[center][hider=Karen Hernandez]Basic Information ========= Superhero/villain Name: None Civilian Name: Karen Juana Hernandez Origin city/Planet: Hub City Hometown: Gotham City Sex: Female Race: Homo Magi Height: 5’10 Weight: 155 lbs Age: 18 Birth Date: August 19th -------- Costumed Appearance: None Civilian Appearance: Icon: None Costumed Personality: None Civilian Personality: Karen is a generally cheerful and friendly young woman who from a very early age always displayed an almost inexhaustible capacity for empathy and kindness. She always tries to see the best in everybody, even in those that society would label irredeemable. Despite this, she is willing to stand up to bullies when necessary, even if doing so frightens her. More than anything, she hates seeing the strong and powerful abuse the weak, be it through physical or financial means. She loves and adores her fans, and her dream is to help spread her message of hope to a world that so desperately needs it. Super abilities: -Skills: -Cooking: Karen is considered to be a rather adept cook, due to having been responsible for preparing most of her family’s meals growing up. -Athletic: Karen has the strength and stamina of a woman her age who works out daily at the gym. -Basic Muay Thai: Karen routinely practices Muay Thai at the gym, mainly for the health benefits rather than as a serious effort to become a skilled fighter. -Singing, lyric writing, and dance performance: As a musical artist with a platinum and multi-platinum album already under her belt, Karen is considered one of the fastest rising stars of the new decade. Combining skilled and precise dance choreography with music written by her own hand, she is best known for her wide vocal range and cross-genre appeal. Be it stubbornly hopeful pop-rock, sombre yet determined punk-rock, or even mournful but resolute blues-rock, she seeks to reach as broad of an audience as possible with her message. -Powers: -Self-taught magic: Karen, as a Mage, was born with the ability to wield magic. Without ever having a formal teacher, she was left to figure out her powers on her own. Her knowledge is therefore limited, and her spells are quite basic in nature. Still, she is capable of defending herself when push comes to shoves, and is a roughly even match for an armed mugger. -Gadgets: None -Weapons: None Civilian Occupation: Celebrity Music Artist Biography--------- Character History/Origin: Karen Hernandez was born on August 19th of 2003 to Julia Cortez and Miguel Hernandez. Living in a small and ramshackle home within “The Wedge”, a slum in the notoriously corrupt and crime-ridden Hub City, the family of three lived a tenuous existence between pay checks. Manuel worked in the old manufacturing district, commuting to work via train every day while Julia and Karen remained in their homes. Despite their poverty, they appeared to be a warm and caring family that was content with what they had. But this seemingly loving family had a dark secret—Julia was a member of the Blackthorn Coven, an underground order of Mages bent on bringing their Three-Horned God into the Realm of Order and bending the Earth to his nefarious will. Karen inherited her mother’s magic and was taught an idealized version of the beliefs and ideology of the Blackthorn Coven during her first seven years of life, as well as the very basics of how magic worked. It was perhaps not Julia’s intention to sow the seeds of kindness in her daughter with tales of the alleged benevolence of the Three-Horned God, or his desire to build a world free of sorrow and pain. While Julia truly did love her daughter, she cared nothing for Miguel, and had in fact placed him under a powerful curse that compelled him to fall madly in love and even conceive a child with her. He was merely a means to an end, an effective cover for her coven activities. He would remain in her thrall until late 2010, when the Blackthorn Coven at last freed their god and emerged from hiding to begin the Two Month War. Julia joined her comrades in many battles throughout the country, leaving Karen in the care of her still dominated boyfriend. When the climactic battle of the war was eventually fought in Hub City itself, Julia was killed by the military during the route of the Three-Horned God. Her death brought an end to the curse she had placed over Miguel, but his memories of his enthralment remained horrifyingly vivid in his mind. He fell into a self-destructive and violent depression, drinking heavily. Karen, barely older than seven at the time, didn’t understand what had happened to her once happy family. She couldn’t comprehend why her mother had disappeared, or why her father had suddenly started hurting