Red Sonja
In the ancient and forgotten Hyborean Age, a young woman known as Sonja was born and raised on the western Hyrkanian steppes, the beautiful redheaded daughter of the chief of her tribe of peaceful farmers.
All of that would be torn away in her seventeenth year, when a roving band of barbarian mercenaries attacked, slaughtering most of of the family. Sonja struggled to defend herself, but was too weak to effectively lift and swing her brother's sword. Sonja was disarmed, and subject to brutal treatment, left for dead by her attackers.
Covered in her own blood, and that of her family, broken and dying, Sonja prayed for vengeance to Scathach. The goddess granted her wish, giving her unparalleled strength, agility and fighting prowess, demanding only that Sonja agree never to lie with a man unless he could defeat her in combat.
Sonja's battles were legendary in her time, and likely formed the basis for many stories about untouchable, impossibly beautiful warrior women. She battled and defeated armies, overthrew mad kings, and made war upon powerful sorcerers. It is said by some that she was never defeated. But some say that someday, she met her match, for her lineage did not end…
Mary Jane Watson
Born the younger of two daughters to Medeline and Philip Watson, Mary Jane's life was neither idyllic nor hellish. Instead she was just another child living the best life that could be managed in another broken home in the modern age. When Madeline left Philip, Mary Jane went with her mother, and the two stayed with a succession of several relatives as Madeline did her best to build a strong, safe home. Mary Jane's favorite of all of these was with her aunt, Anna May Watson in Queens, New York. (Interesting side note: Anna May Watson is the next door neighbor to Benjamin and May Parker, who would take in and raise young Peter Parker.)
Mary Jane learned early on to work hard to keep up her mother's spirits, keeping things light and humorous and and always staying upbeat. This made her a natural in performing, and sparked the beautiful young redhead's interests in modeling and acting, which she pursued in and outside school.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane was not content with merely performing and looking good, and she wanted more than that. The bright young woman parlayed her interests into investigative reporting and journalism, including the school newspaper, her own blog and vlog, and the school television station.
Kulan Gath at the Museum
On a Midtown High field trip to the New York Museum of Natural History, Mary Jane's existence would change. She came along, videoing the entire trip for footage to cut together into her vlog, and was hoping to put together a story for the school television station.
What was going to be a rather boring segment became much more exciting in relatively short order. One of the guards at the museum ended up busting open one of the cases and pulling out a necklace, drawn in by the magical essence within. When he put on the necklace, he was fully possessed by Kulan Gath, a fearsome sorcerer of the Hyborean Age and one of Red Sonja's enemies.
The sorcerer held the patrons of the museum hostage, preparing to transform New York and assume rulership. Mary Jane, drawn to one of the artifacts in the nearby cases, found herself compelled to finally take her chance, busting open the case to retrieve the sword within, and recite in a language she could not even understand the Hyrkonian words, "By the blood of Scathach and the Blade of Sonja, I call upon the power of the Red Warrioress."
With that incantation, Mary Jane Watson was transformed, becoming the reincarnation of Red Sonja. She proceeded to once again defeat Kulan Gath and supposedly destroyed the amulet by throwing it into an incinerator.
Thanks to everything that happened, Mary Jane has been able to keep that sword, and now she has a chance to really make her mark on the world.
Mary Jane Watson: Positive Attitude
Early on, Mary Jane learned that the best way to keep going was to always keep a positive attitude, and to project the positive attitude to the world and the people around her. When she was younger, this was as much a part of a joint coping mechanism with her mother as anything. But even now that's not nearly as important, it's still the way she is and the way she approaches life.
Mary Jane Watson: Vivacious
Part of projecting her positive attitude to the world around her, Mary Jane is positively vivacious. She's full of life, and she shares that with everyone around her. She is active and interested in everyone and everything. She's extremely outgoing, and loves being around people. She also seems to draw strength and energy from the attention and admiration of others.
