Barry Reese – Writer of Badass heroes

Darkling
aka Darla Lang

Prowess 3
Coordination 4
Strength 3
Intellect 4
Awareness 6
Willpower 7

Stamina 10

Powers
Most of Darkling’s abilities are tied to the cloak that she wears. It cannot be removed — presumably, this means that she wears it when she bathes, gets medical examinations, etc. It may be that she sometimes uses magic to render the cloak invisible so that it doesn’t attract undue attention in intimate situations. She often uses the Cloak as an offensive weapon, wrapping it around her enemies and then teleporting them to another place or even to another dimension. The cloak gives her the following abilities:
*Binding 5
*Teleportation 6
*Dimensional Travel 6
*Magic 5 (Darla has mastered the following spells and can cast them without using the Performance Limit: Blast, Detection – Magic, Emotion Control {Limit: Sensing emotions only], Flight 3)
*Precognition 4 (Limit: Uncontrollable)

Assuming that the Darkling that worked with the New Crusaders is the same Darkling as this (see the discussion under Background), she may also have the following abilities or they may be ones that she no longer has access to:
*Shadow-Bending (Darkness Control) 7 (Extras: – Energy Drain, Phasing; Limits: +2 Difficulty when operating in bright sunlight or extremely well-lit areas)

Specialties
Occult (Expert +2 bonus), Stealth

Qualities
*Mysterious Background
*Aura of Creepiness
*Student at Ivy Hollow University

Background

The mysterious Darkling first appeared during the Crusaders epic battle against the combined forces of Eterno, the Brain Emperor and the Malevolent Legion of Juggernauts. She aided the team with her mystic cloak and was quickly accepted into their ranks. Darkling never revealed anything about herself, though she seemed to forge a quick friendship with Kim Brand, aka Flygirl.

Serious without being overbearing, Darkling was a sensual woman with an appreciation for the paranormal. During the alien invasion that united the Crusaders with Thunder Bunny, it was Darkling who sensed that the rabbit hero was not a threat to the Earth. She also proved her usefulness in dispatching the Druid when the mystic villain attempted to steal the Jaguar’s magical belt.

Unfortunately, Darkling’s promising career as a hero came to an abrupt end when the evil Brain Emperor returned with the Riot Squad at his side. Seeing that Darkling posed a threat to him, the Brain Emperor wiped her mind clean and left her floating adrift in Limbo.

During the New Crusaders era, Darkling appeared as a member of that group with a very different appearance and internally-based powers.

Recently, however, Darkling has appeared in a form that looks far more like her original appearance and once again uses the cloak for most of her abilities — though she also now displays the ability to cast magical spells. As Darla Lang, she attends Ivy Hollow University and solves supernatural mysteries with her friend, Phoebe Hayashi. According to this story, Darla was found as an infant, wrapped in her cloak, on the doorstep of a distant aunt. The cloak couldn’t be removed and she grew up with a connection to the supernatural – and everyone, including her aunt, found her to be off-putting and frightening.

Archie/Red Circle is somewhat infamous for its loose continuity but there are a couple of ways that all this could be explained away:

1. The New Crusaders version is NOT the original Darkling but either a legacy hero or a living shadow, explaining her weakness to light. The version that has most recently reappeared IS the original Darkling but her memories are mostly gone as a result of the Brain Emperor’s attack, leading to her enrolling at Ivy Hollow University in an attempt to find a new life for herself. Her new sorcerous abilities have developed as she has thrown herself into her occult studies.
2. The 1980s version, the New Crusaders version, AND the most recent version are all the same person. Her appearance, powers, and personality have undergone various shifts as she tries to recover from the Brain Emperor’s attack. For a time, the cloak became a part of her, allowing her to access its abilities, but due to its negative effects upon her, she had it separated from her spirit, resulting in a slightly different set of powers. She has recently enrolled at Ivy Hollow University.
3. All three versions are completely different from one another and are located in different universes, all along the “Blue Ribbon” that binds the Archie multiverse together.