Michael Valoel Armstrong

Michael Valoel Armstrong, also known as  “Mighty Mike, the Sparkling Fury” or “Mike the Tyke”, is an ex-professional wrestler who has taken up the mantle of priest, and has dedicated the rest of his life to combating the evils of hell and other dark forces.

Appearance
A mostly bald-headed muscular man in his mid-forties, Michael Armstrong towers over the average westerner and is a veritable giant in Japan. His strongly German-accented tongue, ignorance of Japanese customs, and unusual dress make him even more conspicuous on top of that. Armstrong’s imposing figure is swathed in a worn leather jacket, and atop his head sits a wide-brimmed black hat with two holes in the front (to a spiritually aware observer, a pair of short blue horns are visible passing through these holes). Even stranger is the black circle tattooed to the center of his forehead. A pair of lines can be seen passing from the bottom of the circle and across the lower sections of his face and neck, and pass under his clothes. Another circle and pair of lines are visible on the back of his head, and astute observers will notice that identical tattoos are visible on both the tops and bottoms of his hands and arms. The white collar and numerous rosaries that adorn his neck mark him as a man of the cloth. When not travelling on his busted and ancient motorcycle, a heavy-duty duffel bag is slung behind his back.

Personality
Positive, exuberant, and emotionally charged, Michael Armstrong always seems optimistic about a situation and strives to do his best. The strength of his toned body is no match for the strength of his heart; Armstrong is easily moved by the plight of the innocent, and his compassion and empathy for them compels him to perform acts of good. He is easily overwhelmed by scenes of tragedy and celebration, and often bursts into tears or praise and embraces others. Because he is an extremely strong person, this can occasionally cause injury to them.

History
Born into a wealthy family in Germany, Michael studied in the finest schools money could offer, and excelled at the arts (especially interpretive dance and wrestling). When he revealed his desire to become a professional wrestler to his family, they were less than… disappointed. They were thrilled! “A truly manly occupation for the descendent of a line of truly manly men!” expressed his father. And so, Mighty Mike, the Sparkling Fury, was born.



In time his amazing gymnastic displays, incredible strength, and chiseled physique won him world renown. Women wanted him. Men wanted to be him. Some men also wanted him. It was at the height of his fame that he encountered Maria. It was love at first sight. Her sparkling green eyes. Her glowing smile. Her delicate, silky fist hurtling through the air toward his face. You could say he was lovestruck.

After he recovered from their match, he immediately went to the Melee Marvel and professed his feelings for her. They married a day later, and started their happy life together. Sadly, this happiness was not to last. During an important match that was being aired across the world, one of Mighty Mike’s more reckless maneuvers injured a member of the audience. Although it was an accident, Michael was overcome by grief and went to console the injured man, throwing the match. His manly tears were seen internationally, winning him the title “Mike the Tyke” for his childish display. His career as a professional wrestler was over. Unable to hold a job as an interpretive dancer, and having no technical skills besides, he was forced to work part time jobs to support his burgeoning family.

Maria was still able to rake in some money with her job, and they made due, but a new misfortune struck him and his family…

He became ill. At first he hid his condition, intent on simply powering through the symptoms, and for a few weeks he was able to keep up the charade. But then his family began to act coldly towards him… as if they feared him. His wife refused to make love with him, and his children shied away from his touch and avoided speaking to him. The symptoms worsened, and he became aware of gaps in his memory. He’d wake up in a strange location, covered in cuts and bruises. Or Michael would have a hangover but retain no recollection of drinking. The problems reached a head when he came to in the crashed family car with one of his children. Although his son suffered no serious injuries, this event compelled him to seek medical attention. The doctors could find nothing wrong with his body- they concluded that the symptoms he suffered were simply the result of the common cold- and his actions while “blacked out” were the result of deep psychological problems (a split personality disorder). Armstrong underwent therapy… medication… nothing worked, and his condition and behavior worsened. Maria left him, taking the children with her for fear of their safety.

Distraught, financially bereft, alone, and deathly ill, is how Father Clarence Braun found Michael Valoel Armstrong. He pulled the lost soul out off the rain-drenched steps and into his church. He immediately recognized Armstrong’s condition as a malady of the spirit, not of the flesh. As a retired member of the Holy Order of Saint Michael, the truth of the situation was obvious; Armstrong had become possessed by a devil, and it needed to be exorcised to save his life. Unfortunately, Father Clarence was the lone shepherd of his flock and lacked the required materials to perform an exorcism. He had to improvise.

