Caitlin Fairchild (Wildstorm Universe)

Caitlin Fairchild is a Gen-Active superhero, usually just using her surname Fairchild as an alias. A founding member of Gen 13, she can alter her muscle mass which increases her size, strength and durability.

History

Caitlin Fairchild is the daughter of Alexander Fairchild of Team 7. When he was forced to go underground to escape International Operations, Alex Fairchild left Caitlin in the care of relatives in Portland, Oregon. Raised by her aunt and uncle alongside her cousin Karen, Caitlin grew into a brilliant, but rather mousy young woman. Her academic skill led to her being accepted to Princeton University where she double-majored in computer science and electrical engineering.

In her sophomore year, Caitlin was recruited into Project: Genesis which she believed to be some sort of government internship. One night, Caitlin began to feel ill (due to secretly being fed drugs designed to activate latent Gen-Active abilities) and staggered out of her room to try to find a bathroom. She inadvertently stumbled into a computer room where her future teammates Grunge and Roxy were hanging out. Caitlin convinced them to go back to their rooms and was about to leave when she spotted her father's name on a computer screen.

Caitlin, investigating this, was interrupted by a security guard who clubbed her with his rifle when she tried to explain herself. The guard was about to turn on Grunge and Roxy, but was interrupted by Caitlin's anger activating her latent gen-active abilities. Fairchild's clothing was shredded in the process, but within seconds she was transformed from a mousy computer geek to a powerful, towering amazon.

Borrowing Grunge's shirt, Caitlin, Roxy and Grunge decided to escape Project: Genesis. Along the way, they were joined by Bobby Lane and Sarah Rainmaker. Despite their best efforts the team's escape from Project: Genesis would have failed if not for the intervention of International Operations director John Lynch.

Deciding that I/O had to be opposed, Lynch turned on the organization and helped the teens flee to San Diego, California where he set up a luxurious safe house in the La Jolla area. Lynch promised to teach the fledgling superheroes how to make a difference in the world and to help them uncover the mysteries of who their parents were.

Because of her responsible and mature attitude, Caitlin was universally elected field leader of the team. Though uncertain of her abilities, Fairchild accepted the role and her cool thinking got the team out of more than a few tight situations. Some time later, John Lynch disappeared. But Alex Fairchild, who Caitlin was reunited with during the Fire from Heaven crossover, took up the role of mentor. It was during this period that the team relocated to the Florida Keys and Roxy and Caitlin discovered that they were half-sisters.

But the family reunion was short-lived as Alex was killed protecting his daughters and the rest of the team from the villain Tindalos. With her father dead and John Lynch still missing, Caitlin took full leadership of the team.

Though sometimes frustrated by her comrades' personal eccentricities, Caitlin cares deeply for all of them. They are all the family she has now. In return, the rest of Gen 13 look to Caitlin as both a friend and leader. Also, an accident resulted in a case of amnesia that made her believe she was Supergirl for a time, an issue that was quickly resolved.

Worldstorm

Following the events of Captain Atom: Armageddon, Caitlin was still living with her adoptive parents when she mysteriously wakes up with a version of her familiar green uniform. Her parents took this as a cue that their apparent mission to raise her was over. Soldiers entered her home, killed her parents and kidnapped Caitlin. She met up with other familiar Gen 13 characters, Freefall, Burnout, Rainmaker and Grunge, for apparently the first time.

Caitlin, forced to pose for prurient shoots in stereotypical hypersexualized situations, helped the other Gens to escape from Tabula Rasa, the I/O offshoot project responsible for their empowerment, protecting them and caring as a sort of rational and mother-like "hen mother" for the group. However, her time with Tabula Rasa leaves her badly traumatized and unsure about her prettier appearance, due to the motives leading them to give it to her in the first place. As the natural "leader" of the group she leads them during throughout their escape, helping Rainmaker into coping with her homosexuality and reassure her that they still could be friends even if they'll never be lovers as she hoped to, caring for Grunge when, forced to kill in self-defense, is left shattered and falls in a deep depression, warding off further plans of Tabula Rasa's men to control the Gen 13 members life, and, ultimately taking care of Burnout, blinded during the World's End event.

