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Silver Swan (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Silver Swan are three fictional character
s in the Wonder Woman
stories. The first Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #288. The second Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #15. The third Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 2, #171 (August 2001).
dancer who, disgusted by being overlooked and cruelly treated because of her homely appearance, struck a bargain with Mars
to have a beautiful face and body in return for destroying man's champion, Wonder Woman
. Helen becomes the mystically-created alter ego Silver Swan in the Pre-Crisis
.
Diana Prince comes upon a gang of bank robbers, and a new arrival, a flying, costumed female who calls herself the Silver Swan, helps her bring them in. The Silver Swan flies off, and Wonder Woman discovers that the briefcase of secret documents she and Steve Trevor
had been carrying is gone. Later, Diana and Etta Candy
discover a rent raise has made it necessary for them to take on a new roommate. The first applicant, whom they accept, is Helen Alexandros, who has found the briefcase and returns it to Diana.
Unknown to both of them, the plain-faced, skin-blemished Helen is a former ballerina who has been badly hurt by rejections due to her "ugly duckling" face. After one performance in an ancient temple in Greece
, Helen cried out to the gods that she hated men. At that point, Mars appeared from Mount Olympus
and revealed to Helena that she was a descended on her mother’s side from Helen of Sparta
, daughter of Zeus
and Leda
. When Mars asked if she was ready to accept her "heritage of blood", Helen agreed, and was transformed into the beautiful Silver Swan, with the powers of flight, great strength, and a "swan song" which could wreak destruction. Mars told the Swan that Helen would be able to change into her for an hour at a time, as long as she served him, and on the day that she destroyed Wonder Woman, she would become the Silver Swan forever.
Later, when Wonder Woman is attempting to return the briefcase, the Silver Swan snatches it away and defeats the Amazon in battle. But, unwilling to destroy Wonder Woman around witnesses, the Swan turns over the briefcase and convinces Gen. Darnell that she mistakenly thought Wonder Woman was stealing it. Meanwhile Doctor Psycho
is able to use Steve Trevor to produce enough ectoplasm
to turn him into Captain Wonder, in which identity he attacks Wonder Woman, and helps the Swan rope in Wonder Woman. Captain Wonder and Silver Swan fall in love with each other at first sight. They opt to take the captive heroine to the White House and kill her before the eyes of President of the United States
Ronald Reagan
. But Mars appears to the Swan and demands that she order Captain Wonder to send the Robot Plane crashing into the White House
and thus murder the President.
However Steve Trevor awakens from Dr. Psycho's spell and is able to break Psycho's ability to maintain his Captain Wonder persona. Psycho crashes to Earth unharmed and Wonder Woman is able to break free. Wonder Woman battles the Silver Swan and defeats her, and the Amazon manages to prevent her plane from smashing the White House
and endangering President Reagan
. Disappointed in the Swan, Mars withdraws her powers and she returns to her Helen Alexandros identity, after which she disappears.
The Silver Swan reappeared in a battle arranged behind the scenes by the Monitor
as one of the tests he launched to prepare for the coming multiversal crisis
. The Swan appeared late one night in a Pentagon
storage facility, encountering the Angle Man
, Captain Wonder
, and the Cheetah
. They were defeated when Etta Candy
used Doctor Psycho
's ectoplasmitron to create for herself a superpowered identity based on Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman #323)
continuity, Valerie Beaudry was exposed to radiation from nuclear tests while in the womb. This caused her to be horribly deformed. Valerie had no friends except for a pen pal named Henry Cobb Armbruster. The head of Armbruster International, he exploited Valerie's need for acceptance by choosing her for his Silver Swan project. Valerie was mutated by the industrialist to become the Silver Swan, granting her incredible beauty as well as tremendous hypersonic powers. He extended his control over her by marrying Valerie. He also used her to battle Wonder Woman and Ed Indelicato. Eventually, thanks to Diana and another of her pen pals, Maxine Sterenbuch, who had formed a true friendship with her over the years, Valerie saw Armbruster for who he truly was and divorced him.
Valerie, wanting to repay Diana for helping her, offered her assistance during her time as a fugitive during War of the Gods
. Diana refused her however, not wanting Valerie to be put in harm's way, despite her incredible power. Nevertheless, she joined many of Earth's heroes in the battle against Circe. She later joined a short lived superteam known as the Captains of Industry
. Eventually, Valerie retired her identity as the Silver Swan, but not before serving a stint in the Suicide Squad
. She also appeared in Underworld Unleashed
as one of many characters whom the demon Neron
approached to exchange their souls to him for additional power. She rejected his offer, opting instead for a quiet life in suburbia, not far from her good friend Maxine.
