| Ratman Suit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Project Type: | Human Enhancement Bio-Genetic Experiment Transformation Technology |
| User: | Shuto Katsuragi |
| Members: | Crea Mizushima Gengo Mizushima |
| Function: | Bio-Weapon against the Hero Association Continuation of the S Project |
| Side-Effects: | S Gene Instability Hyper-Metabolism |
This is the suit Shuto wears after he activates his Append Gear. It was created to be Jackal's main weapon against the Hero Association.
Appearance[]
This suit makes Shuto both taller and much stronger, adding to the mystery of his identity. This because it would be highly unlikely that someone would figure out Shuto was Ratman based on the difference. Which is the "supposed" reason why Shuto was picked in the first place.
The Ratman Suit is a skin tight black suit with a helmet that covers his face however exposes his jaw which is lined with sharp triangle teeth whenever he is excited. This along with a long black scarf, fingerless gloves and knee high white boots.
Ratman's mouth
However, when under stress and Shuto is at his breaking point, the Ratman suit changes to have a more fearful appearance. Such as his teeth becoming much sharper. Becoming more animalistic to the point of growing a tail.
History[]
Little is known on the development of the Ratman Suit, except that Crea had been experimenting with the suit for the past seven years. However, it is revealed in Chapter 30 that Crea's parents, the current Head of the Hero Association, and the man who would eventually become Shiningman, were all involved in a project to create a force for hope and light to alleviate the misery in the world. The Ratman Suit was based on the original S Project and could be considered as the next prototype or successor to Shiningman's.
However, unlike Dr. Teramishi, Crea was not trying to re-create the S Gene, since Shuto already had it passed on to him by Shiningman. The Ratman Suit only enhances that factor. Crea was simply building on her father's original work. According to her, Ratman is in essence, a bio-weapon.The name Ratman is attributed to the fact that he is considered as a prototype or experiment, as most bio-experiments start with lab rats. What the final result of this experiment will be has yet to be seen.
Abilities[]
Like most Heroes, the Ratman Suit gives its wearer both extraordinary strength and reflexes to where Shuto claims the punches from normal thugs "were like watching in slow motion". It gives good protection against normal attacks and heavy impacts. It also increases the user's strength but only in accordance to the user's original strength. The user must therefore still do training to increase these abilities further. Shuto later begins physical training by jogging and taking up boxing lessons.
Technically speaking, Shuto's fighting style is a mixture of boxing, brawling, some grappling, a large amount of beginner's luck, and some moves copied from the heroes he had admired, such as Shiningman's Shining Ray. When consumed by his Animalistic State, he feels no pain, and becomes far more unpredictable, while fighting on pure instinct.
- Append Gear: This is Shuto's transformation device, which resembles a regular digital watch. By pressing a special button on the side, he is able to become Ratman.
- S Gene: The source of all of Ratman's powers and the reason that Shuto is able to transform using the Append Gear. This is what makes it possible for Ratman to copy Shiningman's Killer Move and Shuto has yet to tap into its full potential. So far, only three individuals possess this trait: Shiningman, Shuto, and IS-KA. However, there is a downside to it, as Kreios reveals that the S Gene will dominate its user and eventually destroy him if his will is not strong enough. This may be indicative of Ratman's Berserk State and the similar occurences for heroes affected by the Hero Booster program. Another issue with the S Gene is the fact that it will resonate with another individual who possesses it, which causes great pain to Shuto, causing him to go into a series of seizures. Since he is unused to such an effect, he is rendered as helpless against people like IS-KA.
Physical Skills[]
- Enhanced Physical Characteristics: After transforming, Shuto becomes taller, more muscular and his phycial attributes are greatly enhanced. This is due to the Append Gear somehow adding extra mass to his original body. His bodily functions are now working more efficiently. Despite the increase in stature and his center of gravity now higher, Shuto feels no differently than his normal body's proportions.
- Hyper-Metabolism: This is a trait of the Ratman Suit that is more of a burden than a benefit for Shuto. Due to the fact that as Ratman, he burns up 3 to 4 times more calories than normal, Shuto must be very careful as to how much energy he expends. Otherwise his hyper-metabolic rate will burn off all of his stores of energy and he will pass out at an inopportune time. Furthermore, once he expends all that energy, he will transform back to his normal self. At one time, he couldn't transform again since he had already burned off most of his energy during battle. The high-metabolism is most likely Ratman's greatest weakness since it limits his time for battle and Shuto also runs the risk of having his identity exposed once he transforms back. Later on, Shuto seems to get more used to being Ratman and manages to remain in this form for a longer period during the Hero Booster Arc. However, that could also be due to gaining more energy from the Hero Booster Program.
- Superhuman Strength: Ratman is far stronger than a normal person, which is directly proportional to how strong Shuto can get. Currently, he is able to knock out a person with a simple finger-flick to the forehead, bend steel bars with ease, and lift and crush a car into junk. He's proven strong enough to take down the entire Gem Unit of PRISMMAN, which makes him on par with at least A-Rank. His leg strength also allows him to leap up to rooftops and use them to travel across the city. When consumed by his Animalistic State, his strength is increased exponentially to deal with any threat to his survival, making him capable of seriously harming or even killing A-Rank and S-Rank Heroes.
- Superhuman Agility: Ratman is extremely agile and is able to move with acrobatic coordination that can outmaneuver most people. This power is also increased when he is consumed by his beserk Animalistic State, becoming so agile that even Ankaiser's Counter-Attack ability is rendered useless, as he is unable to track Ratman's movements.
- Superhuman Speed: For short distances, Ratman can sprint at high speeds that can outrun cars in traffic. This ability also aids him in combat when maneuvering against a foe, as well as allow him to traverse the city's rooftops, covering great distances in a short amount of time. Like his strength and agility, his speed is amplified when he is in his Animalistic State.
