Pandora (Icons Writeup)

Pandora

Prowess 5
Coordination 5
Strength 4
Intellect 4
Awareness 6
Willpower 6

Stamina 10

Powers
*Magic 6 (Limit: Performance)
*Padded Uniform – Damage Resistance 3
*Omni-Lingual – Pandora can speak every language known to man
*Immortality 5
*Pistols 4 (Extra: Mystically empowered, does +1 damage to occult enemies. Her pistols also contain shock buffers and new polymers from Wayne Industries to allow her zero recoil.)
*Throwing Knives 2 – Blast 6 if charge is activated (Specially weighted knives for throwing. Each has a Semtex charge in the hilt.)
*Kusarigama 4 (Extra: Mystically empowered, does +1 damage to occult enemies. The ball weight and chain are made of depleted Promethium and the blade is inscribed with Sanskrit runes.)
*Teleportation 8
*Gadgets 4

Specialties
Athletics (+1 bonus), Investigation (+1 bonus), Martial Arts (Expert +2 bonus), Medicine – First Aid (+1 bonus), Mental Resistance (Expert +2 bonus), Occult (Master +3 bonus), Sleight of Hand (Expert +2 bonus), Stealth (Expert +2 bonus), Weapons (Expert +2 bonus), Wrestling (Expert +2 bonus)

Qualities
*Feels extreme guilt
*Woman of Mystery
*Partially Responsible for the New 52

Background

Pandora has a similar origin to the Pandora of myth. She opened Pandora’s box to release tragedy, torment, torture and the terrors of man. She was sentenced alongside the Phantom Stranger, and The Question, as one of the Trinity of Sin. Due to her opening of the box, The Wizard along with the Circle of Eternity sentenced Pandora to an eternity of loneliness, pain and being told she was evil. She spent centuries in shame and isolation, only to return to break her curse.

During Flashpoint, when Barry Allen travels through time in order to try and correct the timeline, he ends up in a space of time where he sees three distinct timelines, each representing the DC, Wildstorm and Vertigo (not including creator owned properties) universes. He’s met by Pandora, an entity of unknown origins or powers, who tells him that long ago, the three worlds were split in order to weaken them for the impending arrival of an unknown evil force. In order to combat it, the three timelines had to be merged into one. When all is said and done, and Barry fixes time, he wakes up at his desk. The three timelines have all been merged into one Universe, which came to be known as the “DCnU” or the “New 52 Universe” amongst fans.

Despite sweeping changes to the universe, none of its characters remembered the universe prior to the changes, going about their lives as the current status quo was always present. Following these changes to the universe, DC Comics relaunched their entire line with 52 #1 issues. Pandora appeared in all of these issues (as well as the second issue of Batman) seemingly observing and watching all of the heroes.

n the present day DC Universe, Pandora comes across a dead body which she begins to investigate, until the Phantom Stranger interrupts her. Phantom Stranger reveals that he is aware of what Pandora has done to the universe, and while she thinks she may have strengthened it, he tells her she has only cursed it, as she once did before. He continues to state that a group called the Circle of Eternity had made it clear that people like them were cursed to watch the world that they’ve sown, never getting involved, but Pandora remains defiant, dismissing the Stranger’s warning believing the Circle to had been destroyed. Stranger informs her that someone from the Circle who he refers to as “The Third Sinner” is still walking the world, but unlike her, does not interfere with the human world.

Assuming she’s in possession of the box, Stranger attempts to take it away from her, leading her to attack, and shoot him in the head, knowing full well that she can’t kill him, only cause him pain. Pandora leaves, telling Stranger that she will find and imprison someone called “The Strange,” as it will free her of her curse, and she will receive help from the Justice League, whether they like it or not.

Searching for her box, Pandora sets out for various secret locations that hold the world’s most dangerous items. She first searches through The Red Room, run by S.T.A.R. Labs, but fails to find her box. She would eventually find the box in A.R.G.U.S.’ Black Room, where various mystical items were in holding. Though she alerts Steve Trevor and the rest of A.R.G.U.S. to her presence, she manages to get away with her box. When she attempts to reopen the box, she is unable. Suddenly, The Wizard appears, weakened by the awakening of Black Adam, and apologizes for the Council’s judgment on her, claiming it to be foolish and unfair, whereas the other two of the Trinity of Sin deserved their punishment.

The Wizard tells Pandora that she can not recapture what has already been released, but the box still contains a great power that only the strongest, or darkest of heart can open the box to find. Without telling her who specifically he means, the Wizard fades away before Pandora can receive any answers. With no possible leads, Pandora seeks out the Phantom Stranger to see if he could be of any use to her.

The Stranger turns out to be less than pleased to see her, when she confronts him near his family, who he’s built in order to have some resemblance of a normal life. With The Stranger refusing to help her, Pandora threatens to reveal his true identity before she leaves. But Pandora is not done with the Stranger, as she follows him to Nanda Parbat, where he confronts John Constantine about an upcoming war “among the three.”

It is ultimately revealed that the Box is capable of opening a portal to Earth-3, home of the Crime Syndicate and when the evil villains journey to the prime Earth, they unleash the events known as Forever Evil.

During Rebirth, Pandora is seen running from an unseen pursuer. She turns toward her assailant and is obliterated. A blood spatter remains where Pandora once stood and it is strongly implied that her killer is Dr. Manhattan. Given that she had previously survived gunshot wounds to the head and other similar attacks, it’s possible that she may yet reform.