Goddess
<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Goddess</default></title>
<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>
<label>Status</label><format><label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox> "Goddess" is the leader of a supervillain organization that rules over Earth Shin.
Personality
By the time she appeared in Worm she was a powerful parahuman who had a world that answered to her for decades. According to Citrine, a parahuman with access to a large amount of information resources, claims 'Goddess' is a title Bianca chose.<ref>"... There are monsters like the self-styled Goddess out there.” - Excerpt from Interlude 5x II</ref> Her inveterate reign came to an end with Gold Morning when a then unnamed force usurped her and her court for the army. Afterward in the ruins of New York her shouts and calls spoke to an authority figure trying to come to terms with her loss of command.<ref name=30.7e1>The uneasiness reached a peak. I gave them one final look, watching for any trouble, then took to the air, crouching on a forcefield. The members of my swarm followed, flying around any barriers I erected. A man in blue and white who zig-zagged around anything I put up. A regal woman in blue.
[...]
There was a small army after me now. Some were in the lead, and I made a point of blocking them, stalling with forcefields and directing ranged fire their way. The man in blue and white was chief among them, as was the blue woman in a regal costume. - Excerpt from Speck 30.7</ref>
Two years later while in The City she retained her sense of command. When speaking she incorporated gestures into her speech.<ref name=ii9.2e2>“An ally,” Bianca said. “I like people with their rules. Discipline. It’s a good mindset to have.”
“Including Monokeros?” Swansong asked.
Bianca pressed two fingers to her lips, kissing the knuckles halfway down.
“That doesn’t tell me anything,” Swansong said.
“Silence is golden,” Amy translated.
Gold is a loaded word. Idioms or gestures from strange earths might work better than running away with this.
[...]
“If you’ll help me get what you need, I’ll help you with our mutual enemies and I will reward you. Help me take power, and I have a world’s worth of wealth and resources. I can make you head of a state. I can give you power and influence here. I can tell you that people in my world were very interested in deciphering powers. They helped make me what I am, unwittingly, but they were happy in the end. The, ah, monsters who made you, painted Tress, that icon on your cheek-”
Sveta reached up, touching her cheek. I was caught between observing her and paying attention to the gestures that punctuated certain words. Monsters, index finger curled into a hook. By the faint change in her expression, perhaps something obscene. - Excerpt from Gleaming 9.2</ref> She further showcased a well thought out strategy and skill in negotiation.<ref>I knew just what arguments had struck home for which people. I worried some had been tailored to specific individuals. - Excerpt from Gleaming 9.2</ref> She believed in information hygiene.
Relationships
Cauldron
The organization originally relocated Bianca, willingly or not is unknown; and left parahumans for her to find.<ref name=ii9.2e2/> The full nature of their relationship and the extent of their collaboration, if any, is unknown.
Marquis
As a ruler she seemed to appreciate those with a code of their own.<ref name=ii9.2e2/>
Teacher
An enemy
Appearance
While her ethnicity is not fully known, 'Goddess' wears a blue costume with a gauntlet emblem, white fur on the collar, and a heavy cape.<ref name="30.4 e1"/>
In Ward she appears as a blonde, with a more modest attire, although keeping blue-white motif.<ref>We found Goddess.” [...] The camera fixed on one individual. A woman, blonde, wearing a light blue jacket with a white fur ruff collar. - Excerpt from Beacon 8.8</ref><ref name=ii9.2e3>Goddess’ jacket was blue, with a white fur ruff, and she had black pants on, with boots worn over. The coverage didn’t seem exceedingly necessary, as she wasn’t touched by the rain. - Excerpt from Gleaming 9.2</ref>
Abilities and Powers
Due to having a full or nearly full connection with six shards<ref name=ii6.8e2>"What happened to the others?" Rain asked.
"Dead?" I guessed.
