Donte McArthur (Cataclysmic Gerosha)

Donte McArthur / Emeraldon is a superhero in the Gerosha universe of Dozerfleet Comics. He is the second boyfriend of and ultimately a husband to Candi Levens. He was originally envisioned as a police chief in the 2005 version of Ciem, but became a military recruit in the 2007 version. In Ciem: Vigilante Centipede, he goes from fighting on Phaelon to fighting in Qatar.

He was later re-imagined as an unemployed freedom fighter, helping a re-imagined Candi and the rest of his friends flee to Toklisana from Ameristan in the 2012-inceived Sodality. He ends up a member of the Sodality of Gerosha, a league of heroes in Toklisana out to defeat the Hebbleskin Gang once and for all.

Early life
Donte was born in 1994 to Hector and Betty McArthur. Much like Stan Flippo, Hector was subjected to Phaelite experimentation as an infant. As a result, Donte inherited Emwault abilities, allowing him to become part of an elite group of Emwaults. He had a mostly normal childhood, until his father Hector was killed by gang gunfire in Of Emeralds and Sapphires. His mother Betty became very distant soon afterward, and he ran away from home by the time he was 17. Since then, Donte found numerous ways to take care of himself while assuming his identity of Emeraldon. He was once good friends with Jordan "Sapphire King" Reddelwick, but had a falling out when Jordan was a little to eager to engage in thievery.

In Gerosha Prime, he grows up to become a police chief in Dirbine, keeping his superhero identity a secret. This is kept true also in Despair Gerosha. However, Classic Gerosha depicts him as having quit his job to enter the Phaelon-Metheel War. In Comprehensive Gerosha, he goes to Qatar to help fight Duke Arfaas, and gets captured. Cataclysmic Gerosha has him get captured while helping Candi and the others in the Exodus Agenda flee to Toklisana through a pass in Netheel. He is captured via Marlquaanite prison suspended animation, and it is up to Candi to save him.

Shortly after his recruitment in both Classic and Comprehensive Geroshas, Donte met with the Wortell family. They soon became very close friends, and the Wortells wrote in their will that if anything should happen to them and they had children, they should desire for Donte to adopt their children.

Classic/Comprehensive Gerosha Emeraldon
Main articles: Ciem (webcomic), Ciem: Vigilante Centipede, Ciem 2, Ciem: Nuclear Crisis, Ciem 3, Ciem: Condemnation

A year before Donte and Mr. Wortell were destined to board a Phaelite warship headed for Phaelon, Donte met Candi Flippo. In the 2007 webcomic, they met while battling Jeff the Invisible inside the condemned and abandoned Stolly's Building. Jeff had unsuccessfully attempted to kill Candi with a guillotine that was being stored in there by Meethlite associates of his. Soon thereafter, Candi and Donte teamed up to defeat him. Donte was fascinated by Candi's mostly self-taught fighting skills as well as her religious faith and her dedication to fighting evil. Therefore, he invites her over to his house to spend the night, and they quickly become friends. In short order, they begin dating.

They similarly stop a different type of monster in Vigilante Centipede, this time battling in the streets of Stratford, Ontario. However, Arfaas suspected the monster might fail. Losing the monster meant losing his chance to extort the city. Therefore, he set a backup crew to work to burn the city down. Instead of merely a relationship, meeting the night Stratford burned causes the couple's flames of love to ignite even faster&mdash;as well as their struggles with lust. Candi and Donte are engaged by the story's beginning.

The night of Donte's departure in the 2007 comic, his ship was ambushed by Meethlites and he was taken prisoner. Several experiments were conducted on him, and he was eventually sentenced to be executed publicly in 2021 in Dirbine. Meanwhile, the Hebbleskin Gang seized the opportunity of his capture to infiltrate Dirbine with police loyal to their cause, and unleashed Musaran to eliminate Phaelite experiments which might result in competition.

The novel has him frozen in a Marlquaanite prison for all but the last three months of his capture, and tortured while awaiting his execution date. His power is drained differently, so the side effects and restoration processes are different. However, cancer slowly drains him of his power in the end either way. His enemies planned to kill him in the skies over Evansville.

