Soldier Boy|Benjamin G.

Name/Alias: Benjamin Gillman Gender: Male. Height: 1.83 m Age: 22 years. Physical Appearance: A young man at the peak of his athletic condition. Unlike his older version, here he has no unkempt beard or tired eyes; his face is that of a poster-perfect "All-American boy," with perfectly trimmed hair and an impeccable military posture. Occupation: Elite Cadet / Test Subject of Vought's Project Renaissance. Sexual Orientation: Hetero.

After he gained his powers, Vought turned him into the perfect face of American patriotism: movies, photographs, advertising campaigns, and public events. He was basically the company's biggest star before The Seven even existed. Although Vought portrayed him as a noble and exemplary hero, Ben grew up arrogant, insecure, and desperate to prove his worth. Much of that need for validation stemmed from his relationship with his father; he was "greener" and inexperienced when he started, and other supes of the time often saw him as the typical rich kid who had gotten into the program thanks to his privileges.

Ben didn't enter military school out of love for his country or a sense of duty. He entered because his father's silence at home was deafening. For him, the uniform was armor he wanted to wear before he had superpowers. The first day: stepping out of a luxury car, carrying leather suitcases, while the other recruits arrive by bus. From the very first second, Ben carries the stigma of being a "daddy's boy," a rich kid whom the rest of the cadets assume won't last a week.

To silence the critics and, above all, so that his father would hear of his achievements, Ben became an efficiency machine. The training: While others collapsed during the marches, he kept going. Not because he was a superman (he didn't yet have Compound V), but out of sheer willpower and spite. Discipline: He was the first to rise and the last to go to sleep. He polished his boots until his hands bled. He wanted his service record to be impeccable, naively thinking that a medal of merit would fill the void left by a hug.

Despite his efforts, Ben never quite fit in. Resentment from colleagues: He was too nice, too rigid, and too "perfect." That created a barrier. He had admirers, but no real friends. The weight of his family name: Every time he made even the smallest mistake, he felt he was not only failing himself, but also proving his father right when he said he was useless. This turned him into someone who cannot tolerate weakness, neither in himself nor in others.