"Alive. Four of them, anyhow. A fifth killed themselves because they couldn't fill the void where the power and the feeling of power once were. None of them were left with more than whispers of power after.... Goddess taking all the power brought an end to it." - Excerpt from Pitch 6.8</ref>, Goddess has an almost unheard of variety of powers. First is her most well known one, telekinesis;<ref name="30.4 e3"/> as a powerful long range expression of the ability she can presumably fly, have super-strength, and manipulate objects and people, given how Khepri used her during Gold Morning.<ref name="30.5"/> Second, she has a Master power that lets her influence anyone in her vicinity,<ref name="30.4 e3"/> which allowed her to effectively turn her organization into a hive mind with her 'lieutenants' carrying out her orders.<ref name="WD e1"/><ref name=ii6.8e1/>
Third, Goddess has a touch based Trump ability that lets her to tune abilities and defenses in a manner akin to Scion.<ref name="30.4 e3"/> It is unknown if the power effects only her or if she can alter other powers as well. Finally, she has a personal power battery she can tap to strengthen her abilities for limited amounts of time.<ref name="30.4 e3"/>
History
Background
She was purportedly part of a Multitrigger group on Earth Bet who somehow absorbed the powers of other members of her group. Later she was transported to Earth Shin by Cauldron.<ref name=ii6.8e1>“So it happens,” Tattletale said, with a grin. “With only a select group of top Wardens and major players really tracking what really happened. But we were talking the woman in blue. She got powers and was relocated to Earth Shin before she could… grow to full potential. Relocated by a [cauldron] . [...] She proceeded to take over earth Shin, with all other parahumans acting as her lieutenants. All other parahumans on that world, mind. No exceptions. Which the organization deemed fine, because they got to keep her in their back pocket, even while they couldn’t control her. She is, or was, a grab-bag, she found a way to pull free of her cluster, and she came out of it with a set of powers that would each be world-class on their own.” - Excerpt from Pitch 6.8</ref>
Because of Professor Haywire's activities, the PRT became aware of her and her influence over her group of parahumans.<ref name="WD e1">"According to the PRT's most classified files," the man says, "This would be Earth Shin. Earth S for short. A Professor Haywire first raised attention to its existence. The number of parahumans are low in numbers on this alternate Earth, but they operate under a very subtle hive mind, all in allegiance to a Queen. For this reason, it is exceptionally dangerous for a parahuman to visit this world. They would quickly and inevitably fall under the woman's thrall."
"Obviously," the woman says, "We aren't parahumans, us three."
The man continues, "The PRT higher-ups remain aware of this threat, among others. It’s part of their reason for being paranoid about breaching other worlds. Part of what -we- do, my colleague and I, is study the threats and try to weigh viability and potential. This is a threat that our organization has decided to leave alone, because it has potential." - Lausanne RP</ref>
By 2005 she had effectively taken over her world.<ref name="P.8">refugees of Earth Shin say a parahuman took over their Earth a decade ago. one woman. she went back home to continue ruling them. - Excerpt from Glow-worm P.8</ref>
The Timeskip
On December 19th, 2012 the Simurgh was sighted in Paris, though eventually driven off by Scion, the data file referring to the event specifically references "The Woman in Blue" and the "United Capes". It is unknown what connection, if any, ties into Goddess.<ref name=25.6>Paris, December 19th, 2012 // Simurgh
Notes: Victory by Scion.
Target/Consequence: see file The Woman in Blue. See file United Capes. - Excerpt from Scarab 25.6</ref>
Gold Morning
Goddess resisted Khepri's control after the Doormaker to open a portal into her council chambers on Earth Shin. She used her power to throw off Khepri's control over herself and the others in the room.<ref name="30.4 e1">I found another Earth with a mixture of capes, all incredibly beautiful people, all in what was obviously a global position of power. Every flag that flew in their world was the same flag, and the gauntlet emblem on that flag matched the icon on a particular woman’s costume. A blue costume, with white fur at the collar, and a heavy cape that would have done Alexandria proud.
I attempted to seize control of them as well, and the woman in blue resisted me. She spoke, and I lost my hold on everyone in her range. - Excerpt from Speck 30.4</ref> Khepri attacked again with an enhanced version of Canary's song, and Goddess fell underneath Khepri's sway.<ref name="30.4 e2">I created a portal, and I ensnared Canary, who was busy rescuing the wounded, flying here and there with her Dragonslayer suit, her arms full.
[...]
I brought her close enough to give her the benefit of the Yàngbǎn’s power enhancer. I had enough awareness of her power to know how to keep myself safe from it.
I tried again with these foreign capes, in this world where this blue-costumed woman ruled the world, portals feeding Canary’s song into their council chambers.
Those same portals let me attempt to reassert control. - Excerpt from Speck 30.4</ref> Khepri briefly wondered at the nature of her abilities and where she had come from before she directed Goddess to the battlefield.<ref name="30.4 e3">An attack from two directions. She wasn’t immune, only resistant. I felt myself assert control. I understood her power, even if I didn’t understand a thing about her. A personal, point-blank trump power, allowing her to tune abilities and defenses much like Scion did. A powerful long-ranged telekinesis, a compulsion power like Canary’s, presence-based rather than voice based, and a personal power battery that let her be stronger, for limited times.
Where the hell had she come from?
No powers that really made her amazing against Scion, but it was an asset. - Excerpt from Speck 30.4</ref>
Later, Khepri had Goddess stand alongside other telekinetics by portals and used her to move capes further, faster, or out of the way While fighting Zion.<ref name="30.5">Telekinetics stood by portals. The Blue Woman and Parian were among them. When I saw opportunities, I used them to move capes further, faster, to get them out of the way.
[...]
