Steven Reyes (The Panther)

 is one of the first superheroes in the Klaskyverse and co-leader of The League of Defenders. First emerging in Year One, The Panther is one of the many costumed vigilantes active in Malor City.

Origin
Son to wealthy Mexican American tech industrialist Marcelo Reyes and his wife, former Puerto Rican diplomat Lucille Reyes, Steven lived a posh and happy early life with his family. They taught him valuable life skills and lessons, and passed on to him their belief that Malor City can be saved from corruption, and that they simply lacked a light to guide the way. This all changed one evening during a family reunion ball, during which armed assailants stormed the mansion and slaughtered the entire extended Reyes family. Being sent into hiding by his parents, Steven was forced to witness the violent deaths of everyone he knew and loved, all without being able to utter a single word. Steven was then raised by a family friend and former covert ops specialist, Manny Rodriguez, who tried his best to fill the void left by Steven's parents, but with little success.

Steven was lost in a depression and frustration filled rage for many weeks after the event, unable to comprehend why anyone would hurt his family. Soon, however, Steven found strength to persevere, remembering his parents' confidence that he would one day protect and save his city, and realizing before he could honor their last wishes he had to make it through any foreseeable tragedy.

Steven continued to live in fear of his parents' murderers, however, training himself to be able to take them down should they return. Quickly, this self-defense training evolved into something greater and much grander, changing from being able to protect himself from gunmen to being prepared for any possible danger that could come his way. Steven later decided on his 15th birthday that he could use his skills in a much more selfless medium and kill two birds with one stone; he would use his training to help protect the city as well. Henceforth he made it his mission to avenge his parents symbolically by abolishing crime and protecting others from having to endure the pain he did.

After breezing through high school, even taking advanced college lessons in his downtime, and graduating at the age of 16, Reyes traveled around the world to expand his training tenfold: he would learn the best fighting techniques from the world's best martial artists, take the best studies from the world's smartest hackers, engineers and scientists, and adapt the best stealth and stalking techniques from the world's greatest hunters and spies.

Returning to his city some 7 years later, Steven decided to combine his acquired abilities and channel them into one single outlet to protect his city from the evil that has corrupted it. Remembering an old local legend about a mysterious guardian spirit that would hunt down evil in the embodiment of a panther big cat, Reyes decided to model himself on said creature of myth. From henceforth, Steven Reyes was no more; he had become something greater. He had become '''The Panther. '''

Ablilities
Although possessing no known powers, Reyes is arguably the one of the most skilled martial artists in America. While he is a master in no specific form of martial arts, Reyes has exceptional skills in the following forms: In addition to combat skills, Reyes has displayed skill in acrobatics, stealth, aviation, driving, disguise, acting, throwing, deduction, interrogation, intimidation, business management, and tactical analysis. He also possesses a Genius-Level Intellect.
 * Judo
 * Various forms of Chinese martial arts
 * Aikido
 * Karate
 * Shorinji Kempo
 * Kendo
 * Boxing
 * Jujutsu
 * Kickboxing