italy).
Gender: Cis male
Sexuality: Pansexual
Relationship Status: Dating Raffaele Amato (@AngelicSxul)
Occupation(s): Professional footballer (goalkeeper), X-Man.

Fears: All bugs and arachnids in general, but mainly bees, death, losing his family, and, to an extent, hospitals, heights and storms.

Personality: Unknown to most outside his closest friends and family, Marco battled depression from a young age due to a traumatic event and these bouts of depression never really seemed to fade. It led to Marco remaining quiet and introverted, never really coming out of his shell as most children did with age. He doesn't speak much, mostly because English is not his native language, but also because he just isn't a very sociable person. He finds talking to and relating to people very difficult due to both anxiety, and the fact that he is generally very withdrawn person as a means of coping with his empathic abilities; he feels so much emotion on a regular basis from the people around him that he feels emotions are exhausting and he would much rather feel nothing at all. This is not to say he's a mean or cold person, but rather that he tends to be relatively indifferent and unwavering. Few people are able to change this, however. His family, close friends and some teammates have been able to break through his tough exterior and actually develop a bond with him. When he develops a genuine bond with people, he is no longer his usual emotionless, stone faced self but rather full of emotions never thought possible from an outsider's perspective. He can be very playful and childish with the people he cares about, while also fiercely loyal and protective.

Marco also has an addictive personality, be it to drugs or anything else of the sort. When he is experiencing one of his many depressive episodes, he turns to cigarettes and alcohol, and occasionally marijuana, though nothing worse due to a history of drug abuse and self destructive tendencies. As a teenager he'd do much harder drugs and nearly ended his career before it had even started. He had been taught a lesson by someone he looked up to all those years ago, however, and kicked the habit... Mostly. The addiction to cigarettes remained, while he still took quite the liking to alcohol and simply learned to monitor his intake rather than completely give it up. Sometimes, however, he can become inconsolable when these depressive episodes strike as all the emotions he is experiencing and the people around him are experiencing bombard him. In these moments it takes his friends and family knocking some sense into him to keep him from relapsing entirely. However, his addictive personality stems far beyond drugs. Even things he enjoys become a sort of addiction, in which he feels the need to continue at all costs. Football is a good example of this; although he is older and has accomplished so much in his career already and could very well retire and look back on his career with pride, he is almost addicted to the sport and refuses to give up just yet, or anytime soon for that matter. As of recent, the adrenaline of being a hero and saving lives is something he has become addicted to.

Marco also has quite the temper. Oftentimes he acts emotionless and is very good at keeping each and every emotion, whether his own or belonging to others, at bay. But, when he reaches his breaking point and finally snaps, it is hard for him to control his temper due to the sheer strength of the emotion. His eyes glow a bright red when angry, and occasionally his powers will light up his hands and some veins throughout his body, though it is very rare he will ever actually harm anyone. When he isn't fueled by rage, the colour remains a bright blue, bordering white.

Powers

⊗ Ergokinesis:
1) Energy Absorption: The ability to absorb different forms of energy, removing it from the source and into their own body, making the source (if human) weaker. Marco tends not to do this because it causes some pain, especially if he is absorbing electricity.
2) Energy Attacks: The ability to release/use energy to attacks of various shapes and/or intensities, ranging from rays of pure energy that can knock over or even obliterate dozens of targets, or slightly singe them. Marco tends to focus on one enemy at a time when using this power, however, so as not to tire himself out.
3) Force-Field Manipulation: The ability to create, shape and manipulate force-fields, so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the field and reach the other side. This aspect of his power is still relatively new to Marco and not very strong. It tires him out quickly.

⊗ Empathy: The ability to fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others without reading apparent symptoms. Marco literally feels the pain of others. More prominent is the emotional pain, which may result in odd mood swings depending on whatever it is he is taking in. This is part of the reason why he can't stand hospitals.

⊗ Telepathy: The ability to read/sense another person's thoughts, communicate with them mentally and/or affect their minds/thoughts. Marco has managed to control this power, so, should he want to read somebody's mind, he would have to specifically focus on doing so. If he isn't focusing, he likely won't pick up on any thoughts, unless one is 'broadcasting' them (ie. dangerous thoughts, fears, anxieties, etc). Usually he avoids reading minds because he finds that it is intrusive. He can transmit his thoughts to others as well, so long as they have a strong connection to him (family, close friends, etc.).

