Jacob Herschz



Name: Jacob David Herschz
Age: 39
Height: 6'
Weight: 205lbs.
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Brown

Birthdate: July 22nd
Known Family:
--Richard Herschz (father)
--Maria Herschz (mother)
--Daniel Herschz (brother, older - deceased)
--Matthew Herschz (nephew)
Alliance: Xavier Institute
Occupation: Professor of Mutant Ability Control/ Soccer coach

Intelligence - 4 = Gifted (varies with catalogue)
Strength - 2 = Normal (varies with catalogue)
Speed - 2 = Normal (varies with catalogue)
Durability - 2 = Normal (varies with catalogue)
Energy Projection - 1 = None (varies with catalogue)
Fighting Ability - 4 = Experienced fighter


    Current Copy List:
    (See "POWERS" below)

    1. Medusa Sight - Nirawan Sora
    2. Medusa Sight - Nirawan Sora
    3. Medusa Sight - Nirawan Sora
    4. Medusa Sight - Nirawan Sora
    5.
    6.
    7.
    8.
    9.
    10.
    11.
    12.
    13.
    14.
    15.
    16.





HISTORY -

Jacob Herschz was born to Richard and Maria Herschz and is the younger brother of Daniel Herschz. He loved and idolized his brother, older by seven years, throughout his early childhood. He always aspired to be like him...even after Daniel turned out to be a mutant. Jacob was five when Daniel revealed to their parents that he was a mutant, and could control light. Unfortunately, Richard and Maria Herschz turned out to be the "mutant-hating" types and Daniel was thrown out of the house, disowned. Jacob didn't quite understand what was happening, only that Daniel and their parents were very angry at each other. Though his parents were over-reluctant to discuss the matter with him, Jacob eventually got them to talk when he was older, thirteen to be exact. They explained to him the mutant "threat" in the world and how they are dangerous, unrelenting villains bent on destroying all of mankind. They used the news coverage and negative media perception that mutantkind was receiving to strengthen their point.

Jacob felt sorry for his brother when their parents threw him out of the house just because he was a mutant. Jacob secretly disagreed with his parents about the mutants. After all, how could they all be bad if his own, beloved brother had been a mutant? Daniel sure wasn't bent on world domination. Though little did Jacob know that he, too, would undergo a similar situation to Dan's when he discovers that he, too, has the X-gene in him.

Jacob's powers manifested when he was walking home from school, and there was a mutant attack in the streets. Jacob hid nearby and watched it unfold. As he watched, through all the adrenaline, his eyes changed...and he could suddenly see the energy waves and patterns to the powers being used before him. It then became a sort of second nature...he knew to copy it, to save it, for later. The mutants turned toward him, and started to attack...so Jacob fled. Once he got home, Jacob experimented, trying to duplicate the mutant powers he saw. Jacob realized over time that he could imitate almost any kind of mutation once he's seen it, as long as it didn't interfere with his physical body. He also learned that there are reprocussions for attempting to copy a very powerful mutant's ability.

Jacob decided to run away from home, given what happened between his parents and his brother, and endured a rough life on the streets for a couple years. Ironically, he fell into the same gang that Dan ran with...though the two never knew of each other. After a long time, Jacob found he wanted to get out of that life...and ran into Mystique. She wanted to keep him for herself because of his powers...and concocted a plan to get Jacob out of the gang. Disguised as him, she murdered the leader. When Jacob found out, he fled Mystique and was saved by a mutant reporter. In return, Jacob felt he needed to come clean, Jacob gave the reporter his story - but they decided to twist it to leave Mystique out of it. Jacob took the blame and turned himself in. However, thanks to a friend in the police station - a detective - the courts agreed to let Jacob stay at the Xavier Institute instead of be sent to jail. Dan and Jacob were reunited here, and lived together at the school. Here, Jacob met a girl named Jennifer Dylan (JD) and the two hit it off, becoming a couple quickly.

A few years later, Daniel got into a relationship with a girl, Alicia, who ended up pregnant from him. Daniel was not happy with this and, after Alicia decided to keep the child, left her...disappearing as he does so well. Jacob agreed to help Alicia through the process after Dan left, wanting to be a part of his nephew or niece's life. Despite his relationship with JD, Jacob started to have feelings for Alicia. JD saw this and, in the interest of everyone, decided to leave Jacob to pursue her rapidly-advancing career. Jacob and Alicia's relationship went on for a few months...but as Alicia progressed through her term, the two realized what they were doing...and how perverse it was. They decided to end the relationship and remain friends. When Jacob's nephew, Matthew, was born, Jacob swore to help Alicia raise him.

Jacob got a job at the Institute - the place of his sanctuary - as a soccer coach (having played soccer extensively in junior and high school) and also as a mutant powers understanding and control teacher. Who better to teach young mutants about their powers than one who can imitate most of them? He helps them through their struggles as he works through them personally as well. This helps the students gain a much deeper understanding on their abilities than with any other teacher. Jacob's able to share his stories about his own powers and struggles that he's had in the past, and the students really enjoy the personal touch he places on the class.

