Secret Army Character Profile: Mourdock Skyborn

One of the fun parts about writing a series is introducing new characters into the mix.  Different characters can bring a different dynamic into the narrative, so it can be exciting to see how their introduction affects the main characters of the story.

Someone who is going to affect the saga of Earthman Jack a great deal is the character of Mourdock Skyborn.  Mourdock is one of the new characters introduced in The Secret Army, and his story is going to be one with far-reaching effects in the universe.

Mourdock comes from Legacy Skyborn, which is the ruling family of the Maxima Star System.  In the “Jackverse,” a “Legacy” is a title awarded to governors of solar systems, which can only be granted or taken away by the Emperor of the Regalus Empire.  All inhabited planets, colonies, and outposts within a solar system are overseen by a Legacy, the responsibilities of which are typically passed down from generation to generation.  It is not unheard of to have Legacies which have ruled over a solar system for thousands of years, with the next generation constantly groomed for the responsibility that is passed down to them.

A Legacy is one of the most powerful positions within the Empire.  They essentially rule a mini-empire of their own and typically command a great deal of power and influence.  The Maxima star system is a gateway to many Imperial worlds and outposts on the outer edges of Imperial Space, and this gives the Skyborns a great deal of political and economic influence.

Mourdock is the only son of Gebhard Skyborn, who is the current ruler of the Maxima system.  Mourdock has been training as a Paragon from a very young age, and was genetically engineered to be both strong and intelligent.  In a weird way, Mourdock is the kind of man Jack wants to be.  He’s attractive, capable, rich, and a real man of action.  In a sense, Mourdock is more of a typical “hero” than Jack could ever hope to be.  In fact, when writing him, I based his character on many aspects of the traditional “hero” you’d see in young adult novels.  For Mourdock, everything comes easy, and he’s just naturally a “good guy.”  In fact, you might even go so far as to call him a “Gary Stu,” since he’s so gosh-darn perfect.

Jack’s relationship with Mourdock is also an odd one.  In a way, Jack resents Mourdock because of the fact that everything comes easy to the guy.  Jack is indeed jealous of Mourdock, and doesn’t want to like him.  And while it would probably be easy for Mourdock to have been another “meathead jerk” who picks on Jack, Mourdock actually has a good heart, and goes out of his way to be Jack’s friend – something which Jack has short supply of on Omnicron.  So in a weird way, even though Mourdock could be considered one of Jack’s rivals, he’s also one of Jack’s most important allies.

But there is more to Mourdock than meets the eye.  I don’t want to give too much away, but Mourdock’s journey is one that is just as important as Jack’s, and you’ll get to see the start of this journey in The Secret Army.  As the series progresses, you’ll get to see Mourdock grow just like you’ll get to see Jack.  But these two friends will be taking very different paths.  For while Jack is surrounding himself with good people he can rely on, Mourdock is surrounded with people who don’t always have his best interest at heart.  And one can only be surrounded by such dark influences for so long before they begin to take their toll.  So the question is, can Mourdock remain as pure and perfect of a hero as he has been up to this point?  Or will temptation lure him off the righteous path?  I guess you’ll have to keep reading the series to find out!

Though Mourdock plays a big role in The Secret Army, all your favorite characters from The Ghost Planet are returning.  Scallywag is back, as is Grohm, along with Professor Green and Anna.  And Heckubus Moriarty?  Yeah, he’s back too!  AND he has a side-kick this time around!  (After all, what’s an evil genius without a sidekick?)

We’re only a few days away from the book’s release, so be sure to check it out on September 15th, 2015 when it becomes available!  And be on the lookout for another post tomorrow when I’ll be sharing more artwork from the book!

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