Marco never really experimented with his powers, so there is still a lot he is unsure of. By working with the X-Men, he is also learning about himself. Regardless of his abilities, he refuses to ever let them come into play during football — fair play is extremely important to him, so he will never use his powers to his advantage. He doesn't necessarily accept his abilities, but he realizes there is nothing he can do to change them, so he puts up with them. He figured he'd put them to good use - and potentially change the way he feels about them - by joining the X-Men but due to his career, he doesn't take part in the affairs of the X-Men very often. He is able to control his powers very well, but sometimes it overwhelms him, and, rather than talking about it, he'll isolate himself. He'll remain in his own home, usually kicking a football around while listening to music, until he feels he's regained control of it all, and is alright to reenter society, so to speak. If it is especially bad, it can cause anxiety attacks and a significant amount of pain, characterized by him putting his hands over his ears as if it'll block out the thoughts he is involuntarily hearing.

Relationships

⊗ Gianluca Alessandro (Father): Marco and his father were extremely close throughout his childhood. He was a chef, and a talented football player, but an injury kept him from making it professionally. He was a very strong and passionate person, but he was very soft-spoken and quiet. He was the kind of man who could make an entire room stop and look at him with just a simple sentence. He shared his passion for football with Marco, spending countless days either playing or watching football together. His father was the person who encouraged him to pursue a career in football, having realized that his son was special, and wanting him to be able to do what he never had the chance to. Marco took his father's death very hard, and never truly recovered from it, still refusing to talk about him and the times they spent together. However, his fondest memory with his father was going to see their favourite team play, and getting his shirt signed by his favourite striker at the time. For several years, Marco blamed himself for his father's death, wishing he could have done more, but over the years he has accepted what happened, and truly believes his father is still watching over him. Because of this, he goes into every football match aiming to make his father proud, knowing he'd never miss seeing his favourite team play, let alone seeing his son play on said team. His death, however, still altered the course of his life forever.

⊗ Rosaria-Antonietta Alessandro (Mother): Marco and his mother were always very close as well, and despite pushing her away after his father's death, they have grown closer again. She worked as a waitress at the very same restaurant his father worked at, which was how they met, however she quit shortly after she got pregnant with her first child, and never went back, focusing her attention on raising her children. She is an extremely strong and bold woman, unafraid to speak her mind, and unafraid to cuss people out. She is fiercely protective of her children, and fusses over each of them often, especially Marco, because he is the youngest of the three. She was never a big football fan, but, like his father, she supported Marco's choice in career, realizing he was highly skilled as well, and wanting nothing but the best for him. She has remained his most loyal fan throughout his entire career, never missing a single game of his. While in New York, he talks his mother regularly, nearly everyday, and always stops to see her whenever he's back in Italy. \

⊗ Veronica Zita Alessandro (Sister): Marco's eldest sister, who is nearly fifteen years older than him. She is extremely wise and gentle, much like a mother, largely because she'd help her mother take care of Marco when he was a baby, and continued to do so as he grew older. She, like the rest of his family, is very protective of Marco, especially because of the age difference. She too has a love of football, but her favourite sport was volleyball, and she went on to pursue a career in playing professionally. She'll take every opportunity presented to her to mock and embarrass Marco because he is the baby of the family; her favourite thing to do was cheer too loudly when he played football as a kid, and she still continues to watch his matches regularly. Marco refers to her as 'Nica' because that was how he said her name as a child, and the nickname stuck. However, he is the only person allowed to refer to her as such, and she will get angry if anyone else does so. She is one of the very few people who he is his true self with.

⊗ laria Angelica Alessandro (Sister): Ilaria is the middle child of the family, though she was never considered the 'forgotten' child. She is roughly ten years older than Marco, and also played a part in helping out and taking care of him when he was a child. Unlike Marco and Veronica, however, while she was an amazing basketball player, once given the chance to join an elite program that could've sent her into the sport, professionally, she focused her attention on her studies. She is extremely smart, and takes after her father in the sense that she is quiet but can silence a whole room with a simple sentence. Marco refers to her as 'Ila', again, because that was how he said her name as a child, and it stuck. Like Veronica, only Marco is allowed to refer to her as such, and she is one of the few people who has seen Marco's true self regularly.