Portals opened wider, telekinesis pulling the attacking capes through if they couldn’t move fast enough. Forcefields and other measures flew up to surround Scion, mitigating the damage. - Excerpt from Speck 30.5</ref> Presumably Goddess was unharmed or at least resistant to damage.
After Doormaker was left incapacitated and Khepri's subsequent loss of control, Goddess was stranded in New York completely at a loss over what was going on and shouting to find her compatriots. After Zion's death, Goddess went after the girl who had brought her into the fight flying around barriers and more.<ref name=30.7e1/> She looked on with silent fury as the girl who was Khepri was allowed to leave.<ref name="30.7 e2">Some were still angry, still looking for revenge. The woman in blue seemed more angry than protective, furious at me, silent as she was. But she had less backup now. - Excerpt from Speck 30.7</ref>
Post-Gold Morning
General public believed that she returned to her world after the event,<ref name="P.8" /> since at that point Goddess was content to stay in background and recollect her parahuman-lieutenants, which were stranded alongside her.<ref name=ii8.7/>
She was being surveilled by Foresight and the Wardens,<ref>“Foresight and the Wardens have been keeping tabs on major players. They knew she was interested in the prison- she didn’t make any secrets about it. Her underlings have been ringing in regularly. That interest of hers was reason enough to watch her. She sees them watching and scares them off, just like she disintegrated the camera. She doesn’t change her routine outside of that. She doesn’t use powers, they don’t think, unless it’s in situations like that just now - Excerpt from Beacon 8.8</ref> as well as Teacher and, probably, multiple other sides, which made her feel hounded.<ref name=ii9.2> - Excerpt from Gleaming 9.2</ref>
Early Ward
Mentioned as one of main villainous influencers in the new multiversal human society.<ref>“What about the ones who are hooked into bigger groups?” I asked.
“That gets more complicated, and it’s less about the places to watch and more about the names to keep an ear out for,” my dad said. “Marquis, Goddess, Lord of Loss, Mama Mathers, the Crowley brothers, Deader and Goner, Barrow.”
I knew the names and I knew where they were situated. No big surprises there. I nodded to myself. Marquis. So casually mentioned. - Excerpt from Glare 3.5</ref><ref name="ii5x"/>
Demonstrated a continuous interest in parahuman prison inhabitants. Although bureaucracy and a threat of open conflict with the whole of Gimel were still able to hold her off at this point.<ref name=ii8.7>“Goddess is interested in the prison. Did you read her messages?”
“No,” Tristan said. “There’s no written record. She’s doing it through her people, who call or visit, because her actually showing up would be as good as an act of war. There are some notes here and there, for paperwork, and we can see emails going out asking for arbitration or help. She’s been interested since before the portal debacle, and she’s been getting impatient.”
“I got part of it,” Ashley said. “I had words with Monokeros. [...] This blue woman reached out to Monokeros. It’s part of why she wants to come here. She wants her, and she wants some specific others- all of us, I’m sure, if she can get us, but she was apparently asking if the Mathers bitch was at this prison.”
[...]
“But she was pulled out of her world just like everyone else. Her lieutenants were pulled out of her world. No more capes to control things – we don’t know how the population reacted. [...] She can’t go back until she has the means of seizing control. She hasn’t come after Gimel to take that because…” Sveta trailed off.
“She’s missing something,” I said. “Or she was injured in the final fight, or… there’s some stipulation on how her powers work or how she maintains a balance where she’s a multitrigger like Rain but with top tier powers across the board.”
“Or,” Capricorn said. “She knows it would mean war between her world and ours, and we have more capes. Her civilians might outnumber our civilians, but they hate her. There’s no loyalty. She took over her world and it was a hostile occupation.” - Excerpt from Beacon 8.7</ref>
Post-Fallen fall
With the Portal Widening, new Fallen prisoners being up for grabs, and general reactivation of major players she was becoming impatient.<ref name=ii8.7/><ref name=ii9.2/>
Using the moment when her observers were distracted, she met with Marquis and Amy, ensuring their assistance on unspecified terms. Shortly after that, she directed her attention on Breakthrough.<ref name=ii9.2/>
Trivia
- While Goddess was called many names in her short appearance "the Blue Empress" was not originally one of them.<ref name="IRC1">Ridtom: Fanon also has the Blue Empress as being the leader of WB Supreme Earth Au
Ridtom: That he wrote a while ago
Wildbow: That's not fanon
edward: WB Supreme Earth?
Wildbow: Her being called the Blue Empress is - IRC conversation with Wildbow, archived on Spacebattles</ref> The name was later incorporated into the canon,<ref name="ii5x"/> a not uncommon phenomenon.<ref name="17.8C1">Trusting:
Echidna , mother of monsters ! - First mention in comment on Migration 17.8</ref>
References
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