Queen of Sheba
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Queen of Sheba stands watch over the city. | |
| Queen of Sheba | |
| Player: @TalonedOwl | |
| Origin: | Divine (Magic) |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Makeda Lema |
| Known Aliases: | The Magnificent One |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | Confidential |
| Height: | 5' 11" |
| Weight: | 160lbs |
| Eye Color: | Hazel |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Ethiopian |
| Occupation: | Ambassador of Kundu & Hero |
| Place of Birth: | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Base of Operations: | The Kundu Embassy in Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Hagos Alitash (Mother; deceased), Berihun Lema (Father) |
| Known Powers | |
| ' | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Confidential | |
| Equipment | |
| Crown of Sheba, Queen’s Sword, Queen’s Armor, The Sword of Solomon, The Sword of Shadow and Light | |
| Work in Progress! | |
Queen of Sheba is the second main character of player @TalonedOwl. She debuted in 2008 after the player decided that he would like to create a character based around Wonder Woman, but of African decent in an effort to establish an African Superhero that wasn’t a parody of itself. After doing a search for African women of power, the creator stumbled upon the legend of the Queen of Sheba. After a testing out which powersets he like the most, Broadsword and Willpower were chosens and the Queen of Sheba was released into the streets of Paragon. She is easily one of @TalonedOwl’s most favorite concepts.
Contents |
Affiliation
Per Queen of Sheba's request, The Kundu Embassy has purchased all associated rights to the supergroup named The Icons. She is the current leader. Previous Icons include The Imperial, Empyreal, Posthaste, Fearmaster, Jaycs, I-Cross, and Plasma Wisp.
Personality
Queen of Sheba is well known for her regal presence and silent nature. Teeming with wisdom, she often holds her tongue, only speaking when spoken to. Though some have complained of her unwritten rule to be seen and seldomly heard, Queen of Sheba much prefers to exemplify her worth on the battlefield opposed to idle conversation.
Character History
Lema Makeda is born prematurely to Berihun Lema and a sickly Hagos Alitash in 1974. When Alitash looked upon her frail young daughter, she prayed “God, I know I do not have much time left. Still, I pray that you give my daughter the strength to fight onward and to grow to be a strong and beautiful woman.” After muttering those last words, Alitash passed due to birth complications in her husband’s arms. The circumstances surrounding Makeda’s birth are also peculiar (Simultaneously the Marxist Derg military junta deposed Emperor Haile Selassie, monarch of Ethiopia at the time). Shortly after the birth of Makeda, Lema fled in exile to London with other prominent members of the Solomonic dynasty.
It became aware to Lema that his daughter was going to spend most of her childhood in exile. He saw to it that she still received the finest education as she could. Lema was very strict on his daughter, insisting that she is still a member of the Imperial family and that she was to be educated as one still. Also, Makeda was trained in various martial art forms, as customary for members of the imperial family at that time.
In the summer of 1986, an assassinaton attempt was made on the life of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen while sharing words of wisdom with the youth. This is when it is discovered that Makeda has many extraordinary abilities manifest. Makeda demonstrated signs of superior strength, superior speed and agility, and limited invulnerability on top of her budding martial art prowess.
In 1991, The Derg Military party had fallen and Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen was proclaimed "Emperor of Ethiopia" by the exiled Ethiopians. Due to complications involved with the burial of Emperor Haile Selassie, most of the Imperial family had decided not to return to Ethiopia. Lema, on the otherhand, left for Ethiopia with his daughter with haste. Upon his return to Ethiopia, Lema had his daughter continue her martial arts education under the tutelage of a man known only as Berhanu. It was also Berhanu who began teaching Makeda how to use many different weapons with efficiency. Makeda discovers that she can fly, a power she guards as a secret and oft uses as a way to escape the cage of her father and explore her home of Ethiopia on her own.
Makeda attends Addis Ababa University for a semester in 1992 and subsequently decides that it’s not for her. She’s not sure exactly what she wants to do with her life, but she knows it’s not to be sheltered by her father and his dream for her of becoming a school teacher. She tells her father that she plans to leave and head south for the apartheid torn country of Kundu, a place MAkeda feels needs her help more than any other place in the world. Lema, recognizing his little girl has grown up, blesses his daughter and sends her on her way. But not before bestowing upon her an inheritance left by her mother: The Crown and Sword of the ancient Warrior Queen of Sheba. Lema explains to his daughter that she is a direct heir of the Queen through her Royal blood and that these items have been passed down to the eldest daughter of her bloodline.
