Monster-Girl

Background

Advertisement

Powers & Abilities

Strength Level

Amanda’s “monster” form is one of the strongest mortals to walk the earth. While in this form, she possesses superhuman strength allowing her to press (lift) several hundreds of tons directly overhead.

In her human form, Amanda has the strength that a normal human woman of her age, weight and height would possess that engages in moderate physical activity on a regular basis.

Known Superhuman Powers

Amanda possesses the mystical ability to transform her mortal body into a substantially larger, troll-like form. The transformation itself adds over 1,100 pounds of bone, mass and tissue to her body.

Her “monster” body possesses supernatural strength, durability and endurance. While its physical power has never been accurately catalogued, the Monster is more than capable of rending metal with its bare hands or supporting the weight of a small bridge.

In practical terms, the monster is approximately as strong as an immature Viltrumite youth. In addition, the Monster’s body is immune to most forms of conventional injury, including extremes in temperature and pressure, open flame, severe cold, radiation and concussive forces.

Advertisement

Abilities

Amanda is a seasoned adventurer with over 700 years of experience in: hand to hand combat, military and guerrilla tactics, and government and politics.

Limitations

The curse that grants Amanda her supernatural powers has a single adverse side effect. While she can transform to and from her “monstrous” alter-ego at will, each time she reverts back into her human form, her human form gets physically younger.

This side-effect doesn’t affect her intellect or mental maturity, rather it simply reduces the physical age of her body. Conversely, the younger her human body gets, the more massive her monstrous form gets.

History

Amanda was a bright, yet crass, teenaged girl who attended an expensive girls’ school. She was set to graduate at a young age, when her senior class took a trip to Europe that would change her life. While on the trip she stumbled across a Romani youth who swept her off her feet and the two started a brief yet intense romance.

Unfortunately, the young man’s grandmother disapproved of Amanda’s interest in her grandson. She forbade them to see one another again. The two teenagers ignored the old woman’s warning.

As fate would have it, the youth’s grandmother stumbled across the two lovers while they were in the middle of their romantic rendezvous. As a punishment for their defiance, she used her occult powers to place a curse upon Amanda.

Cursed

Initially, the curse seemed to have little to no affect. But on the flight back home the true affect of the curse became apparent. Amanda felt a wave of nausea as the curse started to take affect, and found herself huddled in the washroom as her body uncontrollably morphed into a monstrous troll-like being.

The transformation lasted only moments before she reverted back to mortal, but it was only the first of many. At first, Amanda was terrified by the transformation, but she eventually gained mastery of the transformation itself and soon began to enjoy the power that was afforded to her by her monstrous alter-ego.

Even more so, from week to week, situations seemed to arise that required the strength of the Monster. Before she knew it, she had become a local hero and was affectionately named Monster Girl. As curses went, this one was strangely benign… or so it initially seemed.

Enyouthening

Over a course of several months, Amanda started to notice some strange changes that were happening to her body. Her Monster form was slowly getting larger and stronger, much stronger. But at the same time, she was starting to look younger. It didn’t take much longer after that point for her to understand exactly what was occurring.

She finally understood the cost of her powers. Each time she transformed into the Monster she got physically younger but retained her emotional and intellectual maturity. She tried to use her powers less, but there was always some crisis that required the Monster’s power.

In the first year, she could no longer pass as a high school senior, and she had nearly lost every sign that she had gone through puberty. Depressed about her condition, Monster Girl began recklessly using her powers, heedless of the damage she was doing to herself.

The Guardians of the Globe

By the time Monster Girl joined the new Guardians of the Globe team, she had the body of a 13-year old girl though she was chronologically 29. The bizarre disconnect between her child-like appearance and her somewhat randy adult behaviour made some of her teammates uncomfortable. Yet, Monster Girl proved to be a great asset to the Guardians in the field.

The team’s leader and resident genius, Robot, committed to helping Amanda find a solution for her unfortunate situation.

Robot came up with a variety of ideas to aid Amanda, or to a least temporarily mitigate the curse’s effects. His first solution involved a high-tech suit of battle armor that was originally designed for a de-powered Black Samson.

