The Five (group)



The Five were a group of 19th century scientists and paranormal researchers studying abnormals, who came together at the University of Oxford during the late Victorian era. They formed a small group comprised of individuals who were dedicated to expanding their knowledge of the physical world, by the most unconventional means. Together, what they did was more than just pushing boundaries.

Blood Experiment
Their shared curiosity of the unknown drove the members of the Five to investigate the claim that the blood of Sanguine vampiris supposedly possessed miraculous properties. One of the members, Dr. Helen Magnus, was able to procure an ancient, untainted sample of this blood. This sample was collected from a time before the species were sterilized and all but exterminated by the Roman Catholic Church centuries prior.

While each member were so curious to know what humans could become, evolve into, given the chance, no one however dared to inject themselves with a pure sample of Sanguine vampiris. Instead, they worked together on an experiment designed by Magnus to derive a safer yet still powerful serum from it. During the creation of the serum, The Five almost became 'The Six' with the potential addition of another brilliant, yet somewhat noticeably twisted, scientist name Adam Worth. His admission however was rejected as Tesla and Magnus both believed that they didn't need another member; a decision that wasn't contested by Druitt, Watson, or Griffin.

In the Spring of 1886, the serum was ready. Despite warnings from other members about the side effects being completely unknown, Magnus insisted on being the first to be injected with it in order to prove its worth. Upon injection, her initial reaction was that of feeling a lot of intense pain which eventually subsided some time after. Seeing that she survived, the other four members followed suit. Once each of them were injected, they received unique "gifts" as a result.

According to Tesla, while everyone chose to become different, Griffin, Watson and Druitt did so for power and for greed. Magnus, however, altered herself out of a pure desire for knowledge; something which Tesla really admired about her as a scientist and person.

Powers acquired by the blood
Additionally, each member received some form of longevity that allowed them to live a longer lifespan than most humans:
 * Magnus and Tesla's form was genetically 'permanent' as it was an activated inherited trait in the both of them.
 * Tesla's form of vampire longevity is considered equivalent to being immortal in the purest sense.
 * Magnus's form of longevity is almost on par with Tesla's. While she does still age, she does so so incredibly slowly, to where she's essentially immortal as well.
 * Griffin's longevity was a perk gained by the blood itself lingering in his system. He lived for almost a century before dying from an unknown cause. It is unknown if this 'gift' was able to be passed on to later generations through his bloodline as his daughter Anna Griffin died from illness and his granddaughter Clara Griffin was killed.
 * Druitt is believed to have gained his longevity from being treated by Magnus's own blood for his chronic illness.
 * Watson was the only member of The Five who didn't seem to gain any form of long-lasting longevity from the blood. Instead, he used his heightened intellect to create a machine which merely slowed down his own aging process. Once the machine failed, his body rapidly aged, resulting in his subsequent death shortly thereafter.

Each of The Five members were connected by this shared secret, which they would protect for years to come.

The Ripper
After two years had passed since they acquired their gifts, London was besieged by a series of brutal murders targeted against young women in the district of Whitechapel; the attacks eventually became known as the "Jack the Ripper" killings. Watson investigated the murders as he personally believed that he could see more than what a mere mortal could. While it is unknown, the other members of The Five may have also looked into the case, drawn to the possibility that an abnormal might have been involved, or behind, the killings.

The truth, however, was worse than what any of them could have imagined, as it was one of their own who were behind the gruesome crimes. While Magnus, Griffin, Watson and Tesla were able to master and adjust to their abilities, Druitt's ability had the unforeseen side-effect of exposing him to an interdimensional parasite during his dematerializations. Every time Druitt used his ability it drove him more insane, filling him with a rage that could only be satisfied by committing bloodshed.

In the beginning, Druitt was able to hide this condition from the others, especially Watson who would consult with him regularly about the killings. The information shared between them allowed Druitt (as his alter ego "the Ripper") to always stay just one step ahead of him, turning the case into something that confounded Watson like no other. In the end, either Druitt slipped up or the others finally became wise to what he was up to; the truth severely hurting the two members of The Five that he was closest to: Magnus and Watson. Watson was disgusted and ashamed that his friend could do such terrible things, feeling deeply betrayed by him.

After discovering that Druitt was "The Ripper", Magnus blamed herself for "not seeing it sooner". She believed his madness was initially caused by her blood experiment(s) and thus continually tried to offer him help multiple times, even in present day. During one of the first times she hunted him down and confronted him about the killings, not only did Druitt refuse Magnus's help, but he also committed his final Ripper murder right in front of her, slashing Molly's throat. This action caused Magnus to shoot at him as he teleported away, resulting in him obtaining his facial scar from the bullet that nearly missed his face. Shortly thereafter, Magnus cryogenically preserved the unborn child she was carrying within her.

At some point between the Jack the Ripper-killings and the turn of the 20th century, the rest of The Five split apart, with Tesla beginning his plots to restore the Vampire species and Griffin turning to crime to gain wealth. Magnus and Watson continued working together on her goal to bring about her father's vision of a Sanctuary for all.

Early 20th Century
After an undetermined amount of years The Five dropped out of the public eye. One by one they disappeared or faked their deaths in order to avoid suspicion about their powers. Magnus, Tesla, and Druitt each relocated to a different area and changed their appearances: Magnus dyed her hair and moved to Old City, Druitt shaved his head and went into hiding using a network of safehouses he gained from Worth, and Tesla got rid of his famous mustache as he traveled off to New York. Griffin quietly settled down somewhere and started a family. The only member who seemed to stay in London was Watson.

Despite this, four of The Five left a mark on the world, both good and bad. Tesla's science helped make strides for the modern world while Griffin's and Watson's exploits were immortalized in popular fiction, though changed slightly in order to protect their identities. The Invisible Man's insanity might have been Griffin's method of sending a message to Druitt that he wished Druitt had not become a monster and in some way he forgave him. Druitt's mark on the world were his murders as the Ripper that remain unsolved to this day. Magnus, however, preferred to remain in the background working with many famous people, helping them with their work, but remaining anonymous the entire time.

Some time during their shared history, The Five as a whole or individually had encounters with the Cabal, though they managed to stay off the Cabal's radar most of the time and were considered to be little more than a minor nuisance.

In the 1960s, the first of their number, Griffin, died (causes unknown). Being that this might have become a problem if the remaining source blood was ever to be needed accessed at some point in the future, Griffin confided in Magnus that he had a daughter who had inherited his power of invisibility, thereby securing his legacy.

21st Century
Despite their differences over the years, The Five have a collective loyalty to one another that has managed to survive for over a century and continues to unite them.

While infiltrating Area 51, Magnus finds out that Tesla had betrayed her and gave into working for SCUI, becoming the director of the facility. The pair verbally scuffle and their relationship is heavily strained as they try to shut down one of Tesla's projects that allows a deadly creature to cross an interdimensional plane into their reality.

In late 2011, Tesla returned to the Old City Sanctuary to help Magnus re-quarantine a damaging Praxian nanite that he intentionally didn't tell her about. To do so, they had to virtually enter their minds into the Sanctuary's computer systems by way of recreated Praxian tech made by Henry Foss. During their time in the system, they came across a digital copy of Worth's consciousness.