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The Gas Masked Researcher is a mysterious scientist and the founder of Project Newborn. A former member of the Hero Clan's science division, the researcher was responsible for experimenting on Nenya and implanting her with a fragment of The Torch for unknown reasons.
After the start of the War of Disbandment Arc, he officially left the clan and fled with Senshu's help.
Personality[]
The Gas Masked Researcher is defined by his desire in creating Gift users to supposedly make the world "equal".
Appearance[]
History[]
Gas Mask's early life, his history, and the exact circumstances behind how he became a Gift user remain a mystery.
Project Newborn[]
During the Great War, Gas Mask joined the Hero Clan, an organization founded by the Skysword, the newly appointed Elder.[1] He would approach Resa Roanoke, one of the brightest medical scholars in the world, and offered him a deal.
Gas Mask claimed that Resa’s genius could serve humanity and reminded him that his sister was running out of time due to her deadly illness. He proposed that Resa should join his cause, where he would take on the name "Vector" and become part of a necessary evil for the greater good.
Gathering a group of like-minded intellectuals, all wearing gas masks, Gas Mask presented a vision: as gifted individuals, they had an obligation to guide humanity. He warned that bloodshed was inevitable for great accomplishments. To emphasize his point, he blew his own head off only to catch and reattach it, revealing that he had transcended human limitations by becoming a Gift User.
Gas Mask then revealed their ultimate goal: to abolish discrimination against humans by turning every single one into a Gift user through a project known as Project Newborn. This research sought to push the boundaries of human potential but took a much darker and more brutal path than the Hero Clan’s objectives. While Gas Mask's exact role in the program remains unclear, Vector became deeply involved, overseeing the horrific experimentation of countless test subjects.
The Spectator[]
Years passed. The Great War had ended, and the Age of Heroes and Villains began. Gas Mask marveled at their progress, praising Vector’s efforts and noting that Artificial Gift users had surpassed ordinary humans. However, Vector was indifferent to the praise and demanded an update on his sister, as months had passed without any word.
Gas Mask coldly informed him that Roanoke had died long ago. As Vector struggled to process the revelation, Gas Mask suddenly attacked him, insisting that he continue working on the project. He argued that they had come too far to stop now and abandoning it would be unfair to the countless test subjects who had perished for their cause.
Desperate to escape the weight of his sins, Vector activated his Gift, opening random portals across the world and disappearing.[2]
The Torch[]
Despite losing Vector and most of the test subjects, Gas Mask pressed forward, using Vector’s research to continue his work on his own terms.
Years into the Age of Heroes and Villains, Gas Mask met with a woman and her daughter, Serin at an unknown location on a rainy night. He silently observed as the woman apologized to her daughter before disappearing, leaving the girl crying in the darkness.[3]
Gas Mask took the six-year-old Serin and subjected her to years of brutal experimentation renaming her Nenya which meant "sacrifice" in the Ancient Language. While the exact reason behind his interest in her remains unknown, he implanted her with a fragment of the legendary The Torch, an immensely powerful Shard that significantly enhanced the abilities of Gift users.
As the experiment neared its completion, Gas Mask praised his latest colleague, acknowledging that it was thanks to his research that they had achieved such an extraordinary result. Even among the most successful Shard implantations, this one had been a particularly difficult process. His assistants wondered if he, too, would gain fame as a scholar like Gas Mask. The scientist simply agreed before pulling out a gun and executing the man with a single headshot.
Calmly wiping the blood from his mask, Gas Mask turned to his test subject. Apologizing if he had startled her, assuring her that she didn’t need to remember anything except for one thing her purpose in life. After all, that was the only reason he created her. Stating "You were born to die, Nenya!".
Further Research and Senshu[]
At some point, Gas Mask began working for the Elder Bishop, pursuing a goal related to his earlier efforts in creating Gift users. During this time, he became aware of Reagan Sinclair's own attempts to create a "God" through far more barbaric methods.
Additionally, Gas Mask started collaborating with Senshu, the Fourth Finger of the Black Hand. Together, they managed to acquire more fragments of The Torch. While Senshu sought additional fragments to further increase her power, Gas Mask’s research continued to advance. His experiments eventually led to a groundbreaking discovery, a successful method of transplanting the Shard's fragments.
