Crucible:Cheetah
Cheetah
| |
| Real Name | Lester Lincoln |
|---|---|
| Identity | Secret |
| Affiliation | HAVOC; former member of Rock n' Roll |
| Base of Operations | Mobile |
| Status | Active |
| Known Relatives | None known |
| First Appearance | HERO HIGH #3 |
| Creator | Ed Messina |
“I trained my whole life to be the best. This just made it official.”
— Cheetah
Cheetah is the enhanced brawler identity of Lester Lincoln, a former amateur fighter whose obsession with physical perfection led him down a path of chemical enhancement, crime, and eventual recruitment into the ranks of professional supervillainy.
Origin
Lester Lincoln devoted himself entirely to mixed martial arts. Training consumed his life, and for a time it seemed that discipline and effort alone might carry him to success.
It didn’t.
Determined to push past his limits, Lincoln turned to anabolic steroids to maintain peak condition. The drugs worked, but not well enough to escape notice. He was quickly flagged, tested, and banned from the competitive circuits he had hoped to join.
For most people, that would have been the end of it.
For Lincoln, it was just a detour.
Enhancement
Through underground connections, Lincoln found a dealer offering experimental performance-enhancing drugs—substances designed to evade detection and deliver far greater results.
They did exactly that.
His strength and speed increased dramatically, pushing him beyond human norms. At the same time, the drugs destabilized his emotional state, amplifying aggression, impulsivity, and poor judgment.
With his athletic career closed to him and his physical power at an all-time high, Lincoln turned to crime.
He adopted the name Cheetah.
Rock n’ Roll
During his time at Nathaniel Nova High School, Cheetah was recruited by Computron into the student villain group Rock n' Roll. For Lincoln, it was the perfect arrangement: a chance to fight, make money, and be recognized for his abilities.
He embraced the role enthusiastically.
For the first time, he felt like he was winning.
From Teen Villain To Professional
After graduation, Cheetah’s activities caught up with him, leading to incarceration. His time in prison did little to change his outlook. If anything, it reinforced his belief that strength was the only thing that mattered.
Upon release, he transitioned into adult supervillainy, eventually joining HAVOC as an operative. Within the organization, his raw physicality and willingness to engage directly make him a useful asset.
He is no longer a kid playing at villainy.
He is part of the real thing.
Powers
Cheetah’s abilities are the result of chemical enhancement.
- Superhuman Strength – Significantly increased physical power
- Superhuman Speed – Moves faster than normal human limits
- Enhanced Agility – Maintains control and coordination in combat
These enhancements make him a dangerous close-quarters opponent.
Skills
Lester Lincoln combines natural ability with trained technique.
- Skilled mixed martial artist
- Experienced hand-to-hand combatant
- Acrobatic movement and physical control
- Capable visual artist with professional aspirations
His fighting style is aggressive and direct, reflecting both training and temperament.
Technology
Cheetah does not rely on advanced equipment.
- Occasional use of standard gear or team-provided resources
- Physical ability is his primary weapon
Personality
Cheetah is driven, competitive, and emotionally volatile. He wants recognition for his abilities and resents the system that denied him legitimate success.
Despite his aggression, there are glimpses of a different path—particularly in his interest in art. Whether that represents a genuine alternative or simply another unrealized ambition is unclear.
For now, the need to prove himself—and to keep going—dominates.
Legacy
Cheetah represents a familiar story taken a step further: talent pushed too hard, ambition redirected, and enhancement taken beyond control.
He could have been a champion.
Instead, he became something else.
Faster. Stronger.
And pointed in the wrong direction.