Gila Girl
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| What Gila would look like in the "real world" (minus the awful photoshop job) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Magnificent Gila Girl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player: Green Mantis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin: | Science | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Archetype: | Blaster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Security Level: | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real Name: | Naomi Wilcox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Aliases: | The Fastest Lizard Alive | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Species: | Metahuman (lizard/human fuse) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5'4" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 102lbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eye Color: | red | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hair Color: | red | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality: | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Student | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Steel Canyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Steel Canyon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Relatives: | Father-Dr. John Wilcox (deceased), Mother-Anne Wilcox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Powers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sonic attacks. Energy manipulation, Force mastery, Superspeed, Agility(leaping) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| telepathy, super senses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equipment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blue skin is in!
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Gila is a character I had drawn often before CoX existed, but I had never really defined into a character. WHen I created her in CoH, I was flooded with so many ideas that i couldnt make up my mind....so i put em all in! She's heavily based on my favorite hero, Spiderwoman, though she has elements of the Flash and Deadpool thrown in.
Contents |
Character History
Origins
Naomi Wilcox was not born an average human, nor is she a mutant. For reasons unbeknownst to her, she is a telepath, and has been hearing thoughts since she was a little girl. Her father, Dr. John Wilcox, would never explain to Naomi why she was this way, so for most of her life she would be completely oblivious as to her origins.
Never trained as a telepath, Naomi shunned her gift rather than accepting it. Her grandmother, the hero Exterra, encouraged Naomi to embrace her abilities, but Naomi preferred to ignore them. She resolved to become a scientist like her father, though she never quite knew what exactly Dr. Wilcox *did*...
Naomi had grown into a young woman of 19, and was dozing off in her psychology class at Steel Canyon University, when she sensed something odd. Feeling worried, she rushed home, only to find her father lying on the floor, a bloody mess, pointing to a small glass vial. Naomi bent down to examine the vial, but was completely unprepared for what happened next...
The following takes place within the next thirty seconds:
'Sssssiiichhhhssschh* "Huh? Meh, probably nothing." *Siiiichhhssssss* *Naomi stands up, and looks slowly around the room. Finding nothing, she backs into a corner.* *Siiiichhhhss* "(whisper)Don't panic...don't panic...don't pa--" *SSIIICHHHSAAAAACHHHH* *high, piercing scream.* *crunch*............*silence*
The following is a police report of the crimescene:
"Young girl, aged 20, distinct bite mark on left shoulder. Eyes red, skin blue, hair re--she's alive? Miss, are you oka--AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" *crunch* "Bob? Bob! AHHHH!" *shot* *shot*, *crunch*.
"Huh? Wha, !!" Naomi awoke to the sight of two very dead police officers lying right next to her. Shocked, she ran outside...much faster than she remembered she could. She ran, and ran, and ran all the way to Skyway City, where she sat on a dumpster and thought.
"My G-d, what have I done? And why is my skin blue, and scaly? And the speed...i can't believe it...UGH, this thing in my head, what is i--wait, I remember now. This thing, so anrgy...it must be the remnants of that lizard thing. I need to control it...who knows what it could do if I dont!?."
She was interrupted by a couple of Skullz, looking for trouble. "Money. NOW."
"I dont have time for this, go bother some granny!" Not taking this reaction kindly, one of the skullz grabbed Naomi's arms, and held tight. She screamed, fell to the floor, and when she opened her eyes both gang members were...dead.
Astounded, she stood up and ran back to Steel Canyon, where she headed straight to the University. Luckily, her favorite professor, Prof. Mernes, was busy in his lab.
"Professor..." She explained her situation, and the professor agreed to run some tests on Naomi's DNA.
"Remarkable...Naomi, your DNA has been fused with that of whatever bit you. Your metabolism has slowed considerably, your vocal chords have been drastically altered...you're not human anymore, that's for sure. But...you dont seem too unhappy..."
