@prussianblue
Graffiti
Theme Song
Valencia Carol Matthews
January 10th 1994
Manhattan, NYC
Female
Working Class
Independent Vigilante
Appearance:
Before receiving her powers, Valencia would typically wear skater wear on the weekends or hiking gear on holidays. But while in the recruitment process for the Police Science division she would always dress smart in shirts and dress pants for work, although she hated how boring the attire was, She would always wear a CitySick brand street-wear t-shirt underneath her white dress shirt as to feel a bit more normal in such an environment. Since her job has ended she regularly wears flannel shirts and shorts when out and about.
Valencia is 5'4 and 112 pounds.
The hoodie worn in this costume has a special dye that reacts to the light, by focusing her powers she can either have the colours settle and go thick and dark to blend in with the shadows or she she can excite the chemicals to glow neon. Underneath the hoodie is a stab proofvest. She usually also wears a rucksack which holds extra spray paint and various other items.
Superpower:
Ironically, Graffiti's powers have nothing to do with paint. Her actual only superpower is to control air pressure in a short space around her. On its own the power is fairly weak, she can only use it against enemies when in close-quarters which is dangerous, and the air pressure manipulation is only strong enough to knock a few grown men off their feet with air burst up close. She can also make breathing for others difficult or impossible by manipulating the air pressure in their lungs, but this can only be done up-close and personal. She can make her close combat moves slightly more effective by increasing velocity of the air of where shes attacking and also use air bursts to 'air dash' quickly in directions to evade attacks or run faster in her own personal slipstream, though this takes massive concentration.
Equipment
Graffiti becomes an effective vigilante when she combines her power with her equipment, her 'spray paint' is actually made up of chemicals she stole from the police science department before she was fired. He chemical knowledge has allowed her to make weaponized or gadgetry paint.
The blue spray paint is a strong tear gas which is used to disorientate opponents.
The yellow spray paint is a sleeping gas which can knock out weak opponents, or make stronger ones, drowsy and slow
The orange spray paint is an extremely high pressure propellent gas, with combined with Graffiti's powers she can use as 'Jetpack Cans' to take off and fly for a limited amount of time as long as the can has the gas. (two full cans can keep her flying for about 20 mins)
The Green spray paint is a powerful acid, that when focused can burn through brick walls like it was paper. This is mainly used as in infiltration tool.
On top of these cans she carries the 'paintball gun' (pictured) which fires paint balls filled with a super powerful adhesive glue. The velocity of these shots is not actually dictated by the very weak paintball gun (made to look like a submachine gun for intimidation) but by Graffiti's own air pressure powers which she can use to alter the power and speed of each shot mentally.
Abilities and Skills:
Outside of her powers, Valencia is very good shape due to her athletic and active lifestyle and physical training in the police. She is trained in the use of basic firearms although she only really ever uses her paintball gun. Has very in depth understanding of chemicals and radical science. She is also extremely streetwise and can hold her own in a fight although she has never formally trained in any martial arts outside of a crash combat course in the police.
Weaknesses
While determined, Valencia ins't the most durable of vigilantes and a long career in crimefighting has let the injuries that she has pile up. She has fairly poor resistance to pain, and has been described as a 'slow healer' Also the prolonged exposure to chemicals has effected her somewhat, and she occasionally suffers from migraines and coughing fits.
Biography:
Valencia was left on the doorstep of a foster parents agency at the age of 1, in New York City. Her mother, who was 17 at the time was an illegal immigrant from Italy who was escaping an abusive much older boyfriend who she fell pregnant by. She left a note on the doorstep simply saying: 'Please look after my Valencia, I am too young to care for her'.
The baby was then taken into the care system and placed with the Matthews' a young but strict catholic couple living in a lower middle-class area of the city. She was raised with care but not love, her parents never saw her as their own and she rejected the catholic girls school she sent them to. Which lead her to become somewhat rebellious. She then embraced the 'Skater/Graffiti' lifestyle and began skipping school around the age of 17. She also started dating the local burnout slacker Mark Kruger. Mark was a drug addict mainly known for sniffing substances and wasting the entire day smoking pot and dodging college. He dragged Valencia into his loser lifestyle and her grades suffered. She was very much in love with him until he began stealing from her to fund his drug habit at which point she got her life together and promptly left him. She then became passionate about chemistry as to further understand his substance addiction. She then decided to take up a career in police science.
At the age of 23 on her first week on the force. She got a call from her Ex boyfriend Mark who told her he was off drugs now and doing a law degree. He wanted to meet her to congratulate her getting a new job and apologize for his behavior as a teen. Although she was very shocked to hear from him she was happy that he seemed to have turned his life around, so she agreed to meet him after work outside the lab.
Unfortunately, Mark was lying about everything he not only hadn't quit drugs he was now a dealer and dangerous criminal. He knew that the precinct held many chemicals and contraband drugs that Valencia's keycard could get him into. So upon their 'date' Mark and several gang members attack Valencia and forced her to let them into the chemical lab with her. Holding her as a hostage while the subdued the nightwatch guard and began to ransack the place. In the frenzy of the robbery Mark knocked over a shelf of dangerous chemicals which caused a powerful explosion which killed everyone in the room except Valencia who was breathing irregularly surrounded by a strong gale of wind even though they were indoors.
After the incident, Valencia was cleared of any involvement but left the police due to trauma of the event. She would then return to the skater lifestyle focusing on artwork and started working at a spray-paint store, but she couldn't find peace of mind, she was still angry with Mark and his criminal behavior so she began a secret life as vigilante, using her newfound air pressure abilities to take on criminals (specifically chemical drug pushers) as a character of her former life, the mysterious Graffiti!
