AQUEDUCT

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Real Name: Peter Van Zante
Aliases: Water Wizard
Identity: Known to Authorities
Occupation: Mercenary, Criminal, Eco-Terrorist, Soldier
Citizenship: American Citizen, with a criminal record.
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Initiative: Oregon, Thunderbolts Army, Masters of Evil, Force of Nature, The Initiative: Oregon
First Appearance: (Water Wizard) Ghost Rider #23 (1977), (Aqueduct) New Warriors #7 (V1)
History: Wounded during an Asian Military conflict, Peter Van Zante was taken to a naval ship hospital to be treated, as an incredible storm raged and rocked the ship. During his treatment, a lightning bolt struck the device, sending thousands of volts of electricity throughout the device; it destroyed the device but had given Peter Van Zante the ability to control and manipulate water. Unsure what he would do with this new found power, it was not until his friend, The Mole, convinced him to turn to a life of crime that Peter Van Zante donned a costume and began calling himself The Water Wizard.

His first mission would come from The Enforcer (Charles Delanzy, Jr.) who hired Water Wizard to take down and kill Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze). However, after two attempts and being defeated by Ghost Rider and mentally traumatized by the Hellfire. This would not be the last time the Water Wizard would come face to face with Ghost Rider, however. Now relying on numbers, Water Wizard joined Justin Hammer’s personal army and was sent to attack Iron Man, but fled in the middle of the fight.  It would not be until months later, when Water Wizard would surface again, after the mystic Moondark enhanced Water Wizard’s power so that he could face and defeat Ghost Rider. However, this third attempt on Ghost Rider’s life not only failed, but shattered Peter Van Zante’s hold on his sanity, and he was sent to Rosedale Sanitarium. But his stay there would not last long, as none other than Ghost Rider himself broke Water Wizard free of the Sanitarium and offered him a chance to use his powers to help people who had been suffering a massive drought. However, it was there that Water Wizard learned that his powers were not just over water; but over most forms of liquid, as Sheik Hurani hired Water Wizard to control other liquids such as oil. Regaining his confidence, Water Wizard terrorized various oil refineries under Sheik Hurani’s command, only to be defeated, yet again by Ghost Rider and Arabian Knight.

Though he seemed to suffer an endless streak of bad luck throughout his criminal carrier; for once, his bad luck would be to his benefit; a flat tire had made him late to arrive at the Bar with No Name. Gary Gilbert (Firebrand) had organized a number of villains to come together to team up and watch each other’s back, and prevent the villain hunting Scourge to take anymore lives. Little did Gary know that the bartender at the bar was a member of the Scourge team and in one sitting, killed Gary and seventeen other villains. When Peter Van Zante discovered the bodies, he immediately contacted Captain America’s hotline and explained what happened and got protection from Captain America.

He eventually turned up again as a part of Project: Earth, ecological activists who committed acts of terrorism. At this point, Water Wizard had adopted the new guise of Aqueduct and became a part of Project: Earth’s “Force of Nature” team, along side Terraformer, Silk Fever and Aireo. It was here that they terrorized and sometimes murdered Brazilian rainforest developers until the arrival of the New Warriors, where Force of Nature faced defeat. On a later assignment, Force of Nature came in contact with the New Warriors yet again in the war-torn country of Trans-Sabal. Force of Nature joined up with the New Warriors, and it was Aqueduct who killed General Hamza Halladah, ending the conflict once the dictator Jalfaha Dahn had been toppled.

Abandoning his ecological agenda, Aqueduct appeared again with the new Masters of Evil, following the orders of Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer), but found defeat against the Thunderbolts. When the Superhuman Registration Act came into effect, Aqueduct was forced to join the Thunderbolt army.

Later still, Aqueduct is revealed to be back with Force of Nature, which is now the Initiative’s Oregon team.

Height: 5’10”
Weight: 210 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Red

Powers: Aqueduct possesses advanced hydrokinesis, psionically controlling all liquids within 500′ of him by stacking liquid molecules. He can shape liquids into various forms, animating and manipulating them. Aqueduct can propel himself forward on jets of liquid and drain water from living beings (causing dehydration or death). After 30 minutes of steady water control, Aqueduct may experience mental fatigue; his constructs dissipate if he is knocked out, and he cannot convert or control liquids in solid or gas forms.