Brian Parkinson was a despondant army washout living with his parents and his genius little brother when an aquaintance offered him the chance of a lifetime. One of his high school buddies had graduated from the university and went to work for Crucible Industries. Brian became a candidate for their latest "supersoldier" program. Operation Aggememnon hoped to unlock the subjects brain and allow for greater use of its functions, thereby increasing their ability to react in combat. The fifteen volunteers (Brian included) were subjected to the biochemical tratemenst and watched. Ten of the volunteers immediately took ill. They were rushed to CI's medical facilities and the experiment was halted for them. The remaining five were kept under medical supervision. The process was continued and the five "finalists" were monitored for change. Brian, who had been unable to pass the battery of tests for Ranger training, soon found that all the things he had been taught as a child were coming back to him. With a vengance. As the program finished the top officers of CI were unimpressed with the effects. The five volunteers were thanked for their time, paid their promised wages and left to live their lives. (CI watched them for about a year). By the time Brian had fallen off the radar of his benifactors, he had undergone a complete mental transformation. Once having been something of a lunkhead, often oblivious to the world around him and possessing of minor learnind deficiencies; he was now working with his father in the shop the family owned, developing unique and original answers to the various automotive problems they encountered. He and his baby brother, James, now spend time designing vehicles and gadgets in thier spare time. Brian also found that the process had also achieved its primary goal; he was more agile, graceful, and capable of reacting to situations like a finely honed combat veteran. Taking the cue from the comicbook heroes of his childhood, he adopted the "golden age" identity of American Ingenuity. In the three years since he has encountered the other five successful subjects. Each has gone on to a costumed hero career, each having differing abilities despite going through the same process. They keep in touch. Brian has always been an American Patriot. He worshiped the various patriotic heroes as a child and attempts to honor them in his career. His mind now operates at a much higher level, but he is still the same humble mechanic's son he always was. He and his brother, James, talk often. James, a certifiable genius himself, understands Brian better than anyone else. He idolizes his brother and one day wants to join him in his superheroic activities. "Necessity is the mother of invention." A brilliant if untrained inventor. American Ingenuity's abilities allow him to analyze and formulate leaps of logic that defy most scientific standards. He is a deeply intuitive inventor and fighter. Generally keeps a bunch of gadgets around as well as his costume and billy club. A slightly different take on the gadgeteer. If he's too tough, drop his VPP to 45 or even 30 pts. If he's wanting in the combat arena, increase it to 60pts, add a few DC's. A handsome gentleman with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears dark blue, armored coveralls, with white gadget belts, white stars on his chest, shoulders, and back. His boots, gloves, and cowl are red.