He had all but given up hope of having his powers, health, and youth restored; as well as of being rescued. However, Candi's determination and careful planning led to her finding and rescuing him on the hour of his execution. Since being rescued and restored, he has been more humble than usual, even reserved. He also grew fearful that he would never have children. Candi offers herself to him at the story's beginning, promising she will be the one to bear him a child. He takes her up on the offer initially; but then declines to finish the job because he wants her to wait until they're married to experience "all there is." By the time he's rescued from Arfaas, Candi's prior marriage to Denny has convinced him that there is little he can do to her that would be special or unique to her. Therefore, he gives in to her offers more freely. By the time of Ciem 2, Donte and Candi have succumb to temptation several times with each other, but still resist actually cohabiting. Nevertheless, they realize that they need to get married sooner than they originally planned. He originally wanted Candi to wait until after she graduated to marry him, so that they could have her grieve losing Denny adequately as part of a widow's honor. However, their inability to resist each other plus their need to marry if they wish to adopt Charlie Wortell compel the couple to move up their wedding date. Donte's powers aren't completely gone since Candi helped restore them, but cancer in his back muscles weakens him and threatens to rob him of his powers permanently.

Donte goes into therapy sessions with Ploribus/Darius to fight his cancer, but is bothered by the fact that this means he won't be able to assist Candi. Therefore, he spends hours in treatment wishing for Candi and unable to help her. When Candi finds herself in over her head battling Capp Aard and the Mik-Non terrorist faction, Donte leaves from Ploribus' treatments early to find her. He assists her in destroying the Ming-Yo, and then strands himself in California, his powers all but gone. Candi flies a plane to California to rescue him, but ends up marrying him while they are in Vacaville. They decide to have a double wedding with Steve and Miriam. Before resuming treatments with Ploribus/Darius, Donte and Candi make their adoption of Charlie official. Around this time, Candi announces to Donte that she is pregnant.

Around the time that the Marringtons destroy the Ming-Cho, Donte's treatments with Ploribus/Darius hold his cancer back, but they are not enough to get rid of his cancer completely. Nevertheless, he completely loses his powers. Candi eventually gives birth to their son Frank, and gets a job at a bar while Donte stays home and helps her raise their two children.

Donte's cancer is almost completely cured by the time of Ciem 3 / Condemnation, but he needs one last set of treatments by the time of this story. He goes underground for treatments, taking Frank with him while Candi and Charlie stay behind. With Lex's help, he recovers Charlie when Candi is captured by Kolumn. He is helpless to do anything while Candi remains Kolumn's prisoner and Milp destroys Dirbine/Evansville. When Dolly rescues Candi and they return to Dirbine/Evansville, he is relieved. The couple decide they'd had enough of Indiana, and Donte agrees with Candi that they should move to Kentucky. The McArthur family lives happily in Kentucky and enjoys a reasonably prosperous life together. They eventually have two more children: John and Dana.

In Abolition, when Judge Beliah of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals tries to use judicial activism to outlaw Phexos and Marlquaanites, Donte and Candi band together with various other heroes for their collective protection. This includes Extirpon, Navyrope, Pilltar, and the Gray Champion. Donte regrets that with no powers, he is of limited use. However, his old rival Jordan Reddlewick becomes an unlikely ally when he reveals that they have a common enemy in Beliah.

Donte dies a few months after Candi's death in Ciem Tomorrow, and this leads to John moving in with a grown-up Charlie while Dana moves in with her much-older cousins Lex and Andy. Lex arranges for him to be buried alongside Candi's headless remains in the Gerosha Cemetery. Both are buried in a section of the Flippo Mausoleum, alongside Reily Flippo and not far from Stan and Shalia's graves. Located nearby inside the mausoleum are Denny and Angie's graves, so that Candi can be buried with her Levens relatives.

Cataclysmic Emeraldon
Main article: Sodality (series)

Meeting Candi
Donte tried living with just his mother Betty shortly after becoming Emeraldon for the first time, and also tried to get over Hector's death. However, things were never the same in the McArthur home. Betty slipped into a bit of a depression, becoming very emotionally distant. Donte later found himself spending a lot of time on the street while his mother sought therapy. He found shelter in a new friend - Jordan Reddelwick. Jordan revealed himself to be an Emwault with a blue hue as opposed to a green one. The two teamed up to fight crime in Evansville, while keeping their eyes open for anything bad coming from the Hebbleskin Gang. Emeraldon and the Sapphire King proved powerful allies, but eventually parted ways when Jordan proved a little too willing to steal from targets for personal gain. Donte's moral code on the job did not allow for gratuitous thievery.

