demigod, son of Mars (Ares) and Emily Zhang, a Chinese-Canadian "legacy" (descendant of a demigod) who died during military service in Afghanistan. He is taken care of by his grandmother after his mother's death, and makes his way to Camp Jupiter upon her insistence. Frank's family descends from Periclymenus, a grandson of Poseidon, who had the power to shapeshift. Periclymenus's descendants were sold into slavery in China, and migrated to Canada many years later. While battling Alcyoneus (who is invincible within Alaska), Frank taps into his ancestral power and transforms into a bear. However, his combined power of being a son of Mars and having the ability to shapeshift makes his life very fragile. The Fates tied his life force to a piece of firewood when he was a baby, so if the wood burns up, he will die (as in the ancient Greek legend of Meleager). The goddess Juno appears to his mother and grandmother while he is a baby to warn them of this fact, as he would be crucial to defeating the Giants. In all of his life, Frank has ignited the wood thrice, which he can do simply by thinking about it; the first time is while he is finding his way to Camp Jupiter, in bitter cold. The second time is when he, Percy, and Hazel travel to Alaska to free Thanatos. Eventually, Frank entrusts the firewood to Hazel, and in The House of Hades, Leo creates a fireproof pouch to contain it. Frank has a meek disposition and is uncomfortable upon learning his father's identity publicly in front of the whole of Camp Jupiter. He suspected himself a son of Apollo, given his skill with a bow and arrow. On his quest in The Son of Neptune, and later during the series as well, he uses an enchanted spear given to him by Mars. The spear summons a skeleton warrior, which Frank calls "Gray". As he has been residing in Camp Jupiter for no more than a year, Frank is initially considered a probatio, or rookie, of the Fifth Cohort. During the Roman War Games, after Percy impresses everyone with his battle skills and instincts, Mars appears, informing Frank that he is his son and is to lead a quest. Since only centurions are allowed to lead a quest, Reyna has to promote him to centurion rank. Later, in The House of Hades, Jason