Who's Who in "Baker's Dozen"

After I sent in Team Acenaut's workshop story and got back to work on "Baker's Dozen," it occurred to me that given the story's ever-growing cast of supers (eight so far, and counting), and the > cough! < long intervals between chapters, reader might appreciate some help in keeping the characters straight.

So ... I commissioned sketch cards of the first six supers from Brendon and Brian Fraim. I'll post these, one per day, over the next week, along with some information about each one. Readers of the story know that besides giving a girl super-powers, Bobby's card also provides her with a back-story, and I'll be describing these in somewhat more detail than the story allowed.

First up ...

1. CINDY CORLISS (The Girl Next Door)



Cindy Corliss had always been small for her age, which often made her the target of teasing and bullying by the other girls at school. That changed during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years at Middleton High School, when she inexplicably grew 18 inches in a matter of weeks, and began to manifest superhuman strength. When she returned to school in the fall, she found that although she no longer had to worry about being picked on, her imposing size and incredible strength intimidated the boys and caused the girls to avoid her. As her other powers developed -- invulnerability, super-speed, flight, super-senses -- Cindy began to throw herself into the role of super-heroine, sporting an outfit inspired by a Supergirl costume she'd once worn on Halloween and devoting hours to disaster relief and anti-bullying campaigns.

She and Bobby have begun dating, though Cindy prefers that their relationship remain a secret for the time being.

HEIGHT: (before her transformation): 4' 11" ... (after her transformation): 6' 5:
HAIR; Blonde EYES: Blue

Cool! I like this alot!

A nice response to my first post. Thanks! circes_cup is right: People like visuals.

Moving along:

2. MISS BARTLETT (The Librarian)



Becky Bartlett was hired as Middleton High School's librarian right after earning her degree in library science. Prim and conservative by temperament, and determined to conduct herself professionally in her first job, she wore high-collared blouses, buttoned up to the neck, and knee-length skirts. But as her super-powers began to emerge, a few months after Cindy's, she became more outgoing and free-spirited. Her necklines dropped, her hemlines rose, and she began using her powers openly, moving heavy bookcases with her super-strength and shelving books at super-speed. She was dismissed from her job after "shushing" a pair of unruly students with a puff of super-breath, releasing a blast of gale-force wind in the library.

Miss Bartlett now works at a law-school library in nearby Evansville. She's engaged to a law student and earns a little extra money on weekends as a one-woman crew on a moving van.

HEIGHT: 5' 4" HAIR: Brunette EYES: Hazel

Woodclaw wrote: Argo, do you what to add these still to the various chapters, pehaps as cover shots?

Thanks, but these don't depict scenes from the chapters. Maybe after they're all posted, the pictures and texts could be assembled in a single document and posted in the Library?

3. MEGAN DANFORTH (The Cheerleader):



Cheerleading captain, homecoming queen, and the unchallenged "queen bee" of Middleton High School, Megan Danforth resented the attention Cindy Corliss was receiving after her transformation into a super-girl. She was delighted, therefore, when her own super-powers emerged a few months later, assuring her domination of the student body -- for few students dared to incur her displeasure. Megan continued to abide by the "unwritten rule" that a head cheerleader should only date varsity athletes -- but none of them dated her for long once she discovered that using her super-strength to taunt and humiliate them was a huge turn-on.

Megan was eventually banned from the school for her involvement in a "super-catfight" that destroyed the cafeteria wing. Her current whereabouts will be revealed in an upcoming chapter.

HEIGHT: 5' 8" HAIR: Dark brown EYES: Brown

4. MRS. BRIGGS (The Principal):



The daughter of a U.S. Army colonel stationed in Europe, Emily Poole was educated in England, excelling both academically and athletically. Her super-powers emerged in adolescence, and for 20 years she was the world's only superhuman. Keeping her powers secret from the general public, she worked for MI5 and MI6, mainly in covert anti-terrorist operations, although she often assisted the CID in their investigations of "extraordinary crimes." It was during this period that she married Alan Briggs, a fellow MI agent.

