Columbia

## Post -Entropy History

Beth Timbers wanted nothing of what her family offered her or expected of her. First born daughter of a well to do conservative family, her mother expected to be making princess dresses, planning her debutante ball, and affording the grandiose wedding Beth would one day have with the amazing prince charming who would eventually become branch manager of a major telecom company. Those dreams took a bit of skip when young Beth was sent home from school for kicking a boy who was two years her senior in the face for bullying other kids. The bully in question was 10, had two of his teeth knocked out. Beth's father, a successful corporate restructuring agent, understood Beth's demeanor quickly. Soon, Beth found the escape from the endless finishing classes, dance recitals, and fashion tutorials as she father taught her boxing and signed her up for martial arts classes. As a young teen, she competed in her first tae-kwon-do tournament and got fifth place after defeating opponents twice her size. Her "defeat" only drove her more. Beth wanted to be the best like no one ever was, and you think she is talking about Pokemon, she will hit you.  She saw the heroes of old and wanted to become one of them if not better than the classic fighters. When she completed high school, she joined the military. Her parents cried as she left for basic, for two different reasons. Though, being a staunch republican household, they wished their daughter luck as she fought for her country.

However, she was rejected for combat duty even after asking for extra training.  She found herself in the air corps doing drop offs for other soldiers going out to “kill terrorists” and “commies.”  When her helicopter was shot down, she single-handedly killed the assailant cell, rescued almost all of the troops, and literally dragged them to safety. Instead of a medal or a commendation, she asked for “the Treatment.”

Most soldiers knew of the “treatment,” a mysterious super soldier program that people whisper about but have no evidence for.  In reality, the treatment was an experiment by the US government in conjunction with GTI.  Of the hundreds of applicants, only 4 ever survived the process in any usable form. Most only received no consequences whatsoever. 10% died outright, usually screaming. 30% died in the course of year. 50% would endure the pain, yet never have any effect other than trauma. Some might show a spark of power or a change of the body, but few would become the super-soldiers the military was hoping for. Of those who did succeed, most were stronger, faster, more durable than other humans, up to the peak of human perfection if not beyond. However, in most of the success stories, the powers faded fast never to be re-emerge again.  Beth took up the challenge immediately and damn the consequences.  As a result she was injected, irradiated, and driven to near death on several occasions.  At the end, she stabilized, a feat rarely seen.  The new drugs given to her made her physical abilities more than perfect.  She had superhuman strength, quick reflexes, near perfect accuracy, and invulnerable skin. Her natural immune system, however fought back against the treatment and is still fighting to internalize the new power structure. While she is fine externally, and even to a doctor's trained eye she is more than perfect health, her body is a war zone on the molecular level. This resulted in several unusual side effects.

Emotionally speaking, before the treatment, Beth was driven and still over all friendly with an even keel reminiscent of western heroes or calm action heroes. While she is still driven, she seems far more disciplined and even a bit aloof. The reason, she has hidden from most people, is that she is using all her talent and training to keep her mind at ease and focused. Inside, she feels surges of powerful emotions, rage, lust, pride, arrogance. All her emotions are dialed up, though she as kept a hard reign on her fears. She thanks the Lord for letting her have the wisdom to see what was happening to her and the training to mask it. While the emotional surges are not constant, they can flare at any time. In the heat of battle, she can channel her rage and pride accordingly, as it looks like normal battle fever. Her hungers looks like the needs of a metahuman body needing to refuel itself. And yet, she knows she has to keep these under control. To help even more, she created the persona or the Greatest American Super soldier. She made her suit herself, but it took the Ad-boys to come up with a name for her. Taking a cue from what the United States had as a personification before the days of Uncle Sam, they called her "Columbia." They even age her a battle torch to add to her arsenal. She rejected it, though she does carry a battle mace that looks like the Mace of the Congress replica made battle ready.

When Paramericans reformed, she asked for a position in the acclaimed super group of patriots. However, because of her background, she was given a role in the underground militant branch, E.A.G.L.E.s. EAGLEs job was to enforce the needs of the United States any place where metahumans were needed and the Paramericans could not be seen doing. Very much a covert-ops group, Beth did her duty, though she found she hated it and did not know why. Eventually, EAGLEs was brought in to stop Paramericans from disbanding, as they had discovered that Paramericans founder, General Kilgraves, had been using an torturing a young metahuman, Omen, to act as the eyes and ears of Paramericans. Beth saw the mostly civilian gathering of Paramericans as traitors to the cause and a great lie. Without hesitation, she fought along side EAGLEs to bring the Paramericans to whatever justice they deserved. She defeated Slammer easily, and set her sights on the next target. During a fight with the shapeshifter, Night Shift repeatedly asked why they were attacking while her blows and bullets passed through him like playdough. Using a trick, and a gamble, Night Shift encapsulated her and got her to stop and demanded an answer to why she was doing it. Did she feel any doubts as to her mission. She did.