⊗ Giorgio Serafino ("Brother"): Giorgio and Marco aren't related by blood, but they still consider themselves brothers because they grew up together, and have always been inseparable. The two never went anywhere without each other, from school to football games; it wasn't long before one couldn't be seen without the other without the question "Where's your other half?" asked. Giorgio, like Marco, is fairly quiet and shy, however when he is with Marco, a completely different side comes forth. With Marco, he is very goofy, dorky, and childish, often jumping on his back or wrestling with him. He's only a few months older than Marco, but continues to hold it against him and treat Marco like a baby. Because of this, as well as his awareness of Marco’s powers, he is extremely protective of him, - as well as Vigor (seen below) - and is completely willing to fight for them if need be, especially during football matches. On more than one occasion, he’s been awarded yellow cards for fighting with somebody in order to defend Marco. When they were in school, he’d protect Marco from bullies repeatedly, with Vigor’s help, even if it landed them with injuries of their own. Marco and Gio played on the same football team as kids, then were picked up by two different, professional teams located in the same city as teenagers, though it never got in the way of their friendship. Several years later, after proving how skilled they were to football fans all over the world, they transferred to the largest football team in Italy; the team they and their families supported when they were kids; Marco transferred first, then Gio followed the next year. Despite Marco being in New York now, he and Giorgio are still as close as ever, and they talk regularly, whether it’s via Skype or just texting. Giorgo is another person Marco can be open and genuine with. However, since moving to New York, Marco and Giorgio have drifted apart, not only because of the distance and time difference, but because Giorgio firmly believed Marco was making a mistake by leaving Italy to pursue some other career as a superhero, when he already had it all in their country. He thought it was stupid and dangerous on Marco's part, and this disagreement created a rift between them.
[ FC: Giorgio Chiellini. See here:http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/Soccer/images/2016/02/09/020916-Soccer-Juventus-Giorgio-Chiellini-PI-CH.vresize.1200.675.high.63.jpg ]

⊗ Vigor Maximus (“Brother”): Vigor grew up down the street from Marco and Gio, and often hung around them when when they were in school, because he’d known them from the neighborhood. He played for the same club they did in their youth, however he belonged to the team in a different age group, being younger than the Marco and Gio. Before he knew it, both Marco and Gio were moving to professional clubs in a different city, however not too far away, and the trio still remained relatively close. Marco was the one to first piece together Vigor’s abnormal strength and flashbacks to the era of the Roman Gladiator. In explaining his findings to the younger boy, Marco also explained his powers, making Vigor only the second person outside of his family to learn of his powers. Furthermore, Marco was his greatest supporter, both on the football field, and concerning his “abilities.” Together, Marco and Gio looked after Vigor, however Vigor was very capable of taking care of himself, and, on a few occasions, even joined Gio in fighting anyone who dared hurt Marco. As they grew older, their careers drew them further apart. Vigor went to play in Rome - feeling as though he needed to fulfill his duties as a Roman Gladiator, so to speak - while Marco and Gio went to Turin together. Vigor does join Marco, and Gio on the Italian National Team, though, and that is when they get up to their worst shenanigans. After going their separate ways - especially as Marco went off to New York - they began to speak less and less… At least until Marco ran into Vigor upon being approached by Professor Xavier when he moved to New York. In short, Marco has the same relationship with Vigor as he does with Gio, though not exactly as close. Marco tends to be rougher with Vigor, manhandling him and pushing him around, roughhousing like two brothers would, though it is all in good fun. He is exceptionally protective of Vigor, considering him to be his baby brother, but Vigor is also exceptionally protective of Marco due to both his sensitivity/powers, as well as his knowledge of his own abnormal strength. Vigor is often the person Marco tends to be most open with, as Vigor is his little brother and biggest supporter.
[ @RuthlessWarrixr ]

⊗ Ciro Romani ("Father"): Ciro is a retired footballer, having played as a defender and the Captain of Marco’s first professional football team. He has a very strong, commanding, and intimidating presence, which came in handy with the cocky and annoying younger players he had to deal with. However, with the people he is closest to, a whole other side of him comes forth; he is kind and gentle, and is often giving people hugs, which is surprising enough considering the way he acts, normally. He took Marco under his wing during the dark period in his life when he’d spiraled due to the death of his father. While he was a close friend of Marco’s father, he also noticed the greatness and potential in Marco, and was determined to help him become one of the world’s top footballers. He managed to do so, with the help of several others, and has openly stated multiple times that he is immensely proud of Marco for all that he’s accomplished. Marco sees Ciro as his father figure, even referring to him as 'papà' or 'babbo', and continues to refer to him as such despite being hesitant at first. He is embarrassed by this, though, and often only does it in private or with people he trusts. He realizes that he owes every bit of his success as a footballer to Ciro for guiding him down the right path, and he tries his hardest to make Ciro proud of him, as well as his birth father. When around Ciro, Marco tends to take on his usual childlike attitude because he does see the man as his father, and he knows it is safe to act in such a way around him. Ciro is the only 'family' member who does not know about Marco's powers. Marco, truthfully, fears Ciro finding out about his powers. He knows the elder man, like many people in Italy, isn't every open-minded when it comes to mutants, but he can't bring himself to stand up to him or tell him the truth about his own mutant abilities. Marco just can't handle losing another father figure so he merely puts up with any distaste Ciro may voice towards mutants, which, thankfully isn't generally a popular topic of conversation amongst them.
[ FC: Ciro Ferrara. See here:http://static.goal.com/86900/86962.jpg ]

