Real Name: Darla Lang

Rank: 5
Karma: 5

Initiative: +4
Speed: 5 (run), 3 (climb), 3 (jump), 5 (levitation)
Occupation: Student – Ivy Hollow University
Origin: Magic – Sorcery
Teams: Mighty Crusaders
Traits: Quick Learner, Beguiling, Fearless, Font of Information, Weird
Tags: Sorcerous, Supernatural, Obligation – School, Mysterious

Powers 

Iconic Item: Darkling’s Cloak – Several of Darkling’s most frequently used 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. She is presumably able to cast magic without it as she is a student of the supernatural but the Cloak may boost her magical abilities.

[Origin: Magic; Powers: Dimensional Travel, Dimensional Travel Other, Dimensional Travel Together, Uncanny 1; Restrictions: Obvious; Power Value: 3].

Basic: Discipline 2

Elemental Control – Shadow: Elemental Burst, Elemental Barrier, Elemental Grab, Elemental Protection 1

Illusion: Darkness

Magic: Astral Form, Dispel Spell, Exorcism, Hex Bolt, Images of Ikonn, Sense Supernatural, Sense Sins, Vapors of Valtorr, Powerful Hex

Telekinesis: Levitation

Biography:

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 shadow powers. She also seemed younger than before.

Recently, however, Darkling has appeared in a form that looks far more like her original appearance (but still more youthful) and she once again uses the cloak for most of her abilities — though she also now displays the ability to cast magical spells, which is new.

As Darla Lang, she currently attends Ivy Hollow University and solves supernatural mysteries with her friend, Phoebe Hayashi. According to this most recent origin 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.

The build above has Darla possessing both the shadow-controlling abilities, the dimensional-hopping cloak powers, and her newly-displayed sorcery. If you don’t like her having access to all of that, it should be simple enough to strip some of them away.

Archie/Red Circle is somewhat infamous for its loose continuity but there are a few 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 tried 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.