Weld

<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Weld</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>

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<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> Weld is a Case 53 and member of the Boston Wards. He was brought in to lead the Brockton Bay Wards after Leviathan's attack and later moved on to lead the Irregulars after the Noelle Incident.

Personality

Possibly influenced by his own experiences Weld is an accepting and trusting individual, <ref name="CMI">comment by Wildbow on the Missing Interlude</ref> generally being respectful, honest, and kind to just about everyone barring Cauldron, the Slaughterhouse 9, and the rest of the "true" villains. Weld speaks with a noticeable Boston<ref name="27.3">Extinction 27.3</ref> accent<ref name="10.2">Parasite 10.2</ref>.

While his size and strength lend many to view him as a simple front line combatant. We has a keen intelligence with analytical and tactical insight.<ref name="10.2"/> However he struggles with the changes his body has gone through having lost much of his ability to taste, feel pressure, and smell. It is unknown to the full extent that his senses have been affected.<ref name="outside source">What constitutes a "Sense"</ref> He is highly reliant on music as a coping mechanism as a result<ref name="9.1"/>, with his quarters among the wards having wall to wall stacks of CDs.

He does not strictly need to eat and functions on less sleep then normal for humans. In fact he used some of his wards food stipend to buy music.<ref name="9.1c2">Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1</ref> His emotional range is also affected. He states that he does not have adrenaline or really feel fear because his body does not produce the chemicals for it.<ref name="27.5">Extinction 27.5</ref>

Relationships

Director Armstrong

The two are never seen interacting together in story. However Weld explicitly references Armstrong as a father figure when defending him to Director Piggot, who was saying that Armstrong prioritized research over trying to integrate capes and deviants into society. Weld elaborates he will be visiting Armstrong over the summer.<ref name="9.1"/> Armstrong is also one of the only PRT Directors who was not hostile to Weaver after the Battle of New Dehli.<ref name="25.1">Scarab 25.1</ref>

Taylor Hebert

Weld was genial to Skitter at their first meeting though neither of them had been introduced at the time and were about to face an Endbringer under the Truce. While professional in his obligation to place her in custody as a PRT sponsored hero, Weld was willing to listen to Taylor when the situation called for it.

Weld is described by Taylor as being "one of the only decent ones out there..."<ref name="29.3">Venom 29.3</ref> Weld admitted to her that he did not see himself as a hero and was worried about being isolated without any music. She did save him when he came closest to death.<ref name="30.6"/>

PRT

Weld was promoted to head of the Brockton Bay to be the ‘face’ for the more "deviant" members of the Protectorate. Hopefully with his success leading the Brockton Bay Wards team he will eventually go on to lead a city’s Protectorate team.<ref name="9.1"/>

Wards

Despite initial difficulties Weld was able to become a competent leader of the wards and successfully lead them in many perilous confrontations.

Appearance

Weld's body is "from skin to hair to bone, was all metal and alloys of varying types".<ref name="9.1">Sentinel 9.1</ref> He is described as being mostly a textured dusky dark grey though whether this is his natural or "default" coloring or because he absorbed a large amount of such metal is unknown.<ref name="8.1">Extermination 8.1</ref> Of note is the silver tracery, this defines his vary prominent musculature and seems to indicate where his 'veins' are. His eyes are also silver, two lines come from the outer corners of his eyes down his cheekbones and to the sides of his jaw.<ref name="8.1"/>

It is not unknown for him to have a random collection of metal objects fused to his skin, at various stages of absorption.<ref name="9.1"/>

After creating the Irregulars he is described as having reformatted his overall appearance, forming scales and small horns throughout his body.<ref name="27.2">Extinction 27.2</ref> He also took to wearing a compatriot.

Abilities and Powers

Weld, as a Case 53, possesses a completely metallic physiology. This bears repatition, his entire body is metallic down to his inner organs. In addition to having silver eyes his equivalent of inner organs are made of copper and gold.<ref name="14.5">Prey 14.5</ref>. Due to his unique physiology, he is stronger and more durable than others - in his words, 'practically untouchable in a fight'. It also gives him another advantage as it falls into a middle ground between organic and inorganic which renders him immune to select powers. His malleable physiology allows him to survive what would be grievous if not fatal injuries to a baseline Human being. He states he does not really have a heart.<ref name="27.5"/>

Weld can rearrange the metals that form his body, separate them into their composite elements, and push the impurities out of his skin - allowing him to handle metallic objects with his hands and teeth if he needs to. He can also force parts of himself to melt and drop off, leaving a part of himself behind which makes him distinctly uncomfortable until he replaces the tissue he's lost. This assimilation effect is largely how he repairs damage to his body.

A further ability is his is to shift parts of his anatomy. He has been known the turn his arms into spears and hooks for fighting. He also is able to shape his body to repair any damage he suffers. This shifting extends to his entire body at one point even changing his apparent gender.

History

Background

He woke up amnesic in a scrapyard where he spent an inordinate amount of time separating himself from the metal that had been fused to his body.<ref name="9.1c1">Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1</ref> It is unknown if this was in Boston, but he would eventually be recruited to the Boston Wards team by Director Armstrong, who became something of a father figure to Weld.

Coming to Brockton Bay

Weld was deployed to Brockton Bay as part of the response to the Endbringer incursion.<ref name="8.1"/> Here he met Skitter in pasing and their lives would continue to intersect well into the future. He teamed up with Browbeat as part of the plan b response to stall leviathan.

The aftermath of the attack on Brockton Bay he would see him transferred to the city as the new leader of the wards. He would arrive three weeks after the attack having to wrap up personal affairs in Boston,<ref name="9.1c3">Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1</ref>

Post-Slaughterhouse Nine

Weld did not intervene when dragon suits were deployed against the undersiders.

He was instrumental in getting captured capes out of the new S-Class threat that was released into Brockton Bay. When the extent of Skitter's activities were revealed by Chitter Weld did not let this dissuade him from his mission. He had to tell is boss however.

When Ignis Fatuus revealed dread secrets at the heart of the protectorate Weld still kept fighting the aberrations created by the S-Class threat.

Post-Echidna

Weld would form The Irregulars following the revelations of Ignis Fatuus. Further he would enter into an alliance with Faultline's crew.

After hearing that an occupant of the Parahuman Asylum had heard and reacted badly to those same revelations He visited and recruited her to his new team.<ref name="27.5"/>

Post-Timeskip

Had achieved enough that Cauldron had invited his team to their meetings.

Golden Morning

Orchestrated one of the only successful invasions of Cauldron's Base, with the aid of some new recruits. Unlike many of his compatriots he had not fallen to despair enough to think all that he had time to do was take revenge on his tormentors before everyone died at the hands of Zion. With a handful of others Weld fought against former friends in defense of both his principals and the time for needed answers to come to light.<ref name="28.x">Cockroaches 28.x (Interlude)</ref>

Weld was torn apart more fiercely then ever before yet still survived, unable to stand or move due to the horrific damage inflicted on him.

He helped in the final push, showcasing the extant of of his shifting abilities.<ref name="30.6">Speck 30.6</ref>

References

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