The Keeper of Infinite Earths - Union of Peace
Created by Matt Parmenter
"Wraith" Created by Barry Mulvihil
Healer
Alter Ego: Vincent Heston
Occupation: Superhero
Known Relatives: none
Group Affiliation: Union of Peace
Base of Operations: New York, NY
Background/History:
Vincent was a social crusading psychiatrist and pacifist living in NYC.
Following a peace rally, he noticed an old man, apparently homeless, shivering
in an alleyway. While miffed at the fact that no one else seemed to notice him,
Vincent went over to check on him. The old man claimed to be fine, just hungry,
and asked for some spare change. Vincent helped him up and insisted on taking
him to a restaurant to make certain that the money went toward food. After he
ate, he would take him to a clinic and shelter. The old man thanked him for his
kindness and said he had a good heart. He handed Vincent his walking stick as a
gift and as thanks for his kindness. When he took hold of the stick, the old man
seemed to shimmer and, then, transformed into the god, Mercury. Mercury
explained that he had been looking for an earthly agent deserving to wield his
legendary Caduceus to heal the world of the evils that plague it. He was quite
naturally stunned by the whole experience, after all, he didn’t believe in
gods. Vincent did not know what to say, so Mercury told him to think it over and
the Caduceus turned back into a walking stick. His mind ablaze with the bizarre
occurrence, his attention was suddenly drawn by squealing tires. A van’s
breaks had failed and the vehicle crashed into a parked truck. The driver was
pinned in the wreckage and bleeding horribly. Vincent felt the walking stick
shift form in his hand and ran over to the scene. He felt his strength increase
and he pulled the door off to free the driver. Once he pulled her free from the
wreckage, he touched her with the Caduceus and she was healed. Knowing that the
Caduceus was real, he realized the awesome possibilities of what he could do
with it. He began traveling to those who were sick and in need. He discovered
that his powers seemed to be limited by how much the individual deserved to be
healed, apparently a decision made by someone other than himself. A huge battle
broke out in Times Square between the Attackers and Crypeace and the Duelist.
Drawn to the scene by the suffering of innocents caused by the evil Attackers,
Vincent became torn by his feelings of pacifism and the need to stop them from
continuing to harm people, since he literally could not help the injured fast
enough as more were being hurt. He joined the battle on the side of Crypeace and
helped rout the Attackers. Crypeace was suitably impressed and offered Vincent a
spot on the Union of Peace. He was hesitant, at first, but Crypeace explained
how he could be an example and air his views more effectively as a member of the
group which was, after all, dedicated to peace. He decided to give it a try and
took the codename, Healer.
Personality/Motivations:
Always having been a liberal pacifist, he tended to be very active in movements
and meetings, but was somewhat disappointed in how little difference was made in
the lives of real people. Dealing with the conflict between his pacifism and the
need to fight evil has put him in a somewhat odd situation. His work with the
various members of the group such as Brain Trust and Stigmata has made him
certain he chose the right path. He remains dedicated to solving problems in the
most non-aggressive way possible.