MBA Boots to black screen with backlight

[m3del]

Symptoms:
-Pressing the power button brings up the backlight only
-No Chime
-No Apple Logo
-No keyboard backlight
-No Mouse
-No peripheries work (External monitor, etc)
-SMC does work (status change on magsafe light)
-PRAM is not responsive (again this could be due to not ever being truly shutdown)
-No Function keys respond
-If left in this state the device gets very warm and fans rev up

-Holding the power button down for 3-5 (I have held it for longer too) seconds turns the back light off (presumably the computer as well)
-does not get warm in this state

Oddities:
-While in the, assumed, off state (no backlight)
-Unpluging and plugging back in the magsafe plug will bring the backlight back on

What I have done:
-PRAM Reset (Many different timings)
-SMC Reset
-Let battery drain down (Then tried all of the above)
-A million powercycle like things that are truly just random

 

[m3del]

I should mention that I am looking for any insight I can get. I am not convinced that my MBA is actually being shutdown, is there a guaranteed method to power this puppy down, or is that just holding the power button down?