"Well, when I saw what I did to those Skullz, I realized I could use this...thing to help people. Be a hero, save the day and all that. You wouldnt happen to have any name ideas would you?"
After thinking for a few seconds, the professor replied, "Well, your DNA closely resembles that of a Gila monster, how about The Gila Monster?"
"Er, Gila *Girl* sounds better. Thanks doc!"
And thus, she was off.
Straight to icon, that is. She picked out two costumes, and Serge, who had seen Naomi in icon daily, decided to give her a big discount. She had her powers, she had her costumes, now all she had to do was hit the streets!
Day in, day out she fought crime, starting off small but eventually making her way to Founder's Falls and a Crey lab, where she discovered something terrible. Her father was in fact a Crey researcher, and the thing that bit her, was his project. The vial he had been pointing to was the DNA modifying serum, and the lizard was in fact, of all people, her father's best friend, Vigilant Don Samuels. The test results on file, though incomplete, showed little trace of Samuels was left in the lizard, and to Naomi's horror it had escaped before the testing was done! The lizard was out there, and Naomi resolved to destroy it, as only she could.
But of course, there was always a catch. It hadn't been seen in months, and could be halfway around the world. Naomi knew she would need help, so she went to the only person she felt could help her, her grandmother Exterra.
Dawn of the Redhead
It figured that there would be a few distractions in Gila's ultimate quest, but there's such a thing as "too much." A Rikti Invasion, conveniently during summer break, was the last thing Naomi wanted to deal with. Didn't have much choice, however, so she signed up for Vanguard and took to the Warzone.
For the record, Rikti and telepaths dont go well together. Naomi found herself up to her neck in complex thoughts, and more than once she fell prey to the beast inside. It was during one of these embarrassing ragefests that she met Huntsman Fury, an Arachnos Huntsman sent to the Warzone to aid Vanguard in its efforts. The two made an...odd team, but an effective one. The Rikti were soon driven back with their help, and thngs began to look normal again.
Of course, as with all good things, this had to come to an end. While out in the Warzone one sunny day, Gila found her self appointed Arch-Nemesis..."i think?" The blue skinned woman, with tail and large dragonlike wings, stood yards in front of Naomi. She had firey red hair, blazing red eyes, and wore a red bellyshirt and blue tights. She was as close a copy of Naomi as possible, and Gila had no idea who she was.
The winged Gila vanished as quickly as she appeared.
You know what they say about meddling in the affairs of dragons...
The end of the war seemed near, and Gila was all too happy to be back in good old Atlas Park, free of green skies and full of greener rookies. She spent her days helping out the newbies, showing off and racing anyone she could, and things were generaly back to normal.
The papers seemed to think otherwise. All over the front page of every newspaper but the Paragon Times (they always had a thing against blue skin...), there were photos of what seemed to be the famous Gila Girl robbing the First National Bank of Skyway City. Word travels fast, and Gila rushed to get a copy of the nearest paper.
The article read thusly:
GILA...MONSTER??
Is she the Fastest Lizard Alive, or
just the seediest?
SKYWAY--Gila Girl, "The Fastest Lizard Alive." Is she really the hero we think she is? Or is she just using us? Last night, the speedy snakette was seen leaving the First National Bank with four large bags under her shoulders. When approached, she leaped to the top of the nearest building, and sped off faster than you could say "halt in the name of the Fashion police!" See GILA, page 5
"I couldnt believe it," said one observer, "she was wearing flame gloves and thigh highs with tights! What a travesty!" Travesty indeed. "Never have I been so insulted! To think I was watching one of her demonstrations this morning!" remarked another. So there you have it, folks. Your friendly neighborhood Lizardgirl is nothing but a common thief in a gaudy outfit.-John Q. Public, Paragon Post
"GAUDY???" Naomi was shocked. "MY OUTFITS ARE NOT....wait a second, that's not me..that's that lizard!" Ashamed at having been so easily fooled, she sped off to the Warzone, to where she first saw the imposter.
