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He’d been one of a number of players that had supplanted the local organized crime in the early-to-mid-nineties. A mafia enforcer with powers who had decided he had what it took to be a boss.

Taylor, Extinction 27.3

Ricario D’Alleva,[3] known publicly as Galvanate, is a former enforcer turned mafia boss who was imprisoned in the Birdcage.[4] He acts as a leader of one of the cell blocks.[5]

Abilities and Powers[]

Galvanate can grant a combination of invincibility, enhanced strength, and an electric charge to other individuals with a touch.[1][2] He can render entire squads effectively invincible, giving them strength powerful enough to qualify the recipient as a Brute,[1] while also making them capable of electrocuting someone to death with a touch.[4] Note that this granted invincibility also stacks with the durability of individuals such as Alexandria and Gavel.[6]

Grue is unable to effectively borrow Galvanate's power with his second trigger darkness.[7]

Galvanate's granted invincibility is not on the same level as Alexandria's durability: it is not strong enough to withstand a sustained blast from Scion for even a heartbeat. Although people expressed hope that his power would make some individuals capable of surviving a glancing blow, it is unknown whether this hypothesis turned out to be true.[4]

History[]

Background[]

While Galvanate's trigger event is unknown, Wildbow speculated that it was in response to a single, indirect parahuman threat to a group of individuals around Galvanate, and involved some form of machinery. A hypothetical trigger Wildbow outlined was that Galvanate, back when he was a mafia enforcer, was with his people fighting a tinker from an enemy group, who was bombarding their area with an endless barrage of incendiary shells and missiles. As his men, friends, and family faced increasing danger as fires spread and sections of buildings started to come down, he triggered.[1]

In the early-to-mid-nineties, Galvanate operated as a parahuman mafia enforcer. One day, he decided to become the leader, soon becoming notorious for creating unstoppable squads of soldiers empowered with invincibility and electricity.[4] He was eventually captured and imprisoned in the Birdcage, where he became a cell block leader.[5]

Post-Slaughterhouse Nine[]

As a cell block leader, Galvanate attended the meeting where Marquis introduced Panacea. He negotiated with Marquis for Panacea's services to cure toothaches within his cell block, as he found the services of the dentist in Teacher's cell block too expensive.[8]

Gold Morning[]

Galvanate was among the parahumans released from the Birdcage to assist in the defense effort against Scion. There were hopes that his power could help certain individuals survive glancing blows from Scion's attacks.[4] Galvanate used his powers to empower Alexandria, Gavel, Gentle Giant, and an unnamed Birdcage prisoner, improving their already impressive defenses.[6]

Early-Ward[]

He survived Gold Morning, but eventually ended up back in prison.[3]

Post-Goddess' Takeover[]

Location unknown.

Chapter Appearances[]

Worm Chapter Appearances
Monarch
1. Monarch 16.1 Absent
2. Monarch 16.2 Absent
x. Interlude 16.x Absent
3. Monarch 16.3 Absent
4. Monarch 16.4 Absent
5. Monarch 16.5 Absent
6. Monarch 16.6 Absent
y. Interlude 16.y Absent
7. Monarch 16.7 Absent
8. Monarch 16.8 Absent
9. Monarch 16.9 Absent
10. Monarch 16.10 Absent
z. Interlude 16.z Debut
11. Monarch 16.11 Absent
12. Monarch 16.12 Absent
13. Monarch 16.13 Absent
Extinction
1. Extinction 27.1 Absent
2. Extinction 27.2 Absent
3. Extinction 27.3 Appears
4. Extinction 27.4 Appears
5. Extinction 27.5 Absent
x. Interlude 27.x Absent
y. Interlude 27.y Absent

Trivia[]

