Jaclose

Jaclose is a sorcerer and former detective who was an antagonist during the 'EQ Apocalypse' arc and a protagonist from thence; needless to say, he got better. It is assumed Jaclose is rich, for he lives a very nomadic life and has never been shown to be in need of money. He serves mostly as counsel for Austin and his friends and also as a figurehead in making plans and solving conflict; however, before that, he was a shadowy antagonist to Austin, only meeting him face-to-face when the boy had gone through hell.

The sorcerer has become one of the more popular characters of the series, and is featured as an unlockable character in the Stuff Store Bros., by either fighting in 35 Brawls or clearing Target Smash with 6 Characters, or by having him join the party in the Stuff Store Emissary. He currently ranks 6th on the tier list, for he has quick-hitting and high-powered A attacks, very favorable hitboxes, great metagame and projectiles, but he has issues in his recovery and is tall and floaty.

Personality
In the alignment scale, Jaclose falls under a Lawful Neutral, though he originally started out as Neutral Evil. When introduced, Jaclose was shown to be a very serious, philosophical, and intellectual man; he spoke and acted largely without humor or classic Stuff Store cheesiness, making him somewhat of a curio, a rare oddity in the Stuff Store. As shown in his backstory and in his actions during the EQ Apocalypse arc, he was ambitious, highly vengeful, cold, spiteful, and believed in advancing his own interests, which were to make bastions of humanity pay for the destruction caused on the EQ Realm several years ago. He had a particular interest in making those responsible for the conflict - Tuxedo Knight and Austin Ho - pay for their crimes. Though stubborn, callous, and hateful, he treated Austin with an odd form of respect, praising his strength and boldness. Jaclose's definition of justice was also very strong, believing that "everyone must face their consequences eventually"; indeed, he was completely prepared to die and/or go through redemption for his own evil acts when everything was said and done.

After his eventual redemption and reconciliation with Austin in 'Equestrian Apocalypse', Jaclose is far less antagonistic and cold, but he still maintains the basic tenets of his old personality; only this time, he's standing up for heroic acts and trying to make the best of tough and challenging decisions and circumstances. On occasion, his amoral tendencies can seep through and become apparent to the audience and his friends. He is protective, taciturn, warm but never too friendly, and has a strong belief in justice and humanism, even if his own stance on the two is complicated, to say the least. He has a tendency to distance himself from others but will rely or help his friends at VSSPAL from time to time.

Physical Appearance
Jaclose's physical makeup runs through the "Ja" family, and he has certain traits that he shares with his brothers, Jafar, Japotle, and Jaclone: rugged-mid length black hair, a trim goatee and some kind of minimalist mustache - Jaclose's mustache seems to be a short, trim variation of the popular Swashbuckler mustache, in comparison to Jafar's Fu Manshu mustache and Japotle's straight-up beard (Jaclone fluctuates between mustache types depending on his mood). Jaclose's eyes are, for the most part, a standard, cartoonish black; however, whenever he casts a spell, his leftmost eye becomes red.

His outfit is, at once, regal and practical. The most recognizable part of his outfit is the red jacket, which features strange, archaic symbols emblazoned on the breast pockets and a singular yellow crystal in the center; the jasmine-yellow sleeve cuffs both have Caduceus wings stitched onto them; his detachable, gold-black epaulets also have some indecipherable designs and symbols. Jaclose wears a strange kind of button-up crimson shirt underneath his jacket, one without a collar (it's implied it might be some kind of tactical armor); there are singular lines running underneath each button that give the shirt a layered, texture appearance. He also wears a neat, gray cravat underneath that shirt for completion's sake. His amaranth-red pants have torn front pockets.

The staff he wields has a yellow energy sphere at the top; underneath that are a set of wings.

Abilities
Magic: Jaclose's legacy of being a well-known yet feared sorcerer is present in almost all of the world, even in the Alternative Universe, Downtown Mesa world. Combined with his intellect and silver tongue, he is one of the most powerful protagonists in the series. He is able to hold his own against many foes and even demi-gods such as Blood Mountain God, or Ppko-Death Lord.

