Editing Pretender

{{Incomplete}}
{{Spoilers}}
{{quote|Wearing someone else’s skin, living their life.<br><br>Yes, well, that was always going to be your fate, wasn’t it?|Pretender and [[Satyr]]|[[Interlude 24.y]]}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Pretender
| gender = Male
| age =
| family =
| occupation =
| classification = [[Master]] (Speculative)
| alignment = [[Villain]]<br>[[Heroes|Hero]] (Formerly)
| status = Deceased
| team = [[Cauldron]]<ref>“We stay in touch,” Pretender said.  “I’m sure my new group can use you, and you can draw on our resources, I’m sure.  Our goals are more or less aligned.  Only difference is scale.”<br><br>“Well then.  Good luck with saving the world.”<br><br>“And good luck with saving civilization from itself,” Pretender answered.  He looked skyward for a moment.  “Close the door.”<br><br>The portal closed. - [[Interlude 24.y]]</ref>
| previous team = [[Las Vegas]] [[Protectorate]]
| base of operations = [[Cauldron Compound]]<br>[[Las Vegas]] (Formerly)
| web serial = [[Drone 23.2]]<br>[[Interlude 24.y]] (PoV)
| ward = [[Last 20.e1]] (Dream)
}}
'''Pretender ''' was a parahuman and a former leader<ref> Nix interrupted, “We’ll still fight Endbringers.  But the Protectorate was going to take Pretender from us because of how he got his powers.  It’s ridiculous.”<br/><br/>“He was still going to be on the team,” Arbiter said.  “Just… we can’t let him be leader if he’s beholden to a group like that.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/drone-23-2/ Excerpt] from [[Drone 23.2]]</ref> of the [[Las Vegas]] [[Protectorate]].

==Appearance==
Pretender wore a purple velvet costume covering most of his albino skin, had dark pink eyes, no hair, and did not wear a mask<ref name="23.2">[[Drone 23.2]]</ref>.

==Abilities and Powers==
Pretender had the ability to take over the bodies of others, with their powers still intact. He could not take over corpses.<ref name="24.5 e1">There were murmurs as Alexandria advanced from within the temple.  Unlike so many of us, she didn’t flinch as Behemoth struck out with lightning, the barriers holding this time.  Golem had raised lightning rods on either side of the road, fingers splayed as if he could gesture for Behemoth to stop.<br/><br/>Alexandria found her way to the end of the crowd opposite Eidolon, to our far left.  Satyrical and the other Vegas capes followed her.  Only a small fraction of them remained.  Others had apparently been injured or killed in battle.<br/><br/>Alexandria glanced over our ranks, and her eyes moved right past me, not even recognizing me.  For the briefest instant, I met her eyes behind that steel helmet of hers, and I saw that one had a pink iris.<br/><br/>Pretender couldn’t take over a corpse, but there was no reason for him to take over Alexandria if she was alive and well.  Cauldron had collected Pretender, and they had him controlling her because she was no longer of any use to them on her own. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/crushed-24-5/ Excerpt] from [[Crushed 24.5]].</ref>

When he took over [[Alexandria]], his dark pink eye could be seen in her empty eye socket, where her own eye was missing. Her existing eye looked normal.

It is unknown if Pretender can possess one of [[Satyrical]]'s duplicates. If he can then it opens up many possibilities for their relationship.

==History==
===Background===
Received his powers from Cauldron.<ref name="I24">[[Interlude 24.y]]</ref>

===Post-[[Echidna]]===
As with many Cauldron-made capes, Pretender's loyalties came under suspicion after the Echidna crisis. After the PRT investigation uncovered his origins, he realized that [[Satyrical]] would be next to be questioned. To stall their progress, he killed a government [[Thinker]], but was caught and arrested.<ref name="I24.y e2">Satyr seemed to take that into consideration, rubbing his chin. When he spoke, though, he spoke of something else. “What you did… you knew that they’d figured you out, and that I was next in line, that I’d get questioned too. You killed her for my sake, to buy me time.”<br/><br/>“Are you mad?”<br/><br/>Satyr shook his head. “We’ve killed before. Selfishly, selflessly. Only difference is you got caught.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/interlude-24-donation-bonus-1/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 24.y]]</ref>

Pretender hired [[Bambina]], [[August Prince]], and [[Starlet]] to free him as he was moved by the Protectorate to a more secure location. While they provided distraction, he was retrieved by [[Contessa]].<ref name="23.2"/>

Now employed directly by Cauldron, he took control over Alexandria's braindead body to fight [[Behemoth]] in [[New Delhi]], and presumably perform other services during the timeskip.<ref name="I24"/>

===[[Gold Morning]]===
During the mayhem in [[Cauldron Compound]], Pretender used Alexandria's body to guard [[Doctor Mother]],<ref>[[Venom 29.7]]</ref> and later helped [[Taylor]]'s team to annoy [[Scion]]<ref>[[Venom 29.8]]</ref> and evacuate.<ref>[[Venom 29.9]]</ref>

Alexandria's body was eventually destroyed in a fight with Scion, presumably killing Pretender.<ref name="30.5">[[Speck 30.5]]</ref>

==Chapter Appearances==
{{Appearance/Pretender Worm}}

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