Some time later, Valerie returned to the Silver Swan role against her will after reality was altered during JLA/Avengers
. She appeared as part of a team of villains sent to attack the assembled heroes, but was quickly defeated by the Vision
. Valerie was last seen standing in an energy bubble, bound and gagged with restraints conjured by the briefly resurrected Hal Jordan
. After reality was restored at the event's conclusion, Valerie presumably returned to her peaceful civilian life.
Vanessa "Nessie" Kapatelis mother Julia Kapatelis
became pregnant while she and Vanessa's father David were exploring Scotland
. As a joke David wanted to name their unborn child "Nessie" after the local Scottish creature the Loch Ness Monster
. Though humored, Julia did not agree but settled on "Vanessa" as a close substitute. Julia remained married to David until his death 22 years into their marriage when Vanessa was 5 years old. He died while exploring ruins in Egypt. Deciding to make a fresh start Julia took Vanessa to live in the U.S. where she eventually became the Dean
for the Department of History and Geology at Harvard University
.
While living in the Beacon Hill section of Boston, Massachusetts, Vanessa grew up feeling like an awkward outsider in high school. During this time she had the chance to meet Wonder Woman when her mother took in the Amazon when she first arrived in the United States
. At first, Vanessa was jealous of Wonder Woman's beauty, but after Diana rescued her from Decay
the two got to know each other better. Nessie started to love Wonder Woman as an elder sister and dreamed of fighting evil alongside Diana.
The trauma of her father's death while she was 5 years old and the suicide
of her best friend Lucy, made Vanessa go over the edge and she started to blame herself for all the bad things that happened to people she cared about. Meanwhile Doctor Psycho
started to cause her to have nightmares. To help her daughter recover, the school counselor (under Psycho's influence) told Julia that Diana had to leave their house.
Nessie eventually recovered but she could not forgive her mother for making Diana leave and she then started to blame Diana for abandoning her. During this time Vanessa proved to be a target for Wonder Woman's enemies yet again by being kidnapped by The White Magician. She was eventually rescued by Diana. Her mixed emotions were a perfect target for Circe
who decided to use her to get to Diana. Thus, using Sebastian Ballesteros (the latest Cheetah) as a lure, Dr. Psycho and Circe used periodical mental conditioning and physical implants to gradually transform Vanessa into a new Silver Swan and set her against her former friend. They programmed Nessie's brain and turned the young woman into a killing machine, releasing her upon Diana and Wonder Girl
, whom she considered an usurper of her "entitled" role. The result of this brought about the destruction of Cassie Sandmark's school and the death of over a hundred people as well as exposing Cassie's identity. Vanessa had become, effectively, a terrorist but before Diana could attempt any resolution, the Imperiex
attack and Circe's takeover of New York City occurred.
After Circe was defeated, Diana took Nessie to a hospital in Buenos Aires
where she could heal. While she was recovering, Ballesteros abducted her. Veronica Cale
, who greatly hated and envied Diana, bought Nessie from him and transformed her further into a cyborg, sending her back to fight Diana. However, this time when Diana defeated Nessie, she begged Doctor Leslie Anderson to operate on her and remove the cyborg implants. Diana then sent Vanessa to Themyscira
for surgical recovery. As Themyscira has since vanished from this plane of existence, it was assumed that Vanessa was in the care of her mother.
A Silver Swan was present in Salvation Run
among the other exiled villains and was seen in Final Crisis
as a victim of the Anti-Life Equation
. Later, she appears in a grouping of Wonder Woman's adversaries, all gathered by Circe. The villains are defeated. Later, they are taken into custody by the Department of Metahuman Affairs. It appears this may be a new incarnation of the Silver Swan as Vanessa has made a complete physical and mental recovery and has recently graduated from college, with her mother, Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, Vanessa's uncle Stavros and Diana herself all in attendance at the ceremony.
Unlike the pre-Crisis version, whose abilities were acquired supernaturally through the god Mars, the two post-Crisis Silver Swans need their artificial wings to control their flight motion.
Each version also possesses an additional ability which makes them unique from the other Silver Swans.
