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Usher (civilian name: Ray C. Rudolph[3]) is a member of the Los Angeles Protectorate.[4]

Personality[]

Is notably reticent to involve himself in powers where things are not known.[5]

Appearance[]

His cape costume, ethnicity and other distinguishing features have not been elaborated on.

Abilities and Powers[]

Usher has the ability to grant "unreliable" defenses, capable of countering Behemoths 'death aura',[6] as well as many other powers. Usher's power was ranged, and only required him to concentrate on the person he was protecting, he could not protect more than one individual.[2][7][1] The targets of his power glowed[8] and felt an "energy"[9] or "ripple"[10] coursing through them.

His defenses didn't protect against being pushed or thrown around allowing those with enhanced physical abilities to still effective fight against 'protected' opponents.[11][6] Essentially while he was able to grant 'single-target power immunity' to others he could not 'protect' against the laws of physics.[7][12]

Target Effectiveness
August Prince No effect.[10]
Bambina Protected from her explosions,[11] but seemingly not her kicks.
Behemoth Negated his kill aura, although he was able to melt armor.

Protected Chevalier from the damaging effects of shockwaves, but not from being pushed backward by them.

Didn't protect against Behemoth's blows.[6]

Didn't make it easier to breathe.

May or may not have protected against radiation.

Starlet Totally negated her attacks.[10]
Swansong Totally negated her power.[13]

History[]

Background[]

Likely triggered while under the power of a cape, joined the Protectorate afterward and routinely found himself in the same type of situations.[2] He was eventually stationed in Los Angeles with Alexandria as his superior.[1]

Post-Echidna[]

Rime brought him along as part of team to collect Pretender for prosecution.[1] Participated in the battle against the underage mercenaries and, as always, was inconsistently effective against them.

Post-Timeskip[]

Usher was a member of the team sent to arrest Pretender.[1] His power was somewhat effective against the villains involved.

He deployed to New Delhi with many of the other Protectorate. There Chevalier made use of his power to fight Behemoth in melee.[6]

Ward[]

At some point he was turned into Teacher's thrall and added to Ingenue's entourage.[13]

Post-Time Bubble Pop[]

During the Wardens' assault on Teacher's base Usher guarded Ingenue against Valkyrie's Flock. He saved Ingenue from being obliterated by Swansong.[13]

Usher retreated to The City alongside Ingenue.[3]

Chapter Appearances[]

Worm Chapter Appearances
Drone
1. Drone 23.1 Absent
2. Drone 23.2 Debut
3. Drone 23.3 Absent
4. Drone 23.4 Absent
5. Drone 23.5 Absent
x. Interlude 23 Absent
Crushed
1. Crushed 24.1 Absent
2. Crushed 24.2 Absent
3. Crushed 24.3 Absent
4. Crushed 24.4 Absent
5. Crushed 24.5 Absent
x. Interlude 24.x Appears
y. Interlude 24.y Absent

Trivia[]

  • Usher has numerous meanings but the most likely meaning here is 'Conduct' or 'Escort'. Fitting for a man who's power allows safe passage through danger for himself and others.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Drone 23.2
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Usher - trump effect (one parahuman?), focused to the point of applying to one person, (threat to one individual), ranged application (blaster-esque situation?), protective (harm involved?). The trump effect blocks powers, implying that the relationship to the power at the time of the trigger is direct and negative. I'm picturing Usher being lifted by TK and dragged toward some threat (building's edge? churning machinery?) with the telekinetic further back, advancing. It fulfills the trend for gaining powers to have ironic consequences if he inadvertently cancels the other parahuman's powers while being threatened and held over a large drop, and that the resulting power reshapes his life to fling him again and again into confrontations vs. parahumans like the one that nearly killed him. -Usher's Trigger event
  3. 3.0 3.1 As there had been armed guards guarding the way between bunker and facility, there were capes waiting for us on the other side. One of them handed me an info sheet. They hesitated before handing Kenzie one, and after a quick glance, I motioned for them to hand it to her.

    At Large
    [...]
    Greater City Area
    Ingenue – Miranda Webb
    Leister – Jamar Lafranca
    Usher – Ray C. Rudolph
    Captain Claw – Charles Ali
    Black Goat/Scapegoat – William Giles
    9 Soldiers, Mixed Squads - Excerpt of From Within 16.1
  4. “Counting coup?” Leister asked. He was the sole subordinate that Vantage had brought along. Rime, by contrast, had brought Usher and Arbiter from her team. Prefab from San Diego had shown up as well. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2
  5. Drone 23.2
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Behemoth swiped at him, but he was already shifting the balance of his armor, moving to block the blow with the flat of the blade. The sound of the impact was deafening, and it wasn’t something Usher’s power protected against. But Usher’s power was finnicky at best. Unreliable.

    At the very least, it was holding up here. - Excerpt from Interlude 24.x
  7. 7.0 7.1 Usher Provided single-target power immunity to others. Protectorate - Parahuman List, bolded edit by Wildbow.
  8. “Usher?” Rime asked. “Hit me.”

    Usher didn’t respond, still struggling a bit with his precarious position, holding on to Vantage’s hand. He did close his eyes, and Rime began to glow, a sheen radiating over her hair, skin and costume. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2
  9. Chevalier could feel a sensation crawling through his body, an energy. It didn’t invigorate, not on its own, but he could feel a kind of relief.

    Usher was alive, and Usher’s power coursed through him. - Excerpt from Interlude 24.x
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Usher focused his power on me. I felt it ripple through me, felt something, but it didn’t break the spell. I still couldn’t turn the slightest amount of aggression towards the kid.

    “No,” I said.

    Usher focused his power on Vantage instead, and Vantage flared with light.

    Starlet’s power hit him, and it didn’t do a thing. He punched her in the gut, then caught her as she went limp. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2
  11. 11.0 11.1 “Ricochets,” Rime stressed. “I- shit!”

    I found her with my bugs, setting them on her costume. “She’s okay, just fleeing from Bambina and Starlet. The shooter doesn’t seem to be targeting the kids.”

    “My power makes her immune to Bambina,” Usher said.

    “Maybe to the explosions,” I said, “But the impact? Or something else?”

    He frowned. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2
  12. As tough or invincible as a given cape might be, most were still hemmed in by the restrictions and boundaries of physics. Getting hit by something that weighed nearly nine tons sent men, women, boys and girls in costume flying, if it didn’t kill them outright. - Excerpt from Extermination 8.3
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Interlude 15.y II

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