Mary Jane Watson: Determined
Mary Jane has learned not to give up easily. Life is a challenge, and she has learned she can only succeed if she can buckle down and keep pushing onward, even - sometimes especially - when the going gets tough. She may not be the smartest in her class, but if she works hard, she can still get the grades to build the future she wants. She may not be the best, but she can be the most determined.
Mary Jane Watson: Inquisitive
Though she may not be the smartest, Mary Jane isn't dumb. And though she doesn't necessarily already know it all, she has a very curious and inquisitive mind: she wants to figure it out and learn how it works, why it works. She wants to know the secrets and the mysteries, whether the question of how the lunch menu gets selected for the month, or how it is the football players manage to pass their exams without studying. Or why it is that she seems to be able to call upon the mighty Red Sonja. It makes her quite the budding investigator and journalist.
Red Sonja: Determined
Sonja is fiercely, unwaveringly determined. She set out on a one woman quest for vengeance, without even knowing who she was looking for or how to find them. And she kept at it, no matter how hard it became, confronting unflinchingly every opponent and challenge that got in her way. She doesn't really have a 'yield' setting, won't surrender and can't give up. It's just not in her make-up.
Red Sonja: Aggressive
Sonja is aggressive. She fights. She doesn't care much for talking things out or making peace, although she's not above communicating, even with an enemy. She's not stupid about it. But even when she's choosing to talk or associate, she does so in an aggressive manner, always pushing.
Red Sonja: Bright
As grounded and aggressive as Sonja may be, she is not stupid. She is actually quite bright and capable. She can work her way around to grasping concepts on an intuitive or instinctual level that most would expect to require months or years of study, which has enabled her to confront and even confound sorcerers, and to function in a world beset by technology that beggars the mind of one from the Hyborean Age.
Red Sonja: Fiercely Misandrist
To put it simply and bluntly, Sonja is a woman who has survived rape and brutality the like of which few can truly comprehend. She has managed to work her way through that, and come out the other side, no longer self-identifying as a rape survivor. But she has half a lifetime's experience not only mistrusting men, but aggressively challenging them, unwilling to grant them more than grudging respect, and never allowing one to assume any level of superiority to her. That instinctive mistrust and competition remains a part of who she is. The kinds of casual familiarity and command most men of the modern age expect are sure to raise her ire, much to their chagrin.
Motivation
Mary Jane is motivated by curiosity and a desire to prove and improve herself. She likes people, and she likes to help. As such, when she discovers a lead to a mystery, she feels compelled to delve deeper to find the answers; when she sees someone in trouble, she feels drawn to do something to help out; when she sees an opportunity to face and overcome a challenge, she feels drawn to throw herself at the problem. She might never call herself a hero, but she has all the hallmarks of being driven like one.
Goal
First up, Mary Jane wants to figure out more about her newfound ability to summon Red Sonja: Who is she? How does this work? Why is MJ able to do this? Can anyone else do this? And so forth.
Secondly, Mary Jane wants to find a way to really make her mark and prove herself. Since she wants to be a better investigative reporter, and come up with hotter stories for her vlog and the school television station, she has been considering the idea of learning more about investigation. She needs a job, to come up with more spending money. Maybe a job helping out at a private investigator's office would give her a chance?
Thirdly, like most young people her age, Mary Jane wants to figure out who and what she's 'supposed to be', how she's going to get through the rest of her life. Should she be going to college? What should she study? What sorts of jobs should she be looking for? And so forth.
Transformation
Mary Jane Watson is descended from the line of Red Sonja. As such, when she takes up Sonja's sword and recites the Hyrkonian incantation, "By the blood of Scathach and the Blade of Sonja, I call upon the power of the Red Warrioress," Mary Jane is transformed into Red Sonja, with all of Red Sonja's physical abilities, skills and talents.
Mary Jane ends up largely an interested observer while Sonja is in control of their transformed body; she is aware of what happens, and can 'speak' with Sonja by sharing her thoughts, but Sonja is in control until she relinquishes that control and is transformed back into Mary Jane.
