GRID → GRIDIRON

GRID became sentient independently of this storyline. Cyborg’s origins include the Fatherbox connection.

Mother Sprite—the first Corps volunteer, a Motherbox awakened during Halo’s rainbow-power encounter in Young Justice—eventually sought out Cyborg and GRID after sensing something familiar within them.

Writer note: Mother Sprite senses the Fatherbox’s corrupted spirit and hopes understanding it may help her understand the history of her own Motherbox spirit.

When Mother Sprite meets Cyborg, Vic can tell GRID wants to explore. But GRID does not want to leave Vic.

Rather than GRID separating from Cyborg, Vic gathers spare Cyborg components and forges an Identity Disc, giving GRID somewhere to make a copy of his source code. GRID changes that copy as he does so, incorporating elements of Vic himself alongside one of Vic’s favorite childhood cartoon characters: Steelwill of the SilverHawks.

Mother Sprite opens a Boom Tube. A Sprite ring comes through and slips onto the waiting spare left hand.

The ring activates. The CVI enters through the ring, passes into the hand, and a thin vein/tendril begins growing outward toward the other CybParts. As it connects them, Lime light-energy fills the spaces between the components.

Gridiron is born.

Code Nike & Glitch 2

During a shared journey with fellow Sprite Code Nike and Mother Sprite, they encounter another sentient non-organic lifeform.

Gridiron and Mother Sprite encounter Glitch 2 within the cyberworld. Glitch 2 is a copied fragment originating from a more complete Keytool that once belonged to a “Guardian” of their world.

While Gridiron and Mother Sprite work to save Glitch 2’s home—the Net—Glitch 2 assists in protecting Code Nike in the real world.

Code Nike ultimately makes a near-fatal sacrifice that saves the Net.

Glitch 2 decides to return the favor.

Using what Gridiron and Mother Sprite shared with him, Glitch 2 reformats himself and prints a real-world form capable of changing shape as necessary to help defend Code Nike.

He declares:

“To Mend & Defend I Will understand.”

A new Corps member is made.

Glitch 2 joins Code Nike’s side—or, more literally, his wrist—as his sidekick, dedicated to helping “Mend and Defend” Code Nike as Code Nike helped save his home.

Personality & Emotional Development

GRID was already an excellent, advanced, sentient AI. Gridiron is new.

His personality combines Steelwill with Vic’s younger, high-school-football-playing self. The Lime gives him access to feelings he is only beginning to learn, while Will exists deep within his core.

Socially, there is something of early-Young Justice M’gann in him: much of his familiarity with social behavior comes from television. He has Vic as a reference, but that knowledge is observational rather than lived.

He is as intelligent, strong, and logical as Lt. Cmdr. Data, but emotionally he is closer to a 22-year-old who was homeschooled from middle school through high school. Everything gets his attention, and almost anything can hold it.

Why Gridiron Exists

GRID wanted to pursue the Limelight, but he didn’t want to leave Vic.

So the two did what people do:

They made a baby.

Gridiron’s motivation is fundamentally to exist—and to grow from both GRID and Vic.

Like the other Sprites, his purpose is not primarily “protecting” people. The Corps pursues knowledge and understanding of why, allowing the logic of the universe to determine what follows.

You aren’t a good guy simply because “good” is your assigned role. It is simply the most logical role for the long-term development of the universe.

And football.

Always football. GO BIRDS!!!

Football

Football is inherent in Gridiron’s creation.

He was born partly from a football player for whom one of his childhood superheroes was also a football player.

Gridiron honors one by remembering another.

Gridiron is a Philadelphia Eagles fan, as is Liberty Play.

He normally has no reason to wear clothing. Game day is different.

On game days, Gridiron wears an oversized mesh Eagles practice jersey and a large matching high-top sneaker on his full-energy foot.

Neither is a construct. They are actual, physical, store-bought clothing—creating the slightly absurd impression that this enormous synthetic Lime/Cyborg being has simply stolen somebody else’s shirt and shoe.

GO BIRDS!!!

Sprite Corps Ring

Gridiron’s Sprite ring does not provide standard Green Lantern-level abilities.

It provides standard Sprite self-preservation/safety auras and can project Lime-light constructs used for:

• Displays and interfaces

• Connections to external systems

• Hacking/control

• Other information- and technology-oriented interactions

The ring is also the entry point of the CVI into Gridiron’s body, through the glowing interior point within the band.

Sonic Cannon — The Sound of Will

Gridiron’s right arm can open and transform into a form resembling Cyborg’s signature Sonic Cannon, augmented by Limelight.

Eventually it is discovered that the weapon does not merely fire conventional sonic energy.

It blasts with the Sound of Will—connecting Gridiron conceptually to the blind, bell-carrying Green Lantern.

And, naturally:

“Booyah!”

Identity Disc

Gridiron’s Identity Disc retains the copy of GRID’s code used during his creation, although that copy is not fully sentient and lacks the Will provided by Gridiron’s CVI.

The disc can be used directly as a chakram, its outer “blade” energizing with Lime light.

It also serves as the projection base for Liberty Play.