Backlash (Jodi Slayton)

Backlash (Jodi Slayton, formerly known as Crimson and Jet) is a fictional character of the Wildstorm universe. She first appeared in Backlash #9 (June 1995) and was created by Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth.

Since then Jet has featured in Wildcore, Gen-Active and the Wildstorm Thunderbook in 2000 before appearing in her own four-issue mini-series by artist Dustin Nguyen and writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.

During the Worldstorm crossover storyline she appeared using the name Backlash and has played a role in Wildcats, Armageddon and Revelations stories which lead into World's End.

Fictional character biography

Jodi Morinaka Slayton was the daughter of Lynn Morinaka, a Japanese woman. Shortly after giving childbirth, Lynn Morinaka had to flee from the hospital, because International Operations was interested in her children, thinking they had inherited their father's superpowers. Lynn managed to take Jodi with her, but she was forced to leave Jodi's twin brother behind. Her son was taken and raised by Kaizen Gamorra.

Jodi was raised by her mother without meeting her father, who in turn was never informed of his daughter's existence. When she was five years old, her mother started to teach her martial arts. After her mother died, Jodi, now sixteen years old, set out to find her long-lost father. Using the information her mother had given her, she went to America to meet up with her father, Marc Slayton a.k.a. Backlash. He in turn discovered that his daughter had inherited his superhuman agility and an innate combat skill from him, but she also displayed superhuman speed which he never had. Inspired, Jodi created her own costumed persona, Crimson, and began adventuring alongside her father and his lover, Taboo, finding her new life exciting, despite her father's protests. On the island Gamorra, during Fire from Heaven, Jodi met Aries and felt a strange connection to him. Aries turned out to be Jodi's twin brother, though he was artificially aged and already an adult. He escaped before he learned of his relationship to Jodi though.

When Backlash joined Department PSI, Jodi was sent to boarding school to keep her safe. Nevertheless she moved back to Department PSI when even boarding school did not turn out to be safe. When Backlash became co-leader of Wildcore, Crimson went with them on several missions, though she officially was not a member. Losing her lover, Styrian, Jodi became disenchanted with the life of a superhero and decided to retire. She renewed her studies, choosing to go to Bay Area University in San Francisco.

Her retirement did not last long, as she soon got caught up in a series of adventures in a new identity, Jet, and became romantically involved with Special Crime Forces Officer Robert Stubbs, battling enemies such as Rhyme and Reason, Timewaster and Mr. Meaner. She also captured many criminals who had escaped from the maximum security facility, Purgatory Max and were responsible for the deaths of many Wildcore members.

Currently she has taken up her father's codename while working with Savant from Savant Garde and WildCATS. With a new costume and new choice in weapons it appears she will be making a come-back in Wildstorm continuity.

Powers/abilities

Jet possesses short bursts of superhuman speed (which causes her to become winded), reflexes and agility. She may also be extremely long lived, as with many Kherubim and their hybrid offspring. She generally carries a number of small shuriken, which she is skilled in using in combat conditions. Jodi's powers are primarily the result of the Gen-factor, she inherited from her father, making her Gen-Active. This was proven during Fire from Heaven, when Damocles absorbed the powers of many Gen-Actives, including Jodi.

When Jet (as Crimson) came into physical contact with her brother (Aries), his powers were temporarily nullified. It is never made clear if Jodi's powers were temporarily nullified as well, or if this ability would affect other Gen-Actives (as opposed to being strictly because Aries is her twin brother).

References