Note that other than whatever memories Mary Jane may acquire by watching Sonja in action, she keeps nothing of Sonja when Sonja is not present; Sonja is not constantly there offering advice to Mary Jane while the girl goes about her normal life.
Lastly, note that Red Sonja appears wearing her own gear, not wearing whatever Mary Jane was wearing at the time of the transformation. So too, when they revert, Mary Jane reappears wearing what she was wearing before the transformation, not anything Red Sonja may have been wearing at the time.
Red Sonja: Physique
When Red Sonja is in control of their shared body, the redheaded beauties are superlative physical specimens. Sonja is 5'11" - a good 5+ inches taller than Mary Jane - and easily forty pounds heavier, most of that being muscle.
Sonja is exceptionally strong, able to deadlift a bit over twice her body weight (400 lbs), with intense acrobatic agility the equal of any unpowered martial artist or acrobatic vigilante, and with sustained endurance capable of marathons, or literally hours of sustained physical exertion.
Red Sonja: Healing
Red Sonja's dark blessing from Scathach enables her body to heal from nearly any injury, and far faster than a normal human could. This is nothing like Wolverine's healing factor, but even so it allows her to recover from serious flesh wounds in days, lesser wounds in a matter of hours. Even broken bones will heal more rapidly, recovering in weeks rather than months. Anything that does not kill Sonja outright, she will heal from.
Mary Jane Watson: Family
Mary Jane Watson has a family. Her mother Madeline is now deceased, dead from cancer. Her sister Gayle has moved out and is on her own. But Mary Jane is living with her Aunt Anna May. Anna May provides Mary Jane with a home, and thanks to her mother's life insurance settlements, there's more than enough money to go around. Mary Jane and Aunt Anna aren't rich, but they are comfortably enough well off, with no mortgage hanging over the house and more than enough in reserve that living on Anna's fixed income isn't crippling them.
Mary Jane Watson: Midtown High
Mary Jane Watson is a just-completing Junior (soon to be senior) at Midtown High in Forrest Hills. She has access to the resources of the school and the clubs she is a part of, including the school's audio visual and computer equipment for the television station, blogs and journalism club. She also has friends amongst the student body who are occasionally good for something beyond merely fashion tips and bad dates.
Mary Jane Watson: Defenders For Hire
Mary Jane Watson has gotten herself hired as the in-office 'gal Friday' for the newly minted private investigations firm. In essence, she's officially there to answer phones, emails and the like, and keep the office running while other folks are out solving cases and taking risks. She's a teenager, after all. The truth, however, is that Mary Jane is doing her best to use this as an opportunity to learn more about investigations, and also keep her 'ear to the ground' for clues and leads that may give her a chance at a big, relevant story, the sort of thing that could be a real breakout opportunity to go public with on her vlog and get noticed, for things like colleges, or future journalism employment. Or, maybe she'll end up catching the PI 'bug', and decide this is the life she wants. Who knows?
Mary Jane Watson: Beauty
Mary Jane has already been a teen model for a few years, and she has even made some money. Nothing compared to supermodels, of course, and her level of exposure has been relatively minor thus far. But the point is made: this redhead is quite beautiful, and noticeable. A lot of guys fail to realize how young she is, too taken in by her beauty. And she definitely has good visual appeal on-camera. It makes her quite popular amongst the student body.
Red Sonja: Beauty
By comparison to teenaged Mary Jane, Sonja is the mature, perfected iteration. Taller by far, muscled and visibly fit, yet curvaceous and stunning, her beauty is undeniable and impossible to miss. And it is definitely a distraction for many of the less internally committed who have to fight her. She's not above using that to her advantage for all she's worth, either.
Red Sonja: Presence
Sonja has a fearsome presence that is striking to even the casually aware. She is clearly a woman with means and intent, and only the truly dimwitted would fail to notice the capability and implicit threat in her bearing. To be blunt? She's scary.