Sure enough, the imposter was waiting. "What took you?" it asked, sarcastically.
"What are you, and what do you want from me...and where are your wings?"
"Heh, I figured you'd recognize your..better half." The imposter grinned widely, showing a mouth full of fangs stained with blood.
"Better ha...you're...you're...you cant be! The experiment was on a man, Don Samuels!"
"Hmph, stupid bitch. I dont *have* a gender. Oh, and the wings?" Two large protrusions grew from her back, slowly filling out into the monstrous wings Gila remembered. "Mmmm, better. Those things are quite the pain, but with them out how could I convince anyone?"
"So it *was* you robbing that bank...wait, you can shapeshift?" "Give the girl a prize."
"Whatever, why are you doing this? What the hell is your name???"
The imposter smirked, and threw a small notebook at Gila. "You'll find your answers there. now if youll excuse me, I havent eaten since lunch." Gila lunged at the creature, but for all her speed the imposter got away.
"So what's in this thing anyway..." She began reading.
CeV.I.P.E.R
PROJECT CeV.I.P.E.R SPECIFICATIONS EYES ONLY
OBJECTIVE: "Perfect weapon"
TEST SUBJECT: Vigilant Don Samuels
LEAD TECHNICIANS: Dr. John Wilcox, Prof. Simon Mernes, Dr. Jen Atamont, Steven Coals
DOCUMENTATION:
Subject is functioning perfectly. The mutation is complete, and its replication abilities are astounding. It has yet to settle on a form, however, so it must be contained lest it escape.
Its intelligence is marginal at best, though it learns daily. I estimate within a week it should be up to average human levels, and within a month it should surpass our greatest minds. It must be eliminated before that happens, lest it escape.
It demonstrates great feats of agility and speed, and seems impervious to all but 50 calibur and stronger rounds. It is vulnerable to extreme cold, however, and we have Cryo projectors guarding it round the clock. It is showing signs of adaptation, however, and as such, it must be eliminated before we have no way to control it.
I suspect the project has another two to three weeks before it needs to be shut down. The knowledge we can gain from this creature rivals that of the greatest experiments in history.
--Dr. John Wilcox
PROJECT SUSPENDED. ALL ASSETS MUST BE TERMINATED.
STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR: ONE (1) CONTAINMENT TANK; ONE (1) CRYO PROJECTOR; ONE (1) ASSORTED CHEMICALS.
(a small folded piece of paper falls out from the notebook's center. It reads as follows)
...They shut me down. I was so close! I couldnt let them destroy it, I was hardly days away from unlocking the gene! I took what I needed, and the creature is contained in my basement. Naomi has been instructed not to enter, and Anne wont ask. She never has.
It's adapting quickly to the cryo projectors. Damnit, why cant I figure it out! One gene...can it really be this difficult to pinpoint one gene? Damn. I'll adjust the projector to spread at -42ºC, hopefully that will subdue it.
They were right. They were all right. It needs to be destroyed. Just..one more day, and I'll kill it myself. -76ºC should do it.
I DID IT! Ive found the gene! Those fools, they said it couldn't be done, but I did it! Now to synthesize it...Aha! There, in this vial is the key to human perfection! Now to destroy the
(The writing ends there.)
The Chase is on
"I know now what I must do. That creature needs to be destroyed. But...the key to human perfection? Figures. That's always why these scientists die...oh crap, I made myself sad now..."
The creature, Gila thought, must be trying to get Crey's attention, so they can destroy *me*, thinking I'm *it*. Can't let that happen, but first a trip to the Paragon Post.
With a newly cleared name, Gila set out (again...) to destroy this vile creature.
Supergroups: Past, Present, and Future
Soon after she began her superheroine career, Gila Girl joined up with the Sentinels of Liberty, lead by Lady America.
She later went "soul searching", going solo for a long while. She joined with the Justiciars, though again, later decided to go it alone.
Following that, she had a brief stint in the United Sentinels of America, before yet again going off on her own.
