MANOTAUR

Created by Eric N. Bennett
Art by Joe Davis

PERSONAL INFORMATION

REAL NAME: Unrevealed
KNOWN ALIASES: None
IDENTITY: Secret
OCCUPATION: Professional criminal
PLACE OF BIRTH: Unrevealed
CITIZENSHIP: United States
MARITAL STATUS: Single
KNOWN RELATIVES: None
KNOWN ALLIES: Buzzkill, Brain Bruiser, Tanglevine
GROUP AFFILIATIONS: None
USUAL BASE OF OPERATIONS: Mobile
EXTENT OF EDUCATION: Unrevealed
FIRST APPEARANCE: Taranis the Thunderlord #3
HEIGHT: 6’3” (6’8” in battlesuit)
WEIGHT: 235 lbs. (835 lbs. in battlesuit)
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Black

HISTORY

Little is known of the early life of the man now called the Manotaur before his career as an enforcer in organized crime. What is known is that he was sent by his then-superiors to contact the renowned technologist known only as The Engineer.

The Engineer had been commissioned by the Manotaur’s superiors to develop a weapon capable of dealing with the burgeoning metahuman population that had been increasingly affecting their operations. The Engineer proudly revealed a form-fitting battlesuit constructed of tight-mesh circuitry capable of greatly enhancing an individual’s strength. Secretly desiring to take control of the criminal organization himself, the Manotaur slew the other enforcer who had accompanied him and demanded that the Engineer format the suit so that he would be the only one capable of operating it. Donning the suit, he took the name “Manotaur” due to his resemblance to the mythical creature. As the Manotaur, he immediately set out to acquire personal wealth and make a name for himself in criminal circles.
After several months of successful bank heists and robberies as well as forming the beginnings of his organization, the Manotaur came into conflict with the Thunder god known as Taranis while attempting to rob one of the larger banks in New York City. Though powerful, his battlesuit proved to be no match for the Thunderer, and he was apprehended.

Freed from prison a short time later by his men, the Manotaur returned with his damaged battlesuit to the Engineer, who they paid to repair the suit and to greatly enhance the suit’s power.

The Manotaur continues to attempt to make a name for himself as one of the city’s foremost criminals, at times teaming with other powered criminals as they attempt to destroy Taranis and his allies.

POWERS

The Manotaur possesses no intrinsic superhuman abilities, gaining all his power from the battlesuit he wears.
The Manotaur wears a tight-mesh, form-fitting battlesuit constructed by the technologist known as the Engineer. The battlesuit, constructed of a tight-mesh weave of circuitry and strength-enhancing micromotors grants him several greatly- enhanced physical abilities in addition to his strength. While wearing his battlesuit, the Manotaur possesses superhuman strength enabling him to lift (press) 80 tons under optimal conditions.

The suit is constructed of materials that offer the Manotaur a high degree of imperviousness to physical and blunt-force attacks, equivalent to the concussive output of 800 pounds of TNT. The material covering the outside of the suit is resistant to intense heat (2,500°F or 1,371°C) as well as insulated against the cold (down to -100°F or -73°C). The suit can also repair minor damage to itself, though any significant damage requires manual repair beyond its capabilities. The suit also allows him to run at speeds of approximately 30 mph for brief periods.

The suit’s helmet is constructed to resemble the horns of a bull and is constructed of reinforced Victorium with special supports running down the Manotaur’s neck, shoulders, and back, thereby allowing him to charge into objects without suffering personal injury. On impact he can exert a force equivalent to 3,500 pounds per square inch, more than sufficient strength to shatter concrete.
Built into the “hooves” of the battlesuit are small seismic generators that allow the Manotaur to generate a highly- localized shockwave equivalent to an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. This shockwave is at its strongest in a radius of 25 feet from its position, with its strength decreasing as it covers a larger area.