Revision as of 11:41, 17 September 2016

This page has been marked as a creative work in progress. The author of this article has marked this as a creative work, and would prefer that other users not edit it. Please respect this, and unless repairing a typo, spelling, or other minor technical error, think of this page as read-only.

Personality and Demeanour

Early Years

"What would you do if you had been hunted your entire life? Forced to flee from one place of safety to the next, worrying when word would come that you'd been spotted and would have to start over. Consumed by paranoia, forever looking over your shoulder and wondering if that friend you made was genuine or planned on sticking a knife between your ribs? Balanced precariously, a mere knife's edge from death at any time. All it would take was a slip of your tongue ... I wonder, would you continue to let fear dictate your life or would you turn the tables on those who sought to persecute you? Such is the measure of a woman's resolve. And I've never been lacking in that area." - Jen

Jennifer Anne Pangaea was born Jennifer Anne Tapley on the 22nd November, 1981 at Rhode Island, New York. A strong willed, precocious child, Jen quickly proved a handful for a couple seeking shelter from the harsh realities of life on the run and who were determined to keep a low profile. Pursued relentlessly from birth by the twisted, modern day incarnation of an ideological, family split thousands of years before she was born, Jen inherited a lifelong enemy from the moment she first drew breath.

All this because she was born to an ancient bloodline marked for death.

Her early pre-school life was spent mostly in the company of people she didn't know, as both her parents were doctors and she was left in the care of trusted allies of the family. She shared those early years with an unruly and at times spoiled little sister, Harriet Samantha Tapley. She and her sibling were taught from a young age how to blend in and avoid attention, and it was perhaps this continued insistence on leading such unremarkable lives that led Jen and Harriet to grow up in opposition to their parents. Where their parents shied from attention, fearful of what might follow, the sisters would end up embracing it.

This pleased neither of their parents, but it did ultimately force a rethink in family policy.

At school the sisters drew attention wherever the went, but for the wrong reasons. Jen was a willowy girl, tall for her age but socially awkward and a favourite of the local bullies, while Harriet was the life of the party, but was disruptive, even confrontational and became a nightmare for teaching staff. Growing up, both girls were academically gifted, though Harriet eschewed the life of a student for that of a prima-donna and cheerleader, the embodiment of the prototypical plastic girl, while Jen became increasingly withdrawn and shy, harbouring resentment and hatred towards those who had oppressed her. This resulted in Jen's alignment shifting towards Lawful Evil (LE) where it would remain for much of her life.

That all changed when they hit puberty. Jen, long since the outcast, blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Combined with a keen intellect, this gave her a newfound sense of power. Unable to direct her anger towards her real enemy, Jen began to abuse her power by taking her anger out on fellow students. She found a sense of freedom and personal identity in being as mean-spirited, spiteful and manipulative towards her fellow students as the enemy had been toward her. Were it not for her stellar grades, no doubt she would've been labelled a 'problem child' by the school system.

After high school Jen began to study medicine, not out of a concern for her fellows, but out of a fascination for "how disgusting and yet magnificent" the human body was. Against her parent's advice, she went to the university of Southern California in San Francisco, one of the best medical schools in the country. Here she excelled, both as a student and a prospective doctor. Despite thriving, Jen found herself stifled, unable to exercise her darker impulses for fear of being cast out. Directing her troubles inward, she became a profoundly disturbed, though brilliant young woman.

At twenty two, half way through her degree, Harriet was discovered after attending a political rally, her stunt captured and broadcast on YouTube where it quickly turned viral. Forced to flee after an assassination attempt was foiled at the last moment by her parents, Jen reluctantly took Harriet back to New York and cut all contact with them, going dark per family protocol and following the logic that her enemies wouldn't expect her to return somewhere she'd been. It worked and for the next two years as Jen worked in low key jobs, finding relief from her frustrations in the form of the alternative sexuality (BDSM) scene, she grew increasingly disquiet as for the first time in her life, she was making decisions for herself, not in reaction to a nebulous threat hanging over her head. In the alternate scene, Jen found power to coincide with her growing sense of agency. Here she ruled as a tyrant and queen. For once, Jen felt as she imagined other people did, the architect of her own destiny.

An increasingly frustrated and disenfranchised Jen decided to return to her medical studies, but this time in New York. Reasoning that the more people there were, the harder it would be for her enemy to locate her, she finished her medical training at the less prestigious Cornell University. With no incident since San Francisco, Jen had began to put the threat of the enemy behind her and in her eagerness to be tested against the most deplorable conditions in the country, she accepted an intern program with Mercy Hospital in Detroit. Harriet, meanwhile, elected to stay in the big apple to begin her Law degree.

It was in Detroit, shortly to be renamed Millennium City, that a twenty something Jen would meet another intern who would go on to become her best friend in life and the emotional core of her being, Connor Jensen.

