Nexus (public identity, Amanda Rubin) is 32 years old. She's 5'6", 130 pounds, and has medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. Skin tone is fair, and she has high-set cheekbones.

How do you earn a living?

Amanda teaches (non-tenure track, but still gets annual contract) full-time (three classes) in the physics department of San Angelo State University (actually, two intro physics classes plus one calculus class). She makes about $25K per annum, not a ton of money, but enough to survive. The job, fortunately, provides basic insurance and a state retirement plan.

Friends and family:

Amanda's closest relative is her younger brother, Devon Rubin. They share an apartment together (see below). He's a journalism student with a keen interest in superheroes; he's also quite a good photographer and takes publicity photos of superheroes for a little extra cash. Currently, Devon is hoping to get an internship at one of the city's newspapers. He's a junior at San Angelo State University, majoring in newspapers/journalism. Devon is a really talented writer and photographer. He is a regular staff writer for the University's student newspaper. Recently, Devon has taken some press photos of Nexus that were quite good. He'd be willing to do this for her other superhero friends, too. The family resemblance is clear; Devon is of average height and has his sister's brown hair and eyes. Their parents still live in the Seattle, Washington area.

Amanda's closest friend in the physics department is co-worker and fellow teacher Claudia Goldberg. Claudia is just a few chapters short of completing her doctoral dissertation, so she's very busy. Still, she can't cook worth spit and on weekends, often visits Amanda and Devon just so she can get a square meal. Claudia is incredibly intelligent and erudite on a number of subjects besides physics; she is a fine pianist, for example. She is tall and thin with long dark hair and square-framed glasses over her hazel eyes.

When funds allow, Amanda sometimes has a teaching assistant helping her; usually, this is an undergrad senior who makes really good grades. She is lucky enough to have someone during this semester, a complete geek named Gil Bartholomew. He is a stereotypical science student, complete with pocket protector. The students think he's weird, but he does have an incredible command of the subject and given the chance, is pretty good at explaining it to others. Amanda hopes to teach him a bit about being less nerdy without hurting his feelings.

The physics department secretary, Delia Polk, helps out all the faculty and staff. She is a human mainframe and knows the details on everyone's schedules, deadlines, and personal lives without ever having to look up anything. More than once, she's tipped Amanda off on something that's happening in the local community where Nexus could be a help. Delia thinks superheroes are cool.

If Nexus has an enemy, it's likely police detective Ralph Modera. He's a heavyset, slightly balding and terminally bored man. He's got about five years until retirement and wants to avoid as much trouble as he can until his time in the force is over. Probably some years ago, he was a concerned cop, but now, he's just jaded and sarcastic. In any case, he doesn't take Nexus seriously and has a general contempt for most superheroes.

Amanda and her brother have three neighbors in the Antoinette Arms. Stacy Cousins and Minnie Newton share an apartment. Stacy, who is 20 years old and is a very pretty blonde, is an education student who wants to teach 5th grade. Minnie is a music major who is trying to figure out how she'll support herself in the future; she's 19 and a bit mousy, with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. Her favorite musical instruments are the flute and violin. The third neighbor is John Slayton. He works full-time at a plant nursery and takes college courses at night; his goal is to one day be a landscape architect, but that's a long way off. He's a nice looking guy, 24 years old, with short dark hair and blue eyes.

Bartholomew Perkins is the super of the Antoinette Arms. He's got a very crusty, grumpy demeanor which hides a kind heart (for example, he's willing to wait a week on rent if the tenants don't ask too often). He lives in the basement of the apartment building, which is nicer than it sounds. Several years ago, his wife of 25 years died of a premature stroke when she was only 35. They had no children, so Bart (as he's called) is more or less a loner. Still, he is very helpful and keeps the apartments in good repair. He lets John have a break on rent in exchange for trimming bushes and keeping flowers planted.

Enemies: (Why?)

Nexus has not been in SA long enough to get any enemies here, but her nemesis from Seattle, Retaliator, is still on the loose. He probably would be hard pressed to remember her, but because she jumped the gun, Retaliator escaped and a Seattle police office was wounded. Nexus has vowed to find Retaliator and bring him in, but it's been over six months since anyone has spotted him (she keeps a press clipping file on this guy).

Where do you live in SA,and what are some of your routines? (restaurants,
coffee shop, bookstore, etc.):

Amanda lives in the Commons with her brother, Devon, at the Antoinette Arms. It used to be an old, privately owned mansion, but has now been converted into three nice apartments. Amanda and Devon have the basic amenities plus a few extras, such as a small 3rd bedroom they use as an office. Their neighbors in apartment one are Stacy Cousins and Minnie Newton, two students. A single man, John Slayton, lives in the second apartment. The super, a crusty but decent widower named Bartholomew Perkins, lives in the basement (nicer than it sounds).

