“ | When it came to his teammates and the PRT staff, he could read their emotions and he could sense the degree to which they cared and didn’t care. Through some combination of that and his unwillingness to show weakness that might see him getting less shifts, responsibilities and power, he didn’t tell them when he was hurt, hurting, or scared. | ” |
Dean Stansfield, known publicly as Gallant, was a member of the Brockton Bay Wards and the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Victoria Dallon.
Personality[]
Came across as a natural gentleman, which may have been influenced by his ability to see people emotions in a way no one could hide.
When in costume he pretended to be a tinker in public by wearing 'secondhand' power armor. He hoped he would be able to help Amy with her emotional state, but never got the chance to do so.[7]
Relationships[]
He had a good relationship with Victoria, even if they occasionally broke up.[8]
He moved in the same circles as the Anders family, living in The Towers. He likely knew Theo.[9]
He liked spending time with Vista despite the schoolgirl crush she had on him.
His father expected him to start helping with the family business.[10]
Appearance & Equipment[]
Cape Identity[]
As Gallant, Dean wore futuristic set of silver and gunmetal colored power armor with an aesthetic grounded in the medieval past.[11] This tinker made suit had recessed lights under the plates. This power-suit was created by Kid Win[12] and maintained for him by Armsmaster.[13] Functionally it is largely similar to Armsmaster's own power-armor, but much of the enhanced strength this stripped down version offers is geared toward letting Gallant move around freely despite its heavy weight. It allowed him to survive a tousle with Hellhound's enhanced dogs with only a broken rib.[14][15] What strength it does give him allows a large advantage in close quarters combat.[9]
Civilian Identity[]
Dean has blond hair,[16] broad shoulders, and a narrow waist.[17] When he was 17 years old, he was just a little taller than Victoria Dallon when she was around 16 years old.[18]
Abilities and Powers[]
Dean was an empath capable of generating concussive blasts of energy that could alter emotions in addition to packing a punch.[13] He was somewhat versatile in how he used this energy being able to lob cannonball sized orbs or shoot them from his fingertips in tight beams.[9]
He was capable of inflicting specific emotions on his opponents with these blasts. The effect was unreliable when used on individuals like Hellhound, who were not neurotypical.[14][9] Tattletale pointed out that being hit multiple times could be debilitating from the constant emotional switches.[19]
Dean was also capable of sensing the emotions of those around him,[15] though he seems to have issues distinguishing between them. Glory girl's aura potentially made her unreadable by Gallant's aura vision.[20]
As an emotion manipulator he would be resistant to, and interfere with, other emotion manipulators. His presence would confuse the emotional topology that Cherish senses as well as being able to harm her with the concussive aspect of his blasts, though not the concomitant emotional manipulation. Further he could target those who were affected by Cherish's emotional manipulation, either dismissing the effect or leaving people debilitated like he can do when blasting people with multiple emotions at once.[21]
History[]
Background[]
Dean was the heir of his parents' company. They were rich enough to buy him superpowers.[22][23]
While going to Arcadia High, Dean met and, later, started dating Victoria Dallon. Dean was nearby when she triggered and gained her powers, and since his shard was stubborn enough to maintain broadcast signal, despite being disconnected, Victoria's aura is influenced by his powers.[24][25][26]
His family kept horses.[27]
Story Start[]
Dean was a member of the Brockton Bay Wards.
Was seen at the cape gathering for the defense against the coming Endbringer, holding hands with Glory Girl.[28]
He was killed during Leviathan's attack on Brockton Bay. His final thoughts were of Victoria and with a flash of foreboding he remembered that he had not told anyone how close to a mental breakdown Amy actually was.[7] He passed away in the hospital.[29]
Post-Leviathan[]
His passing left Victoria distraught. Vista was not faring much better.
The Ice Breaks[]
Dean appeared in Victoria's dreams, where the two had a long awaited conversation.[30]
Chapter Appearances[]
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Fanart Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Her train of thought stopped dead when her eye fell on the portraits on the wall above the front desk.
Three feet high and two feet wide, the two pictures were black and white, bordered by foot-wide black frames. The pictures themselves were head-and-shoulders shots of Aegis and Gallant, both in costume, masks on. She knew from her own experience that the pictures would have been taken in their first week on the team. Gallant looked so young. He had still been so young when the tidal wave had smashed into him and caved in his chest. Only seventeen. - Excerpt from Sentinel 9.5 - ↑ No, wait, that had been a few days after Dean had reminded me of the brute rule. I’d been studying it with more interest because Dean was turning eighteen before long, and we were worried he’d get moved to another city, even with his family situation being what it was. I’d seriously been considering joining the Wards and then the Protectorate, so I could follow him. - Excerpt from Daybreak 1.5
- ↑ She gave me a sad smile. Her tone changed, less authoritarian as she wistfully said, “What I wouldn’t give to have had you on my Wards team for that one year, and to see you graduate to the Protectorate alongside Gallant. The past few years have been so unjust.” - Radiation 18.1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 I nodded. “It’s why we got to talking in the first place, kind of. Um. There was something he told me once, privately. And it feels weird to just talk about it now, like I’m somehow betraying his confidence…”
“You don’t have to.”