Helen Alexandros has superhuman strength. It was speculated that Valerie Beaudry had the ability to rearrange matter with her voice (but she never had a chance to be trained in doing so). Vanessa Kapatelis has the telepathic ability to control birds.
miniseries as a villain under Krona
's control. She attacked the Vision
and helped take him down with her magic attacks. After other heroes intervened, the Vision phased his arm through her chest, defeating her.
universe, Silver Swan joined with the Amazons' Furies
.
Valerie Beaudry:
Vanessa Kapatelis:
Fictional character
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...
s in the 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....
stories. The first Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 1 #288. The second Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #15. The third Silver Swan first appeared in Wonder Woman vol. 2, #171 (August 2001).
Helen Alexandros
Born to Leda Alexandros, Helen Alexandros is a bitter balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer who, disgusted by being overlooked and cruelly treated because of her homely appearance, struck a bargain with Mars
Ares (DC Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in...
to have a beautiful face and body in return for destroying man's champion, 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....
. Helen becomes the mystically-created alter ego Silver Swan in the Pre-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.
Diana Prince comes upon a gang of bank robbers, and a new arrival, a flying, costumed female who calls herself the Silver Swan, helps her bring them in. The Silver Swan flies off, and Wonder Woman discovers that the briefcase of secret documents she and Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
had been carrying is gone. Later, Diana and Etta Candy
Etta Candy
Etta Candy is a fictional character from the DC Comics Wonder Woman series.-Golden Age:In her 1940s introduction, Etta Candy is a sickly malnurished woman Wonder Woman discovers at a local hospital. When next she is seen Etta is transformed into a spirited, rotund young woman who has a great love...
discover a rent raise has made it necessary for them to take on a new roommate. The first applicant, whom they accept, is Helen Alexandros, who has found the briefcase and returns it to Diana.
Unknown to both of them, the plain-faced, skin-blemished Helen is a former ballerina who has been badly hurt by rejections due to her "ugly duckling" face. After one performance in an ancient temple in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Helen cried out to the gods that she hated men. At that point, Mars appeared from Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
and revealed to Helena that she was a descended on her mother’s side from Helen of Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
, daughter of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
and Leda
Leda (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Leda was daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus , of Sparta. Her myth gave rise to the popular motif in Renaissance and later art of Leda and the Swan...
. When Mars asked if she was ready to accept her "heritage of blood", Helen agreed, and was transformed into the beautiful Silver Swan, with the powers of flight, great strength, and a "swan song" which could wreak destruction. Mars told the Swan that Helen would be able to change into her for an hour at a time, as long as she served him, and on the day that she destroyed Wonder Woman, she would become the Silver Swan forever.
Later, when Wonder Woman is attempting to return the briefcase, the Silver Swan snatches it away and defeats the Amazon in battle. But, unwilling to destroy Wonder Woman around witnesses, the Swan turns over the briefcase and convinces Gen. Darnell that she mistakenly thought Wonder Woman was stealing it. Meanwhile Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. A villainous telepathic dwarf, Doctor Psycho has traditionally been presented as an adversary for Wonder Woman...
is able to use Steve Trevor to produce enough ectoplasm
Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm may refer to:* Ectoplasm , the outer part of the cytoplasm* Ectoplasm , supposed physical substance that manifests as a result of spiritual energy or psychic phenomenon...
to turn him into Captain Wonder, in which identity he attacks Wonder Woman, and helps the Swan rope in Wonder Woman. Captain Wonder and Silver Swan fall in love with each other at first sight. They opt to take the captive heroine to the White House and kill her before the eyes of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. But Mars appears to the Swan and demands that she order Captain Wonder to send the Robot Plane crashing into the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and thus murder the President.
However Steve Trevor awakens from Dr. Psycho's spell and is able to break Psycho's ability to maintain his Captain Wonder persona. Psycho crashes to Earth unharmed and Wonder Woman is able to break free. Wonder Woman battles the Silver Swan and defeats her, and the Amazon manages to prevent her plane from smashing the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and endangering President Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. Disappointed in the Swan, Mars withdraws her powers and she returns to her Helen Alexandros identity, after which she disappears.
The Silver Swan reappeared in a battle arranged behind the scenes by the Monitor
Monitor (comics)
The Monitor is a fictional character created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series....
as one of the tests he launched to prepare for the coming multiversal crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
. The Swan appeared late one night in a Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
storage facility, encountering the Angle Man
Angle Man
Angle Man is a fictional DC Comics supervillain.-Publishing history:The Angle Man was created as a recurring foil for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book....
