Tommy Delaney

Tommy is easily recognisable by the remaining burn scars that extend from his neck down much of his torso from the fire at Camp Calhoun.

Despite calling himself as such, Tommy is in no way a true telepath in the way that others like Brainiac are. He's unable to read minds, relying in stead on forcing people to divulge their thoughts to him through the power he does have. After looking people in the eyes and activating his power, his eyes glowing green as he does, the target is then compelled to follow any and all verbal commands issued to them by him until they are either taken far enough away or enough time passes for the effect to wear off. This effect works best against those who are not anticipating it or otherwise mentally vulnerable, otherwise it can theoretically be overcome through extreme effort or force of will, with true telepaths being all-but-immune to the effect.

When, at fifteen years old, an accident at a summer camp for troubled teens caused Tommy's mutant power of mind control to manifest itself, he took almost no time at all to make use of it, taking control of the camp councillors and ensuring that the good times for him and his best friend, the recovering pyromaniac David, would never end. Despite David's increasing discomfort with the whole situation, Tommy’s grip over the camp grew darker, turning the counselors and campers into his obedient worshippers. He indulged in every pleasure, unchecked and unchallenged.   Tommy never quite managed to work out why David hadn't wanted to enjoy the spoils of his new powers with him, but even as the two disagreed, he refused to touch David's mind, wanting him to come around on his own so that the two of them could have fun together as best friends. As the pressure of Tommy's expectations grew and David felt he couldn't take it any longer, the latter decided to take drastic action. Waiting for Tommy to be otherwise occupied in the camp's mess hall, he retrieved his old trusty lighter and set the building ablaze, ending Tommy's reign of terror and ensuring he'd never be free of the flame again.   Little did David know however, but Tommy survived the blaze, though not without bearing the scars of what David had done. He left the hospital that week, alone and not caring to return to his underwhelming home life, set on proving that fire wouldn’t consume him. Not then, and not ever again.   After a dangerous encounter with Schurk Industries, Tommy abandoned his dream of becoming a modern feudal lord, instead choosing a life of indulgence—traveling the world, controlling the rich and beautiful, then slipping away before being found. Instead, he decided to enjoy all the luxuries that life could offer, travelling to exotic locations, forcing all sorts of beautiful and influential people to do his bidding and then moving on again before being found.   He'd been to Bathala City once before, during his travels in the late nineties, and could see the City's appeal, with urban sprawl situated right next to oceanic views and greenery throughout. He'd taken a liking to the place long before it became the "Home of Heroes", a scary prospect for a supervillain trying to stay under the radar. That didn't stop him from returning to the area nearly thirty years later, taking a stroll through the familiar streets and winding up in a strip club in Salanas, where he'd finally be found by The Jackal, local near-omnipotent superbeing and his own biological daughter, who swiftly decided that his story was over and dealt with him in a very visceral manner.