| Teo Estacado | |
|---|---|
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| Biographical Information | |
| Alias: |
Shadow God |
| Race: |
Human |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Status: |
Deceased |
| Character Information | |
| Affiliation: |
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| Occupation: |
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| Real World Information | |
| First Appearance: | |
- "I'm not a god. I can't raise the dead. I can only decide who joins them."
- – Teo describing his powers. [src]
Teo Estacado was a wielder of the Darkness in the year of 1897 in New England. He was somewhat of a hermit who would wonder the countryside in solitude.
He was lonely and very depressed after he manifested The Darkness, as it prevented him from having a normal life and a family of his own.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
While Teo was teen, he fell in love with a local woman, Leticia. He got really close to her, but after his 21st birthday, Teo awakened his Darkness powers. In order to keep Leticia save from him, Teo decided to end their relationship, hoping that she will find a better man, that would protect her above else. Years later, Leticia and her daughter, Zarita, die in a house fire, caused by her husband Salvador Gomes, whose starts an affair with a prostitute Alexandra. After Teo finds out about this, he kills Alexandra and decides to mentally torture Salvador for his actions.
Being Approached by Salvador[]
As Salvador leaves the saloon, Teo approaches him, asking who is he looking for. Salvador explains, that he's looking for someone called, the Shadow God, who supposedly can change the past. He recently lost his family and wants to bring them back.
After hearing this, Teo tells Salvador how once he was in love with a special woman. Unfortunately, things got complicated and he had to push her away and in doing so rid himself of the only joy he ever know. Salvador asks him if he too, wanted to change the past like him. Teo answers that he did, but he knew it was impossible and that they needed to be apart for the sake of their lives. But then she was killed, he was unable to stop it. He thought he was the worst thing in her life, but he was wrong. Teo then adds, that until Salvador stops hiding hiding his pain with illusions, he will never find the Shadow God.
The following night, Salvador confronts Teo and threatens with a knife to take him to the Shadow God. Teo agrees and also asks as to why he didn't teared down his house after the fire. Salvador answers, that he can't bear the thought of forgetting. Teo brings him to the beach and begins to draw the symbol of the Darkness on the sand. He warns Salvador, that the Shadow God will test him.
For the next seven days he will not see the sun and only the night, its shadows and what dwells within them. Teo also warns him, that no matter what comes out of the Darkness, he mustn't back down, otherwise he will not show up to him.Salvador thanks Teo for his services and asks him how does he call him. Teo introduces himself and then summons the Shadow God himself.
The Truth Revealed[]
Out the shadows, the horrifying creature emerges and questions Salvador as to why he has endured. Salvador explains that he has lost his wife Leticia and his daughter Zarita, and he has heard he can change the past. The Shadow God says, that he has witnessed, but the precipice of what he can do. He then proceeds to bring Salvador back to his home before the accident. As he walks to his daughters room, he finds both of his loved ones sitting inside. The Shadow God then asks Salvador where he was that night.
He then shows how past Salvador sets his house on fire, much to the present Salvador's horror. Salvador swears to the Shadow God, that he didn't knew this and that he would have saved them if not for the burning stairs. Shadow God doesn't believe him, claiming that he didn't do nothing to save them, because he was a coward. He then tells Salvador to beg for forgiveness. Salvador complies, but the Shadow God reiterates, that he should beg forgiveness not from him, but from his family. Both Leticia and Zarita then manifest in front of him. Salvador apologises for what he has done, still not understanding what he has done. The Shadow God reveals that he broke his vows.
Showing Forgiveness[]
The Shadow God then reveals his true identity as Teo Estacado. He tells Salvador that he isn't a God and he can't change the past. Leticia was the closest he ever got to anyone. When he received his gifts, Teo had to make certain sacrifices. Leticia was supposed to meet a better man, the kind of man that would protect her above all else. But Salvador threw everything away for a prostitute named Alexandra, which Teo reveals, was killed by him for this betrayal.
Although he isn't a God and can't raise the dead, Teo can decide who joins them. Salvador pleads for forgiveness. Teo proceeds to show him his forgiveness by ripping Salvador apart into pieces. In the morning, Teo is frustrated that he found no piece in vengeance and ponders if one day he will find solace out of the shadows.
Personality[]
- "All I am certain of is the darkness. It dwells inside me, an empty pain where no light will ever shine."
- – Teo Estacado. [src]
Teo became very depressed after he acquired the Darkness. His forced chastity caused him to sacrifice his hope of a life with the woman he loved. He once described The Darkness within him as being 'an empty pain were no light will ever shine'.
Teo was also very vengeful and bitter, as he psychologically tortured Salvador Gomes with visions of his living family and forced Gomes to experience the truth of his lust and cowardice by making him watch his own past self burn down his family home with his wife and child still inside, shortly before tearing him in two, claiming "This is my forgiveness", as Salvador had begged on his knees for forgiveness.
Despite his down attitude, Teo was very wizened and humbled by his painful experiences and would give wise council to those seeking his help.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Darkness: Teo is the host of the Darkness and thus has access to various unique abilities.
Teo appearing in his Shadow God form to Salvador.
- "Shadow God" Form: Teo's most unique ability with the Darkness was that he could transform into a tall alien-like creature with tentacles extending from a large hump on his back. This creature was known to the early natives of New England as the 'Shadow God'.
- Superhuman Strength: While in this form, he was strong enough to lift Salvador Gomes, a full grown man, high off the ground with only one hand and rip him in two with the other.
- Illusion Casting: 'The Shadow God' was believed to have the power to go back in time and resurrect the dead. Teo, however, revealed that time travel cannot be and that he cannot raise the dead. He did, however, possesses an ability in which he used his powers to influence and change the environment around him to create the illusion of time travel. He could also create life-like beings based on a person's past to further this effect. This power is most likely the basis of those beliefs.
- Pyrokinesis: Teo also seems to have possessed an aura of green fire, as green fire was often present when he manifested his power.
- Telepathy: He would also seem to possess some form of empathy that allowed him to feel the guilt and truthfulness of a person that he knew. As such, Teo could not be lied to by a person that he knew from personal experience and was able to see through Salvador's facade of innocence.
- "Shadow God" Form: Teo's most unique ability with the Darkness was that he could transform into a tall alien-like creature with tentacles extending from a large hump on his back. This creature was known to the early natives of New England as the 'Shadow God'.
Weaknesses[]
- Strong Light: Like all Darkness wielders, powerfully strong light would render Teo's abilities all-but-impotent as well as vanquish his creations and armor.
- Conception: Like all wielders of the Darkness, Teo's abilities were linked to his paternity; if he had passed the curse onto his child through conception, he would have died within a few hours.
Gallery[]