Internship at Mercy Hospital

Jen and Connor clicked right away. He was sarcastic, wise cracking and had a big heart while Jen was stoic, serious and driven, the straight (wo)man to his comic relief. She found comfort in him, relief from both the intense feelings within her and her circumstances in general. Despite her serious, demanding, type A persona, she showed signs of who she would later become and it was probably these glimpses that caused him to quietly adore her. During these moments, Jen found a calmness. She became profoundly disturbed to realise that, despite her bluster and insistence that she didn't need anyone, she cared what he and others thought about her.

At 31, she was now in her second year of residency, third overall at Mercy. Even as an intern, Jen's remarkable ability to focus under immense pressure was noted and so it wasn't long before she caught the eye of the Chief of Surgery. After a gruelling selection process, during which a mistake in the Operating Room (OR) had threatened the lives of a half dozen transplant patients affected by rabies, resulted in Jen's quick thinking resolving the situation, the answer was pushed beyond doubt. Jen was unanimously selected as the next Chief of Surgery despite criticisms of her ability to relate with patients and a storied complaint history from staff. Jen wasn't perhaps the surgeon the hospital wanted, but it was the one it needed.

Despite boasting the worst patient-doctor record in recent history, Jen was given the nod from Chief Medical Director Dr Harry Cox with the proviso that she work hard on improving her patient rapport.

Alignment Shift

It was during her tenure as Chief of Surgery that Jen began to open up. She first met and then befriended some locals at Club Caprice, Aisling "Ai" Narakyo, Briana and Evelyn. To their credit, they saw through Jen's demanding facade. As the months passed, they showed her more kindness and consideration than she had experienced in her thirty one years, welcoming even her impetuous "queen bee" attitude to them and anyone else in her life. As time passed, she found herself increasingly at odds with her demanding need for attention and the deplorable way she viewed other people. It was only later in life when she realised just what a gift they had been, after the group fell apart and went their separate ways.

In the aftermath of losing the only people she had ever really cared about, Jen was forced to confront the changes within her that had led her to this point. The person she saw staring back at her was a far cry from the woman who had taken an almost perverse joy in making others uncomfortable or even fearful around her. It occured to her that she felt happiest when other people were happy and fit neatly within the roles that she envisioned for them. She resolved from then on to treat other people with the kindness that her friends had shown her and to do everything in her power to make other people feel protected and valued by her. In the words of a fellow doctor with whom Jen shared an antagonistic relationship at Mercy, "She's found her place in life. At long last." . Put another way, at long last Jen's state of arrested development was over.

Chief of Surgery

Professionally, Jen was considered a freak. Able to distance herself from all emotional considerations, she was the surgeon's surgeon. Impeccable and meticulous, despite ongoing complaints about her doctor-patient interaction, her surgical record was flawless. It was during this time that Jen became involved in emergency services. Finding herself naturally adapted for the worst possible situations (when other people tended to fall to pieces) Jen quickly climbed the ladder to become the co-ordinator for Millenium City Emergency Services Accident and Disaster Response (ESADR). It was here that she developed the foundation she needed to begin transitioning into an administrative position at Mercy.

While she was the Chief of Surgery, Jen displayed a natural aptitude for handling both the trappings of power and the bureaucracy that came with it, without being corrupted by either. This caught the eye of Dr Harry Cox, the then Chief Medical Director. He began grooming her without her knowledge or consent, involving her in classes aimed at improving her poor patient rapport as well as mundane things like book-keeping. She grew increasingly disconsolate, both with his apparent need to force extra duties on her (and only her) and the continued lack of explanation for why. Finally, a frustrated Jen confronted him in his office and proceeded to yell at him for ten minutes about what he was doing to her, how she didn't like it and how she wouldn't stand for it anymore.

Dr Cox grinned at and said calmly "Jen, I'm stepping down as Chief Medical Director soon. I want you take my place."

Jen was speechless as he put his hands on the arms of his high-backed executive chair and rose from his seat. He paced over to a large oil painting of Nike, the Goddess of Victory, holding her flaming torch aloft, her triumphant, smirking visage looming over him.

"Do you know why I keep this here?" he asked her

She shook her head mutely.

"It's to remind me that it doesn't matter what I have to do, how much I have to sacrifice - for make no mistake Jen, this job is all about compromise and self-sacrifice - what matters is winning. Sometimes, that means having the stomach to play the bad guy. Something tells me you already have that down." He smiled at her wryly, a twinkle in his eye.

"It wasn't your ability to handle pressure." he confirmed, a hint of fondness for her in his voice "Nor was it your surgical record, which I'm led to believe is one of the best in the state."

"I put your name forward because you remind me so much of Her. You know what's important in life, Jen." his grin became almost chesire-like, "There is no one more fiercely dedicated to staff or patients than you and certainly no one with your gift for pulling out the win in impossible situations ... In a city as bad as this, reeling from catastrophe to catastrophe on a daily basis, the hospital needs someone like that at the helm. Someone to make the play with five seconds on the clock when we're down by two."

He went on, listing the sorts of things she would have to do and reminding her that she would need to continue working on her patient rapport if she were ever to last in the big chair, but Jen was barely listening. She already knew all those things. Before her, the world opened with possibility.

