Nikola Tesla



 is a part-human, part-vampire scientist who became a member of in the late 19th century.

An injection of a serum, derived from a sample of pure vampire blood, changed Tesla into a vampire abnormal, and he used his powers as well as his knowledge for many purposes, mostly serving himself. However, he was also instrumental in helping the Allies win World War II. In the early 21st century, Tesla briefly lost his vampiric powers, but received magnetic powers instead. After discovering an ancient vampire queen and being injected with her blood, Tesla was once again turned into a vampire, with his magnetic powers apparently remaining.

Biography
Tesla was a famous physicist and inventor. Tesla, nevertheless, enjoyed working with the group at Oxford. He believed that while the others simply changed when they got their powers, he himself felt that he had actually found out who he really was. Tesla also became a great friend to and admirer of Magnus during her studies of abnormals; to the point he loved her "more than that lunatic Druitt ever did". While the rest of gained their own unique abilities that either reflected on their personality or improved them, Tesla's reaction to the source blood was the most bizarre. Unknown to The Five, or even to himself, one of Tesla's ancestors had been a vampire, and the dormant genes had been passed down to Tesla. These genes were awakened by being exposed to the source blood. As well as gaining the ability to cast streams of electricity at will, he also developed vampiric characteristics including enhanced speed, strength and agility, immortality, regenerative (healing) powers and a supposed blood-lust. Magnus was able to help him overcome and control the thirst for blood by developing a special medication for him.

It was claimed by Watson that Tesla's electrical ability saved him from death when he fell asleep in Edison's electric chair while it was running at full current.

Tesla is able to change from human form in to his vampiric side at will, and can even stop the change at certain stages. When he fights Ashley at the start of Season 2, instead of becoming a full vamp (as seen in the first season when he is up against the soldier and his eyes simply go black) he just grows claws to fight Ashley. He also mentioned to Magnus, when they meet up again after 60 years apart, as he defended her from one of the vampire-soldiers he created by letting his own vampiric side out that he simply "became a little too excited" by the blood and promised her that the medication she developed for him was still working.

Personality
Tesla's personality can be described as a bit of a paradox, as he is prone to shifts in mood depending on the moment. At one moment he can be quite reserved and sophisticated, the next shifting to wild and exuberant when the right moment takes him. Magnus once described him as at best "an acquired taste" and at worse "selfish and arrogant, putting [his] own desires ahead of everyone else's". Despite this, he does have a more noble side. His autotype played a huge part in the Allied victory of World War II. He also actively partook in the battle for the London Sanctuary, fought alongside his rival Druitt in the battle for the Old City Sanctuary, and rescued Henry from an attack by a super abnormal. Later on, finding out that one of his nonlethal containment units had been modified into a deathtrap caused him to become furious.

Magnus once suggested that Tesla has difficulty controlling himself as a result of source blood exposure resulting in a need for a special medication to control the blood lust. Even after the loss of his vampirism his moods can still be unpredictable. Since the loss of his powers Tesla had become slightly depressed thinking he had little to live for as he was now. He would still get offended when people slandered vampires, especially after the holomap of Hollow Earth detects the source blood inside of him and calls him a blood demon.

He has a fondness for wine, at one point emptying Magnus' wine cellar during his time working on a weapon to defeat the Cabal's Super Abnormals and ever since making further forays to devastate her supplies. Tesla can also get too absorbed in his work at times forgetting certain things like bathing and eating.

Since his return to being a vampire, Tesla has shown an alarming bitterness toward the world at large and has seemingly given up his ventures to revive the vampire race, stating that he rather enjoys being the last and is more of a one man show. Whether this turnabout will hold remains to be seen.

Relationships

 * Dr. Helen Magnus
 * Magnus is one of the few people who can keep Tesla under some level of control, he himself admitted he has always had a respect for her and that he loved her more than Druitt ever could. Consequently he will work with Magnus when ever she asks, with little persuasion, though Magnus is careful in case he were to try anything behind her back. Despite the fact Magnus seems to continually spurn any romance between them, she enjoys their relationship more than she wants to admit. She obviously respects him and admires his intelligence, even going after him despite everyone fearing that it was a trap. Aside from himself, Magnus is the only person he has truly been shown to care for and he is at the heart of it exceptionally loyal to her and the Sanctuary. She seems to bring out a softer and more human side of Tesla that no one else knows how to bring out. Their relationship is one of incredible complexity and as expected with their long past is hardly easy to define. It is suggested and sometimes not so subtly hinted throughout the series that they have toed the line between friends and lovers before. However despite their sometimes ambiguous relationship, they are best friends, who share a love of ideas and adventure and also have a tendency to drive each other crazy. This is mainly due to the fact that they are both incredibly stubborn and are prone to disagree on a moral basis which often places them on opposite sides. Yet its clear that they both love each other deeply, though they are both reluctant to admit it. On a further note their relationship seems to have undergone an interesting development in season four as they seem to have become closer, and Magnus even kisses him before destroying the old sanctuary.


 * John Druitt
 * Tesla's relationship with Druitt has never been perfect, with them both being rivals for Magnus' affections in the early days of the Five. Like the rest of The Five, Tesla turned his back on Druitt when the truth of the Ripper incident became known. It was even implied Druitt tried to pin some of his actions on Tesla when he was struggling to control his vampirism as it first emerged. They have mellowed back into friendly rivals in recent years and were able to fight together against the Super Abnormals.


 * Dr. James Watson
 * Little is known of the relationship Tesla shared with Watson, but they appeared to be on decent terms. Watson seemed to have a bit of a condescending attitude toward Tesla's social skills and arrogance, while Tesla in turn thought Watson was rather stuck up. Watson's death visibly unsettled Tesla however, and he later impressed upon Declan MacRae (Watson's replacement) that he had big shoes to fill.


 * Nigel Griffin
 * Griffin and Tesla got on quite well with one another. Griffin, unlike the rest of The Five would actively trade barbs with Tesla when the others would try to ignore him. The two also worked well together on reconnaissance missions like the one involving Adam Worth. When meeting Griffin's descendant, Clara Griffin, who shared her grandfather's wit, Tesla grinned saying he liked her already when she stood up to him.


 * Henry Foss
 * Of all Magnus' 'underlings' Tesla is 'forced' to work with, he seems to have a special soft spot for Henry, perhaps seeing a bit of himself in the young HAP tech wizard. When frustrated by the Hollow Earth technology, it is to Henry that Tesla admits his feelings of inadequacy. Because they both share of love of technology- including but not limited to computers, applied science, mechanics and electromagnetic fields- Tesla is usually seen working with the young Hap on their mutual problems. More often than not however, Tesla tends to treat the tech as an assistant or student rather than an equal.