Los Combatientes Metalicos/ Gāngtiě àiguó zhě (PL 3)

A joint project between Filipino scientists and the Chinese remnants in Taiwan. Los combatientes were an attempt to replicate and improve the SDAMS developed by America. When the Philippines were still under the American sphere of influence they had various important naval bases lent to the Americans. After the war, several Filipino scavengers discovered files describing the SDAMS project and its goals. While no complete blueprints were found in the Philippines the government took it upon themselves to attempt to recreate these super-soldiers to protect the Philippines from the various mutants that littered the world. The experiments continuously failed time and time again as the Philippines had attempted to convert normal humans into cybernetic soldiers and their test subjects were incapable of handling the painful crude methods used by the understaffed science team. While initially discouraged from the horrendous results of their first experiments eventually they found a most unusual solution. The Chinese remnants in Taiwan sought a defensive alliance against the Japanese and as a part of this deal offered to provide assistance to the Filipino initiative. The Chinese, out of fear of the American SDAMS technology had attempted their own SDAMS project which also ultimately failed yet what they discovered in the process of trial-and-error lead them to create advanced computer chips that could interact with and enhance human mental faculties. These chips became the basis of the GAZ, or Gāngtiě àiguó zhě. Also known as the Steel Patriots. While these warriors were not fully mechanical like SDAMS and thus were far more fragile, they were capable of advanced physics and spatial calculations that granted them incredibly fine control over psychic abilities. While the Chinese provided the medical expertise to graft chips onto new subjects it was the Filipinos who did the majority of coding for the psychic subroutines and thus all GAZ commands are given in Spanish. Due to the fall of both independent governments, a lack of resources makes GAZ chips currently impossible to manufacture yet the expertise still exists to install used chips onto new willing "Psyborgs".

Zhu Jiang was a Taiwanese businessman before the War. A fervent supporter of reconciliation between the People's Republic and the Taiwanese government Zhu received his wish when the two Chinese government joined together to defend the Chinese people from their many enemies in the War. Zhu was one of the few Chinese psychics ever produced as using his extensive commercial contacts he was able to procure a limited amount of equipment to undergo the weaponization procedure. The result was that Zhu gained a prominent vein on the right side of his head and immense electrokinetic abilities. Considered a war-hero and a testament to Chinese ingenuity, Zhu conducted many subterfuges and illicit operations against the Americans earning himself the nickname "The Thundering Shadow". Zhu's infamous streak as an assassin and saboteur came to an end when he went on one last mission to try and sabotage America's research attempts into bioweaponry. The security staff of the facility ambushed him and in one last desperate attempt, he pushed himself to the limit permanently bursting his psychic vein. Chinese medical science saved his life yet his powers appeared lost forever to him. After the first SDAMs were unleashed in a battle in the Pacific theater the Chinese were horrified by the Americans' seeming technological dominance and worked tenaciously to catch up. Zhu invested much of his own personal wealth into the government research programs of his country and was compensated with the offer to become the first GAZ. Due to the nuclear genocide that ended the war this did not occur until decades later when he volunteered to be the first test subject for the dual Chinese/Filipino Combatientes Metallico initiative. The result of his surgery was the return of his latent psychic abilities and more fine control and versatility over them. Zhu found not only could he manipulate electricity but he could scan and copy the abilities of other psychics after seeing them in action. Due to the memory limits of the GAZ chip though he can only store two or three different techniques at one time. He primarily utilizes his original electrokinesis in addition to the advanced computational power of his chip to utilize his powers to alter the electrons in molecules thus causing rapid chemical reactions in them. When faced with weaker foes, on the other hand, he'll simply utilize his more basic offensive abilities such as shooting bolts of energy. Zhu's auxiliary psychic arrays are usually either thermokinetic or telekinetic in nature though many times he'll brashly enter a battle without booting either subroutine up. Zhu still maintains his Pre-War appearance of a handsome well-groomed Chinese businessman with slick black hair and a cleanshaven face. He almost always wears a black business suit yet alters his ties occasionally. In his left hand, he often holds a briefcase from which extends a wire connecting to a watch he wears on his left arm. His face, despite being well-kept and cleanshaven, is a patchwork of the occasional scar or burn mark. On his left temple is a particularly deep and discolored scar while on his right temple is his defining trait, the silvery computer chip of a GAZ soldier.