The suit granted her a measure of protection for her frail human body, while also allowing her to use the fighting skills she had acquired over the years without having to resort to her Monster form.

Unfortunately, this solution had limited success. The suit’s power levels were dwarfed by her Monstrous alter ego’s. Thus, when she found herself in battle with Omnipotus she found herself forced to resort to the Monster in order to be effective. The suit was shattered when Amanda triggered the transformation into the hulking creature.

“Young” Love, part 1

Shortly thereafter, Robot revealed his true identity to the Guardians. The group responded to his secret with mixed reactions, but the only person’s opinion that he cared about was Amanda’s.

Robot approached her immediately and confided in her that it was her own struggles with her curse that inspired him to find a way to leave the confines of his former self’s isolated life support chamber.

Amanda was initially taken aback by Robot’s confession, but quickly adjusted to his new reality. She made it abundantly clear that the two would not be having a romantic relationship but that a friendship between the two would be interesting.

Amanda and Robot (who told her to call him Rudy) found themselves falling in love despite Amanda’s reluctance to do so. As the two became a couple, Robot came up with a secondary solution for Amanda’s problem. He constructed a robotic duplicate of Amanda’s monster form and a remote control that would allow her to control it from the Guardian’s Utah headquarters.

“Young” Love, part 2

This attempt was a gross failure. Amanda’s human intelligence couldn’t cope with the complexity of action that the duplicate needed to function.

Frustration bloomed in Amanda as over the course of a year, menace after menace reared their ugly heads, forcing her to assume her monstrous alter-ego time and again. Between the stresses from quitting the Guardian’s (due to a disagreement with how the Guardians’ handler attacked Invincible) and her ever increasing rate of de-aging, Amanda finally blew up at Robot, demanding a cure.

Fortunately for her, Robot had created one. Robot gave Amanda a belt that was resistant to the magic released during her transformation from human girl to Monster. The belt monitored and regulated her genetic structure, repairing the flaw that the curse introduced into it which caused her de-aging.

The Flaxxans, part 1

Amanda’s adventures continued at a hectic clip from that point forward. Both she and Rudy participated in several adventures, including the Invincible War which saw the destruction of several world landmarks, the loss of thousands of lives (including that of Rex-Splode) and the decimation of the Guardians of the Globe.

With the Guardians’ tragic losses, Amanda and Rudy (who had rechristened himself as Rex in honour of their fallen comrade) rejoined the group. Their goal was to give them the desperate boost in power that they needed.

Eventually, the Flaxxan Empire invaded from their home dimension in order to renew their conflict with the people of Earth. Amanda and Rex were both present during the invasion, and pursued the Flaxxan’s retreating forces through the dimensional portal while they were eventually routed.

When they reached the Flaxxan dimension, they quickly realized that the portal had closed behind them and the rest of the Guardians had not followed. Trapped and alone, the two were taken captive and imprisoned for years. While they were imprisoned, Rex spent his time planning their next move and learning the Flaxxan language.

Amanda, spent her time either waiting patiently or fighting as a gladiator for the entertainment of the masses.

The Flaxxans, part 2

The two eventually broke free and led a rebellion against the Flaxxan nobility. Despite their power and the numbers of the rebels, they lost. Or so it was supposed to appear. Rex’s plan was a long term one wherein the two heroes would change the Flaxxan Empire’s people from within generation after generation.

While imprisoned, Rex and Amanda had noticed an unusual property of the Flaxxan dimension. While they were with the dimension, they aged at an unusually slow rate. Through tales of their heroism, or displays of raw power, Amanda and Rex eventually succeeded in inspiring the majority of the Flaxxan people to fall behind them.

They created a massive army and overthrew the Flaxxan ruling class and created a golden age of peace amongst the Flaxxan people.

Amanda eventually noticed significant physical changes as Rex’s belt did it’s work. She eventually grew up into a buxom beauty, even as Rex’s youthful frame grew and filled out into adulthood. The two consummated their relationship and ruled the Empire as Emperor and Queen for generations.

Unfortunately, Rex eventually realized exactly how heavy the crown was, and began to neglect Amanda.

