James Michael Carroll: "The Voice"

Player: Cary Nichols

Power: Sonic Scream

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Ruthless, aggressive and opinionated: These are the traits of the United Societies greatest presidents, diplomats, businessmen, and military leaders. In the best circumstances, someone with these characteristics could expect to rise to a position of power, respect, and admiration. In the worst case, you could expect to find someone like James Michael Carroll. These words followed Jimmy Carroll from the first playground fistfight over a soccer ball to the bloody brawl in the Hamilton High School boy's locker room over a girl. Jimmy is a product of the predominantly Irish neighborhood in Epic City's Hudson Village. His father did the best he could but the long hours working the docks left Jimmy with far too much time to spare. The rough streets of this working class community served as the training ground for Jimmy along with his closest friends and partners-in-crime, Martin and Jasper Cooper. By the time they entered high school, the three of them had become notorious. Scarcely a week would pass without at least one them being involved in fights or vandalism. By the end of his sophomore year, Jimmy's reputation ended most fights before they began and he grew bored with breaking windows. During the following summer, Marty and Jasper introduced Jimmy to Mr. Francis Connolly. Mr. Connolly worked with a group of local "businessmen". In early September, Jimmy was arrested for grand theft auto along with Jasper and another one of Mr. Connolly's associates.

When Jimmy returned from nine months in juvenile detention, he found his mother's brother, Michael Murphy, waiting on the front stoop of his apartment building. Uncle Mike explained that Jim's father had decided that Mike would provide the guidance that his father would not or could not give. Mike owned a gym, Titan Gymnasium, on the north edge of the Hudson Village borough. Jimmy would spend every waking moment working with his uncle at the gym. In return, Jimmy would receive a small wage and have access to the facilities equipment.

During the next two years, Jim followed his uncle's orders and worked diligently at Titan. He also made good use of all the gym had to offer. Of course, it didn't take long for Jimmy to gravitate to the only activity in which he excelled....boxing. By high school graduation, Jim Carroll was a local legend. His gangly frame had filled out and his skill in the ring had grown along with his build. The gym regulars encouraged Jim to compete professionally but his uncle managed to convince him to "get an education before you let someone beat your brains out." Unfortunately, his grades made college an unlikely goal. Once again, it was Marty and Jasper who provided the answer. It was late September when the three of them joined the United Societies Navy.

Jim finally found success in the USN. While he tried to qualify for a posting aboard the USN submarine fleet, he found himself serving his country as a member of the Navy's military police. Jim quickly impressed his superiors with his assertive attitude and physical capabilities. After eight years, Jim had earned the rank of Chief and had seen enough of Europe and Asia to know he belonged in Epic City. He mustered out and returned to the city in the autumn of 2000.Having spent two tours as a security officer, Jim decided he had enough of law enforcement as well. He eventually managed to land a position as a subway car conductor with the Metropolitan Royal Line. The job offered long hours and few perks, but it kept him busy. He enjoyed being back in the city of his birth and for the next year, that was enough.

Then Castor and Pollux fell. Epic City seemed to close in on itself. Most city transportation services closed, including the Metro-Royal. Jim joined the city in its mourning. He had never seen the Global Trade Center up close, but they had often served as compass points in his youth. Jim mourned with the city but found anger a much warmer companion.

With the Metro-Royal temporarily out of service, Jim found himself spending more time at his uncle's gym. Exercise and a few rounds with the occasional sparing partner seemed to take the edge off but still left him feeling hollow. He found that a few hours in Tully's Tavern helped to numb that too. Today, the monitor, glaring from its position in the corner over the pool table, replayed the speech by Society's Shield. Jim had seen these "paranormals" on the networks before but they never looked so battered. The Shield's uniform hung from his frame in tattered strips and the dust colored his flesh with an unhealthy gray. But it was the eyes that told the story with their defiant and angry gleam.

Damn it! Jim wanted to do something. He finished his drink in a single gulp and stomped out of the tavern. Jim threw the door open with a grunt. The door struck the outside wall with a loud bang. Jim scarcely heard the exclamations and complaints from the other patrons and the bartender. He stomped up the stairs to the street. Without pausing, Jim turned north towards Hudson Village and started to cross the deserted street. Intent on his own thoughts and nursing an increasingly bad mood, Jim didn't notice the oncoming panel truck. The driver had apparently decided to take advantage of the reduced traffic and was speeding down the narrow side street. The sudden glare of the headlights and the sound of the tires screeching toward him shook Jim from his thoughts. In that instant, Jim knew he was dead. For that brief moment, everything seemed so clear. Jim could see the panic on the face of the driver as he struggled to bring the truck to a halt, smell the terrible stench of the distant tower wreckage, and feel his own heart beating. He just couldn't move. So, he did the only thing time would allow. Jim Carroll yelled.

