Description 

James was an easily recognizable figure to those who knew him. He had long, messy black hair that fell upon his face, and a big, full, scruffy black beard that paired nicely with the hair. In fact, it paired so well, that the only time he went clean-shaven, everyone was horrified. He had blue eyes, although this was often hard to tell, as he wore an eyepatch ever since his left eye was taken by another man.

Speaking of injuries, due to James's violent history, his body was littered with scars. The easiest to see was the three deep marks stretching across the right side of his face, as if he had been attacked by an animal. His apparel was often his most memorable part about him, though. He wore a black Stalker hat, one that his father wore, ever since his father passed. Him and that hat had dealt with enough bullets going through them to practically supply an army. It is something he would never part with, unless there was a very special reason to pass it on.

Another memorable feature of Mav was his love for Black and Red. He practically wore outfits with such color combination everyday, mostly wearing long black coats and red shirts or vests. Some wear the same color combination as a way to pay respect to him. Eventually though, when he was trying to look less scary, he tried introducing more colors into his wardrobe.

Art by Cosmo Kray.

Early Life 

California, 1869-1885

James was born to Isaac and Melina Maverick, a pair of childhood friends turned lovers. The birth went about as textbook as one can hope for the time, a maiden and a doctor were hired to support Melina through the pain, and Isaac was there too. James was born at his own family home at precisely 3:38 PM on August 22nd. The warm and dry air of the California desert was the first thing little James ever learned, and his Fathers eyes as he was held for the first time. The doctor and the maiden stayed at the Maverick house for a few days, to make sure all things were healthy with James and Melina. Soon, it was deemed that James was a healthy child, and his mothers health would be well and good with some simple recovery time. Isaac had never felt such fulfillment and happiness in his life before, holding the little baby and his wife in unison, any time he could, every single day.

You see, James’s father Isaac was born into wealth. Mav’s grandparents had ventured to California during the gold rush, and while they themselves were not so lucky as to find that kind of sparkling spectacle, they made an absolute killing off of selling tools to all the miners and those who panned for gold. When Isaac was born, he was pampered, and taught that he aught not to worry of anything for the rest of his life. However, as Isaac grew, so did a feeling of unfulfilling nature. He wanted to amount to something as productive as his parents had done. So, one day, Isaac picked up a gun and learned to hunt. It took many long years to graduate from poor rabbit pelts, but as Mav’s father grew older, his hunting skills grew exponentially. When his parents passed on, Isaac was able to keep up that wealth by going on massive group hunting expeditions for dangerous beasts, and by providing for butchers and his own family so they did not have to buy food.

You may think this is all unrelated to Mav, however it was the spark for one of the most important lessons he would learn from his father. Isaac understood the feeling of wanting to prove yourself all too well, and he did not wish for James to feel as useless as he did. So, as soon as James was old enough, he began encouraging James to help his Father and Mother around the house, and to begin carrying his own weight, even if only in a small way. Him and his father would often go out and do menial tasks together, and his father would talk often, about many topics. One that would routinely come up was a conversation that was designed to instill a sense of loyalty and morality within James. He would also spend much time with his mother, who taught him to read and write, as well as how to be respectful of others. His mother put particular emphasis on giving women the respect they are owed, as she wanted the world to be more equal when she left it, as opposed to when she was brought into it.

Years passed, the calm homestead remained as such, calm, if not full of joy. Especially when news broke to James that he was going to be a big brother. At this point, James was old enough to begin physically training with his father. Learning he was going to have a sister eventually gave him more than enough motivation to do so, and soon enough, he and his father would wake at seven in the morning, and begin exercising, training, and doing what needed to be done at the house. The discipline that Mav began to naturally learn during this time would stick with him to his end of days and beyond.

The day Illiana was born, James formed an immediate attachment with the baby. Even at such a young age, he had a sense to protect her, though he was too recognize that kind of emotion. His father did notice it, though. He made an important decision the following morning. Instead of doing there normal training routine, Isaac brough out his revolver, and with a quick gun trick, the grip was offered to Mav. Isaac got on his knees, to be level with the boy.