  • The name Galvanate resembles the word "galvanize," meaning to stimulate something with an electric current. Galvanize also refers to the act of shocking or exciting people into taking action, similar to how Galvanate empowers his men and sends them to do his bidding. Finally, galvanizing can refer to the process of coating metal with zinc, protecting it from corrosion, which parallels the invincibility Galvanate can grant.
  • While called a "Mafia" enforcer this is actually a wide umbrella applied to several different secret societies that involve themselves in criminal activity just in their native Italy. For example the Camorra, 'Ndrangheta and the Sacra Corona Unita.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The question is essentially, 'What part of the Trump's trigger event determines the nuances of the resulting power?'
    In short, what was the relationship to powers at the time of the trigger event?
    [...]
    Galvanate grants invincibility, a brute effect, and an electric touch. Not so different from Usher; we can note that the power granted is consistent (one threat), but isn't a direct response/counter to the power (ie. isn't nullification/power resistance, so the triggeree isn't directly being affected by powers). It's possible that the enemy was a parahuman actively using their powers, but the trigger/threat was more indirect, and the threat was to multiple individuals (can grant power to many people). The involvement of electricity suggests a theme or context element. Machinery, perhaps? I picture a mob enforcer and his people fighting an enemy from another group, who is bombarding an area with incendiary shells and missiles. A tinker in a mech suit, firing off an endless barrage. Galvanate's group, his men, friends, maybe family, are all in danger as fire spreads and sections of building start to come down. Trigger. - Wildbow on Reddit
  2. 2.0 2.1 Galvanate Capable of granting invincibility and enhanced strength with a touch - Parahuman List, bolded edit by Wildbow
  3. 3.0 3.1 Chris snorted. “Whatever. Tom Moss? Dead. They didn’t put much effort into investigating that one. Ricario D’Alleva, imprisoned. Akemi whatshername? Imprisoned.”

    “She seems reasonably free and happy by all reports I’ve seen.”

    “Led around like a dog, watched constantly.” - Excerpt from Interlude 10.y II
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Galvanate appeared. He’d been one of a number of players that had supplanted the local organized crime in the early-to-mid-nineties. A mafia enforcer with powers who had decided he had what it took to be a boss. He’d done well, rendering entire squads of his soldiers effectively invincible, simultaneously capable of electrocuting someone to death with a touch.

    Nothing short of Alexandria or an Endbringer would stand up to Scion’s sustained laser beam for even a heartbeat, but there was hope that Galvanate would render some people capable of surviving a glancing blow. - Excerpt from Extinction 27.3
  5. 5.0 5.1 All in all, there were twelve cell blocks with leaders. That meant that there were eleven leaders with eleven lieutenants arriving. Acidbath, Galvanate, Teacher, Lab Rat and Gavel were leaders of the cell blocks on the men’s side of the prison. Lustrum, Black Kaze, Glaistig Uaine, String Theory, Crane and Ingenue were the female leaders. There were other cell blocks, but twelve was generally agreed on as a good number. It left room for discussion without too much chaos, and it left enough cell blocks leaderless that they had elbow room to do business elsewhere. - Excerpt from Interlude 16.z
  6. 6.0 6.1 Here and there, portals opened, and capes stepped onto the platform. String Theory, carrying only a laptop. Galvanate.

    Galvanate reached out and touched a select few capes. Layering invincibility over invincibility for Alexandria, for Gavel, Gentle Giant, and a Birdcage cape I didn’t recognize. - Excerpt from Extinction 27.4
  7. “Could do with some of that,” Grue said.

    “Borrow his power?” I suggested.

    “Doesn’t work. We did a few test runs before you showed. Some options. We’ll see.” - Excerpt from Extinction 27.4
  8. “It seems that cell block C will be cooperating with us,” Marquis said. Then he smiled.

    “Glaistig Uaine might see things, but she isn’t usually wrong,” Galvanate said. “She says the kid has power? Fine. Our issues are the usual. The dentist in cell block T charges a small fortune, and we’ve got some toothaches. Can you heal that?”

    Amelia was still staring off towards the entrance to Marquis’ cell block. - Excerpt from Interlude 16.z

Site Navigation[]

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Cell Block Leaders AcidbathBlack KazeBlood Diamond Crane the HarmoniousGalvanateGavelGlaistig UaineIngenueLab RatLustrumMarquisString TheoryTeacher
Prisoners Bakuda CanaryCinderhandsCrock o’ShitKnotLizard PrinceLungMurderbeamNailbiterPanaceaRamrodSpruceTricksterWhimper
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