Nothing is known about the origins of Arcaana.[1] Equally mysterious are her motives for her magical attacks on the public. Arcaana has claimed to want to overthrow what she views as an oppressive patriarchal society, but her efforts to that end seem half-hearted at best.[1] It is more likely that Arcaana wreaks havoc for her own amusement.[2]
Arcaana operates out of an abandoned slaughterhouse in SoHo, whose dilapidated appearance conceals a lavish home full of Egyptian and African artifacts. Chief among these is a small, jade colored statue that is the source of Arcaana's magical powers. Besides Arcaana, the slaughterhouse's residents include the dominatrix Mistress Helga, her assistant, and her large number of pet cats.[1][2]
Arcaana's latest act of mayhem was kidnapping wealthy businessmen in the New York City area.[2] Her final target was billionaire industrialist Garret Thornton Boulle who was attending the 7th Annual Symposium on Technological Advancements (SOTA).[1] Arcaana attended the symposium incognito while subtly causing malfunctions in various inventions on display. Growing bored, Arcaana revealed herself and launched a fearsome magical attack that caused the attendees to scatter. Among the attendees was inventor Curtis Metcalf who used the confusion to sneak out of the symposium and assume his armored superhero guise of Hardware.[1]
Meanwhile, Arcaana had captured Boulle, barricaded herself in the symposium, and used her magic to hold off the police camped outside. A returning Hardware attempted to sneak into the symposium via the roof, but was confronted by three avatars conjured by Arcaana, who anticipated such a move. The avatars were quickly defeated by Hardware, but they gave Arcaana her chance to escape with Boulle. Hardware was about to pursue, but got an urgent call from his friend and fellow attendee Deacon Stuart who was cornered by panthers under Arcaana's control. So, Arcaana got away scot free while Hardware rescued Stuart, expending the last of his jet pack's fuel in the process.[1]
Arcaana and Mistress Helga
Arcaana returned to her home with Boulle who along with his fellow captives was humiliated by being chained and dressed in a bunny suit. Via her crystal ball, Arcaana then learned that Hardware was using a borrowed ectoplasm detector to track her energy signature and home in on her current location. Arcaana decided to greet Hardware and left Helga to discipline her captives.[2]
Arcaana found Hardware riding a subway train bound for SoHo. Magically derailing the train, Arcaana got Hardware's attention and led him on a cat and mouse chase through New York's tunnels. This chase was remotely monitored by Deacon Stuart, who tried to identify Arcaana's power source and then jam it using computer equipment. Sensing this, Arcaana dispatched a pair of flying monkeys to kidnap Stuart to thwart his efforts.[2]
Arcaana soon returned to the surface where she began to gleefully wreak havoc through SoHo's streets. By now, Hardware had caught up with Arcaana so she lured him to her home. There, Helga and some of Arcaana's cats blocked Hardware's path, but he quickly stunned them. Arcaana then appeared and taunted him for responding so violently to her tricks. Furious, Hardware fired on Arcaana, but she easily neutralized this attack before teleporting away, having made her point.[2]
Hardware discovered Stuart had been caged by the flying monkeys and freed him. The pair then rescued Boulle and the other captive businessmen, who had been reduced to Arcaana worshiping imbeciles thanks to Helga.[2]
Hardware thought his conflict with Arcaana was over, but the sorceress had another trick up her sleeve. During the subway tunnel chase, Arcaana secretly infected the onboard computer of Hardware's armor with a sentient, magical computer virus. After remaining dormant for months, the virus escaped the onboard computer and used Hardware's Shell Forge technology to create a physical body. Calling itself Hephaestus, this being attempted to kill Hardware, but was destroyed by the hero using an anti-virus created by his colleague Cheryl Saltz. [3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Magic: Arcaana is one of the world's most powerful living magic users. Arcaana's use of sorcery is distinct in two ways. First, Arcaana's body is enveloped by magical energy resembling green flames whenever she uses her powers. In her normal state, she apparently can only use magic to a limited extent. Second, the majority of Arcaana's spells are psychically triggered, requiring little, if any spoken incantation at the time of casting.[1]
Pyrokinesis: Among the effects Arcaana can generate is hurling her mystical flames as energy bolts with great accuracy and potency.[1] Her mystic flames also serve as a force field of remarkable strength. Her flames have easily withstood direct hits from Hardware's Omnicannons. [2]
Flight: Arcaana can use her magical energies to propel herself through the air, thereby enabling her to fly. Her top speed is unknown.[1]
Energy Construct Creation: Arcaana can shape her flames into quasi-solid objects. She can use this ability offensively such as creating tridents to hurl at opponents.[1] Arcaana has created large green spheres that defy gravity and can be used by her to fly without taxing her own magical energies.[2]
Telekinesis: Arcaana can use her magic to affect inanimate objects in a manner similar to telekinesis. She can levitate objects or change their direction if they are in motion. [2] Arcaana can also mentally control machinery or disrupt its function.[1]
Molecular Reconstruction: Arcaana can magically transform matter in numerous ways. She has turned a policeman's uniform into a bunny suit and changed normal cats into savage black panthers. So far, Arcaana has not been observed using her magic to transform human beings. Arcaana's transformations are permanent unless she or a sorcerer of equal power reverses the spell.[1]
Teleportation: Arcaana can teleport herself over great distances in a flash of green light. The maximum distance she can cover in a teleportational jump is unknown.[2]
Summoning: Arcaana can conjure a variety of artificial lifeforms obedient to her will.
Arcaana's avatars
The most notable is her Avatars, which resemble giant duplicates of Arcaana composed of black magical energy.These creatures are superhumanly strong due to their size while their mystical nature renders them invisible to electronic detection. Nevertheless, the Avatars can be defeated through technological means such as the weaponry in Hardware's armor. Arcaana can conjure at least three Avatars with a single spell. The Avatars are not sentient and depend on Arcaana for direction.[1]
Arcaana has also employed flying monkeys as her aerial spies. However, she has dispatched them to attack or capture her foes. The flying monkeys are more autonomous than the Avatars and even display sarcastic personalities.[2]
Hephaestus was Arcaana's most unique servant being a combination of her magic and Hardware's technology. Its origins may account for why the creature possessed a human level of intelligence and free will. These qualities along with Hephaestus' superhuman strength and shapeshifting abilities made it a crafty and formidable opponent. [3]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Jade statue: Arcaana's magical abilities stem from a jade statue resembling an overweight woman with a dome-shaped head and no arms.[1] Apparently, Arcaana must remain within a certain range of the statue to maintain her magical powers at their peak. Fortunately, the statue has an enchantment that causes it to teleport to stay in range as Arcaana moves about.[2]
Crystal ball: Arcaana also possesses a crystal ball enabling her to view distant events as they occur. This magical object is quite useful when she casts long-range spells.[1]
This article is related to Milestone Media, a sub-division of DC Comics, that published the self-contained "Dakotaverse", and later Earth M, under its own logo. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Milestone Media" category.
