In 2008, I first typed up a document detailing how I came up with Richard Cale. This was at least a half a decade before I joined up with Marvel Mayhem. How much has changed over the years, and how much I see traits of him in other characters I’ve created over the years. Still, I figure I should give some detail into how he came about, and became who he is in the various fics I’ve done.

First off, one of the original appearance of my original character is in a story I like to dub my Magnum Oopus. My first story was an unplanned mess that was based off Aliens, and had a few other things mixed into it. The character was literally the worst case of Mary Sue. Looking back, I realized how bad it was, and since only posting on my own website, it never got posted anywhere.

Now, one of the things I had gotten into prior to what I call my Magnum Oopus, and actually before I got to college, was the X-Men animated series. I’ll admit that I developed a bit of a crush on Jubilee, and it eventually led me to the comic Generation X. Now, I’ll admit that I didn’t buy the comic right away, but that was because Marvel was ramping up to start its Age of Apocalypse storyline. Since I didn’t know how it would play out, and it was starting after Issue 4 of Generation X, I didn’t get into the series. It wasn’t until the Fox Movie/Pilot episode aired that I got into it, and eventually found my muse, the red haired, silent, deadly beauty known as Penance. Soon, the idea came to me to bring this lovely lady into a speaking role.

That idea led to the creation of Richard Cale. He was to bring her out of her shell, so to speak. The trick was finding the right power to do it with. My first idea was actually one I thought about for a character to interact with Rogue. I’ll admit to being a bit enticed by her figure, but her power was one that pushed people away from her. One that isolated Rogue from others, by her own choice. So the first power idea I had was a character who could manipulate reality, but only when listening to music. Of course, this would mean he would have to have music playing whenever he want to interact with Penance. Of course, this meant that if music didn’t play, he couldn’t safely touch her.

So it was time for plan B. Plan B was a mutant who could manipulate their own aura. It would act as a shell, protecting him from Penance ability to cut all at a touch. This had the benefit of allowing risk free contact with her. I then realized this would be only an illusion. They still couldn’t physically touch. So, I felt I had to nix plan B, and go to Plan C.

Plan C was the power I had come up, that Richard Cale has the ability to fully mimic their power, when in close proximity. This is what became the most practical idea for what I wanted to do with the character. I wanted a character that could bring her out of her shell, but also be one she could physically touch. I think Marvel had this thing about giving characters that could look eye appealing powers that would forced them into isolation. Look at Rogue. She has be drawn with a figure that would make some supermodels sick, and they give her a power that makes a touch possibly lethal. Thus, Richard Cale was finally born.

Outwardly, he looked similar to me, but since I was still new to writing and such, I ran with what I figured I knew best. I gave him some traits and flaws that were familiar to me. I gave him epilepsy, and he was nearsighted. I also initially gave him the occasional foreshadowing dream. He also didn’t seek out power or leadership, but would have the skills or traits that would benefit a leader. This is what eventually led to the character.

Now, after Richard Cale came about, I had actually branched into other things. Since I had been writing walkthroughs prior to this, I added these traits for Richard Cale to a character named Rich in another series I was working on. Yvette also made her way into that series, but her name was shortened.

After that, Richard Cale and Yvette started to appear in other works, almost always as a couple. In my Eternal Darkness adaptation, they appeared already married, and each was linked to someone featured in the game. Richard Cale appeared in my Shivers/Kolchak fic, only to be established that he was dating a girl named Yvette in it. In some ways, the two became my signature.

This seriously changed when I started Revenge of the Black Cloak Society. I decided I would not put both in. The name of Cale still remained, but as the cover for the bad guy in the story. Yvette then appeared later, but not linked to Cale. She appeared as the cousin of Alexander and Rosella, niece of Valanice, and the Princess of Kolyma.

The coupling didn’t appear again until I got asked to join Marvel Mayhem. By that point, Richard Cale had existed for over a decade. Irishlad, whom had sought me out, and told me the basics of Marvel Mayhem, thought I might like the group since he had been following my works. I had agreed, saying I would tackle a variation of Generation X for the group. I agreed if I would be allowed to put Richard Cale into it. He allowed it, as it allowed me to entertain an alternate idea I had for them.

You see, in this series, Richard Cale and Yvette had been sought to teach at the school. They had been on the run for years after Richard had rescued Yvette from Emplate’s lair. Since the X-Men become aware of Emplate, part of the reason for the school is to prep the next generation of mutants for that threat. In this one, I hint that they have a slight age difference, but view their relationship as the nearest thing to actual marriage.

When the group finally went defunct, ideas still ran in my head, and I eventually started a prequel story when the group saw a rebirth. Again, the group went defunct, but I started to entertain the idea of rewriting my part of Marvel Mayhem. So as you can see, Richard Cale and Yvette just keep going.

This pretty much completes how Richard Cale came about and developed as a bit of a signature for me. I hope those of you have been captivated by my character have found this interesting.