Makeda makes her debut appearance as the “Queen of Sheba” alongside 3 Prominent South African Heroes in 1994, fighting Apartheid and forcing the oppressors out of Kundu, establishing the country back under Kundu rule. This battle ultimately climaxed to a showdown with South African White Supremacist Heroes. One of the two Tactical Leaders leading the assault, Queen of Sheba led her troops to victory against the Super-Strong hero, White Might. As an expression of gratitude toward her assistance, the Chief-King of Kundu named her one of the four Champions of Kundu. Following abolishment of apartheid, the four champions of Kundu established the African Supergroup, Eyes of Kundu.
Kundu becomes a bustling metropolitan city thanks to numerous contributions of various corporations. Amongst the list of contributors is that American Politician, Sebastian Kain. Due to his funds, the Kundu Nation has the tools to finally harness its chief export: Impervium.
On May 23rd 2002, many red lights began to appear above and around the Kundu Kingdom. As night fell, alien invaders began to pour out of the Red Lights. These invaders have come to be known as the Rikti. The war lasted for many months, with Queen of Sheba among many of Kundu’s great heroes leading assaults on the alien invaders. The City of Kundu would have been nearly decimated had it not been for the military of the nation and many of their Impervium-based weaponry and armors. The Chief-King of Kundu then decided that he would aid other countries around the world by selling a considerable amount of his Impervium deposits and exporting it to other countries at a discounted price. This act puts Kundu on good relations with America.
Currently, The Rikti launched a second invasion. The Queen of Sheba, after conferring with the Chief-King, decided it would be best to send an ambassador to America in an effort to strengthen political ties as well as swap military tactics with the U.S. on combating a common foe. Since the Eyes of Kundu had grown in numbers since the first attack, Queen of Sheba decided that she would be the one to go and represent Kundu.
Unbeknownst to the public, the true nature of Queen of Sheba’s arrival in the States is merely a front for her alterior motives. The Eyes of Kundu have taken note of a recent rise of criminal activity operating in warehouses owned by U.S. Politician Sebastian Kain. Many of these crimes involve the theft of Impervium Metals with clues leading to evidence of the construction of weapons and armor among other things. At this time, Kain’s direct involvement with the suspicious activity has of yet to be confirmed.
Allies
Throughout the course of her career, Queen of Sheba has made friends with many powerful people.
- Taloned Owl – A Vigilante Operating in Paragon City, Taloned Owl remains one of Queen of Sheba’s most reliable sources when the job requires the touch of someone not in the limelight of the public. Though she’s come under fire for aligning herself with the self proclaimed Queen of the Night, Queen of Sheba finds that Taloned Owl to be one of the kindest souls in the City. Whenever Queen of Sheba needs to know the word on the streets or the latest in shady activity, she finds her way to her dear friend Taloned Owl.
- Little Sheba – Queen of Sheba became the reluctant mentor of this Kiki when she saved a Kundu Orphanage from Supervillain sorceress, Karaba in a plot which involved the abduction of the souls of children. Since then, Kiki has taken the name Little Sheba and has fought in the shadows of her idol, though then she had no super powers of her own. During the Rikti’s initial attack, Little Sheba was killed when one of the Rikti Ships collided with a building she was in the process of evacuating. On the brink of death, a Kheldian chose her to become their Host, causing KiKi to become a Peacebringer. Since then, Queen of Sheba offered Little Sheba the position of her official side-kick, had an Impervium Crown fashioned for her, and has given Little Sheba the Ceremonial blade, Queen’s Sword. Since Queen of Sheba’s departure to the Unites States, Little Sheba has stepped up and taken Queen’s place in the supergroup, Eyes of Kundu.
- Impervium Hammer – Impervium Hammer has been proclaimed as Kundu’s Greatest Hero by the Kundu Chief-King for his part in leading the Kundu Kingdom to victory against Apartheid. Impervium Hammer, also known as Johnathan Henry III, hails from the United States. An engineer ahead of his time, he created nano-bot technology that would allow his body to become encased in flexible impervium metal at his own will. When he saw the peril his African brothers and sisters faced in the Apartheid torn Kundu, he packed his belongings and headed for Africa. John organized a group of supporters for the abolishment of apartheid which included average citizens and supers alike. He recruited Makeda one evening when he responded to a distress signal that the White Might had been causing troubles. Saving the then inexperienced Queen of Sheba from Certain Death, the two have remained close friends since. Weilding his massive Impervium Hammer, he protects the Kingdom of Kundu and is the most powerful and revered hero in Kundu, with strength said to rival that of Statesman himself. He is the leader of the Eyes of Kundu.
