| Misfit | |
|---|---|
 Misfit as depicted inBirds of Prey #101 (February 2007), art byNicola Scott. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Birds of Prey #96 (September 2006) |
| Created by | Gail Simone Paulo Siqueira |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe |
| Team affiliations | Birds of Prey Teen Titans |
| Notable aliases | Batgirl Huntress Charlie Gage-Radcliffe |
| Abilities |
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Misfit (Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe) is a fictional character in theDC ComicsUniverse. She first appeared inBirds of Prey #96 (September 2006) as a wannabeBatgirl, taking on the name and wearing a homemade Batgirl costume; althoughBlack Canary andHuntress dissuade her from continuing to use the monicker, she subsequently creates her own superhero identity as Misfit.[1]
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Misfit debuts as a shadowy figure, wearing a homemade variation ofBarbara Gordon's classicBatgirl costume, accurate enough to be mistaken for the original article at night. She seems to have some proficiency with martial arts and Batarangs, as she is able to save a couple from muggers. The male of the rescued couple says "Batgirl is back!"[2]
This is enough for Barbara to sendBlack Canary andHuntress to find the new Batgirl. WithGypsy as a lure, acting as adamsel in distress,[3] the girl then reveals herself, and after displaying hermetahuman powers of teleportation, superstrength and enhanced healing, saves Huntress from being wounded, and displaying her extensive knowledge of the Birds of Prey's activities, she teleports right behind Barbara to speak with her. Oracle, impressed by the young girl's abilities, but deterred by her young age, shows her photos ofStephanie Brown's autopsy to dissuade her from crime-fighting. The mystery girl agrees to retire herBatgirl identity, but not to abandon her heroic activities.
In fact, she simply applies some minor cosmetic changes to her costume, like a stylized (bat-like) letter M instead of the batwings, and a denim miniskirt, and renames herselfMisfit.[4] Her proficiency with her powers in this period seems enhanced, as she is now able to teleport between Metropolis and Southern California[5] and from Oracle's headquarters inMetropolis to an unspecified location in Russia. There she aids the Birds of Prey against theSecret Six.[6]
Her identity ceased to be a mystery when the newSpy Smasher discloses her real name and last known address to Oracle. Misfit is revealed to be the only daughter of a single mother. She lived in a slum in Metropolis, until a fire broke out. Misfit is apparently able to teleport herself and anything non-organic, but not to bring anything living with her. She was able to teleport to safety, but had to leave her mother to die. Alone and scared, Misfit used her powers to spy on the Birds of Prey, secretly admiring the group of female crimefighters. The Birds agree to act as a surrogate, if dysfunctional, family for the girl.[7]
Charlotte's recklessness and impulsiveness caused strain between her and her surrogate "mothers". While piloting agiant robot during a fight against a magically-empowered teen gangster, Misfit deliberately ignored Oracle's orders not to touch a certain button on the machine. After the button was pressed, an entire slum was leveled, leaving the gangster and many innocent people dead due to Misfit's actions. Oracle cracks under the pressure, her resolve already weakened by having lostSuperman's trust in her abilities. She starts to train Misfit more harshly, blaming herself for having sent Misfit into the field without proper preparation. Misfit manages to prove her worth again, defeating an enragedBlack Alice[8] and savingManhunter from a cadre of magic-using villains.
Reminiscing about her dead mother, Misfit teleports back home to Metropolis, where she is kidnapped byDarkseid's henchmen, fed with experimental drugs to shatter her will and forced to fight against othermetahumans. Black Alice is captured too, and she considers stealing Misfit's teleportation ability to escape captivity. However, a discovery byBernadeth that the two are related, prompts Black Alice to save her rival. Eventually, Misfit is freed from the drugs' effects, but is left psychologically scarred.[9]
TheTeen Titans storyline"Titans of Tomorrow... Today!" reveals that as an adult in an alternate future timeline, Charlotte operates as the Huntress in the Titans Army, and has dyed her hair blonde and wears fishnet stockings, like Black Canary. "Dark Vengeance!" remains her characteristic battle cry. In the present, Misfit expresses the desire to grow hair "like the Huntress, but with blonde hair, maybe".[10] Both issues were written bySean McKeever.
When Barbara Gordon transfers the Birds of Prey headquarters to "Platinum Flats" (a fictional city in theSilicon Valley) to tackle a group of white-collar criminals, she forces Charlotte to enroll at the local high school. There Charlotte seems to have a hard time fitting in, as her spunky personality does not blend with the sophisticated children of the "new economy" riches. Furthermore, she finds herself surpassed in popularity by her rivalLori, formerly agoth outcast, but now consideredexotic and attractive by the geeky elite of Platinum Flats.[11]
Misfit recently appeared inTeen Titans (vol. 3) #66, wanting to be a new member and asking that Oracle not be told of her plans.[12] While Robin told her the doors were always open for her to visit, she was not made a member of the team, and was ultimately passed over in favor ofStatic,Aquagirl, andKid Eternity. Following theapparent death of Bruce Wayne, the Birds of Prey break up and go their separate ways.[13] Some time later during the events ofBrightest Day, Oracle reunites in Gotham City with Huntress and Black Canary, mentioning in passing that Charlotte is now living with a foster family.[14] She is later revealed to be one of only five heroes outside of the Birds of Prey who know that Oracle is not actually dead.[15]
Despite no longer being a member of the Birds of Prey, Charlotte appears as a member ofWonder Woman's all-female superteam inWonder Woman #600.[16] Misfit eventually appears at a meeting involving a close-knit group of Gotham heroes who have come to meet with Oracle after she fakes her death. She has a disagreement withStephanie Brown, the girl who ultimately succeededCassandra Cain as the new Batgirl and currently acts as Oracle's protégé.[15]
Misfit made a brief cameo inBatgirl (vol. 4) #34 as one of several female heroes assisting Barbara Gordon in her war against Knightfall.[17]
Misfit has the ability to teleport vast distances without error, and without needing to know the layout of her destination. Oracle refers to her as "the most powerful teleporter I've ever encountered".[6] Apparently, this ability also allows her to bypass security systems, as she is able to enter Oracle's home without triggering any of the alarms, a feat not evenBatman or theMartian Manhunter have been able to achieve; she also knows thereal names of the Birds of Prey, information she could have only gotten by hiding in Oracle's operations center and listening to her discussions with the team.
Misfit's power is limited to herself and non-living objects in her possession.[7] After temporarily "borrowing" Misfit's powers,Black Alice teleports away withGranny Goodness, making her explode in the process.[9]
Misfit also has some degree of accelerated healing;[3][7] when she is shot in the belly with a bullet intended for Huntress, she heals completely mere minutes later,[3] and later she mentions "the way I don't stay wounded if I get hurt" to Oracle.[7]Darkseid is able to discern that Misfit heals faster while teleporting, as she's able to rebuild her burnt off face in a few "jumps".[9] She also appears to have some degree of enhanced strength, though this has not been confirmed. Her powers are apparently naturalmetahuman abilities that she was born with, as opposed to being the result of some outside influence after birth.[8] These abilities are magical (Homo Magi) in nature, and this allows Black Alice to channel them.
During her tenure with the Birds of Prey, Misfit has received extensive martial arts training by Oracle. Despite lacking the skills and the experience of her teammates, Misfit has improved enough to be able to defend herself, and even to beat more experienced metahumans, likeLivewire and four other unnamed metahuman girls.[9]
An unrelated character named Misfit appears inKamandi. He is a psychic mutant and an enemy of the eponymous character.[18][19] Misfit also appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced byDee Bradley Baker.[20]
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