⊗ Raffaele Amato (Boyfriend): Marco met Raffaele while at the school with Vigor, and was immediately frustrated with him. Frankly, after their first meeting, he was ready to kill Raffaele for being an absolute nuisance. However, the angel was persistent and seeked out Marco at all costs. It seemed Raffaele had quickly taken to the dark, mysterious mutant that was Marco, and wasn't about to give up until he got some answers out of him, or perhaps at the very least a rise out of him. He was an utter pain in the ass for what seemed like ages, but the two eventually developed a rather strong bond, and formed a proper relationship. A committed relationship, at that; something Marco hadn't done in years and had usually preferred to avoid. Despite Raffaele still getting on Marco's nerves quite a bit, he has learned and adapted quite well to the way Marco acts. He knows how to counter his anxiety and offer comfort and support, especially with the texture of his wings, something Marco particularly enjoys. He's become especially good at dealing with the nightmares that still often plague his lover, and Marco is more than appreciative of this. While he was once embarrassed by waking up his partners in the middle of the night with literal screaming, Raffaele simply reacted with compassion and went through the motions with him the first time it had happened - this was what really changed how Marco saw him.
[ @AngelicSxul ]

Full Backstory

Marco was born in Italy, and had a relatively normal childhood, save for his strange abilities. He lived with, and was very close to his grandmother or nonna and spent almost all of his time with her. It wasn't until her death when he was a boy, before he'd even begun school, when he began to take notice of his powers. His mother and father were grieving her death, and he could feel the immense pain and sadness emanating from them — being so young and not understanding the concept of death, he couldn't understand the emotions or what an empath was, but he and his parents realized it was abnormal. As time progressed, he became more aware of his abilities. In grade school, he learned he could read the thoughts of friends and classmates — although he tried not to, more often than not. Should he find that they were upset due to bullies, he'd set out in search of said bullies, thus leaving him with the realization that he could use this power for good. While he set out in search of said bullies, he'd never actually fight with them. He'd try to talk some sense into them, but, because he was relatively small in his younger years, he was often laughed at, and, in turn, would be targeted by the bullies. However, Giorgio and Vigor would often come to his aid and either protect him, or fight alongside him, if they really needed to.

He was still very young — six years old — when he learned of his ability to manipulate electricity accidentally, when in an accident that involved a fallen power line during a storm. He was electrocuted, but, while the electrocution should've killed him, it hospitalized him for several weeks, with severe injuries and burns. On the other hand, his father, who was also involved in the accident, was killed by the electrocution. His father's death took a toll on Marco, and at first, while in hospital, he refused to talk to anybody because he was sad, and being so young, he didn't know how to deal with it or express his emotions. The only people who could get him to talk were Giorgio and Vigor, who were often brought by the hospital to play, as Marco wasn't allowed to leave his bed. By the time he was allowed out of bed, he practically had to relearn how to walk again. From then on, he began exploring his ergokinesis on his own. He never told anybody outside of his family of his powers, fearing that they'd think he was insane. Despite Giorgio and Vigor being the only two who could make him smile and come out of his shell ever so slightly while in hospital, the incident altered his personality forever, and left him being his current introverted, generally stone-faced self. After losing his father he decided he didn't want to feel anymore, and so that was what he set out to do.

For a few years after his father's death, he seemed to be making some progress and was acting like a regular kid, albeit still shy and quiet, however his progress was set back in his teenage years, and he ultimately never really progressed the same way. Without a father figure in his life, he spiraled again, and became very rebellious. He’d skip school, smoke, abuse drugs and alcohol, hook up with people within his friendship group, and get into fights, all the complete opposite of the way Marco had been. Due to the trouble he had been getting into, the football club he played with threatened to cut him, should he not smarten up. Being a substitute goalkeeper as it was, at first, he didn't take the threat seriously, but, one of the older players on the team, Ciro, took Marco under his wing and helped him get back on track again, becoming the father figure he needed. Alongside Ciro, Giorgio and Vigor again helped him overcome the dark period in his life.

