View source for Barbara-Ann Minerva

{{CharacterPage
|NameOnMUSH=Barbara-Ann Minerva
|banner name=Cheetah
|Char_id=521
|banner image=https://img.fireden.net/co/image/1464/13/1464139990501.jpg
|Img=https://assets.mycast.io/characters/96417_normal.jpg?1548403783
|FullName=Barbara-Ann Minerva
|Gender=Female
|Superalias=Cheetah
|Species=Meta-Human
|Theme=DC
|Chartype=VFC
|Occupation=Heiress
|Citizenship=Anglo-American
|Residence=Metropolis
|Education=PhDs in Archaeology
|Groups=
|Quote="Go ahead and run."
|PAge=37
|AAge=37
|DOB=31 Oct 1982
|Height=5'11"
|Weight=120 lbs
|Hair=Red
|Eyes=Green
|Actor=Jessica Chastain
|Song="National Anthem" by Lana Del Rey
|Twitter=
|Profile=Barbara-Ann Minerva was a spoiled heiress and gifted archaeologist who, after having her career (inadvertently) destroyed by Wonder Woman, is captured by the cult of Urzkartaga, a demonic African plant god, and cursed with the totemic power of a cheetah.
|History=
<span style="color:#009999">'''Timeline:'''</span>
<br>* 1982: Barbara-Ann Minerva is born in Nottinghamshire, England. As the only child of Sir Peter Minerva, an English Baronet whose lineage stretches back to the Norman Conquest, she is heiress to a vast, ancestral fortune. Her father is overly indulgent; her mother, Lady Elizabeth Holloway Minerva, a stately alcoholic. <br><br>* Early 80s: As a girl, Barbara develops a passion for Greek myth and begins to demonstrate remarkable intelligence.<br><br>* 1986: Minerva attends the Burton Academy, a girls-only boarding school in Scotland.<br><br>* 1990: Minerva is expelled from the Burton School. She is enrolled at Headington Girls' School near Oxford.<br><br>* 1991: Minerva is expelled from Headington. Her parents enroll her at Saint Regis, a boarding school run by a strict order of Catholic nuns. Minerva is not Catholic. Saint Regis is the patron saint of 'wayward' girls.<br><br>* 1992: The Minerva household is engulfed in scandal as rumors of Lady Elizabeth's infidelity circulate. Barbara-Ann's relationship with her mother, always fraught, deteriorates beyond repair.<br><br>* 1998: Barbara-Ann's mother dies of cancer. Barbara-Ann does not attend the funeral.<br><br>* 2008: Now in her mid-twenties, Minerva, has earned two Ph. D.'s in archaeology and has mastered 7 languages. Along the way she has earned a reputation for unflagging determination and personal ruthlessness.<br><br>* 2010: Sir Peter dies and Barbara-Ann comes into the family fortune. In a rare display of emotion, Barbara-Ann is inconsolable at her father's funeral.<br><br>* 2014: During an expedition to Central Asia, Minerva unearths the ancient, entombed remains of several female warriors buried with a cache of weapons and personal effects. Amazons! The find causes a media sensation, fueled in part by the telegenic Dr. Minerva.<br><br>* 2016: Dr. Minerva is increasingly viewed as the leading expert on ancient Amazons. She conducts several televised interviews, fields numerous book offers, and enters into discussions to host a documentary series for the BBC. Before long, she is on the fast-track to tenure at her alma mater, Albion University.<br><br>* 2017: Barbara-Ann Minerva is at the top of her profession. Then it all goes down the Bothros. Wonder Woman appears and becomes a public figure. The existence of Themyscira becomes public knowledge as the island nation opens diplomatic relations with the wider world.<br><br>* 2018: Despite her impeccable research, meticulous work, and rigorous academic standards it becomes apparent that many of Dr. Minerva's earlier conclusions regarding Amazonian culture, history, and practices are less than accurate. Her work, once lauded, comes under increasing scrutiny. Academic rivals who have laid in wait for years sharpen their censorious knives. Her tenure-track appointment is quietly withdrawn and she is placed on "sabbatical" by Albion University. Her career is effectively ruined. Associates quickly learn not to mention the name "Diana Prince" in Minerva's presence.<br><br>* 2019: With her professional reputation in tatters Minerva desperately casts around for something in the historical record to support her earlier research. She stumbles upon a legend about an ancient tribe of female warriors native to southern Africa and self-funds an expedition to B'wunda, a tiny nation on the Zambezi river. In B'wunda, Barbara-Ann starts an unauthorized excavation at a promising site in the mountains. During the dig, Barbara-Ann's party is attacked by a band of religious fanatics -- worshippers of Urzkartaga, an obscure plant god -- who regard the mountain as holy. Her colleagues are killed and Minerva is taken before Chuma, high priest of Urzkartaga. Chuma declares Barbara-Ann will be "wed" to the god and that she will become Urzkartaga's mortal vessel on earth. Minerva is forced to ingest a noxious brew of human blood and sacred plants. A ghastly ceremony is conducted and the undying hand of Urzkartaga reaches out from beyond the abyss to impart his "blessings."
