Grace Choi (New Earth)

Grace Choi is the daughter of an Amazon of Bana-Mighdall. She grew up in different foster homes, but never really had a home. The only foster parents she had fond memories of were the Lindsays of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.^[1]

When she was nine, she ran away from her latest foster home, fleeing from an abusive environment. She survived for only two months on the streets because she was kidnapped by a child prostitution ring led by a man named Tanner. She was branded with a triple downward triangle on her lower back. With dozens of other children, Grace was kept as chattel, moved around the state for men to use. She endured it for three years; when she was 12, her powers kicked in and she escaped.^[2]

As she settled into her life with superpowers, she started following other heroes. She didn't like boy scouts like Superman and the Marvel Family,^[3] favoring street-level vigilantes like Black Lightning both for his methods and background.^[4]

She spent some time fighting for pay and pleasure,^[5] before becoming a bouncer at the biggest metahuman nightclub in Metropolis, Chaney's. She also started following them in more adult ways; she had casual sex with many heroes and villains, including Speedy.^[6] She also had some previous intimate acquaintance with Green Arrow^[7] and Plastic Man.^[6]

Joining the Outsiders

Main article: Outsiders: Looking for Trouble

Arsenal recruited her for the newly-formed Outsiders. Even if she and Arsenal were old friends, she wasn't very keen on joining until he told her the Outsiders job would pay her three times more than her bouncer job.

Her relationship with the other Outsiders was a difficult one from the start, with her constant chastising of the others, most notably the android Indigo. She continually questioned the team's effectiveness and their role in the overall heroing scheme, which caused her to be on the outs with leader Nightwing at times. Her casual attitudes towards sexuality also led to insults by others, most notably Thunder. Nonetheless, she earned the group's respect and in return respected each of the other members' capabilities, sometimes even pushing them farther than they thought they could go.

Most Wanted

Main article: Outsiders: Wanted

For most of their early work as a team, the Outsiders went after arms dealers. However, during what was thought to be just another raid, Grace came across something far worse. She discovered a warehouse in New York with 30 children chained to beds, all marked with the same triple triangles as her. While the rest of the Outsiders moved to the next mission, Grace struck out on her own without contacting the others. About a week in, Arsenal found her. He had recognized the brand on her lower back, even if it was partially covered by tattoos.^[2]

When they confronted the other Outsiders with this new mission, leader Jade felt it was a job for regular law enforcement. Arsenal and Nightwing sided with Grace, with the latter suggesting going public. They worked with America's Most Wanted and its host, John Walsh.^[2] With the combined strength of the television audience and the Outsiders' advanced technology they hoped they could bring down Tanner. It brought them a lead—a registered sex offender named Martin Andrews. And while they took out several warehouses and freed dozens of children, it took a turn for the worse when one arrested man recognized Roy Harper from his addict days. Tanner decided to fight back by kidnapping Lian Harper.^[8]

Walsh informed the Outsiders the arrested man, Reese, was going to turn state's evidence, but give only enough information on Tanner to get himself off. They intercepted him during transport and got the information that led them to another transport. They freed Lian and gained new intel that led them to Tanner. Grace confronted him and beat him up, but didn't kill him. All her life she wanted to, but now she couldn't. She left him for the police to find. And while Walsh hoped she had gotten closure and hope out of it, she felt she was still just as angry as ever.^[9]

Checkout

Main article: Outsiders/Checkmate: CheckOut

Grace Choi remained a member of the Outsiders, and assisted in toppling the regime of Mali. She got along quite well with the team's newest member, Captain Boomerang, and the two were involved in the somewhat questionable interrogation of some soldiers involving torture. After an unsuccessful mission on Oolong Island with Checkmate, Nightwing handed over the Outsiders to Batman, who elected to decide on his own roster.

Amazons Attack!

Main article: Amazons Attack!

During the Amazons' attack on the United States, Grace did her bit to protect Washington, D.C. She proved effective; she took out 24 Amazons in a two-hour period. Karna, leader of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall, had followed her for some time.^[10]^[11] She had a sample of Grace's DNA and surmised she had Bana roots. With this knowledge, Karna tried to recruit a new ally. Grace was tempted, especially by the thought of finally belonging to a family. Superman's arrival and revelation of Bana war crimes made her reject the offer. Karna cut her losses and held Grace hostage.

Faced with a knife to Grace's throat, Superman stood helpless as the Bana passed through the shield around the city which only Amazons could enter. Karna immediately retaliated against Grace for the rejection by stabbing her in the lower back. It took her some time to recover, but as it had not hit any vital organs, she got up with some help from Wonder Woman. She rejoined the fight immediately.^[12]

Five of a Kind

Main article: Outsiders: Five of a Kind

When the war was over, Batman wanted to reform the Outsiders. Grace's Bana roots required further investigation over a fear of her loyalties. He sent her on a mission with Wonder Woman to Cleveland to investigate a bomb left behind during the brief war. At Wonder Woman's insistence, they included a trip down memory lane, as Batman still had to decipher Bana documents. Unfortunately, Grace's former foster parents had died years before in a car crash.

The bomb was left in the federal courthouse. The nuclear device incinerated normal humans and even hurt Wonder Woman, but Grace's Bana physiology allowed her