Masaru

Masaru, much like his friends, was probably an orphan when the government of old Tokyo acquired him, along with a group of other children. At that time, this specific government was leading a secret project, overseen by Colonel Shikishima, aimed at developing psychic powers, potentially for militaristic and political ends. It was there that Masaru met and became friends with Kiyoko, Takashi, and Akira.
The project concluded when Akira became too powerful to control and ascended to a higher plane of existence, leaving behind a psychic explosion that destroyed old Tokyo in his wake. The survivors of this tragedy founded Neo-Tokyo, while Kiyoko, Masaru, and Takashi, now known as the "Espers," were kept in prolonged isolation to prevent information about the clandestine project from reaching the general public. The trio of children were constantly administered drugs to prevent them from growing as powerful as Akira, which led to premature aging while they were still young and caused physical handicaps; in Masaru's case, he developed polio and had to use a special wheelchair with protective glass to accommodate his inability to walk (it is also used by Kiyoko as transport in the anime).