Izzy is incredibly trusting and optimistic when it comes to individuals. If you tell him you want to become a world-famous renegade graffiti artist, he'll believe in you. If you think you've got a shot at entering NASA and flying to Saturn, he'll cheer you on. If you need a place to crash, he'll probably go so far as to make you a set of keys. But as soon as it turns from an "I believe in this" to a "we believe in this" statement, Izzy's trusting nature inverts. His family was a nightmare- Colleen's family was a nightmare- the government's a nightmare- hell, even the local chain grocery store is a nightmare! Izzy is terrified of group mentalities, now more than ever due to his mutant abilities. He encourages his children to think for themselves and, if it weren't for a few core rules he can't in good conscience cast off, he'd act more like a cool uncle or second-cousin than a father to them.
A positive thinker, Izzy tries to keep conversations pleasant and fun. He figures enjoyability outweighs truthfulness in the long run. The world can be an extremely unpleasant place and no amount of knowledge or cynicism is gonna change that. If lying is what it takes to be happy, then he'll lie. He only has the best intentions in mind, but... hurhur you know what they say about the best intentions. However, feeding his desire to protect those around him is his own cowardice. Izzy rarely makes decisions about himself. He makes them for his children, he made them for his wife, for his parents... He's genuinely afraid to face his own life head-on, so he keeps wrapping himself up in other people's lives. He's convinced himself that (no matter how big a blessing he counts his son now) acting irresponsibly, doing what he wanted back in the day ruined his wife's life. It deprived her of a career, poisoned her relationship with her family, made her a laughing stock in school... He can't ever act out of selfishness again, if those are the sorts of consequences selfishness brings. The older Izzy gets, the more afraid of himself he becomes.
Other traits include playfulness (he's always up for a good-natured practical joke), mild adventurousness (as soon as he can afford it each month, he drives his kids into Bellingham for an expensive meal at a new restaurant) and flippancy.
Appearance: Izzy, above all other things, looks like a friendly, laid-back guy. He wears an almost-smile that lets you know everything's going to work out for the best, no matter how difficult things seem at the moment. His eyes are hazely-green and his hair is fair and rather messy (he cuts it himself- what's the use in paying a barber when he owns a perfectly good pair of scissors?). There's nothing harsh about his appearance and for the most part he's unremarkably handsome. Well, most people do stare at his massive eyebrows from time to time, but Izzy can never tell if it's a good stare or a bad stare. At an average height and weight, 5'11" and 189 lbs, Izzy skirts the line between skinny and doughy. He's got a lanky frame, but it's all bones and fat. After all, he hasn't known a day's hard labor in 10 years.
Generally, Izzy wears baggy clothing in light fabrics and solid colors to enhance both his comfort and ordinariness. If he's not working at Ruby's, it's strange to see him wearing anything but flip-flops, despite the Washington weather.