“No, it’s just…” I trailed off. Just what? “…He told me once that every single person he cared about in his life let him down. His mom took things he told her in confidence about a friend and used those things against that friend’s mom for some advantage in her social circle or some bullshit. His dad just casually said that if he wanted to move out of Brockton Bay and pursue a bigger cape life outside of the city instead of taking a hand in the family business, he’d be essentially disowned. Teachers, aunts, uncles, people he counted on, they all let him down.”
“Except you?” Vista asked.
I made a bit of a face. “He told me that during a fight. Accusing me of being the most recent one. But venting a lot of stuff he needed to vent. I made it up to him, fixed what I’d been doing wrong, and he later told me I was the only person who didn’t let him down, so… I think I did okay.” - Black 13.1 - ↑ Blaster/master. - Comment by Wildbow on Reddit
- ↑ “Gallant.”
“Glory Girl’s on and off boyfriend, he pretends to be a Tinker in the same vein as Kid Win, but I think he just runs around in secondhand armor with a fresh paint job. His thing is these blasts of light. Getting hit by one feels like a punch in the gut, but the blasts also mess with your feelings. Make you sad, make you scared, ashamed, giddy, whatever. Not that bad unless you get hit by a bunch in a row. Don’t.” - Agitation 3.3 - ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gallant knew, he was aware of where Amy was at and where she was going. He also knew that pushing her too hard or too fast would end in disaster. He gently raises the subject, she reacts badly, he backs off. She avoids him, he continues to act friendly in the hopes that when things start getting bad, she can get past her jealousy of him and reach out. He couldn't read minds, but he could get enough of a sense of where she was emotionally to plot this all out pretty damn well. Left alone, it's very possible he could have walked her through it. But life isn't that simple.
He plants the seed, he offers his help, but then the city gets chaotic and busy and Amy is off helping people who were affected by Bakuda's bombs and he's patrolling the streets and off doing jobs and they only see each other in passing.
Then Leviathan comes, and in Gallant's last moment, he thinks of the girl he genuinely cares about and he has a flash of fear, a moment of regret that he didn't leave a message somewhere to let someone know what was going on with Amy. - A rebuttal by wildbow on Reddit - ↑ “I knew I didn’t have a chance with him. He was way older, he was rich, handsome. He was dating Glory Girl, or they were just getting over a breakup, or he was starting to patch things up with her for the millionth time. There was never a good time to talk to him one on one, unless we were out on patrol together, and I dunno what I would have said if there had been a chance.” - Excerpt from Sentinel 9.3
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Gallant's armor? More details on style? Does it enhance strength? Do anything else?
The armor is primarily protective, with some cosmetic features. Think stylized medieval armor with lights recessed in the midst of it, to give him more of a 'gleaming' look, highlighting edges. The armor is basically a super-reduced version of Armsmaster's, which is a smaller-scale version of Defiant's (which is tanky and bulky). It primarily offers enhanced strength, but 80% of that boosted strength is going towards just allowing Gallant to move around easily with the armor and equipment. Between gauntlet and armor, he can throw a pretty mean punch.
Does Gallant decide the emotions he inflicts? It seemed random with Rachel, but you say otherwise on the cast page.
He decides the emotions. Rachel's wiring is screwed up.
How do his blasts work in terms of dimensions? Are they flashes of light that appear at the target location or are they projectiles?
The blasts take the form of nebulous blobs of light that fly out. Bowling ball sized. Somewhere between a bowling ball and equivalent amount of water in hardness. He can concentrate it to narrower beams 'lasers' by using fingers instead of full hands.
(No question, just adding myself)...
It's alluded to, but he's tied into some of the local business by way of his wealthy dad. He'd easily cross paths with Theo in the hoity toity events (given similar backgrounds/locations - they live in the Towers), and is generally very wealthy.
-- Answers to questions asked by an artist who did a picture I like. I gave him free reign to bug me. - Wildbow on Spacebattles - ↑ “Hm. Gallant won’t be able to leave for Boston. Too many logistical issues,” Hannah glanced at the computer. She couldn’t say more.
“You can speak freely,” Colin spoke, “Dragon has either read the record in question, or she’s reading it as we speak.”