"Son." He said. "One day, I will be gone. You must always be prepared for when that day may come. These lands are harsh, and we never know how much time we truly have. And it will only be you and your sister to fend for each-other. That is why we train. We train for what cannot be avoided. My dear boy, you are ready. I will teach you the weapon of a modern warrior. But you must promise me. Promise me that you will use it for survival, never for indulgence. That is the the defining trait between the good guys and the bad guys."

James nodded and agreed, and heeded his Fathers words, yet another unforgettable memory was gained. From that day on, James learned the ins and outs of firearms. He would always inspect whatever he could get his hands on, and would spend hours at a time practicing taking out bottles in the back. His mother would always give him a hard time over the broken glass.

As even more years passed, Mav and Illiana grew up and formed a tight bond. James grew dexterous with a gun, and eventually decided to tune that skill into something less violent. One day, he picked up a pencil and began drawing. Landscapes, family members, really anything he could see. One can imagine a desert's scenery does not change often, so James quickly learned how to pick apart the finer details in such art. As James entered his teenage years, he also found a deeper appreciation for art as a whole. He found a way to spend time with his mother, as he did with his father, by having her take him to a nearby town for art exhibits for a few days every couple of months.

Another thing that Mav began doing quiet often in his teenage years, was to go out hunting with his father. Being able to provide for his family, spending time with his dad, sharpening his skill, he loved everything about it. Except when the animal they hunted did not die quickly, it always made him feel like shit, and nothing ever changed that. However, that was a rare occurence, as both him and his father had evolved into fantastic shots. James had genuinely impressed his Father, so much so that Isaac offered to take him on a hunting expedition for money when James was old enough. Mavs eyes sparkled at the opportunity. Venturing somewhere far and distant to hunt some crazy predator to protect a town, to say the adventure got his blood pumping was an understatement.

When James was 15, he went on his first trip. Him and a large group of hunters had been tasked with tracking and taking out a large pack of Timber wolves that had been terrorizing a small town out of North California. After two long days, the group was weary but had finally found the right den. The pack was larger than expected, but thankfully the hunters had not spent any ammo, and had prepared the most powerful and heavy hitting weapons they could carry.

When the attack was launched though, the wolves reacted quickly and were racing towards the group within an instant. James had been using a Bolt-Action, as it could kill the wolves in just one-shot, but as he pulled back the bolt on his third shot, something went wrong, and the gun jammed. Mav struggled for a few moments, trying to force the bolt to move, but to no avail. With little time to react, James dropped the gun and took out his knife, as a wolf jumped upon him. James stabbed the creature many times, and eventually did kill it, but not before the wolf got in its own fair amount of carnage. The wolfs claw had slashed across Mav's face as it pounced on him, resulting in a permanent scar across his face that stayed present across his entire life.

Isaac and the hunters thankfully were no stranger to animal wounds, as one can imagine. They quickly rushed to the boy with gauze and bandages when the area was safe. Despite James being taken care of, Isaac still struggled to keep a level head to help his son after he had been attacked. There was a deep worry in him, the terror of a parent unable to protect their child. It was crushing. However, James was treated as well as he could have been, and was transported to the closest town. What had surprised Isaac though, was James's reaction. He was not terrified or traumatized. He seemed exhilirated, like living on the edge was nothing scary, rather something fun, while still giving a deeper appreciation for being alive at the end of the day. This trait of throwing himself into danger would become repeated many years later, in a much more intense way.

As the year went on, James continued these trips, thankfully none of them having such a dangerous result. They actually would go rather smoothly, as everyone involved was usually very expeirenced and older men. It wasn't long before Mav turned 16. On his birthday, his Father gifted him a new technologically advanced revolver. His very own Double-Action. The idea of not having to cock every shot seemed like an absolute wonder to the boy. He even tried to hip-fire, as it seemed far more practical now.

It went as well as one could realistically expect.

But his birthday came and passed, and yet he cherished the gun and always brought it with him wherever he went. The year dragged on, and the same routine was followed. Art with Mom. Hunt and train with Dad. Hang out with Illiana. All was well, and James was happy. But all things end eventually.

One day, when Isaac and James returned from hunting, they noticed two men on the ridge overlooking their home. They had a strange and offputting sense about them, so Isaac and Mav investigated. When they talked to the men, they said they were looking for the nearest town. Once pointed out in the right direction, they left, and James and Isaac returned home for supper, only feeling a little paranoid, but they put it out of their minds.