A special double pentacle was drawn across Armstrong’s body. His head, hands, and feet served as the focal points of this holy symbol. His life force and will were pitted against the imp as the unconscious ex-wrestler fought to survive. It took him two weeks to recover completely, but in that time he was able to gain dominion over the demonic presence inside him. The host became a prison, the parasite a prisoner.

Afterward, he was confronted with a choice: have the demon exorcised, and return to his life of fame and happiness… or join the Holy Order of St. Michael, and turn the misfortune he suffered into a force for good. He chose the latter, and although he misses his family, he knows that he is fulfilling a higher cause as an agent of god by combating evil in the world. He still manages to send money oversees to support his family, and hopes to one day restore their trust and love in him.

He has spent the last five years combating various supernatural beings. As one of the few spiritually aware members of the Order, he has been sent to many locations across the world in order to combat the machinations of supernatural evil. He’s encountered numerous imps, lesser hollows, and once even managed to defeat a witch. The incredible spiritual events occurring in Karakura have drawn Michael to the Japanese city to investigate it.

Equipment
Constantine’s Cestuses - As a reward for his years of service, and to improve his effectiveness in combating evil, the Order awarded Michael a holy relic: Constantine’s Cestuses. Previously wielded by the Roman emperor of the same name in his historic battles to spread the Christian faith, these massive lion-headed gauntlets greatly enhance the force of Michael’s attacks and deal massive concussive damage to his enemies and the surroundings.

Firearms and Explosives –Michael utilizes numerous kinds of firearms and explosives against the supernatural threats he faces. While material weapons would normally be unable to harm spiritual beings, the munitions in his possession are unique in that they have been empowered by the prayers, psalms, and rites of his brothers. These reiryoku-infused bullets, grenades, and holy waters are able to harm spiritual beings. He even carries specialty munitions such as silver or rubber bullets.

Holy Symbols and Materials– Michael carries a variety of religious symbols and special materials (silver dust, gold dust, psalms) for combating evil. One such symbol, a finger bone of a saint, has accumulated a large amount of reiryoku inside of it thanks to the prayers and blessings of the faithful.

Powers and Abilities
Master Hand to Hand Combatant (Wrestling): Michael’s years in the professional wresting circuit have honed his natural talents, making him extraordinarily skilled at hand to hand combat. He is without peer at wrestling and point manipulation among the mortals of the material world.

Spiritual Awareness (scent): While Michael has no innate spiritual awareness, the imp inside him has augmented his awareness to allow him to see spiritual beings and track them by their scent. The latter benefit has proven invaluable to Michael on his crusade against supernatural evil.

Kido Practitioner (Catholic Tradition): Michael does not practice the true demon art, and instead utilizes catholic religious rituals which have been developed over hundreds of years for defending against the influence of devils and other supernatural presences. Their preparation is a slow process, and they are not effective at repelling unusually powerful evil beings.

Enhanced Strength: The rock-hard muscular body of this former professional wrestler is capable of near-inhuman feats of strength, allowing him to fight on par with hollows in terms of sheer physical power alone. When armed with Constantine’s Cestuses, the power behind his blows is further enhanced (the attacks he performs with them are treated as though he has immense strength).

Enhanced Durability: Michael’s hardened body and force of will allow him to withstand otherwise lethal physical attacks.

Enhanced Endurance: Michael is at the peak of physical fitness, and is able to engage in combat and other strenuous activities for extended periods of time.

Living Seal: The special double-pentacle tattoo that covers his body makes him slightly more resistant to the magical enchantments of the diabolus, and entirely immune to their mental influences. By enveloping a diabolus with his body he can “seal” them via submission wrestling moves.

Trivia

 * Michael has a habit off taking his shirt off given any type of excuse, and assumes manly poses. This can be incredibly embarassing to his friends and acquantences.


 * He has a terrible sense of direction, and was only able to find his way to Karakura by “following his nose”.


 * He sometimes... abuses his spiritual awareness to pad his wallet. When visiting casinos, he'll often have a helpful spirit cheat for him by observing others' cards or manipulate games of chance. He justifies this by claiming the money would probably have been spent on sinful activities anyway, and that he isn't truly gambling if he knows what the results will be.

Quotes
“I kick ass for the lord!”

“Step-up for the smack-down!”

Behind the Scenes
This character was inspired by Alex Louise Armstrong of the Full Metal Alchemist series. I felt that his amusing attitudes and quirks would work well in a fanon of the Bleach universe, and so I have strived to reproduce a similar character in Michael Valoel Armstrong.