- Superhuman Durability: Though Ratman is far from invulnerable, he is able to withstand hits that would have killed or torn apart a normal person's body. He's been shown to survive a fall from at least five stories high, hard punches and kicks, impalement, bullets wounds, and even withstood Ankaiser's Dragon Cannon at point-blank range. The suit seems to be like an organic shell of armor, which acts like padding against hard impacts. Furthermore, due to its fluid properties, it is able to repair itself after receiving damage.
- Superhuman Hearing: Ratman is able to pick up the slightest sounds, even if they happen to be blocks away. By tuning out background noises, Ratman can pick up specific sounds, such as the voices of robbers in a bustling neighborhood and his sisters' cries for help.
- Superhuman Vision: Ratman possess enhanced visual perception which allows him to discern an object from great distances. During his trip to the Akihabara region, he was able to pick out a lone thief from a crowded street, despite being on the roof of a ten-story building. It is likely that he may have other visual abilities.
Fighting Techniques[]
- Boxing Techniques: Ratman has incorporated some boxing moves into his fighting style, and ironically uses the pointers that Ankaiser gave to Shuto in their rematch. So far, he is able to guard and defend, as well as throw hard straights and quick jabs.
- Mega-Rat Claw: When cornered by Kreios, Shuto's desperation led to the discovery that he could willfully alter his limbs into weapons and adds muscle to the point he noticed despite the sheer size of it he could still move it around as if it weighed nothing. This particular form allows him to slash through wood, concrete and even steel. The oversized hand also aids him in grasping large objects with a crushing grip. The downside to this power is that it causes him great pain after using it. Furthermore, this makes him critically unbalanced and is difficult for him to wield. It is possible that other weapons can be formed in the same manner as the Mega-Rat Claw.
- Animalistic (Berserk) State: When pushed to his breaking point, Shuto can enter into a state in which his single goal is to destroy an enemy that is a threat to his survival. Accordingly, his physical skills increase exponentially to the point that can even exceed S-Rank Hero levels. His fingers become clawed while his maw become fanged. He also develops a tail and moves with more animal-like characteristics. His fighting style abandons rational thought and strategy in favor of animal-instincts, thereby making him hard to predict and counter. The result is a Berserk Ratman who will not stop until the threat is eliminated, even to the point of killing his enemy. Both Ankaiser and Unchain discover that Ratman is practically a monster at this level. An added downside to this state is that the "dark-side" to Ratman can consume Shuto's consciousness. As a consequence, the synchronization rate is at 0% as the feral nature of the suit begins to dominate. Though Shuto feels no pain, he is also not in control and may not even be aware of what he is doing. He also admits to not even remembering the time in which he is in the berserker state. The only saving grace to this state is when the threat has been removed, Shuto will revert back to his normal self. Another note is that Shuto has proven to be able to pull himself out of that state, such as hearing Unchain's pleas for help. One interesting fact is that the Hero Booster Program can simulate this state in others, thereby making them feel no pain and become extremely aggressive toward anything or anyone that is perceived as a threat. In later chapters, Shuto vows to never sink to that level again for fear of killing someone.
- Berserk Ratman Claws: Unlike the Mega-Rat Claw, these are just the regular type but are used with far more savagery. Once in the Animalistic State, Ratman can slice with supersonic speed and the claws can pierce through tough materials, even armor plating. With Ratman operating on pure instinct, his claws become a deadly threat in close-quarters.
- Berserk Ratman Bite: Just as he's able to use his claws in a savage manner, the Berserk Ratman is not above using his teeth as weapons, as he is operating on pure animal instinct. Even S-Rank Heroes like Unchain find it difficult to free themselves once he latches on with his crushing jaws. Ironically, this later adds to the rumors that Ratman has "poisonous fangs."
- Berserk Strength, Speed, and Agility: Once Ratman enters his Animalistic State, his superhuman strength, speed and agility increases to the point in which A-Rank Heroes cannot compete and even S-Rank Heroes may be overmatched. He is able to crush human bones with ease and his reflexes begin to operate on a level far beyond that of a highly-trained professional athlete's. His fighting style becomes more instinctive, with an emphasis on fast, powerful strikes. With no human morality holding him back, Berserk Ratman is able to exert full power and will even use lethal force to end any perceived threat to his survival. So far, Shuto has been saved from crossing over that line.
- Dark S Gene Energy: Ratman emits dark waves of energy whenever his body morphs, either from going in and out of his Animalistic State, or when he forms his Mega-Rat Claw. Since this power is similar to IS-KA's Dark Energy Blast, considering that they both have the S Gene, it is possible for Shuto to fire off this energy like a projectile. The same energy is seen with low-ranking heroes after downloading the Hero Booster Program.
Finishers[]
- Ratman Kick: Shuto simple jumps above in opponent and kicks them for above.
- Shoulder Throw: This is a classic judo or akido throw in which Ratman grabs his opponent's outstretched arm and uses leverage to send his foe flying over his shoulder. It's very likely this was inspired by the move used by one of Shuto's favorite heroes, Randolman (i.e. the Randol Hurricane).
- Sacrifice Throw: Though this was done completely by accident, (Ratman slipping on some French fries on the floor), this is a valid move which allows Shuto to use his strength and his opponent's momentum to throw his adversary away.
- Breath Laser: Considered the most powerful weapon in Berserk Ratman's arsenal, Shuto is able to fire off a blast of energy from his fanged maw.
- Shining Ray Do Oruta (Alternate Shining Ray): This is considered to be Ratman's most powerful move, but it can only be summoned when Shuto truly feels the need to protect someone or feels that justice must be done.