Physical Fitness: Much like the dude from Angel Beats, or Tim, Jaclose is actually much stronger than he appears despite the tall and thin appearance. He is able to withstand long-distance running, multiple hits to his body, being shot at, and burn wounds. Some have theorized that Jaclose fused magic into his body so as to protect him from harm, but that's bullshit.

Backstory
Jaclose was once a detective. His childhood and teenage history is unknown - all records about Jaclose's past have been redacted or destroyed, presumably by him (although nobody can be sure). Jaclose began work in Arizona, of all places. He was one of the more successful police officers and inspectors in the Gilbert metropolitan area, and thanks to his silver tongue and forceful personality he was well-liked among the good citizens and policemen of Gilbert, and feared amongst criminals and assholes.

One day Jaclose was transferred to the then-fledgling unit of Pizza Vampire, a famed detective. The two met and after solving a kidnapping case, they prosecuted the culprit in court together. From that day forward, they became good friends. At a party, Pizza Vampire introduced Jaclose to Vizit and Steve, and from thence the four became VSJP (the precursor to VSSPAL). They were inseparable, and damn good at their job, too. That said, Jaclose wasn't quite like his three comrades, being more reserved and aloof, as well as a fair deal more violent, though not necessarily bloodthirsty. VSJP began solving cases around the world

During one case involving the sudden, violent rise of Tuxedo Knight, Vizit pinpointed the location of one of Tuxxy's main spies; this was during the time in which Tuxedo Knight had began his empire. The three took a trip to the Czech Republic and started a manhunt. Jaclose, using his senses and convenient clues, found the woman in a motel, which initiated a high-octane chase; though the spy was successfully captured, Jaclose was wounded and incapacitated for a spell. He was sent to the EQ Realm for less action-based work on the recommendation of Vizit. Thinking very little of it at first, Jaclose soon fell in love with the charming realm and its inhabitants. He began writing a journal, quickly becoming a well-respected, admired police officer and security enforcer in the EQ Realm. He wrote letters to Vizit, Pizza Vampire, and Steve often.

At one point, a boy known by the name of Austin aroused the wrath of Tuxxy and the two had been locked in confrontation for god knows how long. One day in the EQ Realm, a strange man arrived to the EQ Realm and delivered a package - as it turns out, this package was for Tuxxy, who reportedly had a base somewhere in the EQ Realm. The package was a high-powered bomb, and it asploded the area, blowing it to smithereens. The environment was perverted, and the weather began to drastically change, becoming erratic and stormy; very few survived the attack, and the majority of those who did fled the area for another dimension. Caught in the blast, Jaclose narrowly survived thanks to a team of doctors led by renowned EQ Realm scientists Ian and Hiss, founders of EQSE. Jaclose, emotionally unprepared for the carnage, was determined to find out who caused such carnage. He found the receipts and delivery transcripts, and realized that Austin Ho was the presumed culprit. Needless to say, Jaclose was furious.

Jaclose had not realized that the bomb was supposed to be small-scale and only asplode Tuxxy's hideout; Tuxxy had found the bomb, tweaking it to asplode the entire area - Jaclose's grudge was almost all for naught, at the time.

Jaclose, wanting to avenge the EQ Realm, sought out his saviors - Doctors Ian and Hiss, with 256 PhDs under their sleeve. Jaclose agreed to meet with the men over MLTs and Cola. Impressed by the scientific lore, energy and power contained within the EQSE Tower, Jaclose wanted to use it for "his own purposes" - it's implied that not even Jaclose knew what he wanted, considering how poor a state of mind he was in at the time. While it went well at first, Jaclose's ideas were a far cry from Ian and Hiss's - Jaclose's grudge was practically apocalyptic. After much heated debate, and a brief but sudden struggle, Jaclose left, but not before politely leaving his MLT on a napkin and cleaning off the table.

Using a Teleprot Gun, Jaclose reluctantly returned to the Gilbert realm, determined to find Austin and have his revenge. By chance (or was it?), Jaclose stumbled upon a series of manuals about sorcery. Intrigued, Jaclose studied them feverishly and believed he had found a way to change the world: by force. If science couldn't help, and brute force failed, then magic would do the trick.

