Julia Carlyle

A fictional character in the Legion of Lawndale Heroes universe, Julia Elaine Majel Carlyle is a Cadet First Class at the United States Academy of Extranormal Studies, and the Deputy Leader of The Alliance.

Biography

Born in New York City (specifically, in Manhattan), Julia is the daughter of Forbes Carlyle (although she was raised by Forbes and Paige Turner, her long-time domestic partner); she is also oldest of three children to Deforest Carlyle (her biological father). Julia also has, (through Deforest and his wife, Lauren Merritson) a younger sister in high school - Antigone Carlyle (or just 'Annie' by her friends), who is three years younger than Julia, and a younger brother - Lexington Carlyle ('Lex'), who is in grade school and is seven years younger than Julia.

Julia is a member of the uber-wealthy Clan Carlyle, a family that can trace its recorded ancestry as a distinct, separate faction within the Twelve Clans back over fifteen generations - to the birth of Majel Carlyle, and her actions in the war of attempted unification of the Twelve Clans with The Elite. All members of the Clan Carlyle have metahuman powers, but are not members of The Elite, nor are they interested in revealing those abilities to the world in general. This is one of the mitigating factors that allowed the truce to be crafted, and also why The Elite has not tried to eliminate them, although it is almost certain that they have been in contact for various purposes over the centuries. The exact wealth of the Clan Carlyle is unknown, but they are easily one of the three wealthiest of the Twelve Clans and known as one of the wealthiest families on Earth; Julia's personal worth (due to her own trust fund and her family allowances) is in the three to six-billion dollar range.

The great-granddaughter of Miranda Carlyle, Julia is incredibly attractive; she is 5'10 in height and weighs 125 pounds, with the traditional Carlyle birthright of long, dark scarlet hair and slender, with very long legs. Like the majority of 'Carlyle women', Julia has large, jade-green eyes; Julia, in fact, looks exactly like Majel Carlyle herself. (This was a factor in the naming of Julia, as she was given her ancestor's name, as well as 'Elaine' - Paige's grandmother's name.) Forbes, having a background in art history and decades of research in the area, named Julia after Julia The Elder - the daughter of the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

Julia discovered her powers at the age of seven. Because of her habit of constantly disappearing and never being where she was supposed to be (even before her powers developed) Julia picked up the nickname 'Milky' (as in 'you'll have to put her face on a milk carton to find her.') She came to the attention of Professor Richard Hiram Blumenberg in the summer before her ninth birthday, who spoke to the Carlyle family about Julia attending USAES; he left after being given a resounding 'no' to the question, but was shocked when Julia showed up at USAES less than a half-hour after he had returned. Julia was allowed to stay at USAES, and became the final member of Training Cadre 2996. (She is also the youngest member of the cadre, being almost three years younger than the others.) The Professor assigned her as Sherrie Klein's roommate; this was also a way to keep Klein (who was to be the final member of The Alliance, had Julia not arrived) close to the group, and to influnce Julia in a positive way.

Despite her signature wings and sonic powers, the majority of Julia's abilities are psionic in nature; as a result, Julia has an effective 'double major', and takes classes in both the Mental Enhancement and Special Transportation Studies metahuman course concentrations. She wears both the platinum 'psi' symbol and the platinum wings with the globe & 'double helix around the equator' - the symbols of those programs.

Julia is the autocratic 'Carlyle woman' expected by her great-grandmother (albeit with a rebellious, adventuring streak and a gift for snarkiness), but is also a strong team player. Because of her personality, skills and abilities, Julia was chosen as Deputy Leader of The Alliance, and she has their complete trust, respect and affection.

In LLH 13.2, 'Angel Of The Morning', Julia joined the Legion as the first member not to be a resident of Lawndale upon becoming a Legionnaire. Her membership is part of a one-year trial exchange program between the Legion and USAES, which could lead to a permanent program of having USAES cadets (who are also eligible for membership) spending a one-year period as Legionnaires.

In the LLH 'Mini' 25 Things About Julia Carlyle, Julia graduated with the USAES Class of 2012, and received her Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice. Because of her exemplary record and achievements, Julia was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve (as all Federal Service and National Service track cadets are commissioned as officers in either the Army or Navy Reserve). Julia has also moved from probationary status with the FBI to full Special Agent duty status.

Powers

Winged Flight: Julia possesses a pair of fully-functional wings (with a wingspan of fifteen feet) that she can fold back against her back or 'shrink' back into tiny 'wing buds' just beneath her skin. Her wings possess superhuman strength of their own, and Julia can reach Kryptonian-level speeds in flight without causing damage to the environment (see Flight Adaptations). If her wings are damaged, her healing power also allows her to rapidly heal or regenerate them.