- The Eyes of Kundu – The Eyes of Kundu remains the largest supergroup in Africa since it’s founding in 1994. The Main Roster Consists of many great heroes Queen of Sheba had the honor of working with, including greats such as Anansi the Spider, Imperial Rocket, and Electricute.
Adversaries
During her tenure as a hero in Kundu, Queen of Sheba has made many enemies. Though her Rogues Gallery is quite extensive, there are a select few that remain on her most wanted list:
- Zealot – Zealot is Queen of Sheba’s most dangerous enemy to date. He was first known first as Dr. Zeke Bente, A brilliant Scientist and inventor who is native to Kundu. Zeke showed signs of genius even as a youth, despite his stature as a third-class citizen in the apartheid country when he finally received the chance to leave and go to a university where he had the chance to become someone better in life unlike most of his peers. After receiving his Doctorate in Engineering, he returned to Kundu to join the resistance against the apartheid that infested his homeland along with Impervium Hammer and Queen of Sheba. Then, he didn’t operate with a codename, and used his technological know-how to help construct impervium based weapons using stolen technology in his hidden lab. Dr. Zeke was known as the most radical of the group of, discussing plans for building a doomsday devise to simply eradicate his problem. He was often dismissed by Impervium Hammer, who preferred more peaceful solutions to their problems. Zeke respectfully obliged to the Impervium Hammer, masking his own plans. It wasn’t until the Chief-King named Impervium Hammer Kundu’s Greatest Hero when Dr. Zeke began to show signs of suspicious behavior. He became very secretive with his plans, and missed the Eye’s of Kundu missions frequently. It wasn’t until he unveiled his creation, Obliteration X-92, a doomsday device setup from a spacestation. Calling himself Dr. Z, Zeke revealed his plans to Kundu unless they gave him complete control over the governments, after which he would designate himself Chief-King. It was also revealed that if Kundu didn’t subject themselves to his will, they would be only the first nation to witness his destruction in a long list of countries he planned to conquest. The Eyes of Kundu responded immediately, bombing his space station, with him within it. He was long thought to be dead until he returned altered by the rays of his own Obliteration X-92. Using the powers of energy at his disposal, he calls himself Zealot and continues to plot ways to rule the planet while simultaneously destroying Impervium Hammer and Queen of Sheba.
- Karaba – The self proclaimed “Sorceress Supreme” hails from the country Shesade. Using her sorcery as a means to terrorize the Kingdom of Kundu, Karaba holds no grudges against the heroes of Kundu, and is known to sometimes aid them when it benefits her own diabolical scheme in some hidden way. She’s recently been seen working with Zealot in his efforts for world domination. What Karaba gets from the plan has of yet to be revealed.
- Jezebel – A vain villainess operating in Kundu, she uses her powers of mind manipulation in an effort to control the men of the city, having them do anything she wills them to. Though she is not considered a major threat, she has done enough to cause the need for Queen of Sheba to keep an eye on her.
- Goliath – This gargantuan powerhouse causes major collateral damage everywhere he goes. He lends his brute strength to any who needs the muscle when the price is right, and loves a good tussle. Though his muscles are massive, he’s not so strong when it comes to brainpower, causing many villains to take advantage of him and heroes easily outsmarting him.
- The Mau – Perhaps the most cunning of all the villain Queen of Sheba has faces, The Mau was originally an adventurer left double-crossed and dead by her former lover when a plan to recover a mystical artifact had gone wrong. Lucky for her, the Egyptian Goddess Bast saw her in her situation, and transformed the woman into a humanoid mau cat. Calling herself The Mau, her plans often involve the murder of men.
Abilities
((WIP))
Trivia
- Queen of Sheba would be played be Somali-American supermodel Iman should a virtue verse film be made.
- Queen of Sheba's main influence is Wonder Woman, with dashes of Black Panther and Xena thrown in for good measure.
- Kundu is inspired by Wakanda, South Africa, and the Zulu Tribe.
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