BACKGROUND: Sometimes the conspiracy theorists are right.

For example; a society of sorcerers who move unseen amongst us, their powers used for purposes both noble and petty.  Among the noble are a select few who attempt to protect the world, usually through agents.

Mr. Hang was one of these sorcerers.  Part of his duties included the formation of a super hero group known as 5th Power, augmenting the bumbling 4th power with a fifth member and getting them a job as defenders of Windsor, Ontario.  He created an artificial being known as Anne, who had the ability to mimic the powers of others.  There was not a great deal of personality to Anne but the longer she spent in the company of others the more "self" she developed.  Within a few months she was a true person.

After 5th Power disbanded Anne moved to San Diego to join The Pacific Guard.  It was here that she met her demise.  Or a metamorphosis.

The PGs were in combat with their old nemesis Riptide, a modern-day pirate.  Riptide attempted to use an experimental disintigration cannon against the team.  Analog had been mimicking Corona's powers and the two swept down for a strafing run on Riptide's submarine when the disintigrater went off.  Both women banked but Analog was caught in the blast.  It was as if a layer of her body had been peeled away from her and it fell into the Pacific.  In a rage Corona let loose with her full powers, blowing up the disintigrator and giving Riptide horrendous burns.  Deluge managed to rescue Analog and get her to shore.  Analog awoke and seemed unharmed.

Meanwhile Analog's essence retained some element of cohesion.  The bizarre soup of matter drifted South and west to the shores of Hawaii where a girl named Eko Lau had been surfing.  The quasi-biological soup swept over her, infusing her body with the abilities that Analog once possessed.  Gabrielle went into shock and almost drowned but was rescued by a life guard.

She spent several weeks in the hospital and was released.  Her hair had turned red.  At first she thought that was the only result of her exposure to the toxic material but a day or so later she was witness to an attack from a super villain known as Magma.  Like everyone else at the mall Eko ran, but she tripped.  Then she felt her body transform, mutate.  Soon she found herself much like Magma, a pile of animated molten rock!  Magma was shocked that a duplicate was now facing him.  He attacked Gabbie and almost knocked her unconscious with the first blow, but she defended herself long enough for the FPBI to show up and subdue the menace.  They almost subdued her as well but she reverted back to normal.

Eko discovered she could mimic the powers of others and she joined The Dynamics Project. She served for some months until the project was shut down after it was attacked by the Graves minions.  Soon afterward she was given an offer from Loki to become her new host.  Eko decided to take her up on it.  Their working relationship was strained at best and when the ring was magically stolen Eko was guilty happy.  She returned to active duty with the Vindicators with a new name, Venture, and had a secret identity since she was still under age at that time.

Later, Venture and Battle Maiden had been tricked into visiting the Vindicators base where the Graves clan waited for them with a weakened Paladin and a magically lobotomized Loki, who had been turned into a shambling mound of molten rock.  Eko tried to fight, but her unknown link to Analog meant that when she died Eko lost her powers!  She was attacked and somehow absorbed what was left of Loki's essence.  Now posessing Loki's powers, she helped the others escape.  She adopted the name Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano.

Pele has the elemental power over fire and to some extent earth.  She can fly, project a protective force field and fire bolts of searing flame.  As she flies she does not become insubstantial but she does become very light.  As a result strong winds can upset her in mid-air.  Her other power is to increase her density, becoming tremendously strong and resilient to damage.  The down side is she weighs several tons and her flesh becomes searing-hot, and her reflexes suffer.  She is able to alter the level of density to some extent, so it is not all-or-nothing.  Pele is able to control flame to some extent, igniting fires and putting them out.  However, the larger the fire, the more difficult it is to control it.

Pele is able to see well into the infra-red portion of the spectrum.  Pele is also resistant to temperature extremes, although extreme cold and water attacks can neutralize her powers for a short time.

Pele has some sense of the supernatural, but she has not focused the talent to any great extent.

DESCRIPTION: Eko is a pretty young woman of mixed Hawaiian and Japanese heritage with an athletic figure borne of lots of swimming and surfing, who keeps her now-red hair short.  She has warm brown almond shaped eyes and is prone to smiling.  In her Pele persona she has hair that looks like it is living flame dancing about her head.  Her eyes are bright orange and her skin becomes red, as if she had been dipped into liquid latex.  She does not wear a costume, as the effect of her skin suggests she is wearing one.  Her voice takes on a huskier, more sensual tone as well.

PERSONALITY: Eko is a friendly girl who originally was full of uncertainties regarding her powers.  Ever since she absorbed Loki's abilities it seems her personality has been affected by an essence of Loki's; she is now much more sensuous and confident, and is a total extrovert and flirt.  She has a natural skill in the use of her powers.