Flight Adaptations: Julia's body possesses special adaptations allowing for high-speed, long duration and even exo-atmospheric flight:

her skin is more durable than expected; this actually provides her with the equivalent of light body armor, as she can resist puncture wounds and small-caliber bullets (up to the effect of a .45 round.

her bones are hollow, she can withstand extreme temperatures and extract oxygen from even very thin atmospheric conditions.

her body can actually sustain itself while in hostile environments such as space (underwater, in gas-filled areas, etc), with no need to eat, drink or breathe.

her body does not store excess fat, and allows her to convert food more efficiently into energy than non-powered or even most metahumans.

Julia possesses superhuman strength; she can lift and carry up to 1000 pounds (or up to twenty tons while in flight/her wings are extended). She can carry up to 400 pounds with no effort.

her eyesight is incredibly acute (superior to predatory birds) and her eyes are adapted for flight.

she possesses superhuman agility which allows her to both fly and fight in incredibly tight areas at very high speeds, and superhuman endurance at the pinnacle that humanoid beings can possess. Even if her other powers are actively suppressed, Julia retains agility, strength and endurance greater than an Olympic athlete.

Julia has a very limited connection to the 'Speed Force', allowing her to fly at ultra-high speeds without damage to the environment and perceive her environment in order to perform tasks at those speeds (such as dodge bullets, energy effects, other speedsters, etc.). It is active only when she is in flight. Even when not in flight, the nature of Julia's powers allow her to perceive and react to her surroundings far more quickly than normal humans.

Environmental Awareness: When using her flight powers, Julia possesses an innate awareness of her environment. Her awareness extends out to roughly one Astronomical Unit (roughly 93 million miles/the distance between Earth and the Sun). This awareness makes Julia a superior navigator, and she can determine how far her awareness can extend from her person (usually this distance is only between ten to fifty miles, unless circumstances call for greater coverage). She can use this power only while in flight.

Talons: Julia can extend her fingernails out into razor-sharp talons measuring six inches in length. This is an ability she chooses not to use very often.

Healing Factor: Julia possesses the ability to self-regenerate and heal herself from even lethal injuries/exposure to environments and substances. Julia can even reconstitute her body if even a molecule of her form still exists. (Even if her body is completely destroyed, Julia can reconstitute her form if a sample of her DNA can be found, and automatically re-establish her spirit inside her body.) Julia's power provides her with complete immunity to exotic conditions such as vampirism, zombification and the Crossed and Rage 'viruses'. Unlike many other metahumans with healing factors, Julia is not adversely affected if her powers are nullified; she still possesses the same resistance to germs and disease as any normal human in excellent physical condition.

Healing Ability: Julia can actively trigger production of her regeneration/healing ability into her bodily fluids (specifically in her saliva, sweat and blood) so that it can heal others through physical contact or use of those fluids. Any exposure to these fluids grants a person the effects of Julia's ability for a short period of time (roughly fifteen minutes). A kiss from Julia can heal even mortal injury or terminal diseases, and a transfusion of her blood can resurrect a person who has been dead up to twelve hours. While Julia's healing ability cannot cure genetic diseases or abnormalities, it can allow a person to survive indefinitely (as well as regenerate their bodies to human-normal proportions/appearance) with regular infusions.

Advanced Telocation: Julia has the ability to lock onto a person's mind (after handling a personal item of the target) and track them down. Julia's ability allows her to track a target anywhere within a 50-mile radius. (If she has no personal object to focus her powers on, she is limited to a six-mile radius.) If the target is shielded from mental powers in some fashion, Julia can only track them to the location where the protection was engaged. Julia is vulnerable to mental attack when using this power.

Astral Form: Julia can project her astral form out to 1500 miles away. While in astral form, she can use her mental-based powers as normal, her regeneration ability works on her astral form (while solid in other dimensions), and her speech-throwing and clairaudience acts as telepathy.

Mental Shields: Julia possesses an innate psionic shield that protects her from psionic and emotion-based attacks. This shield is always in place, but lowered when Julia uses her telelocation power or wants to allow any form of psi-contact. The shield also acts as a 'filter' to allow mental contact, but not control of her mind. Julia's mental shields cannot be shut down.

Sonic Generation: Julia has the ability to project sonic energies so powerful that they can liquify or disintegrate matter (by destroying molecular bindings) or disrupt energy fields. She can affect everything within a quarter-mile area, or attack a single target within her line of sight. Julia's control of her powers allows her attack a single target without harm to anything else in the immediate area. Julia can also use her sonic powers as a form of radar/sonar. While she rarely needs to do so (because of her wings), Julia can use her sonic powers in order to fly at up to the speed of sound. Julia's sonic powers can be used underwater or in a vacuum; losing her ability to speak does not affect her power. Julia's powers can be blocked by powers that dampen mental abilities, and she cannot be adversely affected by any sonic-or voice-related control, ability or device (including her own).

"Speech-throwing": Julia can use her vocal powers like ventriloquism to any place or person that she can actually view in real-time (through television, binoculars, etc.). Her range for this power is line-of-sight (or up to 2500 miles away, if she has a way to view them in real-time). When using her power, Julia develops clairaudience at the listed ranges, which allows her to talk to the targets of her power.