her. It was only out of a well-earned fear of her unintentional outbursts of magic that Miguel’s abuse was kept somewhat in check. Finally, after both had endured a hellish year alone together, Miguel could endure Karen’s presence no longer and gave her up for adoption. At the age of eight she found herself in the custody of a state that was still barely functioning after the war, one that didn’t particularly want her any more than Miguel had due to her magical heritage. Unfortunately, finding a family willing to take one of the same “demon worshipers” that had left North America in ruins and caused the collapse of the global economy proved a more than difficult task. The scarcity of available foster homes saw her ultimately being sent to one of the newly reopened orphanages that begin to reappear across the country. It was there she would spend the next four years being feared and shunned by the other children and neglected by the matron who ran it. Though she tried to remain kind and hopeful as her mother had taught her to be, the isolation and loneliness began to wear on her as time passed. It was only thanks to arrival of the Morris family that Karen was able to avoid surrendering to despair. Taking her into their struggling Gotham home despite her magical heritage, she was accepted into a family of two sisters and three brothers, all war orphans like herself. Though they hadn’t much money, Reginald and Katrina Morris always made sure nobody would go hungry—except for themselves, on occasion. Now in a happy and loving home for the first time since her mother had been killed, Karen bonded strongly with her new parents and siblings. To avoid discrimination at her new school, her magical heritage was kept a secret, and she lived as a completely normal girl to the eyes of the outside world. She didn’t mind, for she now had a family that accepted her despite knowing what she was. As time went on, Karen discovered that she had quite a talent for both singing and dance, often entertaining her family with her own covers of their favourite music. Due to their varied tastes, she herself developed an appreciation for a wide variety of musical genres. Eventually, she would graduate from entertaining her family to putting on small performances for her friends, and eventually [i]their[/i] friends as well. She even began to write her own original lyrics, putting on a local concert for her school at the age of thirteen, that ended up drawing in people from the surrounding neighbourhood for an unexpected crowd of hundreds. Realizing their daughter had a gift, her parents encouraged her to pursue the release of her own album by sending a demo track to Sterling Records. Responding rather quickly and with a fair degree of enthusiasm, Karen soon found herself standing in a recording studio, giving voice to the lyrics she had composed. Her first official album, Pull Back the Night, managed to reach 1,868,000+ sales, easily being certified Platinum and falling just short of reaching Double-Platinum. It was more than she could’ve ever hoped for and brought her family a much-needed financial reprieve from their struggles. Her determined, powerful, yet ultimately hopeful lyrics struck a chord with the people of North America, who desperately needed something to believe in during those dark times. Seeing the hope she inspired in others, Karen was filled with a new sense of purpose and immediately set about writing her second album, Light in the Heart of Madness. Released when she was just sixteen, it proved to be an even greater success, with 7,258,000+ sales in North America, going platinum seven times over. For her recently released third album, Fighting the Hate, she expanded her focus to the rights of non-humans living within the “Monster Town” ghettos. It is her first album released as an adult and has already surpassed both of her previous albums, hitting 9,328,000+ sales, bringing it within striking distance of going diamond. To promote this new album, Karen has gone on tour throughout the United States and Canada, in the hopes of reaching as many people as possible. Of course, for a popular rising celebrity such as herself, security is quite the concern. Many have proven quite hostile to her recent message of tolerance, and even the fans who claim to love her can often love her far too much for anyone’s good. Still, despite the risks, Karen remains undeterred in her self-appointed mission. Optional information ---------- Nemesis: Allies: Team: Other: While not exactly a fashionista herself, Sterling Records and the public at large has an expectation for Karen to always look her best in public. This can be quite stressful at