By day he found good work as an informant and agent for various shady persons and organizations (it was from this work that he learned all he knew about the world and its goings-on) and by night trained in sorcery or went to social gatherings to learn of Austin Ho's whereabouts and the latest news. He didn't want to return to Pizza Vampire and the others - not until "the time was right" (implying that he didn't want to face his friends knowing that he was about to commit murder).

Jaclose gained a huge leap when he thought to call Rocksanne, Tuxxy's manager back when Tuxxy was a reggae artist. Jaclose called, and after intense questioning and threatening, procured Tuxxy's address. He snuck into Tuxxy's estate late at night and, with two soda cans in his hand and a sorcerer's staff behind his back, confronted Tuxedo Knight. The two of them talked about their mutual grudges against Austin Ho, one justified and one... not. Jaclose "agreed" to temporarily help Tuxedo Knight with his mad rebellion, though this was a fake offer - he meant to destroy Tuxxy as well, rid the world of his evil.

Jaclose found Austin's Skype username by having a hacker access the VSSPAL databanks, and gave it to Tuxxy, indirectly orchestrating the night Tuxxy and Austin finally met in person. This was all part of Jaclose's plan. He knew that on that night, one or both of them would die. Had one of them lived, Jaclose would get into contact with the survivor and guide him to the EQ Realm. It would be there, among the wreckage, that the survivor, be it Austin or Tuxedo Knight, would die by Jaclose's own hands.

With a heavy heart and a satisfied mind, Jaclose waited to see who the victor was.

Aftermath of The Tuxedo Night
The infamous "Tuxedo Night" - the night Tuxedo Knight and his army were defeated in the Court of Miracles by Austin, VSSPAL, the Court of Miracles, and the Gilbert Police - made national headlines. It was obvious who the victor was. He was proud of Vizit, Pizza Vampire, and Steve, but confused and upset as to why they would ally themselves with Austin. He decided not to get them involved in his mission.

Jaclose began picking the ruins of Tuxedo Knight's largely-abandoned bases, gathering supplies, money, weapons, technology, whatever he could find and pack that was relevant to him. By this point, he had mastered his grip on sorcery, both offensive and defensive. He used the Teleprot Gun to return to the EQ Realm and prepare, which means he missed The Return of Tuxedo Knight, and all the events that followed in the EQ Realm, not that it truly mattered to him.

Since diplomacy failed the last time, Jaclose waged an assault against the EQSE Tower, determined to take it by force. He wanted to combine his sorcery and the Tower's fantastic technology to kill Austin for good, presumably because Jaclose knew about Austin's fantastic ability to come back after death. How he knew is a mystery to this day. Doctors Ian, Hiss, and the rest of the EQSE team were prepared for Jaclose, having constructed a wide array of guard robots during Jaclose's absence. They quickly overwhelmed Jaclose, and he had no choice but to retreat into the storm-ridden EQ Realm and devise another plan. During his raid, however, he managed to steal a second Teleprot Gun.

He made a temporary base in the Capital City Ruins, using the multitude of supplies he retrieved to sustain him while he began devising counter-measures against EQSE. He used his sorcery to create a magic dome over the Capital City Ruins, which protected him against the horrific storms and any EQSE-made sentries that came looking for him (it was also a handy way of saying fuck-you to the EQSE Tower, which had a dome of its own). The creation of this dome made him something of a messiah to the refugees and survivors inside the Capital City Ruins, who had been denied access into the EQSE Tower for years (Ian and Hiss did not want the civilians contaminating the scientific materials).

And then Jaclose had a plan. He put everyone within the Capital City Ruins under a thick mind-control spell, turning them into something of a hive mind under Jaclose's exclusive command. Ordering them to stay put for the time being, Jaclose used the Teleprot Gun and went over into the Gilbert Realm. He had the second Teleprot Gun delivered to VSSPAL HQ as a "gift" for Austin, leaving behind a message on Austin's Skype account before leaving:

"Come alone, hero killer. I will be waiting. - J"

EQ Realm Arc
Jaclose knew about Austin's arrival the moment he landed on the balcony of the EQSE Tower, thanks to a tracking device and microphone he placed on Austin's Teleprot Gun. They began talking; their conversation consisting mostly of Jaclose threatening Austin, criticizing Austin for his actions - however, Austin had no memory of coming to the EQ Realm at all, let alone destroying it. Jaclose interpreted Austin's inability to remember as him making excuses, which angered Jaclose even more.