, Captain Wonder
Captain Wonder
Captain Wonder is a villain who was created by combining Doctor Psycho and Steve Trevor. He battled the Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman and was a love interest to the original Silver Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
, and the Cheetah
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
. They were defeated when Etta Candy
Etta Candy
Etta Candy is a fictional character from the DC Comics Wonder Woman series.-Golden Age:In her 1940s introduction, Etta Candy is a sickly malnurished woman Wonder Woman discovers at a local hospital. When next she is seen Etta is transformed into a spirited, rotund young woman who has a great love...
used Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. A villainous telepathic dwarf, Doctor Psycho has traditionally been presented as an adversary for Wonder Woman...
's ectoplasmitron to create for herself a superpowered identity based on Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman #323)
Valerie Beaudry
In the Post-CrisisCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
continuity, Valerie Beaudry was exposed to radiation from nuclear tests while in the womb. This caused her to be horribly deformed. Valerie had no friends except for a pen pal named Henry Cobb Armbruster. The head of Armbruster International, he exploited Valerie's need for acceptance by choosing her for his Silver Swan project. Valerie was mutated by the industrialist to become the Silver Swan, granting her incredible beauty as well as tremendous hypersonic powers. He extended his control over her by marrying Valerie. He also used her to battle Wonder Woman and Ed Indelicato. Eventually, thanks to Diana and another of her pen pals, Maxine Sterenbuch, who had formed a true friendship with her over the years, Valerie saw Armbruster for who he truly was and divorced him.
Valerie, wanting to repay Diana for helping her, offered her assistance during her time as a fugitive during War of the Gods
War of the Gods (comics)
War of the Gods was an American four-issue comic book mini-series published by DC Comics in 1991.Primarily centered on the character Wonder Woman, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was written and drawn by George Pérez, who would leave the Wonder Woman...
. Diana refused her however, not wanting Valerie to be put in harm's way, despite her incredible power. Nevertheless, she joined many of Earth's heroes in the battle against Circe. She later joined a short lived superteam known as the Captains of Industry
Captains of Industry (comics)
The Captains of Industry were a fictional DC Comics superteam introduced in 1988's Firestorm the Nuclear Man issue #88.-History:The Captains of Industry were originally formed as a small investigative task force for the IMHS funded by a consortium of corporate interests...
. Eventually, Valerie retired her identity as the Silver Swan, but not before serving a stint in the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
. She also appeared in Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed
Underworld Unleashed was a multi-title comic book cross-over event released by DC Comics in 1995. As well as the core story-line of the three-issue Underworld Unleashed mini-series, most of the DC titles published in November and December 1995 and a number of one-off titles were part of the...
as one of many characters whom the demon Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
approached to exchange their souls to him for additional power. She rejected his offer, opting instead for a quiet life in suburbia, not far from her good friend Maxine.
Some time later, Valerie returned to the Silver Swan role against her will after reality was altered during JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...
. She appeared as part of a team of villains sent to attack the assembled heroes, but was quickly defeated by the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
. Valerie was last seen standing in an energy bubble, bound and gagged with restraints conjured by the briefly resurrected Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
. After reality was restored at the event's conclusion, Valerie presumably returned to her peaceful civilian life.
Vanessa Kapatelis
Vanessa "Nessie" Kapatelis mother Julia Kapatelis
Julia Kapatelis
Julia Deneiros Kapatelis is a DC Comics fictional character created by writer/artist George Pérez for the Wonder Woman comic book series.-Childhood:...
became pregnant while she and Vanessa's father David were exploring Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. As a joke David wanted to name their unborn child "Nessie" after the local Scottish creature the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. Though humored, Julia did not agree but settled on "Vanessa" as a close substitute. Julia remained married to David until his death 22 years into their marriage when Vanessa was 5 years old. He died while exploring ruins in Egypt. Deciding to make a fresh start Julia took Vanessa to live in the U.S. where she eventually became the Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
for the Department of History and Geology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
While living in the Beacon Hill section of Boston, Massachusetts, Vanessa grew up feeling like an awkward outsider in high school. During this time she had the chance to meet Wonder Woman when her mother took in the Amazon when she first arrived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At first, Vanessa was jealous of Wonder Woman's beauty, but after Diana rescued her from Decay
Decay (DC Comics)
Decay is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. She appears as a villain in the Wonder Woman comic book series.-Fictional character biography:...
the two got to know each other better. Nessie started to love Wonder Woman as an elder sister and dreamed of fighting evil alongside Diana.
