Vert Wheeler (voiced by Mark Hildreth) is the leader of Battle Force 5. After finding his way into a Battle Zone, Vert rescued the Sentient Sage from the Vandals. Vert also has a double-edged sword and a special pair of sun glasses that can be used as high-tech binoculars. At the end of the second season, he becomes the leader of the Council of Five, as well as its sole human member.
History
Ever since Vert was a child, he held a love for auto racing, earning a Go-Kart championship under his belt and admiring Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon. One day when he was still young, his father drove off into a Stormshock and didn't return. As he got older, he went to the Yukon and befriended A.J. Dalton, competing in extreme sports. Before the series, he returned to Handler's Corners.
While driving out in the Salt Flats one day, Vert goes into a Stormshock and ends up in the Lava Battle Zone. It's here he meets and rescues a Blue and white Sentient named Sage from the Vandals. In exchange, she takes him to her vehicle, the Mobias Command Center. She fixes and upgrades his ride into the Saber and also giving Vert his Shocksuit.
Later, while retrieving the Battle Key from the Sark, Sage calls upon the rest of his team: Agura Ibaden, Zoom Takazumi, Stanford Isaac Rhodes IV, and Sherman and Spinner Cortez. The six of them form the Battle Force 5. Two more members are eventually recruited by him in the second season: electromagnetism expert Tezz Volitov and his close friend and extreme sports enthusiast A.J. Dalton.
It is indicated that Vert holds a heroic position in Sentient legends and history. In the first season finale, it is revealed that Battle Force 5 was part of a Sentient legend, or as they were called in the legend, "the fast Five", in which Vert is described as "the one with fire in his spirit". He's also part of a legend called the "Crimson One", assigned to destroy the Double-Helix Crystals.
Personality
Vert is mature and level-headed most of the time to the point of being considered a young adult. However, like the others, he's an ordinary teen, getting in and out of trouble and hanging out with friends when not saving the world.
Despite all this, Vert does have a mild temper and a threatening side, as shown in Basic Training and Swarmed. But given his think before acting nature, he is shown to have control over his aggression and can use it to his advantage in battle by channeling it when need be, as shown in Gladiators. His overconfidence resulted in mistakes for him, as shown in Spawn Hunters, Stone Cold Warrior, and Unite and Strike! (which nearly got Sage killed).
Vehicles
Saber
His vehicle is the Saber, which was originally a regular Power Rage designed by Mattel. Vert drives it when he discovered the Battle Zone and after rescuing Sage she rebuilt it into its current form. It is one of three BF5 cars that is a hybrid of both Earth and Sentient technology.
It can turn its front into an array of powerful blades with buzzcut attachments. It has small wings on the sides that spin, a body that can rotate around the cockpit horizontally, and can even support the weight of another vehicle which is in several episodes during battling scenes.
The Saber is used for five combinations: the SkyKnife, the SonicSlash, the ShockBlade, the RigSaw, and the RazorClaw.
Relationships
Sage
Sage and Vert are shown to have a strong bond with each other. This bond is most prevalent in Axis of Evil and throughout Season 2 as he does the best he can to protect her from her twin brother Krytus.
Krytus
Though they are enemies (and rivals), Krytus begins to have a grudging respect for Vert after the events of Shadow Runners, due to the fact that Vert saved not only his life, but also the multiverse.
Zoom Takazumi
Vert and Zoom share a brotherly relationship. Zoom looks up to Vert and early on tried to imitate him, leading to trouble. Vert has shown concern for the younger teen, and tries to help him whenever he can.
Agura Ibaden
Agura has shown that she can trust Vert and they have helped each other out of a few tight scrapes. The two can sometimes be seen together, and she usually helps him keep the others in line.
A.J. Dalton
Before Battle Force 5 was formed, he and A.J. were close friends, sharing a love for extreme sports. The two are quite a team when they work together in the Battle Zone.
Appearance
Vert is light tan-skinned, has blonde hair with flame-like highlights and long bangs hanging out on the front of his head, and blue eyes.
His casual outfit conists of a white T-shirt with red brims on the sleeves and collar and flaming star decal on the chest, dark blue jeans, and red sneakers.
After rescuing Sage from the Vandals on a Battle Zone, Vert receives his red Shocksuit with white accents, along with a pair of goggles that act like high tech binoculars.
Whenever his vehicle is fused with another, his Shocksuit turns white with red accents.
Theme Color
Vert's Shocksuit, Saber, and casual outfit are all red. This color represents passion, but can also symbolize aggression due to his temper. According to Sentient lore, he goes by his title, the Crimson One, and crimson is a deeper shade of red.
Trivia
Since Season Two is done, Vert's Shocksuit is Blue and Red since he is the leader of The Council of Five.
Vert only wears his Red/Blue Shocksuit on Modulon 5.
Vert shares the same name as Vert Wheeler, the protagonist of Hot Wheels: World Race and Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers, even though that they are different incarnations.
The name Vert Wheeler is also reused for a character in Hot Wheels: Infinite Loop.
Vert has the Hot Wheels Emblem marked as a sideburn on his hair
His Casual T-Shirt has the Star version of the Hot Wheels Emblem
Quotes
"I've been told I can get a little hotheaded. Ready to get burned?!" (Axis of Evil (Part 2), when Krytus said he was "the one with fire in his spirit")
"Get ready to crash and bash!" (1st Catchphrase first heard in Gearing Up)
It's Slice and Dice time! (2nd Catchphrase first heard in Starting Line)
"Never...liked...fishing!" (Battleship 5, trying not to be swallowed by a large angler)
"Criss cross crash." (Man Down)
" You came to the wrong hood esse"
"Are you serious?! What was that?! The Saber's covered in squid goo! WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!" (Basic Training, after getting out of a zone in which he was attacked by a giant squid)
"Battle Force 5, it's storm riding time!" - Usually said by Vert when the team enters a Stormshock to another Battle Zone.
Conversations involving him
Vert: Krytus, stay with me!
Krytus: (groans in pain) The Multiverse works in mysterious ways, Vert. Aaaggghh! The shadows consume me!
(Krytus struggling to hold in his anti-matter while Vert saves him in Shadow Runners.)