The world exploded around him. Searing pain tore at the inside of his throat and blurred his vision. A terrible inhuman roar echoed in his ears. It seemed to last forever. Overwhelmed by pain and gasping for air, Jim slowly sank to the ground. Epic City was silent. Only a ringing in his ears remained. Resting on his knees with his hands clutching at his throat, Jim tried to blink away the floating lights and the tears that blurred his vision. He could taste blood. Slowly, Jim reclaimed his vision. The carnage that filled his sight caused him to momentarily forget the agony in his throat. Jim wiped absentmindedly at the blood flowing from his nose and mouth as he surveyed the carnage that had been Parker Street. Carnage. The truck, that had threatened him just seconds before, was now a crumpled heap. It was also yards further away that he remembered. Sections of the body had torn loose and littered the street behind the wreckage. The cars that lined the street were smashed and scattered down the street. The street signs were gone. The carefully maintained trees that lined the street were stripped of leaves or were snapped like twigs. The windows in the nearby buildings and the streetlights had shattered. Jim climbed unsteadily to his feet. He saw no sign of the driver. He found the remains of the driver still in his ruined vehicle. The body was almost unrecognizable. Was it another attack? Looking back towards the tavern, Jim noticed that the damage to the other side of the street seemed minimal. Only a few windows had been shattered. He grimaced and swallowed hard as the first patrons from Tully's made their way out of the tavern.

The bartender looked towards Jim. He said something but appeared to be mumbling or simply couldn't speak. The bartender looked frightened. The half dozen patrons that accompanied him looked down Parker Street. The bartender walked toward Jim. He kept on moving his mouth but no sound came out.

Jim turned toward him. "What? I don't..." Jim's hand quickly clamped over his own mouth as roar of sound that came out of his mouth caused the nearest windows to fracture. The bartender was hurled back as if he had been fired from a cannon. Whatever struck him washed over the tavern patrons as well. They scattered and clutched at their ears. Jim clenched his teeth against the pain in his throat. The ringing in his ears grew louder for a moment before fading again. Jim backed away as the patrons tried to take cover from the source of the sound...himself. The bartender lay on the ground near the tavern entrance. He wasn't moving. That was enough for Jim. He turned and sprinted north past the wreckage and towards home.

Jim ran until he was out of breath. He cut across a familiar alley into his old haunts in Hudson Village. Resting his back against the wall, he thought back over the events of the evening. His mind swirling with unreal images, Jim shook his head. His throat was still sore but not nearly the mind-numbing agony he'd experienced outside the tavern. His hearing even seemed to be returning. The sounds of Epic City were muffled but were definitely getting clearer. Jim took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just relax", he muttered to himself. The violence of the words again seemed to shake the city. Jim was showered with broken glass and dust as the few windows facing the alley shattered and the wall he faced imploded. The pain flashed in his throat and the sounds of the city dimmed again. Jim didn't wait for anyone to come and investigate. He resumed running.

Jim arrived home just before midnight. He shook the glass out of his hair and dropped himself into his couch. He sat in the dark for hours. Jim was barely able to breath. It wasn't that anything was suffocating him. It was fear. Jim felt that cold knot in his stomach and closed his eyes. "Every time I open my mouth, it's like a bomb explodes. How am I going to explain this to anyone if I can't talk," Jim thought. "Oh crap, the cops. What are they going to say after they get a look at the tavern?" His mind wandered to the driver of the truck and to the bartender. The driver was certainly dead. There just didn't seem to be enough of him left to actually be alive. The bartender seemed to be in one piece. Maybe he was OK. "They are going to put me away forever," he thought. Jim put his head in his hands. "I could run for it. Get out of the city and go... Where the hell am I going to go?"

Dawn found Jim standing near the barricades around the tower. This was as close as he could come and it was still blocks from the site. The image of Society's Shield working in the wreckage was still vivid in his memory. He strained his eyes for any sign of him or any of the other members of the McKormic Foundation. Jim didn't expect to find them here. That was OK. He had the address. A short walk, find a cab, hand the driver the address, and he would be on his way. Jim Carroll smiled. "Yeah, these guys have seen this stuff before. They'll know what to do."

Appearance:

James Michael Carroll stands 6'1" tall and weighs in at 235 lbs. His eyes and hair are brown. Jim keeps his hair shaved close the scalp. His nose has clearly been broken several times. He has a tattoo of a springing tiger on the right side of his chest extending to his right shoulder. On his left forearm is the USN emblem with the word "Prometheus" on a banner across the naval insignia. The battleship Prometheus was his final and favorite post. He served on that ship for his entire second tour.

Skills:

Jim's youth provided him with awareness and some understanding of how the darker side of Epic City functions. Unfortunately, most of the people he knew who were involved in this arena have either left the city or have disappeared.

While Jim never did compete professionally, he did continue boxing while serving in the USN.

Jim completed basic naval training and military security training. He served for eight years as a member of the Navy's military police. He worked in this capacity on board and during port assignments.

Jim has recently returned to Epic City and has been working as a subway car conductor. He is still relatively new to this role.

Powers:

Jim is capable of generating a tremendous wave of force with his voice. The impact of this manifestation is powerful enough to stop a moving vehicle and to reduce metal and stone structures to rubble at close range. Unfortunately, whenever Jim uses this ability, he temporarily deafens himself. In addition, he experiences a constant ringing in his ears.