Canadian Shield

Samantha (Sam) Cartier was born in Sudbury Ontario, to Jake and Fran Cartier. A Canada Day baby (July 1st), Sam's father always joked that the fireworks of the day were celebrating Sam's birthday. These fireworks were what started Samantha's obsession with light sculpture. Sam studied pyrotechnics at a young age, but quickly found that it was the brilliant coloured lights of the fireworks, not the explosions, that she loved. With her path chosen, Samantha dove into the study of Optics, Photons, and Physics. She absorbed every piece of data she could get her hands on, and by the age of 15, Sam had built her first Holographic imager. It was clunky and rough, but impressive for her age, and got the attention of Dr Frank North; a physics major specializing in Optical studies. It was Dr. North that gave Sam the tools she needed to truly excel in her chosen field. While interning under Dr. North, Sam was able to push her entire high school career to under a year, and make major headway on her path to an physics major. While working with North, Samantha also perfected the first version of her Solid Holographic Light Device, or SHLD. the SHLD tech allowed Sam to project light solid enough to stop a tank shell, which she could shape into bolts and fields. Samantha considered the possibilities of her invention in mining and excavation, but Dr. North had other, grander, ideas for Sam's new device. Samantha and Dr. North worked at miniaturizing the SHLD, so it could be built into a work suit instead of being carried about. Once the suit's first prototype was done (and dubbed the Shield Suit), it took very little prodding from North to get Sam to test it in a more heroic fashion. Thus, the Canadian Shield was born.