What sort of charaterization and backstory do you like for Beatriz da Costa?

[Tzigone]

She started in Super Friends and was, as I understand it, President of Wayne Enterprises Brazilian branch.

I'm mostly familiar with her from her JL days where, in her early appearances at least, she was kind of joke, even if capable. Former showgirl - goes into to the spy game just for fun, irresponsible with money, tricked into modeling for a salacious calendar at some point. I mean, I'm not fond of that iteration of the team - I know a lot of people love it, but I find it to depict formerly some very capable heroes and reasonably intelligent heroes doofuses at best (at worst as morons and losers) for the sake humor. Not my type of humor.

The she's off to Checkmate and darkness and she turns assassin. Oh, and had an evil dad who trained her as a killer.

I have read some Justice League: Generation Lost, but honestly I don't remember much. I didn't like the reworking of Tora's backstory. I remember Bea and Rocket Red having some sort of thing.

Gotta admit, I don't know her current background or characterization.

[HandofPrometheus]

I LOVED her Checkmate days and I loved the backstory they added on to her. My head canon is that she was goofy and laid back when she was in the JL, surrounded by friends, but became dark when Tora "died". It sucks both her and Ice suffer from little characterization because nobody wants to use them which is weird since they have no complicated origins and both have badass powers.

[Tzigone]

they have no complicated origins

Haven't both had multiple, conflicting origins?

[HandofPrometheus]

Haven't both had multiple, conflicting origins?

For Ice it's either she was born a nordic goddess or she wasn't. DC flips flop over this but the latest mention of Ice was in JLA Rebirth and they choose the nordic origin


For Fire, you're right hers is complicated but she hasn't been developed at all since the New 52, so they can just easily give her a modern concrete origin but DC is DC and I don't see this happening. Honestly they're not too complicated as other heroes. They just require a modern update or retelling that will stick.

[Tzigone]

For Ice it's either she was born a nordic goddess or she wasn't. DC flips flop over this but the latest mention of Ice was in JLA Rebirth and they choose the nordic origin

I just hate the evil brother. Not a fan of evil siblings.

For Fire, you're right hers is complicated but she hasn't been developed at all since the New 52, so they can just easily give her a modern concrete origin but DC is DC and I don't see this happening. Honestly they're not too complicated as other heroes. They just require a modern update or retelling that will stick.

I'd love a modern one for her. Just don't know what I'd want it to be. I don't want her choice to pursue heroism to be based on guilt, angst, etc. And I would prefer her family be "normal people." It just seems like every hero has a tragic backstory or a "destiny" or something these days. I like the idea of those that led a normal life and then a freakish event occurred to give them powers, rather than it being planned or arranged or destined. Same with choice to be hero. Gives the hero agency instead of them being moved around like pieces on chessboard.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Ok, first of all: thanks Tzigone for the "da Costa". (We had to endure a lot of "DaCosta" over the years)

That said, this one runs close to me because I am brazilian: I love the Checkmate twist, even though it got dated fast (our military dictatorship ended in 85, so that one is hard to maintain). THAT SAID, if it was up to me she'd just be a girl with powers. Preferably, from a poor background.

[Tzigone]

Did we get any indications of Bea's age in the late '80s? I don't mind later references, but am particularly interested in how old she was supposed to be during that era.

Right now, I'm trying to think of a childhood I like for her. Poor works, as does working class. I would prefer she have siblings. So few heroes do. I was trying to incorporate her devil-may-care personality of the late 80s, but not go parody level with it. I was thinking she was the wild child. Her parents loved her, but she was difficult and exhausting to parent. Every rule was a suggestion to her. She's unconventional and energetic and doesn't really care what's appropriate. They may like her visits to be short.

But I don't know - may go in an entirely different direction.

[caj]

One of my all-time favorite characters. I knew her from Super Friends and Justice League. Not sure of her age but I love her being flirty and fun.

[CaptCleghorn]

My thoughts of her are from her and Ice's JLI days. What I got of her character from that is she and Ice are definitely besties. Bea is more of a realist but a risk taker than the idealistic but restrained Tora. She also likes putting on a persona which hides her more business-like mind even though she does appreciate a good time.

[jetengine]

Beatriz just wants to do good in a world where her nation suffers from inequality, crime and a worsening environmental state. Give her a little of that Golden Age Superman grit but with a bit of a "Popular with the people, fun party girl vibe" so she's taking down slumlords one minuite and the next she's guest DJ-ing at a festival.

[Tzigone]

Beatriz just wants to do good in a world where her nation suffers from inequality, crime and a worsening environmental state. Give her a little of that Golden Age Superman grit but with a bit of a "Popular with the people, fun party girl vibe" so she's taking down slumlords one minuite and the next she's guest DJ-ing at a festival.

Slumlord in US or Brazil? I've been reading about Brazil today, trying to get a picture of different economic classes and living conditions and education levels and so on (made more difficult because I want data from 20+ years ago for Bea's childhood) and I mostly saw reference to favelas, which would basically be occupant-owned, as I understand it, and not have slumlords. But I don't know about other types of slums. Also trying to figure how likely Bea would have been to go to school past mandatory age (which I understand to be 14?).

I did learn about stabilizing the currency a lot in the 1990s. And the swap from trying to destroy favelas to trying to improve them (access to services, etc.). Which, as far as I can tell, started a little earlier?

And trying to understand even the broad strokes and generalizations of a culture from a specific time and place from a one page entry on a website is undoubtedly a failing proposition, but I am looking.

[achilles]

I didn't like the Checkmate stuff. Not every character has to be a spie/warrior/great martial artist/whatever. Some can and should just be fun, nice to read about, and nothing special beyond the powers and being fun. Her best stories IMO have been the ones about the lighter moments of her friendship with Tora. And of course with the other League members.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Slumlord in US or Brazil? I've been reading about Brazil today, trying to get a picture of different economic classes and living conditions and education levels and so on (made more difficult because I want data from 20+ years ago for Bea's childhood) and I mostly saw reference to favelas, which would basically be occupant-owned, as I understand it, and not have slumlords. But I don't know about other types of slums. Also trying to figure how likely Bea would have been to go to school past mandatory age (which I understand to be 14?).

I did learn about stabilizing the currency a lot in the 1990s. And the swap from trying to destroy favelas to trying to improve them (access to services, etc.). Which, as far as I can tell, started a little earlier?

And trying to understand even the broad strokes and generalizations of a culture from a specific time and place from a one page entry on a website is undoubtedly a failing proposition, but I am looking.

I am 38, highly political and have a very good memory. Ask away, here or on DMs.

(We do have "slumlords", but they're quite different from what te expression would mean in the US, by the way.)

[Tzigone]

I didn't like the Checkmate stuff. Not every character has to be a spie/warrior/great martial artist/whatever. Some can and should just be fun, nice to read about, and nothing special beyond the powers and being fun. Her best stories IMO have been the ones about the lighter moments of her friendship with Tora. And of course with the other League members.

I agree. Actually, I'd want her to get into heroing (and espionage before that) mostly for the adventure and fun of it.

[Sutekh]

In her first Superfriends appearance, which is where I 'met' her, she seemed tied to some sort of mystical 'green flame' that had the power to burn hot or cold, could create illusions, and allowed her to fly, possibly among other stunts (like magically changing into her superhero costume). Some sort of mystical / supernatural origin was implied, and then, bam, she's in Justice League International, and is a breezy supermodel flirt metahuman who can snort out a six inch tongue of a flame.

I was like, 'whaaaat?'

So I definitely would prefer a backstory that had less to do with 'just a mutant' and more of a serious characterization than the partying covergirl of the JLI days.