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Misfit (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Misfit is a fiction
al character
in the . She first appeared in Birds of Prey #96 (September 2006) as a wannabe Batgirl
, before taking on her own identity as Misfit.
Misfit debuts as a shadowy figure, wearing a homemade variation of Barbara Gordon
's classic Batgirl
costume, accurate enough to be mistaken for the original article at night. She seems to have some proficiency with martial arts and Batarangs, as she's able to save a couple from muggers. The male of the rescued couple says "Batgirl is back!"
That's enough for Barbara to send Black Canary
and Huntress
to find the new Batgirl. With Gypsy
as a lure, acting as a damsel in distress
, the girl then reveals herself, and after displaying her metahuman
powers of teleportation
, superstrength and enhanced healing
, saves Huntress from being wounded, and displaying her extensive knowledge of the Birds of Prey's activities, she teleports right behind Barbara to speak with her. Oracle, impressed by the young girl's abilities, but deterred by her young age, shows her photos of Stephanie Brown's autopsy
to dissuade her from crime-fighting. The mystery girl agrees to retire her Batgirl identity, but not to abandon her heroic activities.
to an unspecified location in Russia. There she aids the Birds of Prey against the Secret Six
.
Her identity ceased to be a mystery when the new Spy Smasher
discloses her real name and last known address to Oracle. Misfit is revealed to be the only daughter of a single mother. She lived in a slum in Metropolis, until a fire broke out. Misfit is apparently able to teleport herself and anything non-organic, but not to bring anything living with her. She was able to teleport to safety, but had to leave her mother to die. Alone and scared, Misfit used her powers to spy on the Birds of Prey, secretly admiring the group of female crimefighters. The Birds agree to act as a surrogate, if dysfunctional, family for the girl.
Charlotte's recklessness and impulsiveness caused strain between her and her surrogate "mothers". While piloting a giant robot
during a fight against a magically-empowered teen gangster, Misfit deliberately ignored Oracle's orders not to touch a certain button on the machine. After the button was pressed, an entire slum was leveled, leaving the gangster and many innocent people dead due to Misfit's actions. Oracle cracks under the pressure, her resolve already weakened by having lost Superman
's trust in her abilities. She starts to train Misfit more harshly, blaming herself for having sent Misfit into the field without proper preparation. Misfit manages to prove her worth again, defeating an enraged Black Alice and saving Manhunter from a cadre of magic-using villains.
Reminiscing about her dead mother, Misfit teleports back home to Metropolis, where she's kidnapped by Darkseid
's henchmen, fed with experimental drugs to shatter her will and forced to fight against other metahuman
s. Black Alice is captured too, and she considers stealing Misfit's teleportation ability in order to escape captivity. However, a discovery by Bernadeth
that the two are related, prompts Black Alice to save her rival. Eventually, Misfit is freed from the drugs' effects, but is still left psychologically scarred
The Teen Titans storyline "Titans of Tomorrow... Today!"
reveals that as an adult in an alternate future timeline, Charlotte operates as the Huntress in the Titans Army, and has dyed her hair blonde and wears fishnet stockings, like Black Canary. "Dark Vengeance!" remains her characteristic battle cry. In the present, Misfit expresses the desire to grow hair "like the Huntress, but with blonde hair, maybe". Both issues were written by Sean McKeever
.
When Barbara Gordon transfers the Birds of Prey headquarters to "Platinum Flats" (a fictional city in the Silicon Valley
) to tackle a group of white-collar criminals, she forces Charlotte to enroll at the local high school. There Charlotte seems to have a hard time fitting in, as her spunky personality doesn't blend with the sophisticated children of the "new economy
" riches. Furthermore, she finds herself surpassed in popularity by her rival Lori, formerly a goth outcast, but now considered exotic and attractive by the geeky elite of Platinum Flats.
Misfit recently appeared in Teen Titans #66, wanting to be a new member and asking that Oracle not be told of her plans. While Robin told her the doors were always open for her to visit, she was not made a member of the team, and was ultimately passed over in favor of Static, Aquagirl, and Kid Eternity
. Following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne
, the Birds of Prey break up and go their separate ways. Some time later during the events of Brightest Day
, Oracle reunites in Gotham City with Huntress and Black Canary, mentioning in passing that Charlotte is now living with a foster family. She is later revealed to be one of only five heroes outside of the Birds of Prey who know that Oracle is not actually dead.
Despite no longer being a member of the Birds of Prey, Charlotte appears as a member of Wonder Woman
's all-female superteam in Wonder Woman #600. Misfit eventually appears at a meeting involving a close-knit group of Gotham heroes who have come to meet with Oracle after she fakes her death. She has a disagreement with Stephanie Brown, the girl who ultimately succeeded Cassandra Cain
as the new Batgirl and currently acts as Oracle's protege.
("bounce", as she calls it) vast distances without error, and without needing to know the layout of her destination. Oracle refers to her as "the most powerful teleporter I've ever encountered." Apparently, this ability also allows her to bypass security system
s, as she is able to enter Oracle's home without triggering any of the alarms, a feat not even Batman
or the Martian Manhunter
have been able to achieve; she also knows the real names
of the Birds of Prey, information she could have only gotten by hiding in Oracle's operations center and listening to her discussions with the team.
