#14 – Centauri (Tim Stewart)

A nationally famous superhero, Centauri is an A-lister that can be found around doing work all across the the country and internationally. Stewart is incredibly famous, running now in the most rarefied circles.

Centauri greatly enjoys his position of eminence among superheroes, and he doesn’t hide it that often. He knows his position, knows his status, and isn’t afraid to let other people know it as well. He is the founder and leader of Redemption, a small quartet of A-list heroes from across the nation that do a great deal of charitable work, and generally only step in to fight crime when the threat is something significantly large.

Tim Stewart has had an interesting life so far. He became a hero immediately at 18 after his powers manifested the year before. He quickly became famous, but saw his image take a major hit when he was accused of sexual assault when he was 21. Nothing was proven and the case was dropped. Soon afterwards, Stewart had a high-profile marriage with a superheroine, had a son, and got divorced within two years. He found himself on the downside of the business for a few years before he found religion and made his way back to the pinnacle of the superhero community. Stewart, now 45, is kind of the self-appointed “elder statesman” of the community, albeit not everyone likes him. He knows the “business” inside and out, and can be an exhausting teammate to work with. He is a perfectionist, expecting the same of those he works with, unwilling to hear any insubordination from teammates.

Stewart’s name as a hero means everything to him. Centauri is a name that commands respect or fear, and he wants to keep it that way. He enjoys his primacy, and is immensely distrustful and resentful of anyone who might challenge it.

He is not married, and has been a bachelor since his divorce, and has had a number of rumored relationships with heroines and celebrities.

Despite, or some might say, due to his history, Stewart went to religious school in his 30’s, and became an ordained Preacher. He used his considerable fortune (and donations) to help fund the building of a Megachurch in the North Bronx, the Angels of Grace Baptist Church. He is largely committed to being there for his parishioners, although his duties often call him away.

Stewart’s 23-year-old son is Jeffrey. Their relationship is strained, as, for a long time, Stewart had groomed Jeffrey, expecting the child to manifest powers and take up the mantle of Centauri when he retired. However, Jeffrey never manifested, or showed any signs of doing so, and Centauri could not hide his disappointment. Jeffrey signed up for the Marines when he turned 18, partially to get away from the scrutiny, partially to prove himself to his father, who has always viewed him as a kind of disappointment for not having powers. He served two tours of duty, was wounded and honorably discharged, before returning home. He is still between lives, having spent his life trying to simultaneously escape from his father’s shadow (which he knows is impossible) and trying to make his father proud.

Tags: Not Quite a Hero, Preacher

Category: 2012, Superhero