Pulsar (Monica Rambeau)

Real Name: Monica Rambeau
Former Aliases: Photon III, Daystar, Captain Marvel II, Spectre, Lady-of Light
First Appearance: Amazing Spider Man (1st series) Annual #16
Known Relatives: Maria Rambeau (mother), Frank Rambeau (father)
Group Affiliation: formerly Avengers
Known Allies: Captain America, Avengers, Spider-Man
Major Enemies: Dr. Druid, Temptress, Kree, Skrull
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

Monica Rambeau was a lieutenant of a New Orleans harbor patrol, when a friend grandfather approached her for help. Andre LeClare, a renowned physicist discovered a way to draw energy from another dimension. while working for South American dictator, Ernesto Ramirez. Discovering Ramirez wanted to use this discovery for a weapon, LeClare ventured to the States for Monica’s help. She agreed to help, and accompanied him to an oilrig where the weapon was being assembled. Monica was bombarded with these extra-dimensional energies and was transformed into living energy. She materialized into her own physical form back home in New Orleans. She created an outfit to conceal her identity out of Mardi Gras costumes and instinctively reassumed energy form, flying back to the oilrig.

Once returning to the rig, she witnessed LeClare shot by a scientist who created the disruptor , and the damaged weapon created an inter-dimensional breech. Monica was sucked into the breech, and managed to seal the hole with her own energy. Then she quickly saved LeClare from a second gunshot wound , and left his attacker for the authorities.

After a couple of days of recovery, Professor LeClare visited Monica with a gift. It was a costume based on the design of her Mardi Gras one, but this one was made of unstable molecules. He explained the extent of her newfound powers and suggested she use them for the good of humanity. LeClare showed her a news clipping of her actions and in the captions the dubbed her Captian Marvel. She decided to take that name.

Monica decided the professor’s idea was a good one, and resigned from her Harbor Patrol, to devote more time to being a hero. She would soon discover the energy she absorbed from the breech was building up inside her body uncontrollably and traveled to New York in search of the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards. Discovering Reed was away, she was directed to Avenger’s Mansion where Iron Man , with the help of Spider-Man, managed to siphon out her excess energies. While at Avenger’s Mansion, the Wasp invited Monica to join the Avengers as an Avengers-in-training. She agreed, and in short time, she was accepted a full membership.

Monica revealed to her parents her secret identity. They were initially concerned but grateful and proud of their daughter. While the Wasp went missing, and the Avengers encountered the Beyonder, Monica showed leadership abilities. This led to Captain America nominating her for chairperson of the Avengers, when the position was vacated. After a brief period of doubt, she accepted.

Monica has helped the Avengers from time to time, such as in Galactic Storm, and various other missions where her power was needed. After meeting Genis, the son of the original Captain Marvel, Monica turned the code-name over to him, in honor of his deceased father. Taking the code-name of Photon, Monica was recently stationed in space as part of the Avengers' effort to become more proactive. Genis-Vell then took the name Photon, but Monica decided to let him have it, coming up with a new name for herself, Pulsar.

Pulsar has the strength of a normal human who exercises regularly. She possess the ability to transform her body into any form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and every wavelength in between, simply by willing it.Besides being able to totally exchange her matter for energy, Pulsar can direct relatively small amounts of the energies she employs through her hand or presumably any other area of her body. She apparently does this by creating small interfaces with the dimension from which she derives her powers, and letting the designated energy pass through. She mentally controls both type and quantity of energy she wishes to transmit. It is not known the maximum amount of energy she can transmit at a given time.

Pulsar can use her light-energies to create convincing three-dimensional holographic images of herself. Other than the fact they cast no shadow, they are extremely lifelike.

Monica can travel slower than the speed of light (186,274 mile per second) in her various energy forms. She may accomplish this by retaining a few molecules of matter interspersed with her energy-form, sufficient to create a "dragging" effect. Monica is apparently unlimited by the amount of time that she can remain in her energy-form. She can apparently only transform herself into one wavelength of energy at a time, but she can transform between one energy-state and another in a fraction of a second. As noted above, the amount of energy she can transmit through her body at a given time is not known. Extensive energy transformation and manipulation can be physically taxing once she reassumes her physical form.

APPEARANCES:
Alpha Flight (1st series) #39, 61
Amazing Spider Man (1st series) #252
Amazing Spider Man (1st series) Annual #16
Avengers (1st series) #227-238, 240-253, 255-279, 281, 294, 305, 329-330, 332-335, 347
Avengers (1st series) Annual #12-16, 18-19
Avengers (3rd series) #1-4, 16-18, 27, 35-38, 41, 46, 48, 50, 52, 53,55, 58-59, 501-503
Avengers (3rd series) 2001 Annual
Avengers Infinity #1-4
Avengers Unplugged #5
Avengers West Coast #82
Captain America (1st series) #292, 301, 314, 329, 332, 401, 408
Captain Marvel Special #1
Captain Marvel: Speaking Without Concern
Code of Honor #3
Dr. Strange (2nd series) #60
Fantastic Four (1st series) #256, 286
Fantastic Four (1st series) Annual #19, 22
Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #281-284, 300, 320-323
Iron Man (1st series) #182
Marvel Fanfare (1st series) #24, 42, 57
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12
Marvel Team-Up (1st series) #142-143
Maximum Security #2-3
Mephisto vs... #4
New Mutants (1st series) #40
Power Man & Iron Fist #125
Quasar #17, 33, 41-42
She-Hulk: Ceremony Part 1
Solo Avengers #2
Spider Woman (2nd series) #5, 8-9
Thor (1st series) #332, 334, 350-353, 381, 390, 445-446
Thor (2nd series) #30
West Coast Avengers (2nd series) #31
West Coast Avengers (2nd series) Annual #1-2
Wonder Man (2nd series) #8-9
X-Men vs Avengers #1-4