Misfit's power is limited to herself and non-living objects in her possession, as she tells Oracle that, while she was able to save herself from the fire, she wasn't able to save her mother because, "I knew from experimenting that nothing living survived bouncing with me." After temporarily "borrowing" Misfit's powers, Black Alice uses that knowledge to teleport away with the new Granny Goodness
, making her explode in the process.
Misfit also has some degree of accelerated healing; when she is shot in the belly with a bullet intended for Huntress, she heals completely mere minutes later, and later she mentions "the way I don't stay wounded if I get hurt" to Oracle. Darkseid
is able to discern that Misfit heals faster while teleporting, as she's able to rebuild her burnt off face in a few "jumps". She also appears to have some degree of enhanced strength, though this has not been confirmed. Her powers are apparently natural metahuman
abilities that she was born with, as opposed to being the result of some outside influence after birth. These abilities are magical (Homo Magi
) in nature, and this allows Black Alice to channel them.
During her tenure with the Birds of Prey, Misfit has received extensive martial arts training by Oracle. Even if still lacking the skills and the experience of her teammates, Misfit has improved enough to be able to defend herself, and even to beat more experienced metahumans, like Livewire
and four other unnamed metahuman girls.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the . She first appeared in Birds of Prey #96 (September 2006) as a wannabe Batgirl
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
, before taking on her own identity as Misfit.
The new Batgirl
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
's classic Batgirl
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
costume, accurate enough to be mistaken for the original article at night. She seems to have some proficiency with martial arts and Batarangs, as she's able to save a couple from muggers. The male of the rescued couple says "Batgirl is back!"
That's enough for Barbara to send Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
and Huntress
Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)
Huntress is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Based upon the Earth-Two character Helena Wayne, she is one of several DC characters to bear the Huntress name...
to find the new Batgirl. With Gypsy
Gypsy (comics)
Gypsy is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine. She first appeared in Justice League Annual #2 and was created by Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton. She is a member of the Birds of Prey and has been a member of the Justice League.-Fictional character biography:Cindy Reynolds is born to...
as a lure, acting as a damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
, the girl then reveals herself, and after displaying her metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
powers of teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, superstrength and enhanced healing
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
, saves Huntress from being wounded, and displaying her extensive knowledge of the Birds of Prey's activities, she teleports right behind Barbara to speak with her. Oracle, impressed by the young girl's abilities, but deterred by her young age, shows her photos of Stephanie Brown's autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
to dissuade her from crime-fighting. The mystery girl agrees to retire her Batgirl identity, but not to abandon her heroic activities.
Misfit
In fact, she simply applies some minor cosmetic changes to her costume, like a stylized (bat-like) letter M instead of the batwings, and a denim miniskirt, and renames herself Misfit. Her proficiency with her powers in this period seems enhanced, as she's now able to teleport between Metropolis and Southern California and from Oracle's headquarters in MetropolisMetropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
to an unspecified location in Russia. There she aids the Birds of Prey against the Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
.
Her identity ceased to be a mystery when the new Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics...
discloses her real name and last known address to Oracle. Misfit is revealed to be the only daughter of a single mother. She lived in a slum in Metropolis, until a fire broke out. Misfit is apparently able to teleport herself and anything non-organic, but not to bring anything living with her. She was able to teleport to safety, but had to leave her mother to die. Alone and scared, Misfit used her powers to spy on the Birds of Prey, secretly admiring the group of female crimefighters. The Birds agree to act as a surrogate, if dysfunctional, family for the girl.
Charlotte's recklessness and impulsiveness caused strain between her and her surrogate "mothers". While piloting a giant robot
Giant Robot
Giant Robot may refer to:* Giant Robot , magazine of Asian American popular culture* Mecha, a piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicle* Giant Robot Week, week-long event that aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami in 2003...
during a fight against a magically-empowered teen gangster, Misfit deliberately ignored Oracle's orders not to touch a certain button on the machine. After the button was pressed, an entire slum was leveled, leaving the gangster and many innocent people dead due to Misfit's actions. Oracle cracks under the pressure, her resolve already weakened by having lost Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's trust in her abilities. She starts to train Misfit more harshly, blaming herself for having sent Misfit into the field without proper preparation. Misfit manages to prove her worth again, defeating an enraged Black Alice and saving Manhunter from a cadre of magic-using villains.
Reminiscing about her dead mother, Misfit teleports back home to Metropolis, where she's kidnapped by Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's henchmen, fed with experimental drugs to shatter her will and forced to fight against other metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
s. Black Alice is captured too, and she considers stealing Misfit's teleportation ability in order to escape captivity. However, a discovery by Bernadeth
Bernadeth
Bernadeth is a fictional extraterrestrial goddess published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle vol. 1 #6 , and was created by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
that the two are related, prompts Black Alice to save her rival. Eventually, Misfit is freed from the drugs' effects, but is still left psychologically scarred
The Teen Titans storyline "Titans of Tomorrow... Today!"