Recently, as a number of girls in Middleton, USA, began to manifest super-powers, Mrs. Briggs was transferred to a special branch of MI6 with a mandate to monitor them and, if possible, learn the source of their powers. Her superiors arranged for her appointment as assistant principal at Middleton High School, where she could keep a close eye on Cindy Corliss and the other supers. (Her own super-powers were now public knowledge.) But when the super-girls were expelled following a destructive catfight in the cafeteria, Mrs. Briggs left as well, though she continues her surveillance.

Although she doesn't know about Bobby's magic card, her "super woman's intuition" tells her that Bobby has some connection with the ever-growing cohort of super-girls in and around Middleton. She's given Bobby a paging device that he can use to summon her in an emergency, but so far he hasn't had occasion to use it.

HEIGHT: 5' 9" HAIR: Auburn EYES: Blue

Woodclaw wrote: She looks a lot like Emma Peel from Avengers.

Not surprisingly, since Diana Rigg's portrayal of Emma Peel was my direct inspiration for the character. (Note that "Emily" has the same first syllable as "Emma," and "Briggs" contains the name "Rigg.")

I needed an adult super-woman working for a secret organization with a mandate to gather information about the emerging cohort of super-girls, and Emma Peel immediately came to mind.

We'll see more of her, and the organization she works for, in the upcoming chapters of the story.

5. DARCY MALLOY (The Super-Geek):



Darcy Malloy was an honors student with a full platter of extracurricular activities: math team, engineering club, robotics team, plus dance and gymnastics classes. A self-described "geek," she was also the only girl in the school's comic-book club. Feisty and outspoken, she was one of the few students who dared to stand up to Megan Danforth -- and the hostilities between them mounted when Darcy's own super-powers emerged. (She also grew several inches, becoming Megan's equal in height as well as power.)

One day, when Megan ordered Bobby to do her math homework, Darcy came to her friend's defense -- and the confrontation between the two girls quickly escalated into a super-catfight that destroyed the cafeteria wing and led to their expulsion from Middleton High School.

Sporting an outfit inspired by Ms. Marvel's "black swimsuit" costume, Darcy has become a familiar figure at comi-cons (where she's usually admitted for free) and at scientific conferences -- but she still finds time to hang out with Bobby and his friends for an evening of video games or superhero movies. Now that Bobby has begun dating Cindy Corliss, the two girls have become friends and often work side-by-side on disaster-relief missions. It's been implied that Mrs. Briggs has been training Darcy in anti-terrorist tactics.

HEIGHT: (before her transformation): 5' 2" ... (after her transformation): 5' 8"
HAIR: Red EYES: Green

Mrs. Argo and I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow for a few (probably wet) days on the Long Trail in Vermont -- so #6 won't be posted until we get back.

6. LINDSAY CARR / LODESTAR (The Super-Heroine):



To her friends and co-workers, Lindsay Carr is a mild-mannered reporter for a -- well, for a minor metropolitan newspaper. Little do they realize that when danger looms or disaster strikes, she becomes the super-charged bombshell Lodestar!

As a child, reading her brother's comic books, Lindsay was fascinated by Supergirl and Mary Marvel. She daydreamed about having powers like theirs; sometimes, when no one was within earshot, she would shout "Shazam!" in hopes of being transformed into Lindsay Marvel -- but without success.

Years later, when she suddenly manifested super-powers, she had the opportunity to live out her childhood fantasies by donning an outfit inspired by one of Mary Marvel's costumes and adopting the super-heroic identity of Lodestar.

Lindsay is the only super whose identity is unknown to the general public -- and the only one who can change from an ordinary woman to a super-woman, and back again, at will. When she changes to Lodestar, in addition to gaining the full array of super-powers, she becomes eight inches taller, her pixie-ish facial features take on more classic contours, and her nondescript brunette pageboy lengthens into a cascade of gleaming chestnut hair.

Lodestar has given a fledgling comic-book publisher permission to use her name and likeness in one of its titles. Bobby is the only person who knows her secret identity, but Lodestar's super-intuition assures her that he can be trusted not to reveal it.

HEIGHT: (as Lindsay): 5' 4" ... (as Lodestar): 6' 0"
HAIR: Brunette EYES: Blue

---

That's it for now. Once the next couple of chapters are finished, I might commission another batch of these sketch cards and update this thread.