Carl de las Cruces is a first generation Mexican-American. He has dark skin and eyes. Carl would have dark hair except that he shaves himself bald as his powers would act as 'super-mousse' if he didn't.

What is the character's general appearace? Does the character stand erect or stooped? Dress anachronistically, stylishy, or inauspiciously? Look intimidating or casual? What might someone seeing the character for the first time think?

"Two hands on the purse."

Carl is a large man, 6' 3" 225#, and not particularly handsome. Over years of semi- and professional hockey he has developed a default body language that can be intimidating to those that don't know him. This impression vanishes around children, where he more resembles a pock-faced teddy bear. His dress is best described as Salvation Army vogue, though he is able to achieve this look through low end retail outlets.

Where was the character born?

San Diego, CA.

What is the character's age?

26.

What was the character's family life like?

Troubled. His parents, Carlos and Carmelita, were illegal aliens who came north from Mexico to have their baby. As such, Carl is the first US citizen in his family. His father was a philanderer who ultimately abandoned the family, leaving 7 year old Carl and his infant brother Diego in the care of their suffering mother. Carl reacted poorly, becoming uncontrollable and falling into gang life in his early teens. Carl fiercely loved his remaining family, but made no effort to make their lives easier.

After being busted for vandalism, and in lieu of being sent to juvie, Carl participated in a San Diego Gulls (IHL) youth hockey program. Here a policeman named Miguel Cervantez (no relation) took Carl under his wing and after a much trial became a beloved father-figure. Thanks to Officer Cervantez' influence, Carl was able to break free from gang life.

Since hockey ultimately took him across North America starting at age 16, Carl was never able to develop an adult relationship with his younger brother. He is devoted to his mother, forwarding large slices of his paycheck to her, though the distance to San Diego makes a deep relationship hard. The same can be said of his current relationship to Officer Cervantez. Unsurprisingly, Carl carries strong negative feelings about his father, to the extent that he refuses to answer to his given name of 'Carlos'.

Has the character begun his own family?

Yes. He married a 'hockey groupie' (Roxanne Winchester) at age 19, she 18, and immediately had a daughter, Allie. The following year another daughter, Rae, was born. Eventually, Carl's life on the road led to infidelities which destroyed the marriage. Roxanne moved back home to Danville KY, taking the girls. Carl pressed his agent hard to land him in Lexington to be near them.

When or how was the character educated?

Carl dropped out of high school when his hockey career took off. Since then, his only education has been OJT as part of his second career, social worker.

Has the character ever done anything else for a living?

He has been at least semi-pro since age 16, filling in income with menial service jobs during the off season. Since age 20, this has been as a social worker in whatever city he happened to play in. The social work is more than a paycheck to Carl -- Officer Cervantez' influence affected Carl deeply.

What about the character's political and religious beliefs?

Carl is strongly liberal on social issues, and a staunch advocate of social programs that saved his life. He is suspicious of idle wealth. Culturally, he is more conservative. His religous upbringing is Roman Catholic, but while a believer he is the "Christmas and Easter" type.

What is the character's moral code?

It is a melange of Catholic values and street realpolitik. He is adamantly against killing, drugs, and coercion of the weak through money and power. This extends to physical coercion of women and children only. Adult male physical coercion he is more Darwinian in outlook -- in fact it is one of the few effective tools in his box.

He believes in redemption, and deplores 'final solutions' that preempt that possibility. His moral code does not differentiate between concept and action. If he believes it, he acts on it.

Carl does not consider laws to have any bearing, positive or negative, on his moral imperative. While he has seen tremendous good in individual officers, his experiences with Police as an institution have fostered open distrust.

Interpersonally, Carl is keenly aware of his failure in fidelity. It pains him greatly, but he cannot hold others in judgement as easily on this score as on others. He still struggles with this weakness himself.

Does the character have any goals?

Up until 1 JAN 2000, he was completely focussed on breaking into the NHL, however remote that possibility seemed. Since that time, both his daughters and the Millenium have muddied that to the point that he doesn't know what he wants.

What is the character's personality?

Carl is brash and self-assured. Regarding his liberal issues, he unashamedly wears his (bleeding) heart on his sleeve. He is openly confrontational if he feels he is being mocked or disrespected. While he can be light hearted and has a dry sense of humor, his earnestness is rarely far from the surface.

Around kids, he is a softy -- peaking with his own daughters. He invests a lot of himself in children, both his own and those under his social work tutelage. He makes male friends slowly and uneasily, and has an inordinate amount of self-esteem wrapped in his erratic appeal to women. Which is part of the problem.

What special qualities does the character posess? This doesn't necessarily refer to skills, but to what the character can do well. Does he get along well with other people? Is he skilled at taking care of business? Prioritizing tasks? Planning ahead?

He's got a mean cross-check. Street kids respond well to him, having more color and cache than some social workers.

Are there certain things the character just cannot do? Get close to people? Perceive himself realistically?

He is incapable of enjoying performance art. It is doubtful that he can 'turn the other cheek.' While not incapable of reigning in a roving eye, it is something Carl must work at.

What does the character hate?

Ex-wives' lawyers. His own weaknesses. People that murder in the name of justice. The fact that you can't check goalies.

What does the character love?

Above all else, his daughters, then his mother, father-figure and brother. Physical contest, particularly but not limited to hockey, sends him. He's partial to Aretha Franklin's work as well.

What is the character's full name? Nicknames?

Carlos de las Cruces. Strongly prefers Carl to Carlos. Hockey-bestowed names like "Frozen Margarita," "Chico-Jack," are best left on ice.

How does the character perceive government? Those who are opposed to the government?

While openly suspicious of the law-enforcement arm, Carl strongly believes in a socially activist Federal Gvt. He has little patience for those opposed to the idea of central Gvt, but strong sympathy for those addressing injustices and inequities in government. He has open contempt for the politics/big business coziness.

How does the character interact with other members of the group? Are they protective of some members? Has the character developed a rivalry with another character? Are there any romantic interests the character would like to pursue?

Carl is intimidated in slightly different ways by Phoenix and Glassjack. Phoenix is clearly 'out of his league' in the same sense that Christie Brinkley is out of his league. He just has to face it more frequently with Phoenix. Dominique's addition hasn't helped.

Glassjack's wealth and power are sources of unease for Carl -- both as a testament to personal accomplishment and in contrast to lives Carl is more intimate with. He has a knee-jerk disapproval of idle wealth in any case, and has not seen evidence that Glassjack's is anything but.

Carl has protective instincts (which he is canny enough to keep buried) and genuine affection for Magna-Flux. He views him as an overconfident kid with Father problems, which is to say exactly as he is. Carl has tremendous sympathy and respect for a kid doing the right thing in his shoes.

Reflector and Fury are problematic for Carl. He can't view their lack of commitment as anything but a moral shortcoming, and it colors his perception of them.

After butting heads early, Carl feels closest friendship to Sound, sensing mutual respect and similar drives beneath all their rampant differences.

How did the character gain his abilites? What was his first reaction? What motivates him to act as a hero now?

With the rest of the world, as the result of a particularly mysterious Y2K bug. First reaction? Over-arching horror, particularly when it wasn't clear that the sticky, translucent slime coating was not permanent.

His 'heroing' is a natural extension of the same drive that took him to social work. Carl just views his powers as different tools (ones he is more predisposed to than therapy sessions) to accomplish the same things. The Millenium is in the process of expanding his activism into new areas.

Photos of Danny Trejo from Dusk Til Dawn copyright Dimension Films. Image of Spawn copyright Mcfarlane Productions.

Character created by Jeff McCoskey

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