Austin was ordered by Ian and Hiss to get into the Capital City Ruins and find a way to bypass the dome and finish off Jaclose. Thanks to the microphone, Jaclose heard every word, and took the necessary precautions to stop Austin. Venturing outside the Capital City Ruins, Jaclose began using his sorcery to stir up violent storms, increase fog, cause earthquakes, sometimes even magic-sniping Austin from a distance.

This was all just to bide time. Jaclose, gathering all the mind-controlled civilians within the Ruins, gave them one order: to attack the EQSE Tower. When Austin eventually arrived at the Ruins, bypassing the dome thanks to Muggy's tools, all he found was graffiti spread everywhere, some of which included "Murderer", "Invader", "Hero-Killer". There were traps waiting for Austin, and he barely managed to make it out in one piece. The moment he did, however, Jaclose left him a single voice message:

"You should have let the storms take care of you. Come to the Tower. I'm still waiting."

Austin, rightly pissed off, made his way back to the Tower, only to find almost everyone in the Tower dispatched by Jaclose and his mind-controlled peons. Dr. Love was the only one left unhurt - Jaclose ordered her to adjust the Tower Dome's parameters, and focus all of the energy into a capsule. She did so reluctantly, and Jaclose infused the capsule with sorcery, enough to eviscerate Austin the moment he was sealed in. Austin made his way to the top floor.

Austin and Jaclose had one final spat. Austin agreed to answer for whatever crime he committed, only for Jaclose to rebuff him, saying that if he was truly regretful he would have come back years ago. Tired of talking, the two entered a battle, Jaclose gradually gaining the upper hand against Austin because of how weakened Austin was from the storms and all of Jaclose's traps. On the brink of killing him, however, Jaclose was reminded of his friends at VSSPAL, how much they cared for Jaclose, and how much they trusted Austin. Dr. Love also brought up the fact that killing Austin wouldn't resolve anything; the EQ Realm would still be a mess for a great number of years.

Jaclose muttered something about a promise, then released Austin. Jaclose agreed to help Austin redeem himself; although Austin had not earned his forgiveness yet, he had earned Jaclose's respect... mostly. The moment was quickly ruined when a series of guard robots stormed the top level, intent on asploding Jaclose to smithereens. Austin and Jaclose dispatched the robots, but halfway through the battle Jaclose collapsed and writhed on the floor. He'd overused his magic, more than his mind or body could handle it; which was unfortunate, considering that Ian and Hiss walked into the room right at that moment, fully armed.

Ian and Hiss were furious, but Austin tried his best to diffuse the situation, saying that Jaclose was an alright dude, that everything had been settled. Muggy reminded Hiss of EQSE's pacifist roots, and that was enough for the snake to lower his weapon. Ian needed more convincing, but Dr. Love reminded Ian that Jaclose's idea of combining sorcery with technology could very well be the environmental solution the EQ Realm needed. Ian conceded and mostly made amends with Jaclose - they agreed to try and work together to fix the EQ Realm as best they could.

Austin said his goodbyes to everyone at the Tower and got ready to leave, but Jaclose met him on the balcony, apologizing for his actions. Austin basically said "No problem, nigga," and promised he'd look into what really went on the night the EQ Realm was destroyed. Jaclose was about to tell Austin something seemingly prophetic and wise, but all he said was: "Just... be prepared." Austin was confused, but he also wanted to get the fuck home, so he just nodded and returned to the Gilbert realm.

Utah
Jaclose still wasn't quite ready to return to VSSPAL - they were all but convinced Jaclose was dead after all these years, and Jaclose didn't feel like joining the force after committing some considerably amoral actions. He did, however, return to the Gilbert realm, under the pretense of looking for environmental technology. He began wandering, keeping his distance from Downtown Gilbert, trying his best to "find himself" and make sense out of everything.

