Difference between revisions of "David Charleston"

David was a child living with his widowed father when Calamity occurred. All he and his father had to worry about were typical financial problems, when Calamity appeared. When David was eight years old, he witnessed his father, [[Blain Charleston]], being murdered by the High Epic [[Steelheart (Epic)|Steelheart]] on the [[Day of Annexation]]. After a short time living homeless and alone in the city of Newcago, David was taken in by [[Havendark Factory]], where he, along with many other children (including [[Roy]]), worked in exchange for food and board. During this time David became obsessed with researching Epics and finding their weaknesses, particularly that of Steelheart.

 

==== Tracking the Reckoners ====

David manages to track down the Reckoners, a rebel group fighting against the Epics, and finds [[Megan Tarash]], a member of the Reckoners, in Newcago. David encountered Megan while the Reckoner was planning a hit on the High Epic, [[Fortuity]]. When another Epic named [[Curveball]] appeared, David assumed that the plan was going awry and he intervened, ruining the entire plan. After Megan and David take down the two Epics, Megan takes the eager newcomer to her team. David eventually convinces them to let him join. He tells them that he had seen Steelheart bleed, and convinces them to target Steelheart next.

While fighting Steelheart, Prof comes to aid David, revealing that he himself was a struggling High Epic trying to remain sane. Together, the Reckoners successfully execute a plan which results in the destruction of Steelheart's government and the eventual death of Steelheart himself.{{book ref|Steelheart}}

 

After the death of Steelheart, the Reckoners have to defend the city of Newcago against Epics from another place in the world. An Epic with replicating powers known as [[Mitosis]] arrives in Newcago and confronts David after hearing that he had killed Steelheart. Upon fighting [[Mitosis]], David realizes that Epic weaknesses always have to deal in some way with the Epic's past.

 

==== Journey to Babilar ====

The Reckoners learn that Epics, including Mitosis, were being sent to Newcago by a High Epic known as [[Regalia]] in Babilar, formerly New York City; so David, [[Jonathan Phaedrus |Prof]], and [[Tia]] travel to Babilar to take on Regalia; but David's primary reason for going to the city is to find Megan after hearing that she killed a Reckoner based in Babilar known as Sam. Throughout the book, David struggles with finding a new purpose and changing his perspective on Epics after meeting Prof, Megan, and even [[Dawnslight]], an Epic responsible for the nourishment of the people residing in Babilar.

David eventually succeeds in bringing down Regalia and Newton, another High Epic in Babilar, but loses Megan after Prof lures her into a burning building to "save" David. After repeatedly convincing Prof to accept his Epic status and that he too can fight the corruption, Prof fails and wreaks havoc. Prof's destruction leads to the deaths of both [[Valentine|Val]] and [[Exel]]. Because Megan confronted her fears by running into the burning building, and had died by remote-fire sniper suicide rather than flames, her death was not permanent and she managed to save David.

 

With Prof turned, David must lead the Reckoners on a desperate chase to recall their mentor, destroy Calamity, and save the world. David comes to the conclusion that not all Epics are evil and adopts a philosophy similar to the Faithful. The book begins with David, now the leader of the Reckoners, leading them through a mission to steal equipment from Knighthawk to fight Prof. There, David reveals that he intends not to kill his former leader, but free him from the corruption and use him to fight Calamity. He eventually attempts to save Tia from Prof but this leads to Prof accidentally killing her. In his final face off with Prof, he and Megan find out that Prof's weakness is failure and manages to defeat him. Obliteration teleports David to Calamity's glass base in space. David later finds out that he himself is actually an [[Epic]] with Steelheart's powers but he subconsciously blocked his ability to use them. He uses his powers to save Prof, Megan, and himself from crashing to Earth after defeating Calamity. After Calamity leaves, [[Epic]]s no longer go dark and David shows his acceptance of the powers gifted to him.