|Personality=
<span style="color:#1f75FE">'''Personality:'''</span>
<br>	If Wonder Woman is Gaea, the Earth mother: empathetic, compassionate, selfless, and chaste; then, Cheetah is her black mirror reflection. She is Jezebel and Salomé: ruthless, cruel, petty, selfish, vindictive, and self-indulgent. She is the huntress and the temptress - always the "other" woman and perpetually scorned; the female id unhinged and unmoored.<br><br>	Minerva is drawn to power and money. In that order. Her relationships are transactional. Other people have value so long as they are useful to her. She has an aristocratic bearing -- particularly toward those she perceives as vulnerable -- though nobody is above her contempt. The only authority she respects is her own and she has a flair for the dramatic. Like a cat, she enjoys toying with people and is accustomed to manipulating every situation to facilitate her own ends. 
|Powers=
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Agility:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah is capable of feats that would make an Olympic gymnast look positively decrepit. Lither than a panther, she is able to perch atop a kitchen chair, scamper up a light post, leap several stories in the air, or somersault through space with ease.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Claws:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's fingers and toes are crowned with retractable claws that are unnaturally strong. In combination with her strength and speed, Cheetah's claws can rip through a bank vault or shred an armored personnel carrier. An unprotected human body would stand little chance.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Enhanced Senses:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah has heightened senses. She can smell spilled blood for miles; see in near total darkness as well as in the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum; and hear the beat of a butterfly's wings in a quiet room. As a natural predator, Cheetah is particularly adept at detecting movement.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Fangs:'''</span>
<br>Like her claws, Cheetah's fangs are supernaturally strong and can pass through many hardened materials like steel or Kevlar with little effort.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Feline Telepathy:'''</span>
<br>The demon-king, Urzkartaga, has given Cheetah dominion over all species of feline native to Earth. She can sense these animals within a 4-mile radius and they will respond to her telepathic commands without question.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Immortality:'''</span>
<br>Minerva does not age. Though she can sometimes be a carrier of certain pathogens, she is immune to disease, dangerous radiation, and most poisons.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Impervious:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's skin is bullet-proof and difficult to pierce. Anything less than heavy weapons fire will likely just annoy her. She is a physical match for many of the "gods" that now walk among us. Additionally, she can tolerate extreme temperatures at both ends of the spectrum.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Reflexes:'''</span>
<br>There is fluid harmony between Cheetah's mind and body; they move as one with intent followed by near-perfectly transcribed action. Paired with her speed, she can perceive, process, and respond with a high degree of precision to virtually any physical stimuli near-instantaneously.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Stealth:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's movements are as silent as a cat. The soles of her feet are padded to muffle the sound of her steps and her fur acts to reduce her body's heat signature. When appearing on infrared scanners, Cheetah usually registers as something much smaller than an adult woman.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Super Speed:'''</span>
<br>Minerva has been gifted with the totemic power of a cheetah and is capable of incredible speed in bursts of approximately 20 seconds each. During these bursts, her actions appear as intangible blurs of activity: in an enclosed space she may appear to travel instantly from point to point, she can catch a bullet in mid-flight, dodge standard projectiles even when fired at close range, and rain down thousands of blows per second. Her top speed is unknown but she can easily outpace Wonder Woman who has been clocked at up to 9,320 mph (15,000 kph) and will test all but the fastest Speed Force users when travelling at her maximum velocity. Cheetah's movements do not occasion sonic booms, generate extreme heat due to friction, or displace the atmosphere to any significant degree. Further, she can accelerate from zero in an impossibly short period of time and return to a dead stop over an unnaturally short distance. Unlike many speedsters, Cheetah cannot create whirlwinds, vibrate through surfaces, or travel at the quantum level.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Super Strength:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah is strong enough to throw cars and bend steel. Though generally regarded as being on the lower end of the super-strong spectrum, her blows would likely register (if not directly harm) even with the likes of Wonder Woman or Superman.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Supernatural Origin:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's powers are derived from magic. Enemies who would normally be impervious, but who have an established vulnerability to magic, may find themselves suspectable to her attacks.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Tail:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah has a prehensile tail she employs to assist with balance, carry objects of modest weight, and to support herself when hanging from a suitable height.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Therianthropy:'''</span>
<br>Presuming her patron-god, Urzkartaga, is not displeased with her, Barbara-Ann can transform into a monstrous were-cat at will. When in this form, she has access to the full array of her powers.<br><br>
<span style="color:#8a14ff">'''Typhoid Hairy:'''</span>
<br>When the moon is full and Urzkartaga's influence is at its zenith, Cheetah's bite temporarily transforms victims into savage were-cats. The curse is triggered with the setting of the sun. Come daybreak, those bitten return to human form and will not transform again unless gnawed on during the requisite point of the lunar cycle. These were-cats are little more than feral goons who respond to Cheetah's mental commands in addition to lashing out ferociously on their own initiative. They are stronger, quicker, and more resilient to injury than an ape on PCP; however, they are also stupider and generally unskilled in combat. Care must be taken not to grievously injure these creatures as, beneath the fur and fangs, are innocent victims of Cheetah's spite who will likely be traumatized by the experience. (NOTE: this ability will only be employed with the consent of RP partners or in conjunction with an approved TP.)