“Gallant has local responsibilities, and is expected to start helping with his father’s local business enterprise,” Dragon spoke, giving truth to Colin’s words, “Miss Militia is right, he’s a local fixture. And his girlfriend is here.” - Excerpt from Interlude 7 - ↑ Gallant – Member of the Boston Bay Wards, wears a costume with pieces of power armor and medieval stylings. Can shoot out blasts of energy that cause little damage but inflict a concentration of whichever emotion he decides. - Cast (spoiler free)
- ↑ It’s not customary for tinkers to design things for teammates. If they do, it’s on a relatively small scale, simple. Kid Win making Gallant’s armor, for example. - Excerpt from Drone 23.5
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Gallant (Deceased) – Generates concussive blasts of energy that alter emotions in addition to packing a punch. Boyfriend of Glory Girl. Wore a silver and gunmetal powersuit that was being maintained by Armsmaster. Perished in the Endbringer arc. - Cast (in depth)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Bitch got to her feet before Judas did, but only managed to take a single step before one of Gallant’s blasts clipped her. I winced. His light blasts were charged with energy that made the people struck feel a particular emotion. Gallant could blast you with one that made you hopeless, scared, sad, ashamed…
Bitch screamed, and it was a long and primal noise, filled with rage. I was still inside the bank, watching things unfold through the window, barely able to hear it, and it still made my skin crawl. So he’d shot the dangerous psychopath with a blast that made her angry. Someone would have to explain that one to me at a later date. - Excerpt from Agitation 3.10 - ↑ 15.0 15.1 The pair went to Gallant’s alcove, and she sat him down on the bed before laying a hand on his shoulder. She pulled her hood back and furrowed her brow.
“You don’t have a punctured lung. You’ve got one fractured rib, but you’re not even in that much pain. Why-”
“I lied. I wanted to talk to you, alone,” he took her hand.
She scowled and pulled her hand back like he’d bitten her. As if to make doubly sure he wouldn’t grab her hand again, she folded her arms.
“You know I can sense emotions,” he said, “Everyone’s emotions, like a cloud of colors around them. Can’t turn it off. It’s just how I see the world.”
“Victoria mentioned that.”
“So you’re an open book to me. I know you’re scared. No… you’re terrified, and that’s why you’re not talking.”
She sighed and sat on the bed, as far from Gallant as she could.
“I never wanted these powers. I never wanted powers, period.”
He nodded. - Excerpt from Interlude 3 - ↑ Gallant took off his helmet and held it in one hand, running his fingers through his sweat-damp blond hair. He smiled winningly at Vista as she positioned the whiteboards so everyone could see them, “Thank you.” - Excerpt from Interlude 3
- ↑ There were other memories too. Some from the same trip, others from other dates. He’d tried on a lot of jeans and to this day I could remember a pair where he had looked perfect: in profile, in the narrow waist and hips, the broad shoulders, the pert butt. He’d lifted up his shirt so I could see the fit, and I’d seen the thin trail of body hair leading up to his navel, his flat stomach, and the bones of his hips just above the jeans. Already warmed up by my laughing fit earlier, I’d worked myself up into a tizzy, the best words for it, and I’d maintained the tizzyness until twenty minutes later when we were cutting through the parking lot to the bus stop. I’d pulled him aside for a make out session.
I missed him so much it hurt, but the memories were happy ones and they were a good buffer against the bad night’s sleep. - Shadow 5.1 - ↑ “In my defense, I’m seventeen, and Clockblocker really is a bad influence.”
[...]
Dean, for his part, straightened up. Just a little taller than me, but ‘me’… I was only sixteen or so. - Last 20.11 - ↑ His thing is these blasts of light. Getting hit by one feels like a punch in the gut, but the blasts also mess with your feelings. Make you sad, make you scared, ashamed, giddy, whatever. Not that bad unless you get hit by a bunch in a row. Don’t.” - Excerpt from Agitation 3.3
- ↑ Maybe he's interested in her because he can't get a perfect read on her - comment on the IRC Archived on Spacebattles
- ↑ Having emotion manipulation usually appends a degree of emotion manipulation resistance. They'd probably both be pretty darn resistant to one another. That would include Gallant fuzzing Cherish's emotion map. His blast could theoretically knock her on her ass but wouldn't do much more than that (and against those she was controlling, would probably dash whatever effects were present to the winds, or sufficiently confuse/paralyze them to stop whatever Cherish had them doing).
When I say 'pretty darn resistant', I'd really say that the 80-100% resistance they had would veer one way or the other depending on how in concert they were with their passenger at the time of the encounter. - Comment by WildBow on Reddit - ↑ Hpflylesspretentious:You know, I've been wondering for ages what Gallant's trigger was. Thinker/Blaster/Master is an odd combination. i wonder what would cause that. I don't think it's been mentioned anywhere.
