Character Biography--Angela

Character Biography--Angela

A little world history: This universe is currently based off the concepts in the dungeons and dragons planescape ‘multiverse.’ I’ve tried to find ways to pull it out and make my own world of it but frankly since all I intend to do with it is have fun writing and arting about it, I decided it wasn’t worth the effort. So in a sense these are RP characters though Angela—with her background mostly intact—appears in many non related short stories in which Seth and the others don’t really exist. Sort of ‘AU’ if you will.

Having noted all of that, Angela was born on a prime material world that was unusual in that it was completely lacking magic of any kind. The world progressed technologically faster than most other worlds but maintained the knowledge that other worlds were out there and that the planes existed though its contact with them was very limited since there was no magic around to create portals leading to other places. At the time Angela is created, it’s in a somewhat futuristic setting where gene manipulation is common place. It’s about thirty years after a war that left much of the world crippled—a war that began as an invasion from another prime world where magic abounded. In response to the magically enhanced warriors from this other world, Angela’s world responded by created genetically altered soldiers known as ‘metamorphs’ with abilities designed to stand toe to toe with magic.
Under normal circumstances, a morph looks more or less human though occasionally a random side effect of the gene manipulation will manifest as an unusual physical characteristic such as longer or shorter limbs than normal, strange hair or eye colors, even dwarfism or albinism. And many morphs are plagued by minor disabilities like poor eye sight or deafness. In their normal state, their powers are minor and may be no more impressive than being able to shut a door from across the room. But all morphs have a second stage where they are able to release special cells into their bloodstream, which causes their powers to increase. Sometimes this second stage is brought on by a rush of adrenaline but they also have some amount of control in the matter, being able to progress to phase 2 at will.
Metamorphs did help keep the world from being entirely decimated during the war but there was still a great loss of life and a large amount of destruction. Their only ‘victory’ was that they weren’t annihilated and were able to drive the enemy back into their own world. There were also a few magical artifacts that were left behind and these were collected to be studied. Though many morphs maintained military jobs, others joined the rest of society and tried to live normal lives. They are pretty much an accepted part of society; there’s no particular hero worship or prejudice toward them and few do things like rescue old ladies from burning houses in their spare time. They’re just people who happen to have certain abilities. And that’s how they live. No one really treats them like they’re special.
Creation of new morphs is currently illegal but many private labs still perform gene manipulation under the radar. These morphs are referred to as ‘unregistered’ since here is no government record regarding their creation and powers. Everyone knows they’re out there; most people just ignore the problem.
It was around this time that devices were created that could open portals to the great spiral and the first primes from this world ventured into the planes to explore and scout around to see if there was a chance for another invasion from the planes or possible other prime material worlds.
When rumor filtered back home that another invasion from the previous world was possibly in the making, the government began to examine the current standards for metamorphs. Though undoubtedly they had been soley responsible for the previous victory, it was generally agreed that had they been stronger more lives would have been spared and there would have been less damage. As it was, the victory had tasted like ashes. To prevent such loss the second time around, the government began a top secret project to create a stronger metamorph. It was called the Valkyrie Project.


The Project:
The global government contracted a brilliant geneticist and genome researcher to complete this project for them. Because it was so top secret and because the creation of new morphs was illegal, he was to partially fund the project himself with only a little help from the government. Everything was to be done in private labs and it was clear that if he was ever caught, the government would accept no responsibility for his actions. But they did give Davis Brighton access to some of the artifacts collected in the Aftermath in the hopes it might prove useful to his research and experiments—things he would have had no chance to study otherwise.
Davis chose to work with female subjects due to their greater viability and resiliency as fetuses. He used DNA from his young wife to clone the first test subjects and then manipulated the DNA to create metamorphs. Many of his first creations failed before the cells even began to divide. Others died only days after creation and still others lasted into the fetus stage but died shortly after. It took several years to create the first viable fetus. Eventually he was able to create four clones with similar appearances and powers. Early into the creation of the fifth and sixth clones, he received new supplies from his government contacts, among the supplies several vials of foreign DNA collected during the war. It had been taken from a non-human prisoner who died shortly after being taken captive. The body dissolved, taking with it all chances of discovering anything about what it was. All that was left were these three frozen samples.
Taking a risk on losing two clones, but curious about the DNA, Davis injected the clones and watched as the DNA began to assimilate the surrounding cells and merge with them as they developed. It was clear they were becoming some sort of hybrid; the entire DNA structure becoming increasingly different from humans but he wasn’t sure exactly what that would mean until later. The sixth clone died before completion, DNA proving incohesive and eventually dissolving. But number five flourished into a completed clone ready for maturation. Eventually there were four successful clones: 2, 3, 4, and 5—1 and 6 having failed.
Even before their training began, 5 proved to be frail and sickly. For this reason she was moved out of the labs and temporarily into the house so the doctor’s wife could look after her. He didn’t want to allow such contact in order to prevent any significant attachments from forming; he wanted his clones to be perfect soldiers but also he wanted to be especially sure that 5 survived so he could observe her as she grew. For this reason, 5 alone was able to get to know her ‘mother’ as a gentle counterpoint their overbearing and often cruelly detached ‘father.’
2 on the other hand seemed excel beyond the others in their training simulations. She quickly became the accepted leader of the small group and when 5 returned to them, it was 2 who took her and mentored her, augmenting her training to help her reach her father’s lofty standards. She was also the one who comforted and tended to 5 after the many punishments she received for failing at training exercises and later, at actual missions.

The Clones:

Name: Angela Brighton
Age: 19 during the main story
Gender: Female (duh)
Height: 5’2 ½” barefoot
Haircolor: White
Eye Color: Light grey
Number: 5
Powers: Psychic and lightning based in addition to the usual genetic augmentations of strength and intelligence


As with nearly all metamorphs, the extreme gene manipulation Angela underwent had unexpected side effects (though some might be attributed to the foreign DNA she has in her system. It was never determined which or if possibly both were the cause). Her pigmentation, small size (of which she’s quite neurotic—especially when people mention that she’s short), photosensitivity, allergies, paranoia and agoraphobia are likely all due to the gene manipulation. Likely, her unusually violent temper is partially due to this as well but no doubt it was made worse by her Traumatic Childhood ™. Her extreme fear of being touched most likely stems from the physical abuse she endured at the hands of Davis Brighton.
Angela also has an extreme intolerance to alcohol in any form (or other mind altering substances)—the fumes alone can affect her brain and body. Drinking relatively small amounts that would leave most individuals unphased would either make her violently ill or cause her to go into a homicidal rage. Or both. In that order. Her reactions to medications are unpredictable but fortunately, she rarely needs them.
Like all morphs, Angela undergoes physical changes during her progression into phase two. Early on, she discovered that returning to her normal state was excruciatingly painful as well as unusually difficult. What should have been a nearly automatic process left her physically drained and sometimes unconscious. As a result, she devised an intermediate state in an attempt to prevent her body from fully entering her second phase. Her true final stage is more powerful than an average morph but the intermediate stage she prefers is about average in strength. However, it’s highly unstable and difficult for her to maintain.
While her will is trying to keep her powers in check, her body is automatically trying to push her into her final phase leading to fluctuations in her power levels. In such a circumstance that her will lost the battle, her powers would spiral out of control and explode into their full force rather than the usual slower progression. Angela would likely be injured in the process and it would cause a large amount of destruction around her. Though that’s never happened, she does have an inkling of what it would be like due to an incident when she was still in training.
Her father, ever curious about her odd DNA structure due to the unknown material placed in her body as a fetus, and ever seeking to make her stronger, subjected her to many tests and experience in attempt to get her body to unleash more and more power. Though she outwardly seemed to have little talent (unless you counted a talent for being abnormally clumsy), he continued to believe her full potential was far greater than what she showed. In one of his attempts to force her body to the next level, her powers suddenly surged uncontrollably, destroying the hidden lab and several city blocks. In the process the doctor was injured and clone 4 was killed as were quite a few other civilians. Angela was comatose for several weeks afterward. When she awoke, she received the most brutal beating ever for almost causing Davis’ labs and experiments to be discovered by the general public though it was clearly his own fault. He was a jerk that way.
It was during this time that Christine was mentoring Angela, trying to help her become stronger on her own. Their father never bothered to name them. Christine chose a name for herself and it was she who named Angela after taking the younger clone under her wing. She encouraged Angela to strive to become more than a ‘weapon’ for their father or the government or anyone else. But to Angela this dream meant something very different than it did to Christine. After this incident, Angela clearly had grown in power but she also had also grown to hate their father rather than cowering before him in fear as she had before.
While Christine remained loyal to him and ever tried to prove that she was worthy to be called his daughter and worthy of his love, Angela became increasingly insubordinate and angry at him. In a strange twist of fate, Angela’s suddenly blooming strength caused her to become her father’s prized creation. It was this combination that created the rift between the two sisters, Christine plagued by jealousy—something she tried very hard to overcome—hated that Angela had taken her place as their father’s pet and essentially hurting her chances of proving her own worth to him. But she was also frustrated by Angela’s disloyalty and lack of respect for the man who created them. Angela’s increasingly bad attitude and violent temper were strong points of contention between the two of them.
Angela finally left the lab when she was 14. She chose a time when Christine was on a solo mission and simply walked out without much resistance. Under Davis’ orders, the subservient 3 attempted to waylay Angela but 3 was even less adept than Christine at that point and there wasn’t much of a fight. By the time Christine returned, Angela was out of reach.
Her only regrets were 4’s death and the disintegration of her relationship with Christine. But she mostly blamed their father for 4’s death and looked at it more as an incident to learn from so she could prevent it from repeating. With Christine, she’s torn between anger at her for being so completely blind as to what their father really was and also pity, love and deep sadness. And she regrets never getting to say goodbye to her mother.
She was eventually adopted into a ragtag group of metamorph mercenaries. She continues to be fueled by trying to prove to their father (and subsequently, herself) that she is more than what he made her to be. She’s terrified that everyone she loves is just using her for her powers as he did. But the simple fact is that her friends treat her as if she’s just like the rest of them without giving thought to her origins.
Outside her father’s control, it takes Angela a little while to ‘get’ the concepts of friendship and even romance. But once in the midst of the close knit mercenary group she eventually begins to grasp the concept of normal interpersonal relationships. She learns to joke around, to relax and have fun. And even how to occasionally control her temper. It’s during this time that the more gentle, compassionate side of her personality—the part that is mostly due to her empathic ability—began to surface more often.
She finds herself often at odds with the team’s leader but remains protective of her new family—even of Scott.