|Skills=
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Archaeologist:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann is a trained Archaeologist. In addition to the expected skills in excavation and preservation, she can readily identify genuine historical relics, organize and equip a field expedition, and make all necessary travel arrangements for personnel and equipment.<br><br>
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Cosmopolitan:'''</span>
<br>Minerva has been jet-setting around the globe since birth. She has experienced innumerable cultures, foods, and languages. On Earth, she is rarely a fish out of water.<br><br>
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Hostess:'''</span>
<br>Minerva is an accomplished hostess with impeccable taste and manners. Candlelight suppers, soirees, balls - you name it, she can organize it at the drop of a hat. She is adept at small talk and etiquette, has a commanding stage presence, and can cut a rug as necessary.<br><br>
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Huntress:'''</span>
<br>Due to her predatory instincts and abilities, Cheetah is an exceptional hunter. She can track and stalk prey of any description from a great distance in virtually any terrestrial environment.<br><br>
<span style="color:#00CED1">'''Multilingual:'''</span>
<br>In addition to her native English, Minerva is fluent in seven languages: French, Farsi, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. As an archaeologist specializing in the Classical Period, she also has some familiarity with Latin, several archaic Greek dialects, and a smattering of other dead languages native to the greater Mediterranean.
|Resources=
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Aliases:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah maintains two aliases: Priscilla Rich and Deborah Domaine. These were created for her by a specialist operating out of Markovia. Even a skilled detective (perhaps one who enjoys caves and sleeping upside down) will have difficulty finding linking either identity to Barbara-Ann Minerva. The Markovian specialist was later sent to a farm upstate.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Appearance:'''</span>
<br>In her human guise, Cheetah presents as a strikingly beautiful woman. She knows it and she's not above using her wiles to get what she wants from individuals with an interest in the female form. Her inhuman form, meanwhile, tends to stimulate the fight or flight response of the hind-brain. If sugar can't get the job done, oftentimes vinegar can.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Criminal Connections:'''</span>
<br>To further her own interests, the wishes of Urzkartaga, satisfy her new-found nihilism, and to pursue her blood feud against the Amazons, Cheetah has established loose affiliations with a number of overseas criminal groups. She does not maintain a criminal empire per se but has, on occasion, arranged for any number of bespoke or ad-hoc deals meant to solve short term problems. By design, she is not widely known in the underworld but those who do know her, fear her.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Education:'''</span>
<br>Minerva has two Ph.Ds. One in Archaeology from the University of Quebec in Montreal, and the other in Classical Archaeology from Albion University in the United Kingdom. Her areas of expertise are Greek Myth, and Classical antiquity; however, she will have some knowledge of other historical periods. She is well read and highly educated; most people would consider her an intriguing and challenging partner in conversation.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Intellect:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann has an impressive intellect. She is learned in many areas and is generally a quick study in areas for which she has no pre-existing knowledge.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Noble Lineage:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann Minerva is a low-ranking member of the English Peerage. While she cannot inherit her father's title of Baronet (this passes through the male line only), were Minerva to have a son, he could inherit from his grandfather. Scandal has dissipated much of her 'pull' in high-born society; however, she still has well-placed friends in Britain and she knows which closets have skeletons. Minerva can pull a few modest strings when necessary.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Pets:'''</span>
<br>Minerva has two pet cheetahs: Mafdet and Ammit. Due to her telepathic command of these creatures they are extremely obedient to, and protective of, their mistress.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Urzkartaga:'''</span>
<br>Although Urzkartaga is a largely forgotten deity, there are still a few cults devoted to his worship in remote corners of Africa and the Caribbean. Though these groups are generally quite small and underfunded, more than a few adherents would be willing to die for Urzkartaga's mortal host.<br><br>
<span style="color:#228B22">'''Wealth:'''</span>
<br>Barbara Ann Minerva is the scion of an ancient British family. Her ancestral fortune is vast and she gets invited to the same parties as Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. She has access to a private plane, a chauffeured car, an immense estate, investments, and homes on virtually every continent.