Wildbow:$=c - Comment by WildBow on Reddit - ↑ We are dead and broken now, as her boyfriend’s power once was. - Excerpt from Heavens 12.all
- ↑ And another, dead and broken, consumed and connected anyway, was so vainly trying to broadcast that it communicated as my host and I connected and ‘went live’. On air. Power button pressed. That fleeting contact and the jettison that came with it would be another facet of us. An emotion power. The host of that dead and broken thing would later connect to my host. Fuck her. Make love to her. Whisper to her. Fight with her. Hold her. Laugh with her. Talk to her of vulnerabilities. Of hopes and dreams. Of identity. Of school. Of costume.- Excerpt from Heavens 12.all
- ↑ Darchiasq:
It's not breaking SoD that Gallant is a bud off Glory Girl, but it seems very unlikely. I think Gallant has been a cape too long for that to be possible. Another big argument for Aegis being a Cauldron cape is that his powers majorly changed his physiology, which is a telltale sign of being one. However, I don't think it's unlikely that he could be an Eden natural trigger, like Leet and String Theory.
Andrew Greaves:
It occurred to me, belatedly, that something like the reverse might be possible.
We know that Glory Girl is a second generation Cape, and the origins of her force field power are rather obvious. But what about her empathic aura? Where did that come from?
It's well known that second Triggers involve polling any other Shards within range and such, but does this also happen with first Triggers? Could Gallant have already been a cape and nearby when she Triggered?
Of course, she could have also second Triggered with him nearby at some point. Incidentally, as a second gen, I'd surmise that her second Trigger would be psychologically comparable to a first gen's first Trigger.
Wildbow:
You're thinking along the right lines, re: the source of her aura, Andrew. - Comment by Wildbow - ↑ Nice post. Right on the mark.
On the subject of why they don't always hand out powerful vials - they don't always know the power level of a given vial. They've got this landscape of Eden, they take pieces of it, make it into concoctions and feed them to people. One vial might have fantastic results in one situation and peter out or end up horrific in another.
So they've spent the last 30 years figuring it out, trying to get as many vials to people as they can in the most constructive way they can. When they do get a set of powerful vials, they try to hold on to them and give them to the people they can make the most use out of. Often those are people in power (ie. the mayor of a town with a lot of capes, who then gives it to his son), people with access (an ex-PRT captain with the potential to be Director), or people with money. - Cauldron SOP - ↑ - Excerpt from Pitch 6.4
- ↑ Extermination 8.1
- ↑ “Flechette said you were sounding pretty fatalistic when you were on patrol, a little while ago. I know you were fond of Gallant, that you were pretty inconsolable when you were in the hospital, at his bedside.” - Excerpt from Sentinel 9.5
- ↑ Last 20.11
[]
Anchorage | Auroch • Feint • Roulette • Vellum |
---|---|
Austin | Hoyden |
Baltimore | Houndstooth • Avenguard • Avian • Stungun • Keychain • Blush • 10-59 • Pigeonhole • Optics ‡ |
Boston | Hunch • Reynard • Roulette ‡ • Weld ‡ |
Brockton Bay | Aegis † • Battery • Browbeat † • Chariot • Clockblocker † • Crucible • Flechette ‡ • Gallant † • Glory Girl ‡ • Kid Win † • Shadow Stalker ‡ • Toggle • Triumph • Vista • Weld |
Chicago | Annex • Bearach • Cuff • Garnett • Golem • Grace • Raymancer † • Romp • Tecton • Wanton • Weaver ‡ |
Houston | Gentle Giant ‡ • Chronicler • Young Buck |
Los Angeles | Arbiter • Auroch • Flambé • Leister • Vantage |
New York | Flechette ‡ • Jouster • Shelter |
Raleigh | Cask ‡ |
San Diego | Gully ‡ • Scapegoat |
San Francisco | Trapper ‡ |
Texas | Chronicler • Intrepid • Strapping Lad • Young Buck |
Unknown Location | Eviction • Fisherboy • Greenhorn • Hype • Sunflower |
Inaugural Wards Team | Chevalier ‡ • Miss Militia ‡ • Mouse Protector ‡ • Reed ‡ |
Director | Emily Piggot ‡ • Thomas Calvert † • James Tagg † |
---|---|
Staff | Renick (Deputy Director) • Jessica Yamada (Parahuman Psychologist) |
Leader | Armsmaster ‡ • Miss Militia |
Members | Adamant • Assault • Battery † • Challenger • Clockblocker • Dauntless • Dovetail • Sere • Triumph • Velocity † |
Team Captains | Battery • Triumph • Aegis † • Weld • Clockblocker • Crucible |
Members | Browbeat † • Chariot • Flechette • Gallant † • Glory Girl ‡ • Kid Win • Shadow Stalker • Toggle • Vista |