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Slingshot (comics)
Encyclopedia
Olivia “Livvie” Lewis) is a fictional comic book
superhero
, a member of the superhero team Dynamo 5
, which appears in the monthly series of the same name from Image Comics
. Created by writer Jay Faerber
and artist Mahmud A. Asrar
, Slingshot first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 (January 2007).
For the first 24 issues of the series, the character possessed the superhuman power of flight, and went by the codename Slingshot. In issue #25 of the series (October 2009), the character, whose powers had been erased in the previous issue, obtained different powers. Now possessing the power to shapeshift into any animal, she goes by the name Menagerie.
, an overachiever, and a driven activist who is involved with half a dozen different volunteer organizations and extracurricular activities, which include working as a reporter for G.U.'s campus newspaper, The Hoya
, and volunteering at a clinic, though her workaholic nature leaves less time for her boyfriend Derrick than he’d like.
Following the assassination of Captain Dynamo
, the much-beloved superhero protector of Tower City, his widow, former government agent posing as a now-retired investigative reporter Maddie Warner
, discovered from his personal effects that he had been unfaithful to her countless times. Despite her devastation at this discovery, Warner realized that without a full-time protector, Tower City would be vulnerable to Captain Dynamo’s legion of super-villain enemies. She used her skills and the information she discovered to track down five people who could be Dynamo’s illegitimate children.
Livvie was the second of Captain Dynamo’s children that Warner contacted, and the second oldest. Gathering all five of the children together, Warner exposed them to the same unidentified radiation that gave Captain Dynamo his powers forty years earlier, unlocking their powers. Livvie inherited her father’s ability of flight, took the codename Slingshot, and works to protect Tower City with her newly discovered brothers and sisters.
As a member of Dynamo 5, Slingshot is dedicated and attentive. She is respectful and reserved towards Maddie Warner, usually referring to and addressing her as "Ma'am", or "Mrs. Warner", and eschewing profanity in her presence. She finds Warner's writings as a journalist to be "brilliant", and objects to her brother Spencer
's view that this deference is an attempt on her part to "suck up" to Warner. She is not completely deferential to Warner, however. For example, in the team's first year, she angrily refuses to comply with Warner's order that she and her siblings stay in Tower City to protect it after she learned of her father's kidnapping.
Neil Lewis was kidnapped by the former employers of an assassin named Lionel Barstow. These employers blackmailed her into freeing Barstow, but after she and her siblings did so, Barstow killed his ex-employers with his "death touch". Barstow explained that after he was captured, his attorney, Neil Lewis, advised him to testify against his employers. Although Slingshot's siblings are outraged at learning that they freed a murderer, Slingshot is more concerned with getting her father to safety than returning Barstow to the authorities, a decision that later serves as a source of tension among the team, Livvie later finds Barstow and returns him to the authorities, despite his threat to use her secret identity as a bargaining chip with them.
Neil Lewis was profoundly disturbed to discover his daughter's secret when she rescued him, and pained to learn that Livvie's mother cheated on him with Captain Dynamo. Livvie, however, recalling her feeling of betrayal with Spencer, sympathized with him, but reassured him that because of Dynamo's shapeshifting
ability, he could've impersonated Neil himself when he fathered Livvie, and that Livvie's mother may not have truly cheated on Neil.
, Olivia is the only one who received a superhuman ability in issue #25 that was not previously exhibited by one of her siblings. Unlike her brother, Spencer, who previously had shapeshifting abilities, Olivia cannot use her abilities to impersonate other people. Although Spencer ostensibly could not shapeshift into animals, Olivia has speculated that perhaps he could and simply did not know it, and that in general, much about her powers and those of her siblings remains unknown.
