Keeper of Infinite Earths - The Protectors
Created by Tony Crain
Bug
Alter Ego: Craig Wallace
Occupation: Super-hero
Known Relatives: Ronald and Marion Wallace, parents (deceased), Insecton-biological
father
Group Affiliation: Protectors
Base of Operations: New York, N.Y.
Background/History:
His parents were wealthy college professors with an old money estate that sat
miles away from their closest neighbors. No one other than Marion saw the bright
light that hovered over her car late one evening and Marion swore she should
have been home an hour sooner than she arrived, but a respected college
professor does not see UFOs or have black outs. With the exception of some odd
dreams about a huge green shadow looming over her, life was perfectly normal
until she realized she was pregnant. She did not make any connection with her
"black out" until Craig was born a perfectly healthy baby boy...with
green skin. His parents figured out what must have happened as unbelievable as
it was, but, to their credit, they raised Craig as if he were a normal child and
their son. They home-schooled him and, out of necessity, rarely took him out in
public. Whenever they did, they used make-up to make him appear normal. He was
in his early teens when his biological father, the evil alien Insecton, returned
to see if his coupling with a human female had produced a fit child. Insecton
and three of his bug soldiers burst into the Wallace home. Craig and his parents
tried to fight them off, but the aliens were too well armed. Before Craig’s
horrified eyes, Insecton declared the experiment a miserable failure and
murdered his parents. He felt a two sharp pains in his forehead as he screamed
helplessly. In a nearly maniacal state, he jerked free from his two captors,
grabbed one of their staffs, and swore he’d make them pay. He darted around
the huge Insecton with his speed keeping him just out of reach and clubbed him
with the staff. Insecton laughed, and seemingly with ease, hit the boy harder
than he’d had ever imagined being hit. He panicked, he knew he was going to
die, and his parents would never be avenged. Suddenly and very unexpectedly to
all parties, he disappeared. The next thing he remembered was waking in a field
surrounded by security guards. There was a Talis Industries research facility
almost fifteen miles from his home and that was where he had appeared some
twenty feet in the air. The guards contacted Chris Talis who asked the
Protectors to check out this strange story of a green teen and bug-like aliens.
Once they were satisfied that his story was true and that Insecton had left the
Earth, Soundwave offered Craig the chance to join the Protector’s Academy to
learn how to use his powers, as well as for his own protection in case his
biological father returned. The newly code-named Bug was an apt pupil and became
the first graduate of the Academy to become a full fledged Protector.
Personality/Motivation:
Initially somewhat quiet and shy, Craig became very outgoing and adopted a
sarcastic, wisecracking heroic persona. He hides his tragedies behind a
devil-may-care facade. Far from drowning in self-pity and grief, he embraced the
idea of living in honor of his parents and vowed to use his powers to keep
others from harm.