Zandra Marie Niko

**Zandra Marie Niko**, known as simply as **Niko** and/or **The Wonder Kitty,** is one of the main characters in the on-going comic, *Mari Solinski and The Wonder Kitty*. Her main job is as a mail room clerk working at the fictional Kingsville, Texas newspaper THE LION GAZETTE, although she has aspirations to become a reporter. With her long time best friend, Mari Solinski, she became involved in a UFO incident that gave her all the powers of a cat. The incident resulted in an affiliation with personnel from the United States military who intend to guide her and Mari to use their power wisely. For that purpose she and Mari were given the rank of Captain in the United States Air Force under command of Major General Joseph Elliot Kawallis who attempts to include them in national and, some times, world security functions as "super heroes."

## Background

**Zandra Marie Niko** was born in Kingsville, Texas on August 9, 1987 to Juan Niko, a postal letter-carrier, and Jessica Niko (nee Marquez). She was born, albeit unbeknownst to her, the same week as her long time friend, Mari Solinski. Her parents were from Ricardo, Texas...where she lived hear whole school aged life in some capacity. She attended Ricardo and Kingsville ISD schools including Gillette Intermediate School, Memorial Middle School and H.M. King High School.

Tragedy stuck the Niko family when Jessica passed away in 1997. This severely affected the family since Juan Niko would have to raise Zandra on his own. They struggled for a number of year until Juan moved back in with his parents in 1999. This proved temporary as Juan himself found a house in Kingsville while still maintaining the ranch property in Ricardo, Tx. They had a horse named "Friday," which Zandra would take care of on weekends and care for deeply.

In 1999, as she attended Kingsville ISD's Gillette Intermediate School she met and befriended Mari Ashley Solinski after they were blamed for a disturbance in the cafeteria. Niko claimed she had "heard a strange sound," this wound was followed by a major mess to which the girls were both blamed and sent to detention.

The two took similar classes eventually taking a class in Journalism during middle school. This led to a love for the subject and the two resolved to be reporters as their chosen career. They pursued this at H.M. King where they graduated as members of the Class of 2004.

The girls went on the attend Texas A&M University-Kingsville, known as TAMUK, and eventually got their degrees in Journalism and Communication in 2008. This was a mixed blessing as there were no jobs in journalism in South Texas due to THE GREAT RECESSION. This led to some questionable employment history as they took many menial jobs to which they were vastly over qualified. This led them to meet Dr. Lola Alotta, advice columnist for THE LION GAZETTE. Dr. Lola was unable to get them work as journalists, however, feeling guilty she got them fired from their fast food job, she got them a "foot in the door" as clerks in the paper's mail room.

## Personality

Niko, at first glance, has a sort of nervous and anxious personality and is the more "cautious" of the two. She greatly values friendship, but sometimes has trepidations about new situations. In "Origins" she feels a bit depressed about having lost so many jobs and questions "why it was all so hard?" Often times, she tends to stand behind Mari as they attempt to understand the situation. When introduced to LION GAZETTE STAFF by Robert Seagull, she says almost nothing as Mari gives an excellent speech. She does get bored at times, however, her nervousness usually keeps her alert.

While Mari is the more vocal, Niko often speak for the pair when Mari is stunned or otherwise baffled.

She is a fan of Justin Bieber of who's music she has followed on the internet, to the point of hanging a Justin Bieber calendar in her work area. Her main fears involve being fired and having to get another job. In "The Prisoner Agenda," her relative bliss is temporarily disrupted when she believes she is being "let go" from The LION GAZETTE. In reality she and Mari are being send to Europe to cover a NATO Conference.

Niko is also a very sentimental person. When Mari Solinski was kidnapped in Paris, France by Capt Fritz Dreyfus and his associates Niko broke down crying that she had done nothing to prevent the kidnapping and that she should have done more. Major General Kawallis consoled he citing that her actions had led to swift action. These self-doubts plague Niko. Later, when recusing Queen Maria from The Dark Duke, Niko falls a drawbridge allowing soldiers to storm Zanduh Castle. She immediately seeks humble validation from Mari and Major General Kawallis.

## Powers

Niko's powers manifested, the ability to KITTYFORM, were evident from the start, whereas Mari's powers revealed themselves over time. These KITTYFORM powers include...

KITTYFORM

Ability to Talk cats

Ability to attract groups of cats

Heightened Awareness and Senses (including voluntary acute hearing)

## Military Service

Niko, along with Mari, were given commissions in the United States Air Force as a result of having made contact with Steve the Alien. The antagonistic Lt. General Morelli, fearing for his career after the mishandling of that incident, secured an executive order from President Barrack H. Obama freeing Mari and Niko from any punishment for their actions. The reason for this was so that Major General Kawallis could monitor their actions and new found and developing powers. This agreement sees Mari and Niko reporting to Seeligson Air Force Base where they conduct Public Affairs for the base and undergo routine tests to determine the exact effects of their powers.

In 2009 Zandra Niko was officially attached to LION SQUAD, the name for the Super Hero Team of sorts created to deal with extraordinary threats to the United States, the United Kingdom and the earth.

### Awards

Niko, along with her friend Mari Solinski, were initially awarded three ribbons. An Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Air Force Auxiliary Membership Award and and Air Force Auxiliary Disaster Relief Ribbon with a V (for the Battle of Dick Kleberg Park). By late 2009, the two had earned a National Defense Service Medal and was given permission to wear the Von Arthur Cross.

While on a weeklong summer training exercise at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, Niko stayed on base and qualified as a small arms expect. She had been going to the pistol range and training with Charlie Murphy for a few months and met the criteria to earn a USAF Small Arms Expert ribbon. Later, when on the run from General Morelli, Mari noticed the ribbon and was some what put off that Niko had one more award ribbon than she did.

Also, in mid-2009, Mari qualified as a Public Affairs Technician's rating as part of her adherence to the US Air Force's continuum of professional military education provided by the Air University.

## Relationship with Charlie Murphy

Zandra Niko began to associate with Lion Gazette Building Security Chief Charlie Murphy between the events of The Prisoner Agenda and The Heist. This includes, but is not limited to, assisting in the mailroom, watching FLASH ANIMATION together, sharing food from downtown restaurants and Niko hanging around the security desk. Mari Solisnki begins to suspect this, however Niko is unaware of her growing closeness to the Security Chief until Mari points it out after a brazen example. Mari is not so much upset at Niko having a potential boyfriend as she is that work is piling up because of the distraction.

Niko is, at first, somewhat distressed by this...but comes to realize she really does like Charlie. It is obvious to them both that Charlie sees something in Niko.

In The Heist, we discover that Niko has been taking fire arms training with Charlie to the point where she qualifies at Lackland Air Force Base as a USAF Small Arms expert attaining one more ribbon than Mari. This fact causes Mari to be a bit envious as Mari had hope the two would move forward in their military career in tandem.

By the time of The Druid's Secret, Charlie and Niko are an "official" couple who's dating life has come to disrupt Mari and Niko's quality time.

## Appearances

Issue #1: "Origins"

Issue #2: "The Prisoner Agenda"

Issue #3: "The Heist"

Issue #3A "Mari Solinski and The Wonder Kitty meet The MIGHTY ENERGYGIRL"

Issue #4: The Druid's Secret