Both Devon and Amanda like to start the day off at Jumping Java in University Commons before heading to class and work. Amanda teaches in the mornings, and on afternoons when she has no meetings, she engages in a regular patrol of Midtown. After dinner, she may go back out for a while if there aren't too many papers to grade. On weekends, she regularly goes out in the wee hours to try and stop any would-be assaults or date rapes.

Amanda's favorite restaurants are the cheaper ones down in Chinatown.

Detail physical and/or psychological disadvantages:

No physical disadvantages. The only psych lims relate to Amanda's desire to do good, help the general public, and avoid making the same mistakes she made in Seattle.

Origin:

In 1982, Amanda was 16, and she believes that at the time the singularity flux affected this universe, she became affected. Her powers are quite intriguing in that each time she uses them, it's almost as if a "mini flux" occurs. One reason she chose to go into physics was to have greater knowledge and opportunity to study superhero powers and how they work.

Hero ID? (If yes, describe your costume, etc.)

Amanda has a public ID, but she doesn't wear her costume 24/7. If she's going to be "on duty," she'll have it on, though. The costume is two-tone brown leather (but not sprayed on!)-dark brown boots, gloves, and collar, with light brown body suit. Certain portions of the costume (shoulders, chest, vitals) are reinforced with Kevlar. She also wears amber goggles (flash defense) and keeps her hair pulled back and off her face.

Attitude towards normals/supers?

Mostly trusting…probably a little too trusting. She's inclined to accept them at face value rather than assume the worst.

Demeanor? Is this different in your hero ID?

Amanda is basically a very nice person. She has a strong desire to "do good" and help others, even if means risking her own life. Being a superhero is very important to her. After messing up an arrest in Seattle, which caused a police officer to get wounded and the villain to get away, she is eager to prove herself in SA.

Name some of your character's heroes (costumed or not)?

[In progress as the world gets fleshed out.]

What are some of your character's fears?

Screwing up again is the prime fear. She'd rather die than let that happen, particularly if someone else's life is at risk.

Can you name a few friends or enemies?

She knows Isaac through the physics department, and thinks he is okay (but a bit weird). Retaliator is her #1 enemy.

What are some of his or her goals, esp. as relating to coming to SA:

She wants to prove herself; Nexus feels very guilty over what happened in Seattle, and she wants to show that she can be helpful and responsible.

Guilty pleasures:

Amanda's hobby is cooking, and she really enjoys cooking shows (Iron Chef, Naked Chef, Emeril Live). If she has a place to spend money, it's at the cooking store. She actually videotapes these cooking shows and watches them in her spare time as a way to unwind.

On August 3, around 10 PM, Nexus was just getting ready to go home when she passed the Mu Lambda Nu house (fraternity). She noticed some kind of scuffle in the back yard and though she figured it was just a silly prank of some kind (pre-rush nonsense), she swooped down to check it out. A fraternity brother (established) named Carson Hendrix was in fact assaulting and attempting rape on a soon-to-be freshman girl named Meredith Moore. Moore had apparently been invited to the party along with other sorority rushees. Nexus helped Moore out of the situation and gave Hendrix a warning. She took Moore home, but the girl declined to press charges. Nexus plans to keep an eye on Hendrix and his compatriots.

At 7 AM on September 24, Nexus was getting coffee at her favorite place, Jumping Java, when a white male pulled out a gun and attempted to rob the till. (Pretty stupid, considering the place had only been open an hour, but such is the mind of the criminal). Nexus intervened, and although the criminal shot at her, he missed. She turned him over to the police. The criminal turned out to be a petty thief named Arnie Lynch. The arresting officer was Luisa Santiago.

When it rains, it pours…in the early evening hours of September 28, around 7 PM, Nexus was conducting a patrol of the small shops around the university campus. Near a fashion boutique called "La Dolce Vita," she noticed a suspiciously dressed woman breaking and entering. The woman was wearing a sequined leopard leotard and a black fuzzy eyemask. After a brief fight, Nexus defeated her and learned that the villainess (who seemed more than a little manic) called herself "Le Chat Noir." The police came in, and despite Detective Modera's rude comments to Nexus, they took the cat woman down to the station and booked her. She was released on bail after arraignment. Whether she will be at court on the appointed date, October 29, remains to be seen