I was in my thirteenth year when I heard a voice from God to help me govern my conduct. And the first time I was very much afraid.
- Jeanne d'Arc
In 1789, with the rise of freedom and democracy as the French Revolution went into full swing, the ideals of Liberty, Reason, the Nation, the Homeland and civic virtue were so strong that the land itself and it's mystical energies responded by creating a young woman. This woman, with her tricolor cocakde and Phrygian cap became known as Liberty, or Marianne. It is wildly rumored that the first Marianne was indeed Jeanne d'Arc, the Maid of Orleans, who was the original morale lifter of French espirite d' corps. Since her creation, Marianne has been passed down from one generation to the next, birthed within a young French girl, only to be manifested during her puberty or times of crisis.
In 1793, the original Marianne became violent and terrible, following the whims of her people, becoming aggressive, leading the charge into battle during the Reign of Terror. By 1799, when Napoleon came to power, she was far less confrontational and aggressive, and was now more supportive than angry. After Napoleon's rise to power, the original Marianne vanished.
She did not return until WWII, when all seemed lost, a young girl in Dunkirk who stood against the Nazi invaders and treated the British soldiers that were evacuating became the new Marianne. She remained in the country as a freedom fighter, and symbol that France will rise again. This Marianne married and bore a daughter, the next Marianne.
The title of Marianne was passed down to her, and she became less and less popular as France became more republic and socialist, and by the time she retired and passed the title on to the next Marianne, it seemed that the strength of her former powers had all but vanished. France was bonding together as a Republic, forgetting the very roots of the Revolution that it had been born upon. This Marianne, despondent and depressed at what had become of her beloved country, took her own life in 1989, and the power of Marianne seemed lost to the world.
Until a young girl in Northern France proved herself worthy…
Charlotte's powers are based on the very freedoms and democracy of her home land. Because of this heavy tie to her people, the French, she is always tied to them and prefers French to communicate with, but can speak English at a conversational level.
Flight: The soaring spirit of democracy - Charlotte can take flight at up to super sonic speeds, and travel nearly 4000 miles without landing.
Enhanced Reflexes: As a revolutionary, Marianne had to lead from the front and be able to avoid the bullets and swords of those that would attempt to strike her down. Charlotte has these abilities in the form of enhanced reflexes that allow her to dodge and avoid attacks that may come her way.
Mystical Tie: Bolstered by the spirit of the French people, Charlotte can temporarily boost the morale of the people around her, increasing either their defense or attack. This affect only lasts 1d4 rounds, enough hopefully to turn the tide.
Transformation: When her powers are fully used, Charlotte transforms into Marianne, at least costume wise. Much like a magical girl, she loses whatever outfit she's in at the time in a flurry of tricolor flags and takes on the Marianne persona, complete with flowing dress of blue, with red skirt panels and white underskirts. She carries a large polearm banner with the French Fleur de Leis upon it.
Marianne would not manifest again for nearly twenty years. A young girl, Charlotte Pasquier was living in the Picardie region of France and was heavily involved in helping refugees and social connections for those that had come into her country. Charlotte's powers manifested during the attacks in Paris in 2013. Charlotte was speaking to a group of refugees in the city and reminding them that they are not all viewed as the enemy when the spirit of Marianne chose her to become the new carrier of her spirit. As a new superhero, she was taken under the wing of the current defender of France and became the sidekick in training to Lady Gargoyle.
Charlotte was trained in gymnastics, parkour, and other skills that allowed her to use the enhanced reflexes that she gained from the powers of Marianne, as well as her flight and mystical link with the people of France that increased or decreased her powers based on the overall confidence of the nation. She was doing quite well at first, her training was coming along and with the guidance of Lady Gargoyle, it seemed she wouldn't need to go to Coral Springs. However, as the nation started to turn, combined with fears of attack and immigration issues, protests erupted in the streets.
Unfortunately, this also started a change in Charlotte. She started to go from new rising hero to vigilante. After she broke the arm of a would be harasser, the Global League of Decency decided to intervene. After a long discussion with Charlotte, it was decided to enroll her in Coral Springs to help her hone her abilities and perhaps temper her constantly shifting attitude that changes as often as politics does in her native country.