As he grew older, he grew as a footballer as well, finally breaking out as the starting goalkeeper with the first team. He was immediately a fan favourite, keeping a clean sheet through his first match against another team that was considered the Italian giants. The more he played, the more he impressed, and in turn, the more teams started to keep an eye on him. He was contacted by several teams in his first few years as the starting goalkeeper at his club, but he remained loyal. It wasn’t until nearly five years later that he decided to accept a transfer, and only because it was to the biggest club in Italy, and the club he and his father always cheered for when he was a kid. He joined the club as a way of further making his father proud. In the prior year, Ciro retired from football – which was particularly hard for Marco to deal with – and he’d taken on a coaching position at the same club Marco joined, the following year. Giorgio joined the same team the next year, with a little convincing – and also begging – from Marco for Ciro to consider him in the first place. From then on, Marco never stopped impressing football critics all around the world, winning several league titles, and even the World Cup, despite his age. He eventually became Captain of his team, and Giorgio his vice captain, further proving how inseparable they were. Marco was the type of Captain who was stern and relatively demanding of his teammates. He always seemed to be serious and took nothing from anyone. His tough exterior didn't fool many of his teammates, however, who were able to break him down into being a relatively big softy when they were off the pitch. As a Captain, he acted like a father who lived by the principle of tough love, but he ultimately couldn't resist for long.

Eventually, Marco decided it was time to face a new challenge in his career and accepted a transfer to an American club. It seemed to many as a way for him to slowly ease his way into retirement, however this notion had always angered him as he had no intention of retiring and continues to play for the Italian National Team as well. Shortly after moving to New York to play for his new club, he was approached by Charles Xavier, who suggested he join the X-Men, claiming his abilities were too strong to simply go to waste like this. He explained that he had even contacted his mother and father when he was a child as his powers were too strong to overlook even then, but she refused as she didn't want her baby far from home. Xavier knew it would be useless to try again, especially after the death of his father, however decided to make yet another attempt now that he had gotten older. Marco knew who the X-Men were, considering he'd seen them in the news and such, and had considered seeking out Charles when moving to New York, but he was thankful that it was ultimately thankful Professor Xavier had approached him first. It took some time, but ultimately the final nail in the coffin was finding out that Vigor had also become an X-Man after transferring to the opposing team based in New York years prior that convinced Marco to accept the offer. Although Marco doesn't live in the mansion for the most part, he spends most of his time outside football there, and enjoys training with his new teammates of a different sort as often as possible.

Interesting Facts

⊗ He is terrified of bees because he's allergic to them.

⊗ He's a very good cook and enjoys doing so whenever he has time. It is harder to find the motivation than anything. He has briefly considered buying back his father's restaurant and cooking there after playing football.

⊗ Paranormal entities and other activity interfere with his powers and can give him severe anxiety because he can hear the ghosts despite nobody being around or speaking.

⊗ Marco owns a large portion of the football club he used to play for as a kid in La Spezia because it was in danger of going bankrupt, and he couldn't let the club that launched him into his professional career shut down without a fight. Later Gio bought a section, and Vigor did as well, joining together to save their childhood team.

⊗ His most serious footballing related injury was a back injury that required surgery to repair. He has a scar along his lower back from the procedure, and still wears Kinesiology Tape or KT Tape beneath his jersey for added support and reassurance. He is paranoid of taking a bad hit or falling the wrong way and making his back even worse; he doesn't like people touching near where the injury was for this reason.

⊗ Marco has very faint scars on his feet and legs due to his accident as a child. Due to his powers, the burns he'd received were not as severe as they could have been, and they've faded almost completely.

⊗ Marco is sensitive about being referred to as an addict. He thinks it is demeaning. Although no longer dabbling in hard drugs, he still relies on cigarettes and marijuana when he can get a hold of them. The latter helps him sleep, especially when dealing with nightmares that have plagued him since childhood.

⊗ He's a very powerful mutant with generally good control of his powers when he is levelheaded, but he is by no means a good fighter when he is caught off guard or relying on hand to hand combat. He is clumsy and occasionally panics and forgets he even has powers.

⊗ His eyes glow when he is focused on using his powers. They normally glow a bright, almost white shade of blue to match his powers, but when he is angry, both become red.

⊗ While the thought of having children is nice to him because he does like kids, he's too afraid to actually have any of his own, fearing he'll pass on the mental illnesses he suffers from, including his issues with drug addiction. He'd rather just babysit his eldest sister's son, Gaetano.

⊗ Marco can generate massive energy blasts using his powers (much like the unibeam blasts the Iron Man suits are capable of), but it drains him of any and all energy, and leaves him weak and unconscious. He's only ever attempted it once and it left him on the brink of death.