The trauma of her father's death while she was 5 years old and the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of her best friend Lucy, made Vanessa go over the edge and she started to blame herself for all the bad things that happened to people she cared about. Meanwhile Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. A villainous telepathic dwarf, Doctor Psycho has traditionally been presented as an adversary for Wonder Woman...
started to cause her to have nightmares. To help her daughter recover, the school counselor (under Psycho's influence) told Julia that Diana had to leave their house.
Nessie eventually recovered but she could not forgive her mother for making Diana leave and she then started to blame Diana for abandoning her. During this time Vanessa proved to be a target for Wonder Woman's enemies yet again by being kidnapped by The White Magician. She was eventually rescued by Diana. Her mixed emotions were a perfect target for Circe
Circe (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
who decided to use her to get to Diana. Thus, using Sebastian Ballesteros (the latest Cheetah) as a lure, Dr. Psycho and Circe used periodical mental conditioning and physical implants to gradually transform Vanessa into a new Silver Swan and set her against her former friend. They programmed Nessie's brain and turned the young woman into a killing machine, releasing her upon Diana and Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the name of three fictional characters featured as superheroes in comic books and other media produced by DC Comics. The original was a younger version of Wonder Woman...
, whom she considered an usurper of her "entitled" role. The result of this brought about the destruction of Cassie Sandmark's school and the death of over a hundred people as well as exposing Cassie's identity. Vanessa had become, effectively, a terrorist but before Diana could attempt any resolution, the Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
attack and Circe's takeover of New York City occurred.
After Circe was defeated, Diana took Nessie to a hospital in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
where she could heal. While she was recovering, Ballesteros abducted her. Veronica Cale
Veronica Cale
Veronica Cale is a fictional comic book villain appearing in books published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of Wonder Woman. She was created by Greg Rucka in Wonder Woman v2, #196...
, who greatly hated and envied Diana, bought Nessie from him and transformed her further into a cyborg, sending her back to fight Diana. However, this time when Diana defeated Nessie, she begged Doctor Leslie Anderson to operate on her and remove the cyborg implants. Diana then sent Vanessa to Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
for surgical recovery. As Themyscira has since vanished from this plane of existence, it was assumed that Vanessa was in the care of her mother.
A Silver Swan was present in Salvation Run
Salvation Run
Salvation Run is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie in to the company's major event series Final Crisis in 2008.-Premise:The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by George R. R...
among the other exiled villains and was seen in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
as a victim of the Anti-Life Equation
Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is the equation for total control over the free will of sentient beings, for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the...
. Later, she appears in a grouping of Wonder Woman's adversaries, all gathered by Circe. The villains are defeated. Later, they are taken into custody by the Department of Metahuman Affairs. It appears this may be a new incarnation of the Silver Swan as Vanessa has made a complete physical and mental recovery and has recently graduated from college, with her mother, Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, Vanessa's uncle Stavros and Diana herself all in attendance at the ceremony.
Powers, abilities, and weapons
Each Silver Swan has the ability to create powerful sound waves with her voice. Her "swan song" is capable of devastating a small area of land with its destructive force. By creating a low-level humming, the Silver Swan can form a protective shield around herself that can deflect bullets and projectiles.Unlike the pre-Crisis version, whose abilities were acquired supernaturally through the god Mars, the two post-Crisis Silver Swans need their artificial wings to control their flight motion.
Each version also possesses an additional ability which makes them unique from the other Silver Swans.
Helen Alexandros has superhuman strength. It was speculated that Valerie Beaudry had the ability to rearrange matter with her voice (but she never had a chance to be trained in doing so). Vanessa Kapatelis has the telepathic ability to control birds.
JLA/Agengers
Silver Swan appeared in the JLA/AvengersJLA/Avengers
JLA/Avengers is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to May 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with art by George Pérez...
miniseries as a villain under Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
's control. She attacked the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
and helped take him down with her magic attacks. After other heroes intervened, the Vision phased his arm through her chest, defeating her.
Flashpoint
In the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
universe, Silver Swan joined with the Amazons' Furies
Female Furies
The Female Furies are a group of fictional women warriors appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Team history:...
.
Featured in trades
Silver Swan is featured in the comic book trades Down to Earth and Wonder Woman: Bitter Rivals.Video games
- Silver Swan is scheduled to appear in the upcoming video game DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
.
External links
Helen Alexandros:Valerie Beaudry:
Vanessa Kapatelis: