Flash

Context

This character is an original creation. We often call these “homemades” or “homebrewed” – think home cooking or craft beer.

Many of these characters were created to take part in tabletop role-playing game sessions. Others were invented as a creative writing exercise, often as part of a community event.

This specific character is based on DC’s “Tangent” concept – sharing the name of a well-known DC characters but being a different person on a different world.

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Background

Powers and Abilities

Tina has formidable powers, sometimes *too* formidable, somehow related to light. She has to be aware of her speed if she doesn’t want to get stunned or even dead.

She can emit powerful light explosions or become what looks like a light being. Her eyes are quite impervious to light changes. Her last discovery was the power to project high-charged lightning bolts from her hands.

Besides her powers, Tina is a competent astrophysicist. Although she has practically no combat abilities, she is training with Batman and Green Lantern, specially in the agility field.

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History

Why does a hero become a hero? There are many reasons. As many as the facts that start their powers. On Tina’s case, the fact was her rape : while she fought on her savage rapist arms, something inside Tina changed, throwing waves of light and electricity that knocked the man out.

After that, she returned to her normal life, trying to forget everything about that night, even her powers, focusing on her studies an work. It wasn’t until she was contacted by a strange man, at the Spanish Canary Islands that the Flash acted again.

The man gave her a strange paper with unknown names and telescope coordinates that showed a void section of the near space. To escape three robots that killed the man, Tina had to become again The Flash and flee the observatory where she was working.

The list

The only name she recognized from the list (JKF, TAO KUN, AQUAMAN, “ENGLAND’s GREATEST HERO”, PRINCESS EARTH and COLU) was the first one : there was an American writer who signed JKF. She traveled to the States, as her work at the observatory had finished, and searched for Mr. Joseph Kapowski, JKF. They revealed their secret identities : JKF was also Batman.

Together they searched for the other people, but they didn’t find anyone. Batman had talked to millionaire Bruce Wayne to find her abducted daughter Helena. Their combined efforts finally located Helena. It was a criminal obsessed with archery named Robin who had her on a warehouse near the dock. Helena was saved but Robin escaped, although his thugs were defeated.

Tina developed a close feeling to young Helena.

Some days later, New York’s City Hall was taken by four superpowered men, who called themselves The Titans : Robin (the leader), Cuervo (Raven), Fuego de Estrellas (Starfire) and The Changeling. They took all the people inside as hostages.

The team

Batman and Flash went to the rescue. Green Lantern, Superman and Aquaman also arrived and so a team was formed. Being repelled of the City Hall on a first attack by Green Lantern, Batman and Flash, the five heroes took the name of Justice League and defeated Cuervo, Fuego de Estrellas and Changeling.

Robin was in the basement, among the safes. When he went out, everybody lost, all of a sudden, their powers. Even machinery stopped working. Robin put what he had taken from the basement in a lead box. Then he ran away using a rocket arrow, despite Flash’s valiant efforts to catch him.

The Army contacted them : Robin had robbed a weird meteorite found some days ago and taken to the NY City Hall before being further investigated. That meteorite negated all power, in the wider meaning of the sense. Electronic devices and superhuman people was equally affected by the effect they called “shutting down”. It was something as unknown they called it Kryptonite.

The Army offered them help if they wanted to become an official American Team, or at least semi-official. The Justice League agreed on the last.

Secret weapon

Half a month passed, and the League introduced to the world, with her Military Connection a secret still, in a ceremony at the United Nations. Flash stayed out of the building, flying in search of possible trouble, so nobody still knows she is a part of the team and for most people she doesn’t even exist.

But Bruce Wayne knew : he invited Flash, Batman and the rest of the Justice League, including the just joined Wonder Woman, to a special supper.

During the diner, he showed the leaguers and other friends archeological treasures he had found. When Helena tried to stop a diminutive thief, Tom Thumb, from stealing one of them, the Rock of Eternity, the rock broke. Both she and the thief were attacked by powerful mystic forces.

Tom was ill, but with a physical illness. Despite Flash’s efforts to save Helena, she stayed floating 3 feet over the floor, unconscious, with a pale scarlet light around her.

The Shazam Effect

A mystical doctor entered Helena’s room : the normal doctor was appalled, he couldn’t say what happened to Helena. The mystic, called Tannarak, told them she was under a curse : the Shazam Effect.

Unless the mythological and legendary “good effects” of Shazam were recovered (things related to Sun Wu Kong, Hiawatha, Aton, the Zorro, the Astures and Merlin), Helena would die in a couple of weeks.

The Justice League began their world-around quest of the Shazam Effect.

Description

The Flash is a very attractive woman, although she uses to dress casual (think of Teri Hatcher’s Lois ).

On her first days, Tina wore a white tunic crossed by a blue lightning from the right shoulder to the left waist. Soon, after she met Joseph Kapowski (Batman), she sewed a new dress.

It was a tighter one, a white suit with a blue star on her chest, whose tips stretched through her chest, waist and legs, and a blue eye-mask, although she usually covers herself with a field of light that makes her seem to be made of light. A pure flash.

Personality

The scars are still on Tina’s mind, but she is strong and has recovered from most of the emotional shock. Proof of it is that her drive to punish crime is not a pure justice thirst, but the understanding that power must be backed with maturity and responsibility.

Tina is ready to join the Leaguers on any quest they may pursue, but likes to stay on a secondary level, or else she resolves the battles fast, with a pure burst of light. She doesn’t like the fame of being a hero, and that’s why she didn’t appear on the United Nations’ Justice League press introduction: she doesn’t want that Flash and Tina can ever be related.

Despite it, she likes to enjoy life as Tina.

Quotes

“Don’t you *ever* touch me again !”

By KalEl el Vigilant.

Source of Character: Homemade Tangent Universe (Justice League).