Later on, Donte was discovered by the Phaelite-friendly Rev. Tyler Kilmington, who became a mentor to him. Kilmington became Donte's equivalent to Candi's Imaki. Both of them heard wind of a missionary church aimed specifically at disenfranchised Phexos, being spearheaded by a minister formerly from the Gerosha and Evansville area and now residing in Texas. This visionary minister would later be revealed to be Rev. Wilbur Brocklyn. There were talks that since the military coercion to form a team, like what the Phaelites tried with the Phexo Quartet, proved a failure; that a sort of church or "sodality" would have to be formed so that Phexo heroes would want to come together. Donte decided he wanted in.

While Donte was with Kilmington in Evansville at a special meeting for Phexos and their mentors, the Hebbleskins launched a raid. A fight soon broke out at the convention center, and a girl who immediately caught Donte's eye was nearly dealt a serious blow by a mantis-themed monstrosity. She was spared, however, by Donte flying in. Donte then fought the monster head-on. Just as he was about to be trapped in a Marlquaanite prison, the girl fought off its wielder, giving Donte a chance to save himself. Things continued to get out of hand. Alas, Kilmington got into the line of fire right as Donte had been rescued from what would have been his doom. Kilmington was shot down by a Meethlite holding a revolver, and Donte soon found himself fleeing the scene with the help of the new girl and her mentor, Imaki Izuki.

Affadidah's regime showed up with tanks, and made quick work of most of those who were still there. The conference was supposed to be about finding one's peace via healthy relationship with God; but ended in war. The Hebbleskins wanted to seize the opportunity to wipe out Phexos; and a convention center event dedicated to them provided a perfect target for Duke Arfaas' army to gain some experience. As Donte made it back to the girl and Imaki's hotel, she revealed himself to be none other than a Centhuen Prototype named Candi Flippo, and an heiress of the Flippo family legacy in Gerosha. She was in training to become a vigilante, one later known as Ciem after Donte joked that it'd be an easier name to remember than "Project: Ciempiés." Five years younger than Donte, her life was in shambles much like his. With Kilmington gone, Donte was now completely without a family. The new regime closed down the sports store where he worked, leaving him with no job. Imaki promised to take him in; although he stated that he'd have to use his network of underground shelters to make sure Candi and Donte weren't technically cohabiting. He knew, however, that the similarities between the two in almost every area of life meant a strong likelihood of the two becoming romantically interested.

As southern Indiana became increasingly war-torn through regime aggression, Candi and Donte began to have numerous adventures both together and separately. A bond of loved formed between them. Candi feared that Erin would not approve of the relationship, however. Candi confessed to being raped by Don the Psycho, and how she was never the same afterward. Donte confessed that when his power first manifested, he couldn't resist the urge to take revenge on the men who murdered his father. He may not have killed them per se; but he left them wishing they were dead. When they saw how religious each other could be as well, that made each other even more appealing. One evening in late October at Gerosha High, during a football game, Candi and Donte decided to make their relationship official. Rumors began to fly about her sex life almost immediately, as the other students grew highly suspicious of Candi suddenly showing interest in someone. However, she tried to keep Donte's age a secret. She feared that they'd make him out to be an ephebophile.

Rise of the prison state
While Candi and Donte's interest in each other was but puppy love at first, it quickly blossomed into true love as they began to go on missions and face trials together. Candi's graduation from Gerosha High was fairly uneventful; but the day after proved to be a day of infamy. The regime had officially gone back on its word to let all who registered as Toklisanans in time leave Ameristan peacefully. Worse, it decided to form a pact with the Hebbleskin Gang to keep Toklisanans from being able to use the western borders with Netheel and Toklisana as a passageway to freedom. Using Meethlite technology, a large force shield, called "The Wall," was erected to keep most Toklisanans permanently trapped behind enemy lines.

A campaign of "cleansing" began in Ameristan, and all non-Muslim "dhimmies" were subject to random arrests. Death camps began popping up, with the countryside being littered with guillotines as a form of intimidation. It was only a few months after Candi's graduation that Gerosha had been reduced to a war zone. There was little reason for anyone to trust anyone. Imaki's resistance pockets started arming themselves, as the regime cracked down mercilessly. Miriam and Phil Couric found themselves in a tight spot when the Hebbleskin Gang deduced where Miriam was hiding, with the aid of their own hacker: Melvin Markus. Phil's parents were killed, and the young couple found themselves on the run. Alas, only Miriam made it to safety. Phil was killed by the Hebbleskins. Her last text to Candi was that she would not be seen for a while. She'd contact Candi again when she was able.

News of Phil's death angered Donte considerably. He vowed that if he and Candi both made it safely to Toklisana, he's marry her and the two of them would do everything in their power to defend their new homeland. In the mean time, he sought to get as many Toklisanans trapped in Ameristan across the Wall and to freedom.

