Origin
Marcus "Marc" Kowalski worked the assembly lines of Detroit for two decades before a catastrophic industrial accident exposed him to a cocktail of mutagen-laced coolant and heavy metals during the 2004 factory collapse at Riverside Works. Rather than dying in the rubble, his body underwent radical mutation, granting him superhuman strength and durability. Shaken but determined, Marc took the mantle of Captain Detroit to protect the city that raised him—and to ensure corporate negligence never claimed another worker's life. He's haunted by survivor's guilt and self-medicates with cheap beer, but his commitment to the little guy remains unshakeable.
Powers & Abilities
Industrial Strength: Can lift up to 50 tons and deliver crushing strikes, but only for brief bursts (30 seconds max per use). Extended exertion causes his muscles to seize and burn with metabolic fatigue, forcing recovery periods. His strength fades if he hasn't eaten substantial meals within 6 hours.
Reinforced Frame: His bones and connective tissue are denser and more resilient than steel, granting near-invulnerability to blunt trauma. However, precision strikes targeting joints and articulation points bypass this defense entirely.
Resilience & Grit: Years of factory work and mutation have made him exceptionally resistant to pain and fatigue, allowing him to push through injuries that would cripple normal humans. This is psychological endurance as much as physical—a learned trait.
Unarmed Combat: Self-taught brawler with decades of street wisdom. Not a martial artist, but tactically sound and dangerous in close quarters.
Weaknesses
Metabolic Dependency: His enhanced strength requires constant fuel. Hunger weakens him dramatically, and dehydration dulls his power output. A well-timed fast or poison affecting digestion cripples his effectiveness.
Joint Vulnerability: His armor-like durability doesn't protect articulation points—elbows, knees, shoulders, and spine. Precision strikes to these areas cause debilitating pain and temporary loss of mobility.
Age & Wear: At 48, his body is a roadmap of industrial injury. Chronic pain, reduced stamina, and slower recovery times plague him. Sustained fights favor younger, fresher opponents.
Alcohol Dependency: His drinking habit impairs reaction time, judgment, and healing. While fighting sober he's formidable; fighting drunk, he's sluggish and predictable.
Personality
Marc is a blue-collar hero with no patience for politics or PR. Gruff, direct, and protective of Detroit's working poor, he speaks in clipped sentences and rarely smiles. Beneath the crusty exterior lives a man wracked with survivor's guilt and loneliness. He frequents union halls and dive bars, buying rounds for those in need. Despite his cynicism about corporate America, he believes in redemption and second chances—everyone deserves a shot to climb out of the hole.