times. [/hider] [/center] [center] [hider=Kyrona Starblazer] True Name: Kyrona Starblazer Earth Name: Siobhan McKenna Origin city/Planet: Andor Hometown: Hub City/Shattered Scar border Sex: Female Race: Andorran (Noble Caste) Height: 6’2 Weight: 192 lbs Age: 184 Birth Date: May 24, 1837 -------- Costumed Appearance: [hider=mask][img]https://i.imgur.com/S2ISAte.jpg[/img][/hider] Wears a black wide brimmed hat and poncho that masks her vast array of gadgets and weaponry, a black full bodysuit, boots, and gloves. Civilian Appearance: [hider=civilian clothes][img]https://i.imgur.com/CryRz8Y.png[/img][/hider] Icon: [hider=icon][img]https://i.imgur.com/9loTtur.png[/img][/hider] Costumed Personality: See below Civilian Personality: Kyrona is as playful as she is irreverent, holding little respect for any authority beyond her own. A free spirit unwilling to be chained by responsibility or duty, she drifts from one world to the next with the simple goal of enjoying wherever the journey takes her. Although insincere, she is willing to feign respect for those she finds useful, at least until she’s finished with them. Should one be able to earn her genuine friendship, however, she will prove to be an unwaveringly loyal ally even in the most dire of times. She hates bullies and those with an overly high opinion of themselves, and delights in humiliating them. Super abilities: -Skills: In her nearly two centuries of life, Kyrona has acquired many useful and versatile skills for use both in and out of combat. She is highly knowledgeable in the use of the myriad alien devices that she has acquired in her long travels. [b]Peak Andorran Conditioning:[/b] As a member of the Noble Caste, Kyrona, when under duress, can lift up to five tons, sprint at up to eighty miles per hour, and react quickly enough to dodge bullets even unaided by her technology. She is durable enough to survive a collision with a speeding semitruck with only relatively minor injuries. [b]Martial Arts:[/b] Kyrona has learned a significant number of alien martial arts over her long journey through the universe. When combined with her Jade Fire, she is even able to perform techniques that would normally be impossible with the humanoid form. [b]Gadgeteer Genius:[/b] Perhaps her greatest skill is her adaptability when exposed to new and unfamiliar technologies. With a bit of time, she can either understand or reverse engineer just about any non-magical device, extra-terrestrial or otherwise. -Powers: [b]Jade Fire:[/b] Andorrans could tap into the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum through sheer force of will. This allows them to project energy blasts from their extremities and create simple constructs. This ability was known as Jade Fire on their world. Though versatile and powerful in the right hands, it nevertheless pales in comparison to the complexity and strength of the constructs a Green Lantern Ring can produce, and is generally limited to create additional arms, or other appendages such as tentacles. These must always remain connected to their body or they will quickly shatter. -Vulnerabilities: Long-term depression following the destruction of her homeworld. Reminding her of it is one of the few ways to genuinely get under her skin. Her species also appears to have a deadly allergy to Earth mayonnaise, to the point where mere exposure can prove fatal. -Gadgets: Kyrona has picked up a wide variety of alien gadgets and technology throughout her travels. Standard armaments include: [b]Cranial Implant[/b] Greatly enhances Kyrona’s reaction time well beyond even what an Andorran would normally be capable of, allowing her to respond to threats from enemies who are naturally much quicker than herself. [b]Reverse engineered Coluan Tactical Helmet[/b] Normally used by Coluan Special Forces, this pressure-sealed, sound dampening tactical helmet can scan a target and near-instantly produce accurate data on their species, age, health, and emotional state based on the chemicals being produced by their bodies and how they interact with their brain. It has a 360-degree HUD display that frequently analyses the surrounding terrain for potential hazards and/or obstacles. Kyrona has additionally modified it to hack into any neural or interconnected networks available to obtain the target’s name, occupation, and any other publicly available information. It has additionally been modified with the ability to record and mimic any voice that Kyrona might happen upon. [b]Impact Absorbent Clothing[/b] Although her gear appears unarmoured, it’s made of a highly impact-resistant material that greatly diminishes any blunt force trauma sustained by Kyrona. It does not, however, offer any substantial protection