Family
Main article: Donte's family

Donte's father was once married to Betty, and they had Donte a few years before Candi's birth. Betty was attacked and raped one fateful evening; and the trauma led her to partially reject Donte's half-brother Khumar. However, Hector refused to consider abortion. Donte, disgusted by his mother's growing antisocial tendencies, began to distance himself from her and associate more with his religious and moral father. After Hector's death, Donte began a desperate attempt within himself to learn how to accept his mother; in spite not approving of how she treated Khumar. Finally, Donte gots fed up with it and ran away. Khumar followed suit a few years later.

Candi becames the only woman that Donte had ever considered seriously for a wife, and gets his wish of marrying her only after the two endure many trials and tribulations. He has a niece through his half-brother Khumar and sister-in-law Lindsay Hamilton. This indirectly makes Donte related to the Malestroms, since Dolly is Lindsay's older sister. By extension, this makes Candi and Jeraime Malestrom relatives. His stepdaughter, Angie Levens, is deceased before his marriage to Candi. He has Frank, John, and Dana with Candi. He and Candi adopt Charlie Wortell from an orphanage.

After his death, he acquires grandchildren through John and through Dana, as they have both gotten married to their respective sweethearts. Devin and Dana Spanz join a resistance movement against the Phaletori, and allow their children to join that resistance movement.

Alternate versions
In 2007 canon, Donte has difficulty finding a job and keeping a house. He is a private citizen with no connection to police whatsoever. His persona, Emeraldon, is the only crime-fighting part of his life. He recruited to the military briefly in Comprehensive Gerosha, but was still "that one bum" to various individuals on the street. However, the character was not always envisioned this way.


 * In the 2005 version of Ciem, he was known as Donte Williams. He was a detective who was soon promoted to a police chief.  He later loses that position to Merle Hourvitz.


 * In the 2006 version, he is a police chief in Dirbine who has been in love with Candi for a long time, but agrees to get out of her life when Denny gets her pregnant. However, after learning of Denny's death, he grows frantic to be a part of her life again.  This leads to the Meethlites seizing and capturing him, requiring for Candi to rescue him later.

Enemies
Donte shares many enemies with Candi, including Duke Arfaas, Captain Aardwulf, Cupric, Jeff the Invisible, Merle Hourvitz, the Sapphire King, and the FPB. Lloyd Kolumn becomes one indirectly later on, as well as Milp and Judge Beliah.

Supporting characters
The below is a list of the most prominent of Donte's allies.


 * Candi, whom he eventually marries.
 * Ploribus/Darius Philippine, Candi's Phaelite half-brother, defeats Merle's corrupt police force and gives his life to assist in defeating Milp.
 * Lex Philippine, Ploribus'/Darius' near-fully-human son with Nancy Philippine, proves to take over as mentor for Donte's daughter Dana after Donte's death.

Personality
Donte is generally kindhearted, much like Candi, but may become enraged if threatened enough. He does occasionally harbor desires for revenge against others, but is usually able to suppress those urges without much difficulty. He is fairly religious and philosophical, often having devotion times by himself that not even Candi thinks to make time for. Unlike many other men in Viron, Donte has a very strong sense of morality, especially sexual morality.

Unfortunately, he also battles with a tremendous amount of desire for Candi. One of his personality quirks involves his fascination with whether or not women are virginal before he dates them. He refuses Candi's first suggestion of sex to him not only because he felt it wrong, but also because he didn't want her to be "spoiled" before he could marry her following his time served fighting a war. He abandons this ambition when he learns of Candi's marriage to Denny, and his desires for her begin to cloud his judgment.

He struggles to set an example for others while simultaneously desiring intimacy with Candi, whom he depends on for his survival after being rescued from Musaran. His tendencies towards depression stem from his father's tragic death during his childhood, as well as his sense of inadequacy after developing cancer. Due to his internal moral conflicts and personal frustrations, Donte has difficulty handling both emotional baggage and others' carefree optimism.

He is fairly reserved, as he realizes that displaying too much confidence and being too outgoing could endanger his loved ones. His attraction to Candi is partially because they have virtually identical personalities in spite having very different back stories. Guilt over having sex frequently bothers both of them, though Donte is more willing to accept a bad outcome that could end in his death while Candi is more determined to fight for survival. He is otherwise a determined, dutiful man, and his superhero self is a Superman archetype. In parenting, he tends to be very reserved, except when the situation with his kids requires him to behave otherwise.