|Weaknesses=
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Appearance:'''</span>
<br>When not hiding her feline form, Cheetah has what might termed "distinguishing features." She's six feet tall, covered in orange fur, and sports fangs, claws, and a tail. Travelling incognito is difficult.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Enhanced Senses:'''</span>
<br>All five of Cheetah's senses have been enhanced to an almost unbelievable level. This is fine, but she can't turn any of them off. In combat, she is acutely vulnerable to flash-bang grenades (bright light/loud noise) and noxious substances that attack the olfactory system.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Human Form:'''</span>
<br>When not in her werecat form, Cheetah's powers are severely reduced. Her sense of smell remains acute but, otherwise, she presents as someone at the higher end of the physical norm for a woman of her size and apparent age. She has no super speed and can suffer injuries like a regular person.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Low Traction:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's edge lies in her ability to move and solid footing is a sine qua non for this. In a low friction environment (like an ice rink, for example), she is unable to fully engage either her speed or her natural agility. In fact, these become deadly liabilities as she flails around helplessly.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Narcissist:'''</span>
<br>Yes, Cheetah is so vain. And, yes, she does think that song is about her. What's it to you? Barbara-Ann is a textbook narcissist. She has an exaggerated sense of their own importance in the grand scheme of the universe, she exhibits a pathological need for attention and admiration, she has a history of troubled relationships - particularly with other women, and she has difficulty summoning empathy for others.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''No Combat Training:'''</span>
<br>Aside from a few basic self-defense classes in University, Cheetah has no combat training to speak of and has no interest in acquiring any. She relies on her speed to overwhelm opponents in short, decisive confrontations. In longer melees the flaws in her 'technique' become readily apparent.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Primal Instincts:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann Minerva has the savage instincts of a cat. Despite her best efforts sometimes the princess becomes the predator. Raw meat is nearly irresistible (steak tartare, anyone?), she finds the smell of blood intoxicating, and for heaven's sake don't ask her to watch your parakeet. When her mind wanders you may find her absently licking the back of her hand or daintily dipping her tongue in that flute of expensive Merlot. These things tend to get noticed and they occur with alarming frequency.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Secret Identity:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann Minerva is a member the British aristocracy. If she were ever linked in any meaningful way to the supervillain, Cheetah, her world would be destroyed. Cheetah must, by absolute necessity, go to extreme lengths to ensure this never occurs.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Supernatural Origins:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah has a sensitivity to talismans, fetish dolls, and warding spells. Being in proximity with any of these will be extremely distracting. Trained mystics and other spiritualists will sense her true nature instantly. Peculiarly, so will very small children, dogs, and certain herd animals like horses.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Temper:'''</span>
<br>Barbara-Ann has a temper. She makes Ivan the Terrible, Caligula, and Naomi Campbell look sedate. She's easy to goad and, when angered, will react without thinking.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Transformations:'''</span>
<br>When she is experiencing intense emotion like shock, outrage, or extreme stress Minerva may sometimes involuntarily slip, either partially or totally, into her feline form before she can regain her composure.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Urzkartaga:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah's relationship with her patron deity is complicated. Urzkartaga is a fearsome demon-king who expects absolute devotion and fealty. Cheetah, meanwhile, has only ever been out for herself. When Cheetah displeases him, Urzkartaga isn't afraid to pull her lead. As punishment, he has occasionally refused Minerva the ability to revert to human form or to effect only a partial transformation. The god can also cause her to suffer great physical pain at a whim or reduce her to a savage animal in her cat form. Only the most naked displays of piety and loyalty will placate the god. Cheetah finds these occasional demonstrations absolutely degrading. Her hatred of Urzkartaga is second only to hatred of Wonder Woman.<br><br>
<span style="color:#EE204D">'''Wonder Woman:'''</span>
<br>Cheetah despises Wonder Woman and the Amazons. She places the blame for her spectacular fall from grace squarely at the Princess' feet. The calumny, the public schadenfreude, the extremes she had to go to in the pathetic hope of salvaging her ruined career, disfigurement, and servitude to Urzkartaga. Everything. All of it. Wonder Woman is the cause of all of Barbara-Ann's misfortune. Cheetah is congenitally unable to pass up an opportunity to harm, harass, or humiliate Wonder Woman. Minerva will drop everything and risk anything to achieve this in even the smallest degree.
}}

{{#set:
Hero name = Cheetah
| Actor name = Jessica Chastain
| Theme = DC
| Character Type = VFC
}}