Summary[]
The picture that was promised
Karina Markova initially is an antagonist (but later becomes one of the protagonists of) in The Metaverse.
Born in Russia, she spent a significant part of her childhood in an orphanage after both her parents were convicted of various crimes. She eventually ran away, supporting herself by being a petty thief and drug mule. At the age of 17 she joined the Russian army and served as a designated marksperson. Ten years later a new president came into power and among other things slashed the military budget, causing some soldiers to lose their job- Karina among them. She emigrated from her country and moved to Los Angeles, ending up on the retainer of crime lord Julius Montferrat. There, she encountered James Bradley, and the two fought for some time before the former eventually neutralized her not by force but what essentially was blackmail. Grudgingly, Karina helped James defeat Julius Montferrat and disband the Montferrat crime organization.
Karina chose to remain in the local area instead of fleeing following her defeat. While doing so, she met James' cousin Pam and started a relationship with her, thus bringing new tensions in the already-unstable relationship between her and James...
Powers and Stats[]
Tier: At least 9-C physically, likely higher. Higher with "Maximum Overdrive". 9-B to 8-C with weapons and explosives, even higher with preparation
Name: Karina Markova
Origin: Metaverse
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Classification: Metahuman, Ex-Soldier, Assassin, Fixer, Vigilante
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Longevity, Enhanced Senses (Can smell diseases and has limited scent-tracking abilities. Capable of fighting while completely blinded. Her enhanced hearing allows her to effective locate opponents), Body Control (Has total awareness and control over her entire body down to the cellular level; can control her flow of adrenaline, muscles, nerves, pulse and exert her strength, speed, agility and reflexes to levels remarkable even for metahumans. Can also protect herself against poison and disease, and heal much quicker than other metahumans), Regeneration (High-Low. Reattached her severed hand) limited Illusion Negation (Able to prepare her visual cortex against enemies who use illusionary powers) limited Telepathic Resistance (same principle), Pain Tolerance (Didn't flinch when punched in the face), Pain Supression (Can turn off her pain receptors), Photographic Memory, Stat Amping (Can massively increase her strength, speed, and perception time with "Maximum Overdrive"), Skilled Martial Artist, Weapons Mastery (A trained designated markswoman), Stealth Mastery (Walked behind James before he noticed her walking, surprising him. Snuck into an apartment and disappeared just as quickly), Preparation (Crazy-prepared), Social Engineering (Skilled social manipulator).
Attack Potency: Street level physically, likely higher. (Easily harmed James. Former soldier, implied ex-Spetsnaz. Bare-handedly fought and defeated four body armor-clad SWAT officers. Snapped a man's neck with minimal leverage). Likely higher with "Maximum Overdrive". Far higher with weapons. Building level with explosives (Blew up a building), higher with better ordinance
Speed: Subsonic movement speed with Supersonic+ combat speed and reactions (Can easily overpower large groups of attackers such as street thugs, trained criminals, and police officers before they react. Consistently dodges bullets; dodged a handgun bullet at point-blank range and reacted to rifle bullets after they were fired). Subsonic+ to Supersonic+ combat speed with firearms, even higher with preparation. Hypersonic+ reaction speed with "Maximum Overdrive" (Pushed herself and James out of the way of a lightning bolt)
Lifting Strength: Class 1 (Casually deadlifted over 1,000 lbs—at least 453 kg at the gym, implied she could lift far heavier. Can break necks without proper technique. Crushed a man's hand with her grip strength. Capable of ripping handcuffs apart. Casually flipped a large wooden table. Effortlessly crushed a watermelon with her thighs¹), likely higher. Class 5 (Lifted and tossed a car), likely higher with "Maximum Overdrive"
Striking Strength: Street level physically, likely higher (Breaks bones easily, can knock out regular humans with a single blow. Kicked a man wearing a helmet in the head so hard he died instantly). Likely higher with "Maximum Overdrive".
Durability: Wall level (Survived being rammed through a wall by the Huntsman). Higher with body armor.
Stamina: Superhuman (Should be superior to James' endurance. Went through an entire day while nursing a stab wound)
Range: Extended melee range; several meters with thrown weapons. Hundreds of meters with firearms, potentially higher with explosives.
Standard Equipment: Guns, knives, trench shovel
- Optional equipment: Bullet-resistant vest; can acquire explosives and other firearms through her contacts.
Intelligence: Gifted. As an ex-soldier and implied ex-Spetsnaz she is knowledgeable in firearms, martial arts, stealth tactics, and planning. She is capable of treating and dressing her own injuries. Also a talented social engineer allowing her to gain information through mere persuasion. Able to infiltrate buildings like homes and warehouses without much difficulty. Has photographic memory.
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
- "Maximum Overdrive"– By using her total control over her nerves and muscles, Karina can trigger total capacity usage of her muscles on command—essentially, hysterical strength on command. It is also similar to the fast-twitch muscle usage of chimpanzees. When using "Maximum Overdrive", she can be many times faster and stronger than she already is. She had no name for this power until James named it.
Weaknesses: Using "Maximum Overdrive" can inflict muscle damage and widespread cellular exhaustion on Karina. Even if it does not, she must rest and eat protein-heavy food to recover. If she uses it too often or to accomplish a particularly taxing physical endeavor, she may be immediately immobilized or even die on the spot. "Maximum Overdrive" also does not enhance her durability. While she is experienced in social engineering her physical stature makes it harder for people to forget who she is if she does her social engineering in person.
Trivia[]
The picture used to represent this character does not belong to me, but was illustrated by this artist.
¹= This stat was added for comedic effect.