Pyrokinesis: Julia possesses very limited pyrokinetic powers that she uses to generate flames around objects without harming them. She has absolute control of the flame sheath, and also has a limited resistance to all heat and flames. She primarily uses this power to sheath swords with flame (in order to fool individuals into believing that she is an angel), to start small fires, or to shoot small streams of flame (which she only does rarely).

Equipment

As a member of The Alliance, Julia has a 'team jacket' which is lined with Salazarium. The jacket allows her to fly without using her own powers, acts as a form of body armor, (also giving some protection against mystical powers and effects), and has a microceiver allowing her to stay in touch with the other members of her team. Because of the flight capabilities of her jacket, Julia has the ability to fly for effectively unlimited periods of time (well, until dinnertime).

Julia also (as with all Alliance members) carries a weapon for melee combat; she prefers Tonfa,and carries a pair in sheathes on her trouser legs. For psychological purposes, Julia has a sword that can tap into her body's energies and generate a sheath of flame around the blade; she also possesses several outfits that, when carrying the sword and having her wings fully extended (she also allows her hair to fall free over her shoulders), makes her appear in the same fashion of the 'Angels' referenced in the Bible.

Since joining the Legion, Julia has been issued a PFT-M1 PFT Weapon for personal use, and also has a Legion flight ring. In LLH 13:8, Julia was seen wearing her Legion uniform, which possesses active camouflage elements that allow her to 'blend' in with the aerial environment, making her difficult to see in flight.

Skills

Julia has a major in Administration of Justice (criminology), and a minor in Business Administration (she is considering going forward with further studies in order to get her MBA). She has flawless linguistic skills in German and Gaelic (both Scottish Gaelic and Irish), and can converse easily as if she were a native of Germany, Scotland or Northern Ireland. She is an expert fighter in Tae Kwon Do and savate, and has incorporated both into an incredibly effective fighting style for use while airborne. She types over ninety-five words per minute, can write and read in shorthand, and is familiar with many computer programs used in office work-environments. Julia is also familiar with a wide variety of liquors and mixed drinks, and can easily stand in at the bar in any club. (This was part of Professor Blumenberg's Alliance training strategy of having all members proficient in a secondary set of skills, allowing them to infiltrate various organizations, survive in unusual circumstances or simply 'hide in plain sight' if the need arises; he saw Julia as being able to disguise herself as an office worker with the looks and abilities to ascend to higher duties in any organization.)

Julia has also developed a number of skills that are not entirely looked upon kindly by the USAES faculty (although they do have a limited group of courses that touch upon these areas; due to that and the fact that those skills are useful, Julia was allowed to continue). She is able to escape from almost any form of restraining device, and is an excellent lockpicker/safecracker. She also has impressive skills in circumventing security systems and entering secure areas. (Julia always keeps a set of lockpicks in her clothing at all times, as well as several micro-thermite charges and a miniature 'electronic lockpicking pad', for the purpose of defeating any door lock. She also keeps a pair of condoms in her uniform, as she has found various uses for them in the shadowy side of her training.)

Julia spent her internship year as an apprentice with the Thieves' Guild (which has survived to the present day) after being granted permission with a special dispensation from the Secretary of Extranormal Affairs. During her year with the Guild, Julia trained as a 'cat burglar', and participated in thefts which netted over $10,000,000.00 USD; Julia was allowed to participate due to the fact that her training would be used to curtail future crimes of this nature.

Although she has not attempted to expand upon the skill as several of her fellow cadets have, Julia possesses incredible shooting skills. She recorded a perfect marksmanship score at Quantico, is as good with hand weapons as Fabian Nogura, and is also an excellent gunner (either while flying or in a turret). Julia has a preference for shotguns.

Trivia

Julia loves to eat (she is a born and bred 'foodie'), and because of her powers she doesn't gain weight. She loves to compete in eating contests just to annoy people.

Julia's favorite food is barbecue ribs, and is not above flying all over the country (world) to get the best. She will also eagerly fly around the world to pick up special take-out orders for her friends.

Julia's birthday is August 1st. She was a 'preemie' (premature birth), having been born seven weeks before her due date (which was late September). Despite being slightly underweight, Julia was a normal, healthy baby, and was only kept in the hospital for several weeks until she had gained weight.

Julia has exceptionally large feet (for a woman) and wears size eleven shoes.

She has been nicknamed 'Duchess' by her fellow Alliance members because of her autocratic nature; she does not, however, act that way towards David Allen Farrington, which the others in The Alliance find humorous.

Julia's best friends are Sherrie Klein and Zoey Robertson.

Even though she has never really wanted to develop the talent (although she took classes just to please Professor Blumenberg), Julia has a beautiful singing voice and a talent for performing.

Julia's favorite animated character is Starscream from 'The Transformers'.