A secret, ancient prophecy has been passed down for centuries in the Native American Iroquois Tribe. It tells of a righteous child being born from celestial origins, who will possess great power, and who will one day save the world from evil. Thus, on the night where the North Star shone the brightest, under a majestic sky filled with the light of every constellation, in the open fields of northern New York state, Orenda Barefoot was born.
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Orenda possesses atomic vision, and the ability to manipulate matter to a limited degree. She can emit small bursts of energy from her hands that jolts the atoms inside living creatures, causing a forceful blow, and potential unconsciousness. She is also a master of Iroquois combat, making her an expert in hand-to-hand combat, with knives, and with a bow and arrows.
She came into the world as a descendant of the Mohawk tribe in the great Six Nations of the Iroquois League: Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora being the others. And though the time of Native Americans in the Americas had drastically changed from the days of her early ancestors, Orenda was fortunate to be brought up in a tight-knit community of fellow Mohawks. As a child she learned all the dialects of Iroquoian, the tongue of her people and the other five nations, and became educated not only in modern academics, but in the ancient culture of her tribe as well. The families still adhered to the longhouse tradition of the Iroquois, with her entire immediate and extended family living together in a great, modern home the length of a football field, which resembled the clay-and-straw longhouses of her ancestors. With women playing an integral role in their culture, Orenda was also raised to know politics and leadership, as women traditionally selected the sachem (better known as chiefs) who comprised their Grand Council. This political system dates back to the early 1500s, and uses two separate houses of combined tribes to govern the six nations, while an independent house reserved the right to veto decisions made by the other two houses. It was a complex and advanced form of government, present long before any parliament in Europe, and it was a practice Orenda’s people kept alive. Orenda was also taught how to help make decisions on how food and resources were distributed. In Iroquois tribes this vital task was the responsibility of women as well, placing yet another role of great magnitude in their hands.
However, the Iroquois were not just farmers and diplomats. They were also fierce warriors. Historically, they battled amongst themselves, as well as other Native American tribes and European immigrants looking to settle in their territory. Orenda often wanted to learn how to fight as well. Yet, she was not allowed to as a young girl growing up, since training was reserved for the boys and men. That was, until Orenda’s powers began to manifest.
When she was seven years old, Orenda woke up one morning and began crying incessantly. She was hyperventilating as immense panic set in. Her parents ran to her, but could not see anything wrong.Orenda then began screaming that she could not see. To her parents her eyes looked normal. Next, Orenda began thrashing about wildly as her body tingled all over. Her parents tried to restrain her as a crowd formed around them. Their attempts, however, were to no avail. Orenda continued to flail violently, which culminated in her hand vibrating with light, while slapping her father across the chest, causing him to fly back several feet and become unconscious for a brief moment.
Everyone was astonished as Orenda’s father, Chief Hiawatha Barefoot, was a large and physically imposing man. To see a little girl send him flying, and knock him out with one slap was unbelievable. Consequently, everyone backed away, for small bursts of energy continued to emanate from Orenda’s palms, and everything her hands went near dissipated into thin air! Remembering the unforgettable starry night she was born on, the onlookers began pointing at Orenda and exclaimed she was the child the secret, ancient prophecy spoke of.
After a while, the initial flaring of Orenda’s powers calmed. However, she was changed forever. Thus, she embarked on a journey to hone her gifts, and after years of mastering them with the help of tribe elders and mystical leaders, she developed phenomenal abilities. Orenda developed the power to magnify her vision to an atomic level at will, enabling her to see the bond structure of all things. She was also able to project energy from her hands that manipulated those bonds, effectively making objects move, or dissipate to nothing. For more complex things with higher physical, spiritual and energetic compositions, such as animals and humans, Orenda’s ability had a different effect; it caused a jolting surge of power, which felt as if one was hit with a sledgehammer. This often left the victim battered and unconscious. Since the energy emitted from her hands could not be projected into kinetic beams, her training masters decided it would be best to teach her their ancient techniques of hand-to-hand fighting. Thus, Orenda became skilled in Iroquois combat, and modified her style to incorporate her energy blasts with punches. She also became greatly versed in using knives, and her atomic vision allowed her to shoot arrows with unparalleled accuracy. By the age of 19, Orenda became the fully realized manifestation of the legendary Mohawk prophecy.