The Flaxxans, part 3

Amanda, who had never been able to learn the Flaxxan’s language, became lonely and embittered and eventually turned to the remnants of the former Flaxxan ruling class for comfort. They had taken the effort to learn English and they were able to communicate freely. Over time, Amanda grew sympathetic to their cause and second class treatment at the hands of the new world order.

One of their number, a female grew particularly close to Amanda. The two spent nearly every waking moment together, and eventually (due to Amanda’s loneliness) they began a physical relationship. During their rendezvous, Amanda would assume her monstrous form and make love with the female.

Eventually, Amanda decided that enough was enough and that their treatment as so unfair that she decided to overthrow Rex.

Duped !

The enacted a plan that waited for Rex’s guard to be lowered, and then had the former ruling class attack with abandon. When Rex’s attention was focused upon them, she attacked him herself and took him prisoner. It was shortly thereafter that Amanda realized that she had been duped.

Once they had regained power, the former ruling class had immediately and systematically started to murder their former oppressors and prepared to invade other dimensions once more.

Enraged, Amanda broke Rex free. The two joined forces once more to regain control of the Empire. The fight was fierce yet brief and in a short period of time, Rex was firmly back in control of the Empire. However, the fracture that had come at Amanda’s betrayal was seemingly irreparable.

Despondent and homesick, Rex decided to return to Earth and leave the Flaxxan’s to their own devices. Amanda, left with nothing decided to return with him. All in all, the two were gone from the Earth dimension for a few months. However, for the two of them, over seven hundred years had passed.

Father dearest

Amanda and Rex rejoined the Guardians of the Globe, but their relationship was definitively over. They were able to fight alongside one another, but couldn’t be in the same room otherwise. Months passed again, and predictably the Flaxxan Empire attacked once more.

Amanda, Rex and the other Guardians arrived in Britain to face down their forces. They nearly succeeded in routing them within minutes of their appearance when the new Flaxxan Emperor appeared on the battlefield.

The Flaxxan Emperor single-handedly wiped out most of the Guardians. His strength and weaponry seemed overwhelming. He eventually came face to face with Amanda in her Monster form and the two engaged in one-on-one physical combat. When Amanda knocked his helmet loose with a sledgehammer blow, she was greeted by a face uncannily similar to her own monstrous visage.

Monax, as the Emperor named himself, was the bastard son produced by her brief affair with the ruling class female. When Amanda and Rex abandoned the Empire, Monax rose to power quickly and turned them back into a race of conquerors.

Despite their familial relationship, Amanda did battle with her son but her shock at his appearance and existence allowed him to gain the upper hand and blast her into helplessness. As he gloated over his victory, Robot teleported into the battleground personally with a veritable army of automatons and drove Monax off.

Reconciled

While the two had a brief respite, Amanda listened to Robot as he apologized for his inadequacies and begged for her forgiveness. Even as he finished apologizing, Amanda rose to her feet and defended him from Monax who had broken free of the other automatons.

The two former lovers then joined forces to battle and distract Monax long enough for the barely recovered Guardians to defeat the Flaxxan troops. When the Flaxxan’s were finally in custody, Amanda herself landed the final blow on her son and took him into custody.

With that, Rex and Amanda reconciled their past sins and became a couple once more. The two remain members of the Guardians of the Globe to this day.

Description

While still afflicted by the curse, Amanda’s human form was that of a small pretty girl with a slight build and long brown hair. She tended to wear skirts and kiddie blouses and her long hair pulled back into a single pony tail. Despite her apparent youth (physically she appeared to be a 12 year old), her eyes and body language suggested her true age.

Now that her curse is under control, Amanda has matured into the typical “Image-Style” knockout. She is a buxom, blue eyed, brown haired beauty whose clothing leaves little to the imagination. Her lifetime in the Flaxxan Empire has given her a unique fashion sense. She tends to wear clothing based on that which would be found within the Empire during her time there.

Monster form

Her monstrous form is a great deal more intimidating. The Monster is a walking mountain of muscle, and is male. It has green pock marked skin and a hairless body. It’s ears are pointed, almost Elven, in appearance. It seems to possess all of the expected human appendages (it has two eyes, two arms, two legs, 10 fingers, etc), but all at greater proportions than that of the average human male.