Red Sonja: Gear
When Sonja manifests, she will often do so with gear that would be of use in the situation at hand. She always has her sword, of course, since that is used to call her forth. She will usually appear wearing the scale mail bikini for which she was famous, but other armor or attire may appear as needed, especially if it would be truly disadvantageous to survival to try going around in the current environment in so little. Other weapons and gear may also appear, including bows, axes, arrows, spears and other weapons, ropes and harnesses. Everything will be of ancient, or at best medieval styles and technological capabilities. And all of it but the sword will disappear when Sonja reverts to Mary Jane once more.
Mary Jane Watson: Dancing
MJ took dance from her earliest years, including jazz, tap and ballet. While she's not going to become a prima ballerina, she is really quite good, and she stays in practice. She has also mastered - as any popular teenager of the modern age - modern dancing in all its fun and wonder. She's not nearly as good at ballroom dancing, as she has had minimal practice at that - only a few lessons before Junior Prom.
Mary Jane Watson: Singing
MJ has quite a lovely voice, and she really enjoys singing. As with dance, she has spent years training her voice, and she continues to use it, including school choir and musical theater. She's probably not a future opera singer, but she's got a good set of pipes and she knows how to use them.
Mary Jane Watson: Investigation
MJ has started to learn the basics of investigation. She has picked up a good bit from reading mystery novels and watching mystery shows and movies. She has started doing her own investigations for the last few years, working on 'exposes' for the high school journalism program and her vlog. She knows how to look for basic information and start putting together connections, figuring out where to pursue more information to lead deeper. She's by far no expert, but she's learning. Hopefully she will learn even more while working at the PI firm.
Mary Jane Watson: Technology
MJ is as comfortable and capable with technology as the average teenager of the modern age. She can use most programs and apps easily, type rapidly with one thumb or two, etc. She has figured out the use of some more advanced interfaces for video and audio editing, and the posting of the same. She is not exactly a hacker extraordinaire, but she's capable of some pretty impressive Google Fu, and can follow directions pretty well, which means that documented basic hacks are something she can achieve with a little time.
Mary Jane Watson: Modeling
Some would argue that modeling doesn't require much skill, but that would only be partially accurate. The basics of modeling are easy, but having an instinct for the best light, the best outfits, best poses, and the best movements for the best camera angles and photographs takes hard work and paying attention. Knowing how to prep for a long photoshoot is important. Knowing how to prep for an even longer still session for other artistic mediums is even more challenging. Mary Jane has been modeling since her pre-teen years, and she's pretty good at it. She has the skills to make it as a supermodel, even though that's a rather unlikely career path at this point.
Mary Jane Watson: Self Defense
As a teen girl growing up in modern day New York City, Mary Jane has learned the basics of self-defense. She knows basic escapes, and a few basic strikes that can help to discourage an attacker. This by no means implies she is some kind of martial artist. But she knows enough that she might be able to keep her head in a crisis and do something to get herself a chance to run away or call for help.
Red Sonja: Horseback Riding
Sonja comes from a time when there were really only two choices for personal transportation: walking, or riding on something else that does the walking (and running). Sonja is an expert horsewoman, having learned not just how to take care of the horse and ride it, but also how to ride it while fighting, control it in the chaos of battle, and even direct a trained war steed to fight while doing her own fighting in battle. She is capable of adapting to other steeds, with relative levels of success. No, she has never had to adapt to riding a velociraptor into battle. But that doesn't mean she couldn't if she needed to.
Red Sonja: Combat
To put it simply, Sonja is a master combatant. She is a master martial artist, though not in any formalized methodology known today. She is also a master melee weapon wielder, especially with the sword, with skill so unparalleled it is said she has never been beaten. Her combat skill even extends to archery and muscle-powered missile weapons, with expert markswomanship. She also knows how to take care of and make basic repairs to the weapons and armor she has learned to wield.