In her previous identity of Slingshot, Olivia had ability to defy gravity, and fly under her own power. The top speed and altitude she could achieve unaided is unknown, but she was able to use this ability to be an effective fighter in battles. In one encounter with the reptilian monster known as Whiptail, she was able to fly around the creature fast enough to create a miniature tornado
, causing him dizziness, without suffering any ill effects herself. Although she did not inherit her father’s superhuman strength, she is able to generate extra thrust while in flight, as she is able to carry another person when flying. She also uses the speed she can generate while in flight to knock out an opponent with the impact of a single punch. Whether this is a physiological adaptation that exists as part of her flight power, or a result of reinforced gloves, was not explained. Although she no longer has this power, she can, with her shapeshifting abilities, become an animal capable of flight, such as a bird.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
, a member of the superhero team Dynamo 5
Dynamo 5
Dynamo 5 is a fictional comic book superhero team created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud A. Asrar, which appears in an eponymous series published by Image Comics. The team first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 . The monthly series ended with issue #25...
, which appears in the monthly series of the same name from Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. Created by writer Jay Faerber
Jay Faerber
Jay Faerber is an American comic book and television writer. Faerber is known for his work on Generation X and New Warriors for Marvel Comics, and The Titans and Connor: Spotlight for DC Comics. He later wrote his own creator-owned titles for Image Comics, including Noble Causes, Dynamo 5 and Near...
and artist Mahmud A. Asrar
Mahmud A. Asrar
Mahmud Anjum Asrar is a Turkish-born comic book artist of Pakistani and Austrian ethnicity, who is known for his work on American and non-American comic books....
, Slingshot first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 (January 2007).
For the first 24 issues of the series, the character possessed the superhuman power of flight, and went by the codename Slingshot. In issue #25 of the series (October 2009), the character, whose powers had been erased in the previous issue, obtained different powers. Now possessing the power to shapeshift into any animal, she goes by the name Menagerie.
Publication history
Olivia "Livvie" Lewis' biological mother died when Livvie was young enough to require her adoptive father and her mother's widow, Neil Lewis, a high-priced Washington DC lawyer, to learn how to cook. Livvie is a junior at Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, an overachiever, and a driven activist who is involved with half a dozen different volunteer organizations and extracurricular activities, which include working as a reporter for G.U.'s campus newspaper, The Hoya
The Hoya
The Hoya, the oldest and largest student newspaper of Georgetown University in Washington, DC, was founded in 1920. The Hoya prints an edition every Tuesday and Friday during the academic year and has a circulation of 6,500...
, and volunteering at a clinic, though her workaholic nature leaves less time for her boyfriend Derrick than he’d like.
Following the assassination of Captain Dynamo
Captain Dynamo (comics)
Captain Dynamo is a fictional comic book superhero, created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Fran Bueno, who first appeared as a supporting character in Noble Causes: Extended Family #2 by Image Comics....
, the much-beloved superhero protector of Tower City, his widow, former government agent posing as a now-retired investigative reporter Maddie Warner
Maddie Warner
Madeline “Maddie” Warner is a fictional comic book character, the mentor and leader of the superhero team Dynamo 5, who appears in the monthly series of the same name by Image Comics. Created by writer Jay Faerber, Warner first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 .-Character history:Madeline Warner was born...
, discovered from his personal effects that he had been unfaithful to her countless times. Despite her devastation at this discovery, Warner realized that without a full-time protector, Tower City would be vulnerable to Captain Dynamo’s legion of super-villain enemies. She used her skills and the information she discovered to track down five people who could be Dynamo’s illegitimate children.
Livvie was the second of Captain Dynamo’s children that Warner contacted, and the second oldest. Gathering all five of the children together, Warner exposed them to the same unidentified radiation that gave Captain Dynamo his powers forty years earlier, unlocking their powers. Livvie inherited her father’s ability of flight, took the codename Slingshot, and works to protect Tower City with her newly discovered brothers and sisters.
Myriad (Image Comics)
Spencer Bridges is a fictional comic book superhero, a member of the superhero team Dynamo 5, which appears in the monthly series of the same name from Image Comics. Created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud A. Asrar, He first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1...
