Father Freak

A monstrous guardian for the dispossessed

“I care only about my flock. Your life means nothing to me. Flee, or perish.”

Father Freak stands eight feet tall. His “skin” is an armored chitinous shell. He has six fingers and toes, and an extra joint in each major extremity. Antennae rise from his head, and his many eyes resemble a cross between bees and spiders. The shell can slide away, revealing huge wasp’s wings that give him a limited ability to fly. His body heals itself at a ridiculously fast rate. This plus his natural armor makes him almost invulnerable. He has faced artillery and vehicle-mounted Gatling guns without breaking stride.

Father Freak began life as a devoutly religious man, before his powers erupted out of the blue. Over the course of an endless and excruciating night, his body transformed itself into a vaguely insectile monstrosity. Feeling abandoned by the god he worshipped, he invaded his home church, forced everyone to leave, and declared it his new home. Between holding off police incursions, he held Satanic rites and otherwise gave an outlet to his feelings.

His self-loathing tempered itself when people started coming to the church anyway. Not the regular congregants, nor any holy man or elder. The people who came were the homeless, the needy, the addicted - anyone who had nowhere else to go, and who had been turned away by other places. Here, where no law held sway, they were safe from the scrutiny of that law.

The monster found that a man still dwelled in his heart. Christening himself “Father Freak”, he devoted himself to the needs of his new flock. He would find them food, medicine, whatever they needed, by theft if necessary. If local gangs came around to harass people, he would deal with them.

Despite his protectiveness, his self-hatred and repressed rage still linger. It’s almost too easy for him to lose control. But when he’s not causing suffering himself, he’s doing his best to ease the suffering of his flock. What makes him a villain are his methods, not his intentions.

Playing Father Freak

Father Freak is a villain who isn’t robbing banks to get rich, but he will definitely hurt people and break laws. Above all, his motivation is to play out a twisted reflection of a church pastor’s duties: protect the people who need him.

Father Freak is distantly inspired by Image Comics’ Spawn. He isn’t truly a demon from Hell - he only looks and acts like it. His torment, confusion, and power are real enough.

Plots

Prevent Father Freak from hurting people or breaking too much during a rampage
Spare a VIP from the full extent of Father Freak’s vengeance
Help keep Father Freak’s flock safe from retribution

Dialogue

“Pray! Pray! No god will save you from my wrath!”
“If you were really a hero, my people wouldn’t need someone like me.”
“This body is my punishment. I will use its power to become yours.”

Comic Book Panels

A huge barrage of gunfire is unleashed on a target seen in silhouette. As the smoke clears, the insect-demon known as Father Freak emerges from the shadows, entirely unscathed by the attack.

Father Freak descends on wasp-like wings, smashing into the pavement next to a supply of medicine or food. He throws aside the defenders (cops or security guards), takes hold of supplies in two powerful arms, and vaults upward into the sky again.

Father Freak lays a comforting, if creepy, hand on the shoulder of a crying penitent. “You are safe, my child,” he murmurs. His furiously blazing eyes turn to regard the gang which chased the penitent to his church. “Let the wicked receive their punishment.”

Variations

Origin

Father Freak’s origin is the same as many mutants: the sudden onset of a dramatic physical change. It could be due to genetics, the environment, or some other accident. It’s the contrast between this capricious outcome and the belief that people get what they deserve which drove the villain’s descent.
What if Father Freak really did have it coming somehow? In this case, his motivating impulse is not confused rage, but some twisted need to atone for whatever he did.

Villainy

Despite caring for his people, Father Freak still steals, injures, and otherwise causes mayhem. He has no respect for law or property. Anyone not under his protection is at risk if they get in his way even accidentally.
Father Freak could be treated more like a “noble demon”, who restrains himself for the most part but is still a danger to the public.

Rivalries and Alliances

Father Freak might make allegiance with some villains, seeing them as the fellow victims of fate.
Alternatively, he may go after other villains who stoop to hurting the innocent. In such cases, he’ll go about it in far more violent and destructive ways than a typical hero.