During Gen 13's adventures, Caitlin was revealed to be, as her Gen 13 teammates, the recipient of the soul of her original namesake, collected by the Doctor and restored in the new body. However, in this life all the Gens exhibit different tendencies, becoming progressively their own persons: Caitlin is less a tease and a bombshell, and more of a quiet, peaceful hen-mother whose quiet and collected manners stride heavily with her pin-up body.

World's End

Caitlin's role in the post-Armageddon ruins which Earth had become was now caring for the safety of her friends: when the other Gens suppose that Caitlin may be developing the Florence Nightingale Effect, Grunge dismissed it, claiming that helping friends in need is a facet of her personality, and pressured her into being more carefree for a while.

While seeking refuge in a mall, the team split up to find new clothing. While alone, Rainmaker embraced Caitlin and the two kiss. Caitlin pushed Sarah away, who ran off. While following Sarah to apologize for acting so harshly, Caitlin noticed a group of people outside the mall. She let them in so they could get food and shelter. These people, however, were infected with the Warhol Virus and turned into Incubites. After fighting them off, Caitlin was dowsed in the blood of one of the dead creatures.^[1] After washing up the gang decided to head to the town of Tranquility.

After hitching a ride from Dr. Sin the team headed to a post-apocalyptic skate-park run by youths. While settling in a tent, Caitlin grabbed Bobby and the two kissed. Rainmaker saw this and stormed out of the park. After taking a break from their make-out session, Caitlin stepped out of the tent and is met by Holly Denton. Caitlin was skeptical of her knowledge about Tabula Rasa and was reluctant to befriend her. Shortly after this, Megan and Dr. Cross (in child form) sprayed them all with a blue goo that encapsulated them all. After escaping from this, they discovered that the youths at the park were cannibals. In the process of escaping, Caitlin was stabbed and started to bleed, to her surprise. Holly used her power to remove the stabber's skin, killing him instantly. Megan then drove up in her I.O. van and offered the team a ride.

Caitlin remained critically wounded and close to succumbing to the Warhol Virus in which Dr. Cross pledged the Gens in helping her, only in exchange for a blood sample from each of them in return. Upon arriving to the town of Malice, Caitlin, Cross and Megan were taken prisoners by the Fearsmiths after the toddlers convinced the villains that Caitlin was their mother and needed medical attention for her. Ultimately, Caitlin mutated into an Incubite and slain Taipan, Stinkbug and Nightmary. Just as her fifteen minutes almost expired, Holly cured Caitlin with her powers at the cost of her life.^[2]^{[citation needed]}

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Physical Augmentation: Caitlin was affected by her gen-factor causing her mass to increase and her muscle density to grow exponentially.^[3]
- Superhuman Strength: Fairchild has confronted and been able to hold her own against some of the strongest heroes and villains in the Wildstorm universe. She can lift well over 100 tons under normal conditions.^[3]^[4]
- Superhuman Durability: Caitlin Fairchild can absorb a tremendous amount of physical punishment without injury. She has fallen from great heights onto solid concrete and walked away unharmed. Her bones are nearly unbreakable and her skin can withstand puncture even by bullets.
- Enhanced Stamina: Caitlin can exert herself well beyond peak human endurance levels without tiring or even growing short of breath.
- Enhanced Agility: Caitlin is far more dexterous and agile than a normal human and is capable of impressive acrobatic feats.
- Enhanced Reflexes: As a result of her gen-factor, Caitlin possesses superhuman reflexes above the human maximum, but not extremely so.

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Thanks to extensive training and actual combat experience while with Gen-13, Fairchild is a formidable hand-to-hand fighter; and has also learned how to use her great strength and other superhuman physical abilities to her advantage in battle.
Genius Level Intellect: Caitlin possesses a remarkably advanced intellect, majoring in both computer science and electrical engineering at the Ivy League level. She is a talented computer whiz and has skills comparable to that of a high-level programmer and hacker.
Leadership: Caitlin is a natural leader and has been in charge of the Gen-13 team for most of its existence. She has developed a keen understanding of battle strategy, and her teammates instinctively follow her lead whenever a combat situation arises.

Trivia

Caitlin Fairchild has appeared in the following non-WildStorm Image publications: The Deadly Duo (Volume 2) #3.

External Links

Footnotes

[1] Gen 13 (Volume 4) #25

[2] Gen¹³ #32

[Gen1v1-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Gen 13 #1

[4] Gen 13 #2

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