JumpStart (Benjamin MacNeill) is 20, short (5'6") and rangy. He shaves his head to avoid the Carrottop look. He's tan, fit and good looking, if a bit sparky. When he charges up, He's 6'6", stocky, and covered with a sparlking numbus of electrical energy, like those globes you can get at Spencer's Gifts.

His income comes from a trust fund ($500,000 annually) set up as a result of his parent's lawsuit against Carolina Power & Light after his powers manifested due to prolonged exposure to high-tension electrical lines in his back yard. He has been estranged from his folks since his 18th birthday when he sued to take control of the trust fund. His folks still live in Asheville, though they have moved on up from Arden to Biltmore Forest (they're having trouble with the property taxes now, though).

He pals around with a lot of kids who are always happy to help him spend his money, but has no particularly close friends.

He lives a couple blocks from downtown Lakeview in his grandmother's house. He came to live with her after falling out with his folks. She's now in a nursing home in Rancho Madera. She has a rapidly advancing case of Alzheimer's, and his visits are becoming less and less frequent.

His favorite hangouts are Lake Oro and Zero Hour.

He's taken to wearing biker shorts or similar spandexy kinds of things under his other clothes, as his changing is pretty hard on the Old Navy gear. Super-baggy skate clothes tend to hold up OK, though.

He's not averse to the idea of using his powers for The Greater Good, and has intervened in a few muggings, bar fights, etc., but has yet to go to the effort of going out looking for crimes to fight. He carries a pretty good liability insurance policy, just in case.

His heroes are fairly mundane, various Extreme Games types, Jackie Chan, and Kevin Smith.

His biggest fear is losing the gravy train & having to get a job.

Guilty pleasures: Dawson's Creek & Felicity

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

On July 12, Benjamin was cycling back from Lake Oro in a rainstorm when he came across Myrtle Danvers trying to change a flat tire on her Isuzu Rodeo. She had a carful of teenage soccer girls and a cargo area full of their gear. Benjamin clambered up a lightpole and charged himself up, then lifted the car, removed the lugnuts with one hand, and replaced the tire. One of the girls, Jennifer Bendermann, videotaped him, and the clip ran a couple of times on the local news.

On August 7, outside Zero Hour, with the help of a neon sign, Benjamin ran off about a dozen kids who were taking out their frustration on parked cars after being refused entry to the nightclub. He was questioned by investigating officers afterward, and spent several hours looking at mugshots, but was unable to identify any of the kids.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Margaret Henderson: Grandmother
Margaret is 67 years old and suffers from rapidly advancing Alzheimer's disease. Her second husband, George, died in June, prompting Benjamin's moving in. After a few weeks of trying to take care of her, he made arrangements to put her in Redwood Estates, a reputable nursing home in Rancho Madera. Benjamin tries to visit her every day, but her increasing hostility is making him find more and more excuses to miss visits.

Joe Hailey: Attorney
Joe is a trusted friend of the Henderson's and semi-retired. He has been an enormous help to Benjamin in dealing with the Nursing Home. Joe lives two doors down from Benjamin and has been teaching him how to play a variety of card games, from Poker to Canasta.

Yudi Bennett: Nurse
Yudi is 25, redheaded, and athletic. She works at Redwood Estates and is remarkably kind and patient with her cantankerous patients. Benjamin has been trying to flirt with her, with marginal success so far.

Big Bob Jeter: Bouncer, Zero Hour
Big Bob has taken an interest in Benjamin since the August 7 incident. He has gotten "Been Jammin'", as he calls him, a membership in his gym, and has begun teaching him how to fight. Big Bob is rumored to be ex-special forces, but when asked, simply smiles and changes the subject.

Nelson Vasquez: Proprietor, Chaos Sports
Benjamin is one of Nelson's best customers, and Nelson encourages this by introducing him to new (and expensive) sports, generally of the "extreme" variety.

Calvin Forrester: Deadbeat
Calvin is the latest in a string of skatepunks who hang around Benjamin's house, doing useful things like changing channels, turning on lights, ordering pizza, and emptying the refrigerator.