Supara Update is an occasional column/thread about anything going on regarding our first foray into the indie comic book world.
Would you look at this? Frank writing up one of these Supara Updates... Weird. Well, This one is fairly appropriate, since of all the characters we have worked on, this is the only one that I can truly call my own. Her entire existence was based off of a simple question, “Is there Magic in Supara?” We decided on a very resounding, yes. And from that one question, an entire mythology has been born... Or rather borrowed and adapted. For you see, the character(s), contained in this update, connect with some very famous mythological figures... For more, follow on after the jump.
All artwork is courtesy of the talented Michael Mayne which you can find/follow him on devaintART, Blogspot, and Twitter.
Name: Sylvia Pendragon
Nickname: Syl
Alias: Pendra
Birth date: Unknown, Thought to be somewhere in the late 80's
Nickname: Syl
Alias: Pendra
Birth date: Unknown, Thought to be somewhere in the late 80's
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140 lbs
Body Type: Fit
Hair color: Blonde
Weight: 140 lbs
Body Type: Fit
Hair color: Blonde
Eye color: Green
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Education/Training:
Raised and educated by nuns, her education level is on par with a decent high school education, with strong emphasis on all things philosophical. Despite her religious upbringing, she finds herself questioning the teachings of the church more often than not.
Occupation:
Unknown, although she appears to not suffer financially.
Unknown, although she appears to not suffer financially.
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I wanted a character that was a little less of the mainstream. I wanted someone who could kick some major butt, but not be some She-Hulkian monstrosity. (Yeah, I'm coining the term “She-Hulkian”) And I wanted someone who was going to be fairly casual in her day to day attire... None of the painted-on, hyper-sexualized clothing that I see in a lot of major publications. I understand, that that is a selling point, but I want to focus on the strength of the character, and not the tightness of the outfit.
Powers/Abilities:
Father's Might: Excalibur grants Syl unparalleled swordsmanship. Ability so great, in fact that she could easily hold off three people with no problem.Rift Blade: The very metal used to forge the blade gives it unique elemental properties. It can burn as if made of fire, or seem to be made of a sheet of ice. Pendra need only will a change, and it will happen.
Mystical Sight: Syl's bracelet, allows her to see the ebb and flow of magic in the world, which allows her to better ward off magical incursions.
Realm-strider: When focused, Syl can cross over into one of the other realms, an ability that Arthur never quite mastered.
Dragon Mail: When Syl draws Excalibur from the aether, she also dons the Dragon's mail. The Dragon's mail is near invulnerable, and is one of the few things that will stick around should she be disarmed.
True Heir: While she has been put under great duress, Syl's upbringing has led her to have a very centered soul. It is this trait in particular that allows her to wield Excalibur.
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This was the original badass pose that Mr. Mayne drew up. And honestly, I think this is the most accurate depiction of the character in her battle-ready state. When the sword comes out, all levity is gone, and asses are about to get cut. Also, dig the two-hilted sword... A wonderful innovation by Mr. Mayne.
Origin:
The once and future king has returned... and fallen. But, all is not lost, before he died, Arthur Pendragon managed to father a child. Hidden away to keep the child safe from those that would use her lineage for ill, Sylvia grew up living a rather protected life. In the depths of the Abbey of the Sisters of Mercy, her only friend was The Lady, a by-product of an overactive imagination, or so the sisters told her.
On Syl's 18th Birthday, the Abbey came under attack, and with the Lady's help she managed to escape through the cave system under the Abbey, a cave that also housed Syl's father's sword, Excalibur. Armed with the magical sword of legend, Syl follows the trail of her would be killers to Supara. To learn the shocking truth of what lead to the brutal assault that destroyed everything she knew and loved.
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The only issue with the original design was that the gorget made it look like she would have no range of motion in her neck, so we cut that out and I think overall it works a lot better.
Personality:
Perky almost to a fault, Sylvia tries to live each day to its fullest, because if the assault on the Sisters of Mercy taught her nothing else, the world can end in the blink of an eye, and she wants to die with no regrets. With that said, when she, or someone/something she loves is threatened, she becomes a serious force to be reckoned with.
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This really captures Sylvia's attitude, It has the sort of cheerful look that I would expect to find on her face at almost any moment.
Premise:
I wanted a character that could be a deadly force when provoked, and one that comes with a very simple flaw. She is tied to the sword, if she loses contact with Excalibur, she is as vulnerable as a kitten. Also, being as she is leaning more towards the magical, I wanted her to have no innate powers. Everything she can do, all of the power and magic all flow from the sword. Something that makes her very different from the rest of the pack.
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I agonized over this look for a long while. What you see here is actually a very, relaxed Pendra. Something you will not see very often. When the sword comes out, she's all business, and when the work is done, she is not one to linger in her powered form. So I like that we can see her in a somewhat relaxed moment, as opposed to being in a flurry of violence.
The Lady:
Where would an Arthurian character be without The Lady of the Lake. Keep in mind, that the mythology behind the character is only going to be loosely borrowed from Arthurian Myth. I'm in the process of writing out a brand new spin on the Arthurian myth, and will hopefully delve more deeply into that once the SlamFiction experiment reaches its conclusion. One big focus, is my origin of the Lady of the Lake (or The Lady, for short). She is actually what ties Pendra to the powered world, and in fact, The Lady is one of the oldest living powers.
A person made up entirely of water, is pretty damn cool, right? So much to say about this character, but... I want to leave a little bit of mystery
Up next we'll have Vor-khai, arguably the most alien of all our creations... Get it? Alien? ...Oh wait, you haven't seen him yet... Well... Stay tuned!
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Supara Update #1: The Introduction
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