And everything went quiet. No emotional surges, no discipline needed. She understood. And she surrendered. After the EAGLEs were defeated, the Paramericans tried threatened to disclose what they had learned about the covert team as well as their own treatment. The Cane sided with Paramericans against the government and demanded a return to the Paramericans Charter. Kilgraves did not fear Paramericans. He did fear Cane. He agreed to not press charges on anyone. Columbia asked to be reinstated as member of Paramericans, siting that she could not follow her orders with EAGLEs in good conscience. Cane welcomed her to the team.

A while later, she felt an irrefutable call back home. Her father was dying from cancer and she requested time to see him before he died. During that visit, the Green Man summoned heroes to help defend Galactica from Sovereign Sorcerer. Leaving her father, she fought with the group who would go on the be called Flight of Champions. Near the end of the struggle, she got word that her father took a turn for the worse and would not have long. After Galactica was secured, the cosmic infant and Doctor Auric helped stabilize Columbia's father. They did not cure his cancer, only bought him one month of pain free days. After than he would die. Columbia thanked them both with tears and swore to help the Flight in the future. She spent the next month on leave with her family and her father. She will never forget that kindness.

As of now, she spends her time between Paramericans as both the drill instructor and team agent and Flight of Champions where she feels she is doing good work. She doesn't mind taking orders from Glory when in the field but act as her Sargent to make sure that all her tactical thoughts are good ones. In the Flight, she is considered the team lead in combat and she likes the comeradery she is getting there, even if most of the people there are people she would have avoided in her old life in Tennessee.

Currently, she has a FWB relationship with Night Shift that neither of them consider romantic. It is also something that is not that well known.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

Columbia's new found powers include super strength, enhanced agility, near impenetrable skin, and perfect aim. While she does not have a standard "Healing factor" she does have accelerated metabolism and that helps with recovery. While she cannot fly, she does have a leap that extends three stories. There are some issues (see weakness)

### Abilities

Columbia is a master combatant, trained in a multitude of hand to hand combat, firearms, survival, tactics, and strategies. While she does not mention this often, she is also fluent in Russian, Spanish, German, and Arabic. Her father taught her horseback riding as a kid and she enjoys it when she can.

### Strength level

Columbia is technically a Class I Superstrength (Lifting a max of 1 ton) she knows how to apply her strength so it looks like she is much stronger than she is.

### Weaknesses

Besides the psychological issues mentioned above (Heightened emotions and berserk rages) the Treatment is still at war with her immune system. As a result, her powers can fail her if she fatigued enough. She can hold off her "fatigue failure" though willpower and discipline, but the longer she does it, the longer her recovery period becomes. One mission, she had to hold a massive door open to get her team time to escape. The door was far beyond her max and she had been fighting hard all day she kept it up long enough and managed to escape after but she spent 4 days in bed after her adrenaline wore off. She knows now to monitor her efforts accordingly and to exhaust herself should she need something like surgery. Mostly she sees her condition as one with a fuel gauge. The less she has in the tank, the weaker, more vulnerable she becomes. After that, it just takes longer to refill.

## Paraphernalia

### Equipment:

Like a good soldier, she goes into battle with a tac-belt. In it, she has a collection of need supplies, such as pocket field medkits, ammo, even a deck of cards. She carries a 9mm automatic as well (see weapons).

### Weapons:

Mace: Her mace which is a collapsible model designed to fit in a back holster, is a replica of the Mace of Congress. While it is mostly ceremonial, she likes having the bashing weapon in her hand when she fights. She wields it like an expert fighter, as one might expect.

9mm M92S: Columbia also carries a standard issue automatic firearm.

## Common Enemies

* EAGLEs
* Red Menace
* Sovereign Sorcerer
* Madam Satan
* The Yithian

## Common Allies

Flight of Champions

Paramericans

EAGLEs

Doctor Auric

Galactica

Green Man

Night Shift

## Trivia

* She would never tell anyone this but, besides the power, she was hoping that she would also look like one for the goddesses she saw as heroes.  She was also built like a tomboy and wanted to fill out from her rugged wiry frame. It is a notion she is touchy and defensive of, to the point of violence. She is very happy with her body now.
* Has a passion for horses.
* Learning various forms of meditation and Tai-Chi.
* Will get into shouting matches over Barbecue.
* Thinks shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" are an abomination. Knows people from her hometown who were on at least three episodes.
* Practicing Episcopalian
* Has a Love/Hate relationship with the Griffin.
* Was offered a place in Sentinel Society. She accepted the Honorarium but turned down the position sighting she as in far too many groups as it was.