Red Sonja: Strategy and Tactics
Sonja is truly gifted in her skill and wisdom as a master strategist and tactician. It is rare that she has needed to coordinate more than a few dozen at most, but even in those situations she has proven to be exceptional in her understanding of how best to use the forces she had against whatever threats presented themselves. Her true mastery, however, reveals itself in what the modern world would term 'asymetrical warfare', or tackling the larger, supposedly superior force with the greater numbers, better resources and more equipment with the smaller, less well equipped and less well trained force. And she's very, very good.
Red Sonja: Stealth
Stealth is all a part of fighting, and as such Sonja is a master at it. She knows how to move in various environments and not draw attention. Which isn't to say she always uses stealth; she's someone who believes in being big, bold and brash. But she knows when stealth is required, and how to accomplish it.
Red Sonja: Hunting and Foraging
Coming from a time when if one wanted to eat, one had to find food, Sonja is a pretty good hunter. She knows what game will be available in what environments, and what plants as well, and which of those will be useful to her needs. She knows how to set traps for them, and how to track them, stalk them, and take them down. She also knows what to do with them when she finds them. She's definitely no Chef, but she eats well.
Red Sonja: Wilderness Survival
Sonja has experience surviving in a wide array of environments, from tundra and taiga and frozen icy wastelands, to temperate zones, islands and deserts, and everywhere in between. She knows the challenges, how to address them, where to find what she needs and what to do. That doesn't mean she enjoys it, but she knows what to do and can do it.
Red Sonja: Magical and Mystical Lore
Given that she comes from the Hyborean Age, Sonja learned a good deal of general knowledge about magic and mysticism and how they work. She battled more than a few sorcerers, wizards and witches in her time. She has learned the basic rules of how magic works, and how it does not. How to interfere with rituals and spells, the vulnerabilities that usually crop up that one can exploit, and so forth. She can also recognize basic sorts of things about magical workings, to give her some idea of who could be involved or what (in very basic terms) they may be attempting to do.
Transformation Requirements
In order to transform into Sonja, MJ has to be near to the sword. It works better if she's holding it, but it has to be within at most a foot or two. She also has to be conscious, and able to recite the incantation. If she is asleep, unconscious, or too dazed to focus, it won't work. If she is gagged, it won't work. And so forth. If that's the case, then she's stuck dealing with whatever is going on as a 17-year old girl. Which doesn't mean she's helpless, but does mean she's a lot less of a threat than the Red Warrioress.
Mary Jane Watson: Family
MJ has a family, including her older sister Gayle, and her Aunt, Anna May. These are people she loves and cares for, and they can be used against her as a result. In addition, it should be mentioned that her father, Philip Watson, is still out there. The frustrated wannabe writer is a physically, verbally and emotionally abusive man, and one without a lot of conscience. It is entirely possible that he may make an attempt to return to the lives of one or both of his daughters, and probably not in a good way.
Red Sonja: Bloodlust
Sonja doesn't just have a temper; she has it in spades. Once angry and engaged in combat, she becomes more and more keyed up, and the anger inherent in her through the dark blessing of Scathach can take over, transforming anger and the intensity of combat into true bloodlust, where the lives of her opponents no longer matter, and where killing becomes not just simple, but easy and desirable. Once that happens, it can become increasingly difficult for Sonja to stop before every available opponent is down. Even worse, the more keyed up she gets, the harder it can become for her to recognize someone else as not being one of her enemies, if they are present. Her battle instincts will recognize another potential threat, and just as likely label them as an enemy to be destroyed.
Forced Transformation
It is possible to force Sonja to transform back into Mary Jane. The simplest and easiest way would be a magical disruption attack, which would disrupt the magic enabling Sonja to exist in MJ's place in the modern world. This would reverse the effect, returning MJ and banishing Sonja.
The other means to accomplish this would be to render Sonja not just unconscious, but asleep or unconscious in a peaceful state, where she perceives no threat. The relaxation inherent in such a situation would then cause her to let go, returning to her own time and world, and allowing Mary Jane to return. Simply konking Sonja on the back of the head will NOT cause her to revert to Mary Jane, but certain spells, psionic effects, or chemical attacks - drugs or gases - could work.
