Aegis from Marvel Comics

Name: Aegis

Secret Identity: Trey Jason Rollins

Origin: Trey was born in Brooklyn, New York and devoted much of his time to the study of Greek/Roman mythology. One day while making his way home from school, Trey heard a disturbance coming from a nearby warehouse. Upon investigating, Trey discovered an ancient breastplate. Keeping the artifact, he discovered its mystical abilities and took up the heroic alias of Aegis (also the name of the magical breastplate of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom). Using his powers to clean up petty crimes, Trey eventually joined the New Warriors after aiding them in battle against Blastaar.

Powers/Abilities: By himself, Trey had no enhanced abilities. All his powers stemmed from use of the magical Olympian artifact known as the Aegis. This sacred breastplate allowed Trey to create impenetrable force fields capable of blocking blows from the mighty Hercules (one of Earth’s strongest heroes). These fields could absorb and redirect energy directed at him, be extended to a distance of up to 10 feet and be projected onto others (either to defend them or entrap them). Aegis also had teleportation abilities allowing him to transport between Earth and Olympus at will.

Random Trivia: Hercules witnessed Aegis in action and confronted the hero believing he’d somehow stolen the breastplate from the gods. Athena interrupted the fight and revealed that she intentionally left the Aegis for Trey to find. She had chosen the young man as her champion (joining the ranks of past legendary figures such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus, Odysseus, and Perseus) and Hercules was meant to be his mentor. Trey’s initial adventures with the New Warriors didn’t go smoothly as he was mistrusted by the team (especially Nova) due to his friendship with a known gang member and Aegis’s stubborn refusal to reveal his identity. Eventually things smoothed themselves out when Trey unmasked himself. Aegis was one of many heroes who acted in defiance of the Superhuman Registration Act. Upon accepting his role as a champion of Olympus, Aegis gained increased confidence as he believed he had the gods on his side. This ultimately led to his downfall when a villain working for the rogue goddess Hera told Trey that Athena had abandoned him. A disbelieving Trey jumped out of a window, having faith the breastplate would shield him from the fall. Unfortunately, the armor had been tampered with and Aegis fell to his death. His spirit was shown serving as a guide to Amadeus Cho, another ally of Hercules.