Brian Laborn

<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Brian Laborn</default></title>

<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>

<label>Status</label><format>

Deceased

</format>

<label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox>

Grue, real name Brian Laborn, is a member of The Undersiders.

Personality

Brian's reasoning on not joining the Wards:

If he signs up, he's adopting this more regimented, official lifestyle, and he's seen how his dad has struggled to deal with Aisha from the same vantage point. Once he confines himself, limits himself, then that just gives Aisha more leeway to mess with him or go do her own thing. If he's stuck with official stuff to do, what can he do if Aisha recognizes that and decides that every time she's going to run away, she's going to hop on the first bus out of town?

Could the PRT deal with that? Maybe. Probably. Could they give him leeway? Bend rules or pull resources, as part of his bargaining with them to join? From Brian's standpoint, even if he's cynical about it, I imagine he imagines they could. But Brian has to weigh the negatives against the positives, and keep in mind that he's dealt with the 'system' for a time (CPS and Aisha and his parents), and even if he's more like his dad than his mom, pay attention to the small details - he does martial arts but doesn't stick with one class. He's in school but he's doing it online, more freeform. He walks his own path, he doesn't subscribe to much - he could theoretically ditch the Undersiders at any time. Less so with the PRT. If it goes wrong, he can't back out easily.<ref>http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2468389</ref>

Appearance

Brian is an African-American teenager, mature for his age in his body, with a muscular frame, a lantern jaw. He is usually dressed fairly well, not opulent but stylish.

As Grue, Brian dressed in motorcycle leathers and a motorcycle helmet with a full-face visor sculpted to look like a stylized skull. <ref>https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/gestation-1-5/</ref> This would be upgraded later when Skitter finished making Silk costumes for all the Undersiders, making a more demonic then skeletal mask.

Abilities and Powers

Brian can generate clouds of darkness that erase all light, mute and distort sounds, and confuse the sense of touch. It also interferes with microwaves, radio frequencies, radiation, and Breaker powers such as those possessed by Shadow Stalker and Velocity.

After his second Trigger Event, Brian's darkness became thicker, heavier, and came out less quickly, but grew exponentially. He also gained the ability to use the powers of other parahumans while they were in his darkness, while suppressing their powers at the same time. While using these powers he was essentially using them for the first time. lacking the experience and skill of previous users.

History

Background

Grue was abused by his mother's boyfriend when he was young, and fought to develop the strength and fortitude to never be that weak again. To go to help his sister with the same man, and to see the house and be brought back to his weakest, darkest moment, the man's eyes on him, he found the power to immerse the world in darkness. Environment and malign attention and the desire to protect his sister all factored into his power being what it was.<ref name="reddit1">Comment by Wildbow on Reddit</ref>

Early Career

Brian was active as the Super-villain grue for roughly two years. During this phase of his career Brian learned about the importance of reputation. Specifically choosing the name Grue with its obscure etymology, with the presumption that the alias would attract a more sophisticated clientele."<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Sufficient Velocity</ref>

This seems to have worked as he was eventually collected by the benefactor of what would become The Undersiders. During this time Brian met The Adepts and by extension Epoch, from this encounter Brian discovered a deep hatred for for people whose power violate the solvency of the time-space continuum<ref name="reddit2">Comment by wildbow on Reddit</ref>.

Story Start

Coming off a successful robbery of the ABB's Ruby Dreams underground casino they come across a new bug themed super villain.

Trivia

• Contrary to popular belief, Grue didn't name himself after the darkness-dwelling monster from Zork According to Wildbow, "That's not actually what the Grue refers to. 'Grue' as in gruesome, is Old English for creepy or scary.
• Grue clones are called abhorents

References

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