He got word of the civil war occurring in Salt Lake City, Utah, between governor Joshua Graham and revolutionaries led by Cenek and his daughter, Sara; Jaclose also learned of Austin's involvement in the civil war. Jaclose, deciding to see if Austin really cared as much as he claimed he did, traveled to Salt Lake City, shadowing Austin from a distance and observing his movements. He realized Austin was a naturally peaceful, decent kind of guy, just prone to occasional bursts of impulsiveness, or violence. During the conflict's darkest hour, when Cenek's forces and Joshua's forces were ready to attack each other and Sara and Austin's attempts to broker peace failed, Jaclose stepped in and motivated Austin to get back on his feet and stop the conflict if he could.

The conflict was eventually resolved, and Cenek and Joshua's differing philosophies on how to govern Utah and handle threats met neatly in the middle, the two men agreeing to govern Utah together. Sara became Utah's official ambassador, and Austin became a dual citizen of Gilbert and Utah. Jaclose, for his part, disappeared, but exchanged contact information with Joshua and Cenek, promising to keep in touch.

Austin and Jaclose let bygones be bygones then, and he managed to convince Jaclose into showing his face again around VSSPAL, proclaiming that they'd just be happy knowing Jaclose was alive after all that time. The two men made their return to Gilbert.

Progeria Arc
The reunion was surprisingly easy. Jaclose very casually walked into HQ one night; Vizit, Pizza Vampire, and Steve were, understandably, shocked into silence for several minutes. Jaclose began launching into a long diatribe, explaining that there were things that he needed to take care of, that an accident had happened but everything was alright now, that he'd been on a mission to make amends for the accident, but midway through his speech he was interrupted by Pizza Vampire. The Italian man took two steps towards Jaclose, looked him right in the eye... and then threw an enormous party!

There was no question: Jaclose was immediately forgiven by VSSPAL. They had questions, but they figured Jaclose had his reasons, and that was enough to let the issue slide. The festivities had to be cut short because VSSPAL had been called by Tara to an independent country called Progeria to do some detective work on the mysterious disappearance of King and Queen Vincent T. Steve, however, presented Jaclose with the honorary "Detective In Spirit" badge, and everybody agreed it was good to have him back.

Trivia

 * His outfit was inspired by a number of sources. The decision to make it almost all-red came from Michael Jackson's music video for Thriller; the more regal, empirical attachments (such as the shoulder guards, cravat, stylish undershirt) were inspired by a number of sources from Skies of Arcadia to Code Geass.
 * He has several clones and counterparts, including (but not necessarily limited to) Jaclone, Jabanga, Japotle, Janear, and JaWayTooClose. Although Jaclone was confirmed to be the creation of Doctors Ian and Hiss, it's not entirely clear where the others came from.
 * Interestingly, Jaclose's outfit has small similarities to the outfits of the 3 original VSSPAL members. Differently-colored, discretely-designed jacket cuffs, stylish shoulder blades / epaulets, a cravat worn underneath the outfit... this is one of the more subtle clues that Jaclose cares deeply about his former partners-in-justice. He carries parts of them around with him. Not literally, of course, that'd be creepy.
 * There's more than a few similarities between Jaclose and Tuxedo Knight. Both of them started out as well-liked, respected, calm people with plenty of friends in high places; both of them had a fall from grace after a life-changing, traumatic incident; both of them were willing to pervert the law and morality in order to get the results they wanted; both of them wanted Austin Ho dead. However, the fundamental difference between these two was that Jaclose was able to let go of his hatred; Tuxedo Knight let his hatred drive him into an early grave. More than once.
 * Due to Jaclose's nomadic nature (he has been called a Gypsy more than once), he isn't a full-fledged member of VSSPAL, but his increasingly heroic actions and past association with Vizit, Pizza Vampire, and Steve earned him the honorary title of "Detective In Spirit", implying that if Jaclose ever wants to join up with VSSPAL again, he's more than welcome to do so.
 * His Alternative Universe counterpart is Elina, believe it or not. Given their mutual wanderlust and tendency to avoid their problems, however, it's more likely than you think.