At age 16, Locke's high school teacher freed him from a locker and took him to his office, and kindly told him that being a sportsman, prom king, and a superhero were simply not who he was. Locke angrily replied "Don't tell me what I can't do!". It is implied here that Locke disliked being put down more than being physically bullied. The phrasing of Locke imploring figures in his life both in the show's present and in his character's past was used repeatedly throughout the series.