She is currently trying to recruit heroes to her own group, Legion (of The Paragon Universe)
Personality
Split-- while normally an average young woman, at times her "beast" takes over, influencing her words and sometimes actions. Most of the time, though, she is helpful, kind and always interested in hanging around Icon. (NOTE:She has recently learned to control her "beast", and has not had an outbreak in several weeks.)
She is generally calm, very attractive ("Blue Skin is In!") and keeps a cool head in battle. She excites easily, however, and will always perk up when a trip to Icon is mentioned. She is a kind young woman of 19, who wants nothing more than to help the people of Paragon...and to be famous. She adores the camera, and will always drop whatever she's doing for an interview.
She is easily recognizable on TV, in magazines, and on billboards all around Paragon, and was picked Miss June 2008 (on the Virtue Beauties Calendar).
She tends to be a show-off, but is always in good humor, and never insults without good reason. She tends not to hold grudges, and always loves making and keeping friends; she'll usually be found joking off any arguements or problems people have with her.
It has always been her dream to lead her own Supergroup, though she doesn't feel she can. Her self esteem is lower than average, though she'll never show it. Instead, she keeps a calm demeanor in most any situation.
Powers
- Her vocal chords have been altered to emit sounds of octaves and pitches normally impossible for a human. She has learned to use her telepathic abilities to put foes to sleep with a light, projected "song".
- The creature that bit her is an odd beast indeed; it absorbs the superhuman abilities of its victims, adding to its own power. Naomi, having survived its second attack, gained the abilities of the creature's first victim, a Crey Vigilant.
-She can transfer excess energy to her fists, temporarily increasing her strength exponentially.{She can lift a max of 700lbs}
- Gila's rough skin allows her to take a substantial beating from bullets, blunt and sharp objects, and of course fists.
- Through intense meditation she has learned to project a psionic forcefield aorund herself, which is nearly impenetrable to attacks and thoughts.
- Finally, she is able to put her mind in a trance for a short time, releasing the beast inside. In this state, Gila is nearly immune to most attacks, and is substantially stronger with a mastery of her sonic and energy abilities. She can not sustain this state for long, and is weakend when she finally awakens.
- Gila considers herself 'The Fastest Lizard Alive!', and for good reason. She can move with speeds of several hundred mph. Often when moving she will be invisible to the naked eye. Due to her speed, Gila can propel herself off of the ground and leap great distances with ease.
- Gila is very acrobatic, and maintains her balance well on most surfaces.
Abilities
- Naomi was born telepathic, though she still does not understand why, as she is not a mutant nor (from what she knows) was she genetically enhanced. As Gila Girl, she must constantly stay focussed to supress the beast, and as such she will constantly hear the thoughts of those near her (when not in her forcefield).
- Gila's senses are substansially stronger than most humans'.
- Gila, as a lizard, needs to eat only once every few days, though she rarely tires.
Limitations
- Gila, cold-blooded, can not stand extreme cold. While her energy manipulating ability allows her to keep her body temperature from falling temporarily, eventually the cold will win.
- Gila's morals are sometimes lost in translation, as the creature inside her has a tendency to influence her desicisions. Small slipups, short hesitations, and absent-mindedness are all common tendencies of Gila's, mostly caused by the creature.
Rogues Gallery
???
The lizard-creature that bit Naomi Wilcox and turned her into Gila Girl!
This creature, as of yet unnamed is and will be the Venom to Gila's Spiderman. Stronger, faster, and deadlier, this creatue's motivation and intentions are shrouded in mystery. ALl that's known for sure, is it possesses an insatiable hunger for human flesh, and almost no fashion sense.
