Major General Joseph Elliot Kawallis

Major General Joseph Elliot Kawallis is one of the main characters in the on-going comic, *The Improbable Girl and The Wonder Kitty*. He is a general officer in the United States Air Force who's charged with organizing a group of "augmented humans" into a force for good in the world. Originally, he commanded an Aerospace based operation at the then struggling Seeligson Air Force Base near Premont, Texas. In 2009, a UFO was reported headed for South Texas and he was assigned to establish a security zone around it using very limited resources, Seeligson AFB was slated for closure later that year. In the course of the incident he became familiar with Mari Solinski and Niko when they, while trying to get a story for The LION GAZETTE to prove their mantle as reporters, were given superpowers by a visiting alien they named "Steve."

After the incident concluded, Maj. Gen. Kawallis, along with his supervisor US Army Lt. General John F. Morelli, offered the girls the opportunity to serve their country, They would receive commissions as captains in the US Air Force serving under Kawallis doing "missions for America." Lt. General Morelli placed their care and training in the hands of Kawallis who, while not keen on their lack of military bearing, serves as both a protector and mentor figure to the young heroes.

As the story arcs play out, Maj. General Kawallis proves to be Mari and Niko's greatest benefactor protecting them and guiding them through whatever incidents arise.

## Background

Joseph Elliot Kawallis was born on July 5, 1964 to Stavros Kawallis and Rebecca Kawallis (nee Popadopous) He was born in Alice, Texas and raised in Premont, Texas. As a boy, he would see US Air Force personnel at the then booming Seelingson Air Force Base and decided from an early age that he would be in the US Air Force.

In 1982, he graduated from the US Air Force Academy and became heavily involved in a rocket and missile program eventually being posted in West Germany for many years. Additionally, he was serving as a fighter pilot assigned to Aviano AFB and Ramstein AFB in Europe. As a lieutenant, he was chosen for a special program where junior and mid-level officers of all services would be given a project. His project was in development of Aerospace programs in service of the Defense Department. He also spent some time attached to NATO where he met personnel from France, England, Ruritania and Italy with whom he would work with throughout his career.

In 1986 and 1987 Kawallis was informed that his eyesight had degraded due to an accident, while not going blind he no longer qualified for his status as a fighter pilot. At said time he was recruited by Lt. General Arthur MacDouglas into his F.D.I. organization. He remained in this organization as part of its SKYWATCH mission until it was disbanded in 1991.

Additionally, in 1988 Kawallis met US Marshall Rayleen Halmanson while on an assignment. The two struck up a relationship and eventually married in 1989. The two had one child, a daughter named Laine Kawallis. The marriage was quite strained with their duties keeping them apart and the two eventually divorced in 1994 with Rayleen ending up with custody of their child. Over time, Kawallis remained in his daughter's life at a distance with the younger Kawallis eventually studying abroad in Europe. While he maintains communication with her regularly and supports her ambitions, the two are basically estranged.

In 1991, he was promoted to Colonel and became the commander of Seeligson Air Force Base near his boyhood home. The facility was tops in missile and missile defense for most of the decade and became the Headquarters for the USAF SKYWATCH. He was advanced in grade to Major General when his command was expanded when, that year a "UFO" was reported over South Texas and made a landing near Realitos, Texas. The incident resulted in a "attack" that involved missiles and aircraft from Seeligson. While the incident resulted in the loss of several aircraft and the UFO itself, it was clear that there was a danger and extraterrestrial affairs was added to new General Kawallis' SKYWATCH duties. Despite this, some funding from the programs were eventually diverted to Naval Projects and Seeligson Air Force Base was slated to be closed.

By 2009, Kawallis was promoted to the rank of Major General and was entrusted to move his operations to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio and dismantle all activities at Seeligson by the end of that year.

## Association with Mari Solinski and Zandra Niko

Major General Kawallis serves as the commanding officer and sort of guardian of Mari Solinski and Zandra Niko when it comes to military matters. He first became aware of the two after the Battle of Dick Kleberg Park after which time the girls has received their super powers. Initially somewhat upset that these girls had complicated a serious matter he quickly noted that these two might end up either exploited for their powers by Lt. General Morelli or would end up in a prison or research center. Quickly, he used his clout and former F.D.I. service to gain guardianship over them under his command and eventually developed a super power team, Lion Squad, to ensure that he could somewhat control the events, assignment and missions the girls would encounter.

As their commander he quickly assigned them a military specialty which they would best be suited, that of PUBLIC AFFAIRS. This was somewhat bittersweet as he knew that these situation at hand would never allow them to fully be the journalists they intended which plays out to be true as "super hero" business interferes greatly with their reporting and consigns them to lower level jobs at The Lion Gazette, such as the mail room.

## Personality

Major General Kawallis is a stern, albeit understanding and pragmatic, military officer who serves as a mentor to Mari Solinski and Zandra Niko. He is professional in his duties but understands that the girls are in the US Air Force due to circumstance and not truly of their own choice. He does, however, take it as part of his mission to mentor them fearing that they might "break" psychologically if simply used as "tools" of US policy. To ease their role, he documents their progress and powers and has even enrolled them in the Civil Air Patrol, the Auxiliary of the US Air Force, where they can learn military protocol "in easy stages" while, in turn, mentoring youth.

Major General Kawallis does, however, harbor negative feelings about Organization ORKO, which he blames for the death of his mentor and benefactor, Lt. General Arthur MacDouglas and can sometimes display a tunnel vision like focus when dealing with said organization.

Kawallis has a rivalry relationship with Lt. General John F. Morelli of the US Army. The two have a long history with one another. Kawallis sees Morelli, at times, as an annoyance since it is clear to him that Morelli "get more" out of this rivalry than he does. Despite this, he considers Morelli an old friend and comrade.

## Appearances

Major General Kawallis appears is most of the issues in that he serves as a mentor figure for Mari Solinski and Zandra Niko. Major General Kawallis plays a major role in The Prisoner Agenda where he is directly involved with the unfolding action. He is notably absent during the Heist where he spends the majority of the action on assignment inspecting an Antarctic facility causing Mari, Niko and Percy to have to act without his guiding hand.

Story Arc #1: "Origins"

Story Arc #2: "The Prisoner Agenda"

Story Arc#3: "The Heist"

Story Arc#4: "The Druid's Secret"