Corona

Corona is a supervillain and member of the Midnight Crew and Temeraire Club. Formerly retired, she has recently returned to fight alongside the Crew once more.

## Biography

Dr. Caroline Conrad was a respected particle physicist specializing in the niche field of chemical voltaics. While experimenting with new forms of solar energy collectors, she stumbled upon a startling breakthrough: a complex chemical formula that 'stored' photons indefinitely and then could be induced to emit them. Caroline's discovery could have had set solar energy technology ahead fifty years, to say nothing of the other myriad applications, but unfortunately her laboratory was being monitored by corporate spies in the employ of a multinational oil conglomerate. Realizing that Dr. Conrad's research could cost their own energy technology division billions of dollars, they began a campaign of sabotage and character assignation that resulted in her research being mocked across the entire scientific community. Her backers pulled their funding and her lab was shut down.

Unbeknownst to her enemies, however, Caroline had been working on an enhanced formula in secret. It was not only hundreds of times more effective, but it had the ability to change the chemical makeup of a living organism to impart its light-collecting properties to every cell in the subject's body. Originally intended to create an energy-producing plankton, the grief-stricken and despairing doctor drank the experimental formula herself. Instead of killing her, the chemicals strengthened her body and granted her phenomenal powers of light manipulation. Realizing the futility of trying to restart her research after being ostracized by the scientific community, she instead devoted herself to a life of crime under the alias 'Corona.' Impressed by her initial success, Perfidy offered her a spot on the Midnight Crew and, after some initial hesitation, she accepted.

Corona quickly distinguished herself with her brilliance and scientific acumen, which complimented the expertise of the equally brilliant (but hopelessly violent) Onslaught. Together the Crew rampaged across Europe in an epic years-long string of heists, stealing millions of dollars, before relocating to America when the heat became too much.

Corona was still heavily involved in the Crew's activities after they moved to Chicago, though her role became more and more focused in the background. Despite clashing with the Atlantean and his team several times, she was on friendly terms with the heroes and even aided their exploits from time to time. In 2016, she resigned from the Midnight Crew, bidding her friends a fond farewell and retiring to a small estate in Toronto where she lives to this day under house arrest (per the terms of a plea bargain with UNTIL).

## Personality

Corona is a 'lady villain,' operating with a strict code of ethics even as she schemed to commit violent crimes. She believed firmly in doing minimal harm and doesn't enjoy causing wanton destruction. She always insisted that their heists only damage corporate or government interests, impacting the lives of normal citizens as little as possible.

For years Corona acted as her team's conscience, effectively counteracting the wrathful influence of Onlsaught and Hellion. As the most mature member of the group, she had a tendency to mother her allies and supported them emotionally as well as materially. In the Crew's frequent dealings with heroes, she often acted as a mediator, and was relatively well-regarded by those heroes she encountered.

Corona might be considered greedy but she displays nowhere near as much avarice as her teammates. When she felt she had accrued enough wealth to satisfy her needs, she happily took the first chance to retire from villainy.

## Powers

Corona is a brilliant particle physicist who developed an energy field that caused photons to enter a new, static phase she calls "hardlight." This esoteric particle behavior could cause normal light to form forcefield-like shapes that, while having little real mass or substance, were extremely resistant to damage.

Through careful manipulation of hardlight forms, Corona could propel herself through the air, wrap targets in protective energy fields, or exert a powerful force at range similar to telekinesis. She could bind her foes in bubbles of light, ram them with solid cubes of force, or blind them with incredible bursts of radiance. She provided her whole team with backup flight and defensive capabilities, and in battle usually waited to counter her enemies' plans rather than trying to seize the initiative.

Corona used a comm visor identical to Perfidy's, and wore an armored suit for additional protection.

## Weaknesses

Corona's powers required the collection and conversion of normal photons into hardlight particles. Her body's cells automate this process, taking in light and creating hardlight for later use, but it takes time to accumulate power and she can only do so when light is present. As such, areas of dim light slow the regeneration of her energy and total darkness halts it entirely. As all her powers relied on hardlight particles to function, it is not unusual for her to run out of energy at the end of a long engagement.

Hardlight constructs are transparent and only partly interfere with the passage of light-based attacks such as lasers. This was a significant gap in Corona's defenses as laser weapons became more popular among UNTIL security forces.