Abilities
- Vocal cord manipulation of a higher magnitude than Gila Girl's
- Nearly double Gla Girl's strength
- Slightly faster and more acrobatic than Gila Girl
- Shapeshifting
Weaknesses
- Extreme cold
- Overconfidence
Tripmine
Jason Jones was a mild mannered, hard working new Jersian, totally unaware of his altent mutant abilities. However, when these powers struck, they struck hard. On his 25th birthday, Jason exploded, taking everything in a ten mile radius of his body with him. He regenerated quickly, despite being in tiny pieces, and the police locked him up shortly after. Of course, an average state prison couldn't hold Jason's "firey personality," and upon his hasty breakout, Tripmine was born!
Abilities
- Explosion: Tripmine can choose to destroy certain parts of his body to create powerful explosions.
- Regeneration: Tripmine can regenerate from virtually any wound, even if his entire body is destroyed. However, pain *can* cripple him.
- Can throw dead skin cells from his hands, creating minor "grenade" explosions.
Weaknesses
- Requires oxygen to explode. In a vacuum or superheated environment, his power will be nullified.
Fossilman
Fledgling paleontologist Jeffrey Davidson worked for the Natural History Museum in Paragon City. During an intense battle between Gila Girl and Tripmine, Jeffrey hid in the museum's sub-basement hoping to avoid the explosions and flying debris. There he came upon a glowing ruby, which stripped him of his skin and replaced ti with rock and bone, turning him into the hiddeous Fossilman!
Abilities
- Super-hard skin
- Super strength, far surpassing Gila's
- Ability to "call" fossilized and non-fossilized bone from the ground, to use as weaponry and/or projectiles
- Ability to control fossilized creatures, bringing them to "life." Can ride on said creatures for quick travel.
Weaknesses
- Slow
- Easily mislead
The Outcasts
(not the Mutant group of the same name)
A group of individuals, brought together by the same feeling of exile.
Nickel
The "leader," Nickel is a mutant, who's body is 98% made of pure nickel. Shunned by his community, he has no thoughts of revenge. He merely wants to survive, and live comfortably. Since he can't work for his money, he takes it by force.
Abilities
- Incredibly strong, and able to increase his strength exponentially for short bursts of power
- Extremely resiliant, able to withstand nearly any blow
- Can jump great distances and heights with ease
Weaknesses
- Vulnerable to magnets. A similar pole will send him flying, and an opposing pole will hold him in place
Chillray
A former hero, Chillray fell to villainy while chasing down some criminals in a nuclear pwoer plant somewhere in New England. Gila Girl, who had been chasing the same crooks, accidentally blew open a drum of toxic waste, which engulfed Chillray. Though stunned by what happened, Gila knew she still had to capture the criminals, and so she left Chillray for dead. Upon emerging from the waste to a terrified crowd, the now-green, glowing Chillray swore revenge on the blue hero that "killed" her.
Abilities
- Cold blasting and control
- Radioactive gasses
- Flight
Weaknesses
- Warm water
- Inability to control her radioactivity
Izual
A fallen angel, rejected by both heaven and hell, Izual's desires change at random, turning him into either a humanitarian or malicious killer.
Abilities
- Flaming sword
- Blasts of blinding light and fire
- Flight
Weaknesses
- Appeals to his morality
- Confusion
Avvaraxus
A strange creature, Avvaraxus is an insane humanoid alien, with immense teleportation ability. His motives and intentions are unknown.
Abilities
- Teleportation: Avvaraxus has very powerful teleportation abilities. He can teleport most objects smaller than a building, and can fire them at extreme speeds. He can also pull said objects in front of himself to use as shields.
Weaknesses
- Easily confused and manipulated
FrightKnight
"The Terror of Tennessee," special effects man Nelson Quinn wwas a little off the deep end. However, his effects were ingenius, both cheap and extremely effective. His work on horror movies was to be admired, however he eventually took things too far. His props grew more expensive, and his programs too complicated for his underlings. Unemployed and miserable, Nelson turned to a life of crime, using his mastery of effects to terrify his victims. When the Knight rides in, sanity checks out.
Abilities
- Mastery of special effects technology
Weaknesses
- Powerless without his "toys"
Previous Costumes
