CADENCE

An old and powerful race, the Amaranthine’s primary occupation was enslavement. Their clients were other interstellar races in need of manpower. Slaves were most commonly taken as breeding stock, warrior stock, or food stock. Breeder slaves were impregnated by races whose physiology required hosts to hatch their spawn. Warrior stock were armed and sent to die in faraway conflicts. Food stock were seen as cattle to be bred . . . and then consumed. Humanity could serve all three of these purposes.

The Amaranthine found Earth during the early Dark Ages and were overjoyed by the discovery. The human race offered a varied genetic population with significant numbers and limitless potential. Their clients would pay handsomely for such a prize. Word was sent out and an auction ensued. The winner would get full access to Earth’s resources and population for all time.

As the price of said auction spiraled higher, the Amaranthine sent in their infiltrators to prepare the population.  Numbering in the hundreds and posing as humans, their task was to study human society and mold them into orderly empires. The larger these empires, the easier Earth would be to control when the time came.

Rather than invade in force, these infiltrators would simply control the masses through their leaders. It was a time-honored plan which never failed for the lesser worlds. When the humans were properly united under a single banner, a Voice would be sent. He/she would be tailored to adapt to the target race’s values. Deployed within a stellar vault, humanity’s enslaver-to-be slept in stasis, surrounded by protectors and awaiting instructions.

In the end, the Siggarim won the auction. The war-like expansionist race was enduring a case of bad karma. They needed warrior stock to send against a coalition of rebellious worlds and rival races. On the brink of defeat, the Siggarim paid the winning sum, only to collapse within months—just as the slave harvest was being planned. As it turned out, the Siggarim’s enemies tricked them into wasting resources on the auction instead of some other gambit.

With the Siggarim crushed, the Amaranthine were stuck with a unique quandary. Per their traditions, the Earth belonged to the Siggarim for all time. Until a representative of the Siggarim approached with the appropriate purchase code, they were honor-bound to protect the product from dozens of other species who might’ve invaded Earth on their own. Unwilling to risk utter obliteration, these other races reluctantly saw the humans as off-limits . . . for now. 



Cash in hand, the Amaranthine recalled their infiltrators and moved on to other worlds. Because of the cost involved, the slavers didn’t feel obligated to finish uniting the Earth or looking after its people. They left the Voice behind (in a state of suspended animation), in case one of the Siggarim ever showed up with the activation code.



She slept in her vault, completely unaware of what had transpired.



Buried near Istanbul, Turkey, the stellar vault was designed to last for eons. After a mere millennium or so, it malfunctioned. Emergency systems ejected the Voice into the modern world with no way to leave the planet or call for assistance. Worse, she was a mass slaver without a mission.



Back then, the Voice was a clean slate. Yes, she was programmed with a knowledge of Amaranthine sciences, infiltration tactics, and the common languages of the human race (as used in the Dark Ages). Until activated, her substantial powers and knowledge would be inaccessible—unless she was endangered.



While an alien life form, she could easily be mistaken as a mega sapien. The Voice easily mastered modern languages, developed a taste for music, and roamed the planet as a singer/musician. Having used many names, she currently calls herself Cadence. She studied modern mankind and found them intriguing. In time, she came to hope that the activation order would never come.



She decided to enjoy her freedom and (when necessary) protect humanity from itself. Of course, if the client came along to claim the world, Cadence would have no choice but to deliver humanity on a plate. Physically perfect and way too wise, Cadence is a Jane-of-all-trades. Currently, she’s a travelling solo artist. In the digital age, it’s getting harder for her to hide.



Her immune system is disease-proof. If injured, she’d need medical care and time to recover. Yet, given time, her injuries would fade to nothing. Not even a scar. She’ll never wrinkle or age. Can she be killed? Of course. Would it be easy? Only if she never saw it coming.



If attacked, her kill training would kick in. She’d be inhumanly fast and tough (say, Spider-manish but without the acrobatics). While not super-strong, her moves would impress a SEAL because she wouldn’t waste motion. Cadence could (and would) kill Bruce Lee in three moves or less. No witty banter or hesitation. Her intellect would also spike, allowing her to keep up with super geniuses. If a dangerous situation took time to resolve (like figuring her way out of a death maze), Cadence would be able to roll with Spock. Once out of it, her intellect would drop to mere genius (say, good enough to work at Google or earn a PHD).



The funny thing? Cadence could easily win a fight without throwing a punch. Her powers are mostly psychic. She’s got:



*A personal bio-field that can block everything except light and gases. It requires concentration to maintain. Once active, it can protect her from anything short of an artillery barrage.



*Her mind’s powerful enough to withstand most mental attacks. If Cadence wants, she can even reflect them back to their source. Seriously, her psyche should be one of the top 10 in your comic. After all, she’s the Voice.



*For offense, Cadence has a ranged mental attack. Think a psychic beam that directly fries a living mind, without leaving any physical evidence. One glance at a target is all it would take. Partially-damaged targets would suffer anything from memory loss, psychic power disruption, madness, and/or any other mental affliction that aids the plot.



*Beauty’s her worst power. Unless Cadence turns it off, she’s literally the most beautiful woman on Earth. Her charisma is irresistible to any gender, mindset, or sexual persuasion. You’d kill/die for her. Whole armies would surrender to her at the sound of her voice. Cadence’s simplest words cut to the soul, especially when she sings. The effect works when in her presence or via live broadcast. Technically, she could start World War III with a YouTube post.



*Don’t forget the stellar vault. Cadence had it recovered and hired super geniuses to create the necessary parts. With the help of a shrink ray, it was reduced to a manageable size. After a few decades, the vault now resembles a full-sized antique mirror. Only Cadence can step through the “glass” and into a micro, multi-dimensional vault. It’s basically a lair/bunker/hibernation chamber. Her “Fortress of Solitude,” for when she needs to get away or retrieve something/someone from cold storage.