VERVE [Character Bio/Stats]

Real name: Simon Kirby
Occupation: Comic book artist
Identity: Secret
Legal status: United States Citizen with Criminal Record
Place of Birth: New York, New York
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives:
Group affiliation: Supers of Fortune
Base of operations: New York City
First appearance: Supers of Fortune #1
Height: 5' 10" Weight: 175 lbs.
Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown

History: Simon Kirby, was an aspiring artist and student of the legendary Golden Age comic artist Joe Kavalier. Kirby was present at the elderly man's house when a group of burglars broke in. Holding the two artists at gunpoint, they began grabbing all of Joe's, mint condition Golden-Age comics, as well as several valuable looking pieces from Joe's collection of stage magic memorabilia (Joe had been an amateur escape artist and stage magician in his younger years). Kirby attempted to stop them when they seized the portfolios containing Joe's original artwork; his enire life's work. The criminals cracked him in the skull with a gun, knocking him into a glass case full of stage magic artifacts, and made their getaway.

Kirby was covered in paint and blood, but was relatively unhurt. Kirby asked why there were jars of paint in his stage magic collection, and Joe explained that the ancient set of paints had been a gift from his wife. According to legend, when the Spanish Conquistadors invaded Mexico and conquered the Aztec empire, one tribe of Aztecs escaped to a remote valley and spent centuries developing enchanted paints; a picture painted from these enchanted paints would come to material life. Joe had, of course, tried them out, but nothing had happened. It was a nice gift nonetheless.

Soon afterwards Kirby discovered that he had the power to bring his drawings to life for short periods of time. He knew it had to be the paints. Perhaps when they intermingled with his blood, their magical powers had been activated and now coursed through his veins. He had heard of ritual sacrifices and such in Aztec culture, perhaps blood was the missing ingredient Joe had lacked to activate the power contained within the enchanted paints.

Having been a fan of comics his entire life, Kirby knew that he must use these new powers for the greater good. He would become a superhero. He dubbed himself Verve, after the spirit and enthusiasm that animates artistic compositions and performance. His first mission as Verve, was tracking down the criminals who had broken into Joe's house. Armed only with a sketchbook, a set of pencils, and his imagination, Verve was able to quickly subdue the criminals, turn them over to the police, and return Joe's valuable's.

Not wanting to be a starving artist, Kirby decided to join the metahuman group for hire known as Supers of Fortune, who later become Meta-Force, to finance his way through art school.