At it’s current standing, the Monster is over 8 feet tall and weighs over half ton. Initially, the only clothes the Monster was ever seen wearing was a brown loin-cloth to protect its modestly and two leathery brown wristbands around its wrists. In recent days, the Monster wears a gold, black and orange unitard that covers its torso and mid-section, but leaves its legs bare.

At it’s largest, the Monster was over 12 feet tall and weighed well over a ton. Over the 700 years that Amanda spent in the Flaxxan dimension, she physically aged back into the body of a young 20 something woman. With that in mind, the Monster’s size (and strength) has reduced proportionately as well.

Robert Kirkman has stated plainly in the letter column that the Monster is supposed to be slightly larger than a very large man but the artist (Ryan Ottely) has continued to draw the Monster exceptionally large. Only time will tell whether or not this changes.

Personality

Previously Amanda was a mess. At the opening of the series, she was chronologically 29 years old but had all of the normal appetites and desires of a woman her age. This resulted in an immediate and bizarre disconnect for individuals who first met her as a child.

Her childlike appearance clashed with her somewhat randy adult behaviour and made most of the people that surrounded her uncomfortable. The sad result of this fact was that she had few, if any true friends. With this in mind, it was easy to understand why Amanda was extremely lonely, at least she was until she met and fell in love with Robot.

Even when the personal cost to her physical being was unbelievably high, Amanda would use her powers to defend the innocent. The reason was always simple; when the weak are in danger, it is up to the strong to help.

Simply put, Monster Girl is a hero. She has and will continue to risk her own physical well being (especially when there’s no one else who can fight) in order to battle the forces of evil.

Evolutions

After her time in the Flaxxan dimension, Monster Girl is much more liberated. She is confident, cool and knows the effect that her looks have on the men who surround her. Gone are the days of self pity and angst. She has regained her centre, and exudes confidence.

In combat, Monster Girl is aggressive and reacts without much of a plan. She tends to use brute force when perhaps other solutions may be equally as successful. In either case, it has been rare that she encountered anything or anyone with the strength it would take to actually hurt her Monster form or that was capable of resisting her strength.

Quotes

Monster Girl: “I’m a 29 year old woman, Robot ! I have feelings and emotions and urges just like any normal adult. My appearance is an unfortunate side effect of my superpower but I can’t let it cripple me for life.”
Robot: “I understand that but…”
Monster Girl: “No you don’t understand. Ever since I got these powers when I was 16 my aging process has been reversed ! I’ve got to look myself in the mirror every day and watch every single sign of maturity and growth wash away ! I couldn’t go to my senior prom because I looked like a 14 year old. If things keep going the way they’re going… I’m about eight years away from infancy. I’m going to have to give this up soon. I’ve dealt with it… I’ve tried everything. The only thing that allows me to have a halfway normal life is if I ignore it. But it’s always there… always in the back of my mind. And other people are always there to remind me.”

“I don’t know about you pansies, but I’ve been at this for six hours and I haven’t even broken a sweat. Whatever it takes, we’re beating these clowns !”

Robot: “I think I may actually be able to cure you — if it works, you’ll be aging normally in no time.”
Monster Girl: “Don’t take this the wrong way — I’ve just been like this for a long time. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I’m pissed okay ?! We’re working on coming up with a name for our team while I’m still getting younger every time I use my powers ! You said you’d fix me, Rudy ! You were confident ! Damn it, I believed in you !”

“You’re wasting your time ! You’ll never get through my skin — and you’ll never overpower me ! I’m too strong for you !!”

DC Universe History

Monster Girl could be slapped directly into any DC campaign or comic. It would be interesting to see how she would interact with some of the members of the DCU’s magical community. Constantine perhaps?

Should could also become a standard fixture within the Teen Titans book. She would obviously have some chemistry with Vic Stone or even Beast Boy.

By Bryan Gittens.

Source of Character: Image Comics Series – Invincible, created by Robert Kirkman (author), Cory Walker (illustrator) & Ryan Ottley (illustator).

Helper(s): Cocurts.

Writeup completed on the 28^th of December, 2012.