October 10, 1885

The day started off normal. Physcial training, chores, clean the horses, hunt for rabbits. James could not help but feel preoccupied in his mind about the strange men yesterday, though. There was something just so strange about them, and it made uncomfortable leaving home. But he did so regardless, as he still wished to eat tonight, and his mother was able to keep things under control herself.

James was right to feel how he did.

When Mav and Isaac returned to the hills over the homestead, they spotted a plethora of horses outside the home. They both took out binoculaurs for a better look. They were quick to find out that the house was being robbed.

His mother was tied up in the living room.

His sister could not be seen.

Isaac and James were alert and raced to the house, while devising a plan to enter through both the back and the front. The robbers had no guards outside. James went out back, while his father took the front. They both struck fast and with force, but it was not enough. James could not even get a shot off before he was wrestled to the ground, but his father did manage to get a shot off, getting one of the gang members in the shoulder. Not a kill shot. The unknown assailants both grew angry, and decided to have their way with the family, and were quick to knock out Isaac and James.

When James came too, he was bound to the same place his mother was, as was his father now. There weapons had been stolen from them, even Mav's double action was stolen by a man with mutton chops. The two leaders came to stand in front of the family, as Illiana was carried downstairs and outside to the mens horses, screaming and crying for help. She was thrown on the back of a White and Black American Paint. Mav was making sure to take mental notes. The two leaders had their hair cut short, one had a goatee and the other a large moustache.

"You wanted to kill us. Now we will repay the favor. The Kinn brothers ain't got no room for pitying fools like y'all."

Mav recognized the voice, it was the same from yesterday.

"Start the fire, Arthur." Said the brother with the moustache.

And so the fire started. The gang rode off with James's sister. Isaac was quick to act, getting a hidden blade out from his arm to cut through James's bindings, as he could not reach his own. But the knife was small, and the rope was large, adn the fire grew rapidly, engulfing the home. James was eventually free, and grabbed the knife to cut his parent's binds, but as he went to go for it, a beam from the ceiling that was on fire, landed on his parents legs, and his own hands, scorching them. Despite the searing pain, he moved his hands to his palms to lift the beam, also scorching the other side of his hands.

He eventually was able to lift the beam, but his parents legs had been crushed and burned. They were not walking out of there, and the fire grew worse. Isaac knew James would die if he did not leave immediately.

"No! My boy, you must leave." Isaac said, Melina weeping beside him. "Remember what I said, about preparing for our abscence. Find your sister, protect her. Protect yourself. Go, James..." James was paralyzed. "Go!" Isaac shouted, and James, only sixteen at the time, paralyzed and having no idea of what to do, obeyed. Melina buried her face in her husbands chest, crying, while Isaac closed his eyes, trembling all over.

James ran out of the house, in complete horror and shock, falling to his knee's outside the burning house. His mind was broken, and he spent that entire night barely moving a muscle.

Present Life 

Affiliations 

Death 

Quotes 

"Do the right thing, that's all that matters." -His final wish to Scarlet and Kat.
"I am so proud of you." -Mav talking with Scarlet as she was turning her life around.
"Felix don't need no, there ain't need know, FUCK!" -Mav tripping over his words while at a film shooting with Felix Mercer and the gang.
"I'm a bad man, son. How eager are you to find that out?" -Mav speaking with a bar that was talking bad about his group.
"Goddamnit..." -Mav anytime bad ever happened.
"Goddamn Fool." -Mav whenever something REALLY bad happened.
"I'll always love you, even when you think I'm gone forever, I'll be there, in the shadows."
"I will always ride with you, brother." -Mav speaking with Raven and Wyatt Connors.

Trivia 

-Mav adopting Scarlet Storm was a spur of the moment joke on her wedding day, but soon evolved into one of his most meaningful relationships.
-Mav got TB after a run-in with Jebediah Wilkes.
-Mav had a pack of cigars reserved for special moments, he used his last one when he was the only witness to Sal Sullivan and Marla Sullivan's wedding.
-Despite being involved in some crazy shit, Mav was only ever found guilty of a single crime in his entire life, and it was for punching a local to get him out of Henry McCall's bar.
-Mav and Kat first met when she was only a bartender.
-Mav was friends with Raven before he joined the Arikoan.