Sometime in the 22nd century, during the time when super soldier Lt. Rashard Bonds had set out on a quest to create an elite team of superheroes, he began to track down a number of hyper beings who had been found in the secret files of ruthless businessman Edgar Lockhart, provided by a telepathic hyper-being known as Confidential. Bonds’ first stop was upstate New York. Having also gleaned info from the files about the secret existence of Edgar’s sister, London, and the fact that she potentially possessed the power and knowledge to bring her brother to justice, Lou was determined to recruit individuals who could help them get through the extensive, high-powered alien technology being used to keep her prisoner. Alas, Orenda was a perfect candidate. If anyone could help with never-before-seen force fields and energy barriers, it was her.
When Lou finally tracked Orenda down, her Mohawk tribe and the other Iroquois tribes were having a grand festival. The fires roared high, as everyone gathered in a huge circle to watch the dancers perform to the sound of drummers and other musicians rhythmically playing traditional songs of triumph. It was a war victory celebration, and everyone wanted to be near the chosen one. Alas, Lou was not able to easily get close to Orenda. However, when his presence was noticed, people began to part. The chiefs noticed him as well, and signaled for the music to stop.Some men of the tribe stood and walked towards him. Lou told them he came in peace, and wished to speak to Orenda. This did not halt the Mohawk’s advancement. The super soldier sensed there may be some danger, and began preparing himself for a fight, but Orenda stood up before that happened, and told him to relax. Lou settled at ease, and the men escorted him to Orenda as she waved Lou forward. She then nodded to the elders, and they told the drummers to continue playing music. The celebration continued.
When Lou sat down, Orenda explained she and her people were waiting for him. As he began to introduce himself, Orenda interjected, revealing she already knew who he was. He was shocked, and asked how she knew his name, and that he was coming. Orenda explained the shaman of her tribe foresaw his arrival, and everyone knew why he was there. Lou was amazed. The sight of all the Iroquois tribes in their ancient attire enacting their traditions was a beautiful sight. Lou then apologized for interrupting their celebration, but she said he was an honored guest, and was more than welcome. Orenda further explained the festivities were to pay tribute to her ancestors. They were asking those who were triumphant in past wars to bestow upon her the spirits of bravery, strength and victory, as she fulfilled her prophetic destiny: to fight against the evils of the universe, while protecting their world. Orenda also told Lou he was being presented to her ancestors in the ritual to receive their blessing. The super soldier thanked them graciously.
Next, Lou inquired about her powers. He knew her abilities, but had never seen anything like it. Orenda smiled, and directed his attention to the huge fire in the middle of the camp. As she lifted her hands, the fire roared to incredible heights and crackled, as if it were spewing from the mouth of a dragon. She then took dirt in her hands, and made it dissolve into thin air. Lou looked on in amazement, as Orenda continued her display and took his hand. Instantly, he felt the vibrations of energy. She explained how she can manipulate atoms and see on an atomic level, as well as use an energy burst from her hands to disrupt the atomic bonds in animals and humans, causing a violent and concussive reaction. Orenda then explained that particular ability was limited to only the things she touched.
Lou grew contemplative, and after a moment told Orenda he knew of some technology that could help amplify her energy bursts for greater power and range. Orenda smiled, and said she could not wait to test the devices out. She then raised her cup and told Lou those things could wait, as the night was dedicated to her ancestors, and her departing celebration before the battles to come. She exclaimed the festivities must be enjoyed. Lou agreed, raised his cup as it was passed to him, and they drank wine together with her Mohawk and Iroquois tribes as the night raged on.