Michael Albert Parks grew up to be a wonderful person in an environment that should have made him otherwise.

Michael was born in East Los Angeles to his mother, Claire Parks, who is an ex-military, part-time nurse at the local hospital (and who also lost her leg to an IED bomb while stationed overseas) and his father, Craig Parks, who is a strong-willed, hard-working construction worker and, at times, crew supervisor.  Both of his parents raised him right, taught him respect, discipline, humility and humanity.  Even without his parent's guidance, Michael loved helping others out and volunteering for anything to help people and the community. To add to that, he did all this while getting straight As in school and graduating as valedictorian for his high school class. His efforts in volunteering and helping others also went out to gangs and the homeless, all of whom he aided, but never illegally.  It got to where even the East L.A. gangs started calling him "Saint Michael".

Sadly, his younger brother, Leonel, got in with the gangs trying to make a name for himself. Overshadowed by his 'goody two-shoe' brother, the gangs didn't want to upset 'Saint Michael' out of respect, and wouldn't accept Leonel in any gang. As such, Leonel created his own gang, the '7-44s'. Thanks to his new gang, Leonel has been in and out of trouble since.  Michael tried to reason and help change Leonel's ways, but his actions only exacerbated the situation further.

Last year, after signing up for his sophomore year in college (while also working two jobs and helping to manage a community non-profit market and share store), a young girl went running by him, running from a trio of human trafficking abductors. Michael intervened, but got knocked down onto the asphalt roadway hard, nearly leaving him a concussion. Michael struggled to get up and staggered over to help the now abducted girl. For his troubles, the abductors took out their guns and shot at Michael. Michael instinctively raised his arm up to brace for the lethal attack, but instead a psychic shield formed around his forearm, blocking and stopping the hail of bullets. Michael then bolted forward to try and charge them only to suddenly create a psychic energy sword and fist, which he used to punch/smack down each abductor. The abductors ran off and Michael saved the girl, all caught on at least three security cameras from the nearby traffic cams and business security cams. Michael was a true hero of the day, which, according to Michael, was just him 'doing God's work'.  The local nickname of 'Saint Michael' got out to the national news and in turn, Michael quickly became known as East L.A.'s new superhero, "Saint Michael".

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On a side note, regarding those abductors...it seems one of the gangs that respected Michael seemed to let it be known that the ones that attacked the girl and Michael were 'removed from California...and life...permanently' by not one, but a few gangs working together.

Thanks to the media, the Parks family and their home became ground zero for camera crews...and certain others who wanted to get their gang initiation rights done in a big way by taking out a superhero and/or his family. Within three days, the Parks home was the subject of four drive-by shootings (nobody got hurt, but some bullets came close). The family picked up and moved, eventually settling in a new secret location in the city of Anaheim. Their home was immediately bought up by a Los Angeles real estate conglomerate that was planning to 'gentrify' all of East L.A.  Michael, had already signed up for college (but now without any jobs; his employers didn't want a superhero 'endangering' their fellow employees and customers) and decided to move into the old abandoned East Los Angeles Transit Authority Warehouse and Motor Vehicle repair center (this was also the place he was also managing with his community non-profit market and share store he'd helped create; a place that would eventually become Hardcorps Center). There, he quickly gained new volunteers...and LOTS of donations, including charity funds to help him pay for his college. Radio stations, convenience stores and volunteer non-profits all helped to raise funds for him and what would eventually become his charitable organization he'd create called 'Hardcorps, Limited (LTD)'.

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Sadly, the more disreputable gangs, the real estate conglomerates, the drug dealers, the human traffickers and even the politicians started taking pot-shots at Michael and his budding celebrity status.  As a result, Michael got into some serious fights; fights that left his scarred and broken at times. He eventually was donated home-made armoring by a local military surplus merchant and new neighborhood watches came into being, all to help Saint Michael into keeping East L.A. from spinning into anarchy...and setting the path for the developers and politicians to turn East L.A. into the 'new' gentrified upscale community.  As such, several new local 'super-powered' young men and women came together and helped Saint Michael, including a notorious gang leader, El Patron, and his entire gang once known as "Los Puños" (The Fists).

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Today, Saint Michael and his registered team of youthful superheroes called "Hardcorps" (for which is also the leader of) have taken up residence in their new Hardcorps Center base (which also is used a training bay, a temporary homeless night shelter, a homeless food distribution center and a community charity store). Michael is a down-to-Earth, amiable, self-made man. He is confident, influential and has a way of talking 'with' people instead of 'at' them. He never calls himself 'Saint Michael', just simply 'Michael'.  He continues to volunteer at the Hardcorps Center's charitable sections and shelter, as well as attend his Junior year of college classes in Civil Engineering and Socio-Economics. Aside from all this, he still finds time to see his family for dinner on odd nights, as well as start a relationship with a girl he's been in love with since the 1st grade.

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Michael continues to try to make a difference for those in the East L.A. community, however, for each effort he does to progress the city into self-reliance and community benevolence, he seems to face twice as much evil, anarchy and corporate/political greed.  He truly hopes that one day, East L.A. will once again be allowed to be properly represented in the state legislature (which, in real-time today, East LA is under the Los Angeles City jurisdiction; a jurisdiction that WANTS East L.A. to be nothing other than bulldozed over, rebuilt and gentrified).  Looks like "Saint Michael" is going to need a miracle to save East L.A...

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