Titans Tomorrow
"Titans Tomorrow" is a storyline of a possible alternate future in the DC Comics Universe, from Teen Titans #17-19 , by Geoff Johns and Mike McKone...
reveals that as an adult in an alternate future timeline, Charlotte operates as the Huntress in the Titans Army, and has dyed her hair blonde and wears fishnet stockings, like Black Canary. "Dark Vengeance!" remains her characteristic battle cry. In the present, Misfit expresses the desire to grow hair "like the Huntress, but with blonde hair, maybe". Both issues were written by Sean McKeever
Sean McKeever
Sean Kelley McKeever is an American comic book writer.-Career:Since the end of his creator-owned teen drama series The Waiting Place, which was published from 1997 to 2002, McKeever has written several series for Marvel Comics, including The Incredible Hulk, Sentinel, Mary Jane, Inhumans and...
.
When Barbara Gordon transfers the Birds of Prey headquarters to "Platinum Flats" (a fictional city in the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
) to tackle a group of white-collar criminals, she forces Charlotte to enroll at the local high school. There Charlotte seems to have a hard time fitting in, as her spunky personality doesn't blend with the sophisticated children of the "new economy
New Economy
The New Economy is a term to describe the result of the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy. This particular use of the term was popular during the Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s...
" riches. Furthermore, she finds herself surpassed in popularity by her rival Lori, formerly a goth outcast, but now considered exotic and attractive by the geeky elite of Platinum Flats.
Misfit recently appeared in Teen Titans #66, wanting to be a new member and asking that Oracle not be told of her plans. While Robin told her the doors were always open for her to visit, she was not made a member of the team, and was ultimately passed over in favor of Static, Aquagirl, and Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity
Kid Eternity is a comic book superhero who first premiered in Hit Comics #25, published by Quality Comics in December, 1942. The character - as well as all of Quality's intellectual properties were sold to DC Comics in 1956...
. Following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
, the Birds of Prey break up and go their separate ways. Some time later during the events of Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
, Oracle reunites in Gotham City with Huntress and Black Canary, mentioning in passing that Charlotte is now living with a foster family. She is later revealed to be one of only five heroes outside of the Birds of Prey who know that Oracle is not actually dead.
Despite no longer being a member of the Birds of Prey, Charlotte appears as a member of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
's all-female superteam in Wonder Woman #600. Misfit eventually appears at a meeting involving a close-knit group of Gotham heroes who have come to meet with Oracle after she fakes her death. She has a disagreement with Stephanie Brown, the girl who ultimately succeeded Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
as the new Batgirl and currently acts as Oracle's protege.
Powers and abilities
Misfit has the ability to teleportTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
("bounce", as she calls it) vast distances without error, and without needing to know the layout of her destination. Oracle refers to her as "the most powerful teleporter I've ever encountered." Apparently, this ability also allows her to bypass security system
Burglar alarm
Burglar , alarms are systems designed to detect unauthorized entry into a building or area. They consist of an array of sensors, a control panel and alerting system, and interconnections...
s, as she is able to enter Oracle's home without triggering any of the alarms, a feat not even Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
or the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
have been able to achieve; she also knows the real names
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
of the Birds of Prey, information she could have only gotten by hiding in Oracle's operations center and listening to her discussions with the team.
Misfit's power is limited to herself and non-living objects in her possession, as she tells Oracle that, while she was able to save herself from the fire, she wasn't able to save her mother because, "I knew from experimenting that nothing living survived bouncing with me." After temporarily "borrowing" Misfit's powers, Black Alice uses that knowledge to teleport away with the new Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness is a fictional character, a deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Granny Goodness was modeled on comedienne Phyllis Diller and first appeared in Mister Miracle vol...
, making her explode in the process.
Misfit also has some degree of accelerated healing; when she is shot in the belly with a bullet intended for Huntress, she heals completely mere minutes later, and later she mentions "the way I don't stay wounded if I get hurt" to Oracle. Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
is able to discern that Misfit heals faster while teleporting, as she's able to rebuild her burnt off face in a few "jumps". She also appears to have some degree of enhanced strength, though this has not been confirmed. Her powers are apparently natural metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
abilities that she was born with, as opposed to being the result of some outside influence after birth. These abilities are magical (Homo Magi
Homo Magi
Homo magi is a fictional sub-race of magic-using humans in the . The Homo magi first appeared in Justice League of America #164 , and were created by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
) in nature, and this allows Black Alice to channel them.
During her tenure with the Birds of Prey, Misfit has received extensive martial arts training by Oracle. Even if still lacking the skills and the experience of her teammates, Misfit has improved enough to be able to defend herself, and even to beat more experienced metahumans, like Livewire
Livewire (DC Comics)
Livewire is a fictional character and a supervillain in the . She first appeared in 1997 in Superman: The Animated Series and was voiced by Lori Petty. Her first appearance in the comic books was in the publication of Action Comics #835 .-Animated series:Leslie Willis was once Metropolis' most...
and four other unnamed metahuman girls.