Pyre

Javier Marcos is a fervent anti-Communist, a strong supporter of the Monroe Doctrine, an ally of the United States, a savvy political operator, a brilliant tactician and a Delta class variant. He is also President for Life of Costa Diablo and the unofficial leader of a large drug cartel in Central America. All this combines to make him one of the most dangerous men on the planet, and an occasional ally or adversary of various United States variant teams.
    Marcos' variant abilities manifested when he was seventeen, in the summer of 1971. He was a soldier in the army of Costa Diablo, a small country in Central America. Bordering directly with Mexico, its many hidden coves and treacherous waters made it a haven for pirates, then later the rumrunners in the Depression, and the country's extreme poverty and succession of corrupt governments made it a convenient playground for various criminal organizations. In the latest round of political maneuvering, it had become a playing field for the Cold War battles between the US and USSR.
    The last round of that had gone to the Soviets, when a popular uprising in early 1968 led to the tearing down of the corrupt banana republic and the institution of a Communist state backed by the Soviets. The US was greatly averse to the situation, seeing Diablo's proximity and history as a threat, as it might make an excellent staging area for Soviet attack. Unfortunately, the US was deeply committed in the Vietnam conflict, which public opinion was starting to seriously sway against; a new foreign war against communists, even one in America's backyard, was all but guaranteed to cause political problems.
    Javier Marcos was always one who knew where the best deal was. He had joined the army not only to escape crushing poverty but because that was where the power lay. He stayed with the communist regime originally because it seemed the better deal; much like the rest of the army in Costa Diablo, they followed the "will of the people" just because it was so obvious that the old regime was doomed. When his variant powers emerged the whole nature of the game changed; staying with the Communists meant the eventual "vacation" to Russia to "serve his communist brothers," which, while promising (he could get a comfortable life with a lot of perks just by following the old generals and not making waves), was not power, and power is what he could get if he gambled high enough. Instead he slipped away and joined the more corrupt former members of the army and government that were hiding inland. They were desperate for any chance to pull this one around, and he quickly brought them under his command.
    Suddenly the US had another option; there was the "rightful government" with its own powerful "armed forces" that they would indirectly aid with training, funding and weapons. The got what they wanted (a way to fight the communists) without the drawbacks (sending Americans into combat in a tiny country most voters couldn't find on a map). The Costa Diablo conflict took three years, longer than perhaps it should have, but Marcos, now called Pyre, kept his forces from winning too early, giving himself time to build his military infrastructure with the greater amounts of US aid that came from being a revolutionary force. The outcome was never really in doubt; while the USSR could have moved in big tanks and guns and crushed Pyre's movement like a grape, the US would never stand for that, and it would lead to the brink of war. Everyone knew that, and after riding high on their Vietnam victory, the Soviets decided to let this one go.
    When the shooting stopped, Javier Marcos was in the perfect position to declare himself President for Life. The US policy of containment gave him vast leeway in a lot of areas as long as he wasn't communist, and his power base became near absolute. He's been careful to never get too greedy, and a combination of fear and inertia keep the people in line—when the only thugs you have to worry about are government thugs, the feudal system looks pretty good. Their economy is dependent mostly on US aid, but there is some continued use as a port of call, some tourist industry (but not much), and some export of tin from inland mines.
    Costa Diablo has a lousy human rights record, but it does work well in some ways. The Government doesn't accept any crime that it's not a part of, and Pyre knows enough to keep crime overall in check. Sure he's a corrupt absolute dictator with dungeons full of dissenters and graveyards full of traitors, but he is the ultimate arbiter of life and death over his subjects, and he guards that right jealously. Murderers are tenaciously hunted and executed—no one dies without the word of the government. The fact the government is always ready to give the word mitigates taking comfort in that fact. Costa Diablan and US relations suffered during the Carter administration, but got along swimmingly under Reagan, who saw the anti-Communist conflict as a good outline for Nicaragua. This soured as the drug trade through the country increased, but never faded completely.
    Pyre's powers center around his ability to absorb flame into his body as mass, and eject mass from his body as flame. He has been seen at nearly 30 feet tall, and his flame blasts have reduced tanks to slag with a single strike. He also possesses Variant Strength and Healing, and is a skilled combatant and politician. He is comfortable in his position; unlike many others, he has no desire to conquer the world, he just wants to keep what he has.

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