Chief Medical Director

Jen's tenure as Chief Medical Director, a position that lasted two and half years, was one of the most divisive yet fondly remembered in hospital history. The early months saw Jen revert to type, imposing her will on everyone else and generally stifling individual agency as she tried to micromanage everyone. Complaints were leveled and a few of the senior doctors even resigned, citing personal and professional conflicts with the Chief. As she settled in though and with the continued support of her friends, Jen learned to take her hands off.

Under her ever watchful and masterful eye, Mercy flourished. She revitalised the tired, old hospital which had grown run down under Dr Cox's last years before retirement. She revamped the logistical systems, designed new training packages and masterminded a brilliant scheme to see hospital policy bring alternative healing under the hospital's operational umbrella. With new policy in hand, Jen approached the Superhero community and after a short, pitched battle, managed to sell the Board of Directors on the idea of healers and physicians working side by side. Six months later, Mercy's first healer clinic opened up and began to invite credible healers from all walks of life, including those who harnessed the arcane arts.

Long since understaffed and crippled by frequent budget cuts, Jen's gamble on the Superhero community paid off spectactularly. With a sudden marked loss in stress reported by many staff, Jen immediately handed out blanket raises, offering the Board publically that she would take a pay cut if necessary to help fund it. The once hated Dragon of Mercy had become it's darling. Patients and staff alike were stunned at the change. As one doctor put it

"Nobody expected Jen's heel-face turn. She seemed to flip from being the queen bitch of the universe to one of the most benevolent people I have ever known. No one thought it would last, but it did. When she encouraged and supported us without clipping our wings? We noticed. When she brought the supers in -and- increased our pay? We noticed. And when she declared mandatory breaks and cut work hours while maintaining our overall salary? We -definitely- noticed. How could you not love someone who looked out for you like that? It's as if she had changed from putting herself first, to putting everyone else first." - Dr Maria Hill

Jen's reign as Chief Medical Director was two and a half years of peaceful bliss (with the notable exception of a major incident under The Enemy section) before she was approached by a representative from the city council with an offer. Not for the first time, Jen would be headhunted.

Political Career

Approached by a member of city council impressed with how she handled Mercy, it was suggested to Jen that she run for local office. On the back of her sterling stewardship of Mercy as well as her career with ESADR, Jen's political campaign was a tight ship. In a close race with a fellow candidate, CEO of one of the city's many research and development organisations, she narrowly lost the vote. When the CEO stepped down from being a councillor three months later citing 'private concerns', Jen's place was assured.

For eighteen months Jen worked as a Councillor of Millenium City on the back of mainly health related reforms. In all, she did well, but her insistence on a medical focus exasperated her colleagues, who wanted her to adopt a broader attitude to council policy. It was quietly suggested to Jen that she step down, but not before she caught the eye of someone at national.

National Senate and the Present

Jen's dalliance with national congress was a brief and unhappy one. Seduced by the promise of making a difference in people's lives, a naieve Jen joined the Republican party and fell under the sway of a manipulative, power hungry politican (later revealed to be one of the Enemy in disguise). With the aid of his scheming son, they woo'ed Jen and his son proposed to her. She accepted the engagement. Without her realising it, the Enemy had successfully broken her spirit by causing her to turn her back on the things she valued.

A week later, lips soaked in booze, a distraught Jen found herself sitting by -that- pool of water in central D.C, questioning her life. Something in the moonlit surface caused Jen to cast her thoughts back to the last time she was happy. The answer was obvious. Millenium City.

And so it was that a broken Jen fled the national scene and turned to the one person she knew could provide comfort. Connor.

And that's how he found her late one night at Mercy, dressed in a days old, crinkled suit, hair dishevelled and looking like she hadn't slept in a week, sporting a giant, jewel encrusted engagement ring on one finger ...

The Enemy (a.k.a The Illuminati)

Most heroes find a nemesis partway through their heroing career, someone diametrically opposed to them and what they stand for.

Jen inherited one at birth.

<<<to finish>>>

In the waning months of her two and a half year tenure as Chief of Surgery, Jen's enemies at last caught up with her. A failed assassination attempt, the bullet intended for Jen, saw her sister put in the emergency room on deathwatch. A frustrated follow up saw a private mercenary killer, Malice, sent after Jen personally, but after the initial attempt put her and Connor on high alert, Jen made sure everyone was on notice about future attempts. It was because of this that Malice arrived to find her and Connor in his apartment, only to be blindsided by Ai and Calilla (a female super whose life she had once saved years ago) arriving soon after. In a pitched battle Jen was injured, Connor's reactor overloaded and the apartment was reduced to a ruin, but Malice was fended off.

An angry Jen, went public about the attempts on her life and upped the stakes, by declaring that future attempts would cause her to release the information she had obtained on the Illuminati and their operational procedures onto the Internet.

Aware of the breach and fearful of being exposed, the attacks stopped immediately and an uneasy truce was called.

For the first time ever, Jen had won a battle against her hated enemy.