LOL! Ya big groupie! So was he a hero before that? I've not bothered replying to this thread until I needed to say that. ;^) Not many peeps here seem to me the type to be hero worshippers!
But while I'm here, there are also those of us that have read the book & never noticed that Julian uses xtian.
If I do it (I probly do) it's coz it's shorter. And I use R*man coz I find it faintly amusing....