Personality: After a few years outside her father’s control Angela mellows a great deal. She is often very compassionate toward others due to her empathic ability, which if you ask her is more of a pain in the butt than anything due to her not being able to control it well. Even with her normally explosive temper, a trait she finds herself more and more disgusted with, she finds it difficult to truly hate people though she can carry a grudge for years. Among friends she seems extroverted but she still has a difficult time opening up to others to discuss her own feelings, fears or hopes. But she gladly offers advice to anyone who opens up to her. Her biggest flaw is the know-it-all attitude she adopts around others. Though it’s true that her IQ is higher than average and her empathy gives her unique insight into others, she tends to think that means her views are always correct and her choice of action is the best. Period. No discussion necessary. When people disagree with her, she gets very annoyed. She is reckless when fighting, disregarding orders and following her own feelings. More than once it’s resulted in a team mate getting hurt and at least once almost got her kicked out of the team. She can acknowledge her faults but seems to put forth little effort into fixing them. And probably her most redeeming quality is the self sacrificing compassion that has even sometimes caused her to endure severe physical and emotional injury in place of others.

Weaknesses: Angela is not all powerful despite the fact that she acts like she is. Though in her final phase, she does have a great deal of physical strength, she’s quite frail in many other ways. She’s extremely photosensitive, having to go through many precautions to protect herself from sunlight. She has a fear of large crowds and is very adverse to any physical contact. Both of these get better with time but continue to plague her. She can be a little paranoid, constantly thinking that people are hiding things from her or lying to her. And her temper is a constant source of weakness. Angela’s knee jerk response to anything that angers her is to smash it into a million itty bitty pieces. Over time she’s learned enough control that she can usually excuse herself and go smash something inanimate and not immediately useful but that doesn’t stop her from yelling and insulting people who annoy her. Or from occasionally indulging in breaking their noses or arms or other random extremities. It’s the one flaw she can never quite seem to set aside, no matter how hard she tries (and it’s probably the only one she does actually try to overcome.)