Paul Presby

Head of SHIELD's Search and Rescue department,
Part-time professor at Xavier's School.

Mutations

Teleportation: Paul is able to teleport, but rather than transporting to specific locations, Paul's ability is tied to people. He concentrates on them, and is able to get a general feel for where they are, and appear nearby them if he chooses. This works far better with people he is close to, because the stronger the relationship between them the easier it is for Paul to follow the pull. Due to the nature of his ability, Paul cannot choose anywhere in the world and decide to go there; someone he knows must already be at that location. When Paul teleports to someone, he does it by having (or getting) an emotional feel for them. This is another reason why it is far easier for him to teleport to someone he already personally knows. When searching for a stranger he is able to sense them if he is provided with a picture and information about the person, but it is far harder and takes much longer. The process can be sped up a great deal if Paul is able to meet someone who is close to the missing person, as he can use the emotional ties between the two to bridge the gap (following it like guideline from one to the other).

Partial Empathy: Due to the nature of his ability and the way it relies on the emotional ties between people, Paul is able to get a sense of certain emotions. He teleports by latching onto them, and when he does it causes a link to solidify between him and his target. These links, which he calls "bonds", happen automatically. They can be prevented or severed, but it causes Paul extreme pain to do so. The bonds generally work only one way, thus Paul constantly experiences the other party's emotions while they do not sense anything out of the ordinary. The exception to this would be powerful telepaths or those trained to resist telepathic influence. The bonds tend to be permanent because of the pain induced when they are cut. Paul has a bond for almost every single person he has ever teleported to, therefore at any given time he experiences the emotions of nearly one hundred people at once. At first Paul was overwhelmed by this, but spending time at the Xavier's School has helped him learn how to suppress the bonds for his own well-being. Now they have dimmed to a constant low hum in the back of his mind rather than a cacophony of feelings.

The Brain: Scientists both with SHIELD and Xavier's School have theorized that Paul's brain might be structured differently than the average human's, a result of the X-gene that gave him his ability. They believe his brain developed specifically in order for him to be able to distinguish his own thoughts and emotions from those of the others he is tethered to.

Notable Facts:
-Drugs such as anesthetics can temporarily "shut off" Paul's bonds. This is something that has previously been taken advantage of to prevent him from escaping certain situations, as without his emotional ties he cannot teleport. Paul has stated that his mind feels far too empty without them, and that the silence in his own head is unsettling.

Additionally, extreme pain makes it difficult if not impossible for Paul to teleport away. During the events of Civil War the government imprisoned Paul in an effort to use him as a means of tracking down other supers. He was fitted with a collar that provided electric shocks whenever he attempted teleportation, thus preventing his escape.

-Emotions are rooted in the brain, so some might consider Paul's ability to read them a form of telepathy. There have been instances where telepaths have been able to block Paul from sensing them.

-It has been proven that it is possible, although difficult, for someone to infiltrate Paul's mind using the connection between the two.

-When startled Paul has a habit of "poofing"; teleporting away and then back in quick succession. It is an instinctive "fight or flight" response.

Basic Info

Name: Paul Alexander Presby
Age: 29
Height: "5'9"
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Currently Resides: New York City
Occupations: Head of SHIELD's Search and Rescue department, occasional X-Man, part-time professor at Xavier's School
Subjects Taught: Mutant-Human Relations, Guest speaker for the tracking portion of "Hunting and Tracking, special instruction".

Important Facts: Like the writer behind this account Paul is on the Autism spectrum, and therefore there are aspects of his character that will reflect this (based on the writer's own behaviors and experiences):

-He has a slight aversion to touch. While Paul greatly enjoys physical shows of affection from the people he is close to, physical contact from someone he doesn't know very well can make him extremely tense and uncomfortable, even if the intention behind it is casual and friendly. Additionally, sudden physical touches are very unpleasant for him.

-Paul may often avoid eye contact, especially with those that make him nervous or that he perceives to be an authority figure.

-He can be hypersensitive to certain things; like loud or repetitive noises, certain textures/materials against his skin, feeling crowded when he is around too many people, etc.

-While he may be a little naive when it comes to some things, Paul is still a fully capable adult and will not take kindly to being treated like a child.

-Paul has developed a habit often referred to as "masking" in which he hides behaviors that may not be seen as socially acceptable (such as stimming) and will try to mimic what is seen as "normal" behavior (expressions, mannerisms, forcing himself to make eye contact, etc.) in an effort to fit in and be accepted by those around him.

-He is lonely, but tends to keep to himself. Too much time around other people without a break starts to feel grating and can leave him exhausted at the end of the day. Still, Paul craves friendship from people who will accept him as he truly is.