File 0.3C/16 - The Dead Man Walking

Nature alone is terrifying enough. But sometimes there are other hands at play.

— Timothy Bodaway, Association Operative

Recording of a conversation between Alter Association CCS Operative Kevin Kasdan and Junior Operative Samantha June:
"There are tornadoes out there who don't quite behave like the rest. Jarrel in '97 sat on a town for minutes and shredded it down to dust. El Reno in 2013 changed directions like it had fun playing with all the stormchasers. And Tri-State? That thing just rushed through like it was on a mission to bulldoze as many lives as possible. People already remember them in infamy. Now imagine what they'd think if they knew that all of that had been intentional?"

Ancient Tale

"He is some sort of wind spirit. Doesn't really have a name. Native legends have many references to spirits in some form and our researchers have found a number that could refer to him. I just call him 'Jack'. So far, he hasn't told me to stop so I'll keep using that."
"Association reports call him 'Dead Man Walking'. Think a documentary came up with it at some point. Made up some old native legend about a man you see walking in the storm. A sign of death. Turns out they were kinda right all along."
"There are no specific myths or tales. Only ancient, oral warnings. They know that something worse than a mere tornado is on the prowl when that shade appears among the winds. If the labcoats are correct, mentions of him can be traced back to the 1500s BCE. He seems to love how much effort we put into figuring him out, but naturally doesn't lend a hand."

The Walking Storm

"We have known about him since the 70s. Doctor Fujita spent a good decade or two hunting him down. Why we haven't caught him yet? Well, the bastard unfortunately doesn't make it easy:"

Made of Wind

"Jack is made from wind or air. Not quite sure myself how exactly it works, but it seems like he can change his molecular structure to such a degree that his body literally becomes air. Projectiles just pass through. Only thing that can hurt him in that state are large-area energy blasts, but even that is not 100% effective. He can disperse himself, literally divide himself across hundreds of miles, and reform at any point that holds some of his 'body'."

Elemental Power

"And the bastard is fast. Breaks the sound barrier without a sweat. Worse is his control over nature. Violent wind waves, dust storms, turning weak clouds into terrible hail factories...Tornadoes are his favourite toy, but only one among many. He can create entire supercells with a snap of his fingers and make tornadoes appear wherever he wants. Some in the association claim that he could even create Hurricanes, but for once I hope those labrats are wrong."

"From time to time, he will jump into a tornado and ride along with it. He can steer them, strengthen them, really do all manner of things and just dissolve them whenever he wants. He is and isn't the tornado on those occasions. Don't ask me how it works. Never quite understood it and I think the people back at the AA don't either."

Origin of Evil

Recording of a conversation between 'Jack' and Dr. Fujita dated July 1985:
"Oh, come one, Ted. You and I both know that there isn't something deeper at play here. I do it for the same reason your kind goes out into the woods or steppes: hunting is fun. Of course, sometimes you need to be reminded that man ain't the true ruler of this world. You know young people. Always thinking they are the ones to do it better. Never heeding the old warnings. Nothing a broken town can't fix, of course."
Field Report by CCS Operative Kasdan on Subject 0.3C/16 date January 2015:
"There is no motive beyond a love for pain and suffering. Subject C-16 is unpredictable in when and where he will strike. However, I firmly adviseOperation Command to refrain from launching any attempt at catching the subject."
"Jack is quick to anger and does not forget slights wherever real or perceived. His mood is what determines just how bad a tornado season will get. If he is in a good mood, we get maybe a dozen fatalities at most. If he isn't, something like Jarrel happens. But if we truly piss him off we may have to say goodbye to the Midwest.

I am sorry, sir, but someone seems to have scribbled in Dr. Fujita's script. There is an F6 Tier added to the scale and "Jack is mad" has been written behind it.

— Student at the University of Chicago, 1992

Date of Birth
Unknown
Country of Origin
Pre-Columbian North America
Alter Type
None - Mythological/Divine Being
Threat Level
IC - Continental
Affiliation/s
None

Man behind the Myth
It is unclear exactly how often 'Jack' has been behind a tornado. Confirmed events include the infamous Tri-State Tornado from 1925, the Jarrel TX Tornado from 1997 and the El Reno 2013 storm. The full list is longer, with up to 49 tornadoes over the past century being seen as likely candidates. The true number is unknown, especially as 'Jack's' presence in North America seems to date back to the 1500s BCE at the very least.
Some researchers, basing their assertions on the spirit's own hints, have even come forward claiming that the old Mississippi civilisation of Cahokia fell into decline thanks to his influence. The megadroughts that appear to have swept across the continent at the time may have been the result of his power being turned fully against humanity.

by Daena Key