against bladed or heat-based weaponry. All of them are pressure-sealed and radiation resistant, allowing her to operate in the vacuum of space without harm. [b]Projection Belt[/b] Kyrona’s belt can alter her appearance to resemble other creatures, or even inanimate objects. To the naked eye she will become indistinguishable from the genuine article. Physical contact, however, can cause this illusion to faulter, and those with certain types of enhanced vision can see through it. [b]Anti-Gravity Boots[/b] Kyrona’s boots can enable sustained flight at up to Mach 4 within the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet, and even faster in the vacuum of space. [b]Utility gloves[/b] Her gloves contain a variety of toxins that can be injected into a victim through the index finger. The wrist area contains a gas valve capable of producing an incapacitating agent that is effective against most species throughout the cosmos. The gloves will automatically take DNA samples from any living object they come into contact with for later analysis. See the weapons section for additional features. [b]Black Nano-Fiber “Poncho”[/b] Kyrona’s deceptively simple-looking poncho is in reality an advanced piece of Kryptonian Nano-Fiber that provides her a nearly indestructible covering for much of her body. It, unlike the rest of her clothing, is highly resistant to bladed weaponry and extreme temperatures. It does not on its own offer her much protection from blunt force trauma, however, although such attacks are unlikely to damage the poncho itself. -Weapons: [b]Heavily Modified Targarian Phase Pistols[/b] A pair of phase pistols that have been modified to allow Kyrona to channel her Jade Fire through them, producing a far more powerful and focused shot than she would naturally be capable of emitting herself. Additionally, they can be loaded with specially made clips containing various forms of energy, such as Kryptonite, or red solar radiation. At maximum power, they can burn through even the likes of Prometheum, but can have the output lowered to merely stun targets rather than kill. [b]High-Frequency Grenades[/b] Kyrona always keeps a half-dozen high frequency grenades stored beneath her poncho, each one being capable of bringing a human to their knees. This only becomes more effective if the target possesses an enhanced sense of hearing. [b]Wrist-Mounted Cryo-Spray[/b] Fired from her right glove, the Cryo-Spray is capable of enveloping creatures of various shapes and sizes and cryogenically freezing them on the spot. This is non-lethal and used to deliver defeated bounty targets live to clients. Rapid movement on the target’s part can easily prevent them from being enveloped, however, so Kyrona must generally defeat/disable the target first before using it. [b]Wrist-Mounted Kartonium Cryo-Rocket[/b] Kyrona’s ultimate weapon, to be used in only the most desperate of occasions. She can fire a high-speed rocket from her left glove that, upon impact, deploys a swarm of Kartonium nanites—a nearly unstoppable artificially created plague. These nanites swarm over any surface, be it organic or otherwise, and begin to rapidly deconstruct it within seconds of contact, using the raw materials to continuously produce more nanites. Once they’re deployed, Kyrona cannot control them. They will consume everything indiscriminately, including her if she isn’t quick to flee the area. They can only be stopped via extreme cold temperatures. Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Adventurer Biography--------- Character History/Origin: Kyrona is the last Andorran after her species was wiped out by a mysterious plague that swept over her world in a matter of months. The less that is said about that time, and the details surrounding it (or her), the better. What she is far more willing to discuss are her many travels since then, as she scoured the universe in search of adventure, in an effort to forget her past. Kyrona has visited thousands of worlds and encountered just as many distinct alien cultures. She has befriended some and stolen from many others. Overtime, she became known as a formidable bounty hunter. It was about a decade ago that she encountered her current partner in crime/criminal apprehension: Kailani. Rescuing the Devourer from the genocidal Yellow Lanterns, who were bent on wiping her people out, they’ve travelled the star lanes together ever since. Optional information ---------- Nemesis: Krona Allies: Kailani Team: Other: Visited Earth in decades past, where she played a few sessions of Dungeons and Dragons with Vin Diesel. He proved to be a horrible munchkin, causing her to develop a deep loathing of bald humans. [/hider] [/center]