He found that a subject did not necessarily need to die outright for the ancient Shard to activate. Instead, they only needed to be on the brink of death, which would trigger the fragment’s movement within the body.[4] Gas Mask remained in the background of the Hero Clan's research division steadily further his research.
Story[]
The Torch Arc[]
Nenya's Nightmare[]
Gas Mask appeared in Nenya's nightmares, where she was forced to relive the trauma of her mother's abandonment and the years of brutal experimentation he conducted on her.[5]
War of Disbandment Arc[]
Civil War[]
Following the Invasion of Castle Gray and the ongoing civil war within the Hero Clan, Gas Mask finally completes his research on creating Gift Users and with Senshu's assistance, departs from the clan.
As he reflects on his work, Gas Mask muses about how the late Reagan Sinclair failed to make progress with his crude methods. However, he acknowledges that the Elder's failures still provided some useful insights. Pleased with the success of his research, Gas Mask remarks that he wishes Vector were here to witness it.
His thoughts are interrupted when Senshu suddenly bursts in, who urges him to hurry as their location had been discovered. She mocks him for his ability to focus on research despite the constant danger, though Gas Mask counters that she is no different, given her awareness of his past involvement with Bishop. Their exchange is cut short as they prepare to escape.
While Gas Mask gathers his materials, Senshu heads out to intercept an approaching The Legion battalion. With her Mad Warmonger, she swiftly eliminates them before setting her sights on searching for the remaining Torch fragments.[6]
Meeting the Hero Killer[]
Days later, the two settle in Cage and Senshu heads out to meet with Hero Killer and Chaos which goes completely downhill with the Sword Hunter showing up. After being greeted by a grotesque experiment gone wrong, Gas Mask meets Senshu but sees the deadly trio as he immediately assumed their presence means the end for him and Senshu. Before he could say more, Senshu silences him, insisting that he already understood why they were there.
Senshu reveals that she's been collecting the twelve fragments of The Torch to ensure her survival against formidable enemies. However, the assassin assured them she wasn’t foolish enough to break their agreement, especially with The Executioner present.
Ijincheon, uninterested in her motives, cuts in to ask what risks Ihwa faced. Gas Mask confidently declares there was zero danger, as the procedure had never failed, at least not yet. He credits their success to someone deeply invested in health and safety.
Despite the ominous nature of the procedure, Ihwa steels herself and agrees to it. Gas Mask then explains that she would need to experience near-death for the process to work. At this, Chaos immediately raises his gun, but Gas Mask quickly reassures them that it wasn’t what they thought. Ihwa would need to be on the brink of death, not actually die.
Senshu elaborates that this was the only way to awaken The Torch within a person. She herself would also have to undergo the same process. Hearing this, Ijincheon immediately declares that he would do it himself, refusing to entrust Ihwa’s life to anyone else.
With the operation a success, soon after, Senshu and Gas Mask arrive to complete their deal. However, Hero Killer has other questions. She turns to the doctor and asks if he knew both Vector and John. Gas Mask admits that he and Vector had once been colleagues but doesn't know John.
Her next question strikes a deeper nerve - "What about Nenya?". Gas Mask says that he remembers her well and admits to experimenting on her finding her to be quite a fascinating subject. Before he could say more, the villain launches forward, smashing him into the wall with enough force to rattle the room. The revelation had confirmed her worst suspicion that he was the one who had destroyed Nenya's life. Senshu warns Hero Killer to calm down stating that he can’t die yet, not until she collects the remaining Torch fragments. If she wanted information on Dusk, she'd need to be rational about this.
Releasing her grip but not her fury. With deliberate precision, Hero Killer breaks Gas Mask’s hand without hesitation. Coldy stated that this was the last time she'd show mercy. And the next time she sees him, he'll be brutally tortured. Knocked out, Gas Mask is carried by one of his experiments and leaves with Senshu.[7]
Daybreak Arc[]
Trivia[]
- Gas Mask is the first human to have transformed themselves into a Gift user through science.
References[]
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 182
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 202
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 85
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 182
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 84
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 171
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 182