POWERS -

Jacob fashioned a name for himself while living on the streets, so he wouldn’t have to give out his real one: CopyCat, and, as the name implies, his mutation is that he is able to imitate and mimic another mutant’s abilities just by seeing them. His retinas and nerve pathways to his brain are mutated so that he can perceive the energy waves given off by the X-gene when a mutant uses their power. And, of course, every mutant has a signature to their genes, so each energy wave given off by an individual mutant is unique. Jacob's brain interprets these waves and then, in turn, copies them onto his own X-gene...allowing him to use the other mutant's unique signature, or power. Thusly, if he were to be traced by any leftover fragment of energy, it would lead to the original mutant and not to him. Jacob must "see" the mutant power happening, either at the source or the destination, to perceive the energy signature and copy it. His "catalogue" of mutant powers also suggests another mutation to allow for this, an ability to retain massive information and memory. For instance, Jacob is able to remember each and every ability that he has copied, with just a thought. Going through the catalogue is like flipping through a Rolodex for Jacob.

Though there are limitations. Jacob cannot alter his physical form too drastically. If the mutation specifically involves growing three feet taller or twenty pounds larger or if it changes the color of his skin or hair or changes his bone-structure, he cannot use it. Also, the power won’t be exactly as strong or potent as the original’s...at least not until Jacob matures more. But remember, he's had his powers for two years now, and he's had a lot of practice, so he knows his limits and he knows what he can do. If the ability involves something not directly related to appearance, like telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, or super-strength, super-speed or healing etc., Jacob can use it.

If the mutant's abilities are numerous, Jacob cannot choose just one ability, as they are all on the same X-gene. If he chooses to copy this mutation, he retains all of the abilities on the mutant's X-gene. If some of those are physical mutations, those are blocked and are unusable. Jacob will only have access to those powers that are not physical.

Jacob's state of body has a good deal to do with how well he can function copying abilities. But, strangely, if he's being hindered or attacked by a mutant power, he can take those energy waves, creating a sort of feedback loop, and use it back...therefore rendering the abilities useless for both himself and the mutant. After over twenty years of practice, experience and training, Jacob's strength and quality of his copied abilities has grown greatly. He can now mimic an ability at about %95 functionality, but he can, under duress, reach %100. Once Jacob has copied the mutant ability, it is stored in a sort of facility in his brain Jacob calls his "catalogue", for instant use at any time.

DETAILED POWER DESCRIPTION -

Jacob possesses the ability to mimic and copy another mutant’s X-gene signature. This act of copying is entirely voluntary. He has complete control over what he copies and doesn’t copy. His ability is, however, limited to non-form-altering mutations and to mutants only...not meta-humans, evolved humans (not classified as mutants) or altered humans.

He can create a feedback loop, taking the energy signature of a mutant power being used against him, and laying back on itself, cancelling it out and creating that feedback. Once this happens, neither mutant is affected by the ability and it cannot be used.

Jacob, currently, can use two copied mutant powers at a time and still be at "full strength." Jacob has the potential to use more copied powers at once, but if he does, the second ability will be inhibited: about 70% of his own maximum strength level.

Jacob’s catalogue storage capacity is as follows: he can only store up to 16 copied abilities at any one time. Jacob can tap into these at any time, and use them. The 16 catalogue slots are taken up based upon what the Mutant Class Level of the ability is. If the ability is Class 3, it takes three slots. Class 4 takes four slots and so on. He must be in close proximity to a mutant power, either its source or target, to be able to copy it.

Jacob's copied abilities work like fuel. Jacob can use them sparingly and keep them longer, or use them quickly and burn through the copied DNA quickly. But once it is used, Jacob loses the power and must re-copy it. Or Jacob can selectively delete copied abilities to make room for others. If Jacob wants to replace an ability with another, he can delete however many he needs to make room for the new one. If the power is deleted, Jacob loses it and must re-copy it.

Jacob can mentally "sense" another mutant's strength capacity, similar to Callisto. Here's where it differs: He cannot tell the Class level or what power they have, but he can sense their maximum output level, how strong they have the potential to be in their ability. So, he can tell someone's a mutant either by actively sensing them, or by seeing their mutant energy signature - if one is visible. There are a couple of quirks to this mutation:
  While in proximity to a Class 6 or 7 (Omega) mutant, Jacob experiences a mild, vibrating headache. Just being near them, about a train car length away.
  If Jacob actually senses the power output of a Class 6 or 7 (Omega) mutant, he experiences what is called a "spike" or "flash" headache. This is an excruciating headache that lasts for about a minute or three, going away as quickly as it came. This way, Jacob knows that their power is very dangerous to copy for himself. But that does not keep him from copying the power to his catalogue.