's view that this deference is an attempt on her part to "suck up" to Warner. She is not completely deferential to Warner, however. For example, in the team's first year, she angrily refuses to comply with Warner's order that she and her siblings stay in Tower City to protect it after she learned of her father's kidnapping.
Neil Lewis was kidnapped by the former employers of an assassin named Lionel Barstow. These employers blackmailed her into freeing Barstow, but after she and her siblings did so, Barstow killed his ex-employers with his "death touch". Barstow explained that after he was captured, his attorney, Neil Lewis, advised him to testify against his employers. Although Slingshot's siblings are outraged at learning that they freed a murderer, Slingshot is more concerned with getting her father to safety than returning Barstow to the authorities, a decision that later serves as a source of tension among the team, Livvie later finds Barstow and returns him to the authorities, despite his threat to use her secret identity as a bargaining chip with them.
Neil Lewis was profoundly disturbed to discover his daughter's secret when she rescued him, and pained to learn that Livvie's mother cheated on him with Captain Dynamo. Livvie, however, recalling her feeling of betrayal with Spencer, sympathized with him, but reassured him that because of Dynamo's shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
ability, he could've impersonated Neil himself when he fathered Livvie, and that Livvie's mother may not have truly cheated on Neil.
Powers
Olivia Lewis has the superhuman ability to shapeshift into any animal. She can only shapeshift into real animals, and not fictional ones. Shapeshifting into too many different forms in a small span of time, as when, for example, she shapeshifted into five different animals in rapid succession during a training session shortly after receiving her powers, physically exhausts her. Of the five members of Dynamo 5Dynamo 5
Dynamo 5 is a fictional comic book superhero team created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud A. Asrar, which appears in an eponymous series published by Image Comics. The team first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 . The monthly series ended with issue #25...
, Olivia is the only one who received a superhuman ability in issue #25 that was not previously exhibited by one of her siblings. Unlike her brother, Spencer, who previously had shapeshifting abilities, Olivia cannot use her abilities to impersonate other people. Although Spencer ostensibly could not shapeshift into animals, Olivia has speculated that perhaps he could and simply did not know it, and that in general, much about her powers and those of her siblings remains unknown.
In her previous identity of Slingshot, Olivia had ability to defy gravity, and fly under her own power. The top speed and altitude she could achieve unaided is unknown, but she was able to use this ability to be an effective fighter in battles. In one encounter with the reptilian monster known as Whiptail, she was able to fly around the creature fast enough to create a miniature tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
, causing him dizziness, without suffering any ill effects herself. Although she did not inherit her father’s superhuman strength, she is able to generate extra thrust while in flight, as she is able to carry another person when flying. She also uses the speed she can generate while in flight to knock out an opponent with the impact of a single punch. Whether this is a physiological adaptation that exists as part of her flight power, or a result of reinforced gloves, was not explained. Although she no longer has this power, she can, with her shapeshifting abilities, become an animal capable of flight, such as a bird.
See also
- Dynamo 5Dynamo 5Dynamo 5 is a fictional comic book superhero team created by writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud A. Asrar, which appears in an eponymous series published by Image Comics. The team first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 . The monthly series ended with issue #25...
- Smasher
- Wraith
- Supervision
- Ramjet
- Captain DynamoCaptain DynamoCaptain Dynamo may refer to:* Captain Dynamo , a fictional comic book superhero* Captain Dynamo , a platform game that was released for the Commodore Amiga and other platforms in 1993, developed by Codemasters...
- Maddie WarnerMaddie WarnerMadeline “Maddie” Warner is a fictional comic book character, the mentor and leader of the superhero team Dynamo 5, who appears in the monthly series of the same name by Image Comics. Created by writer Jay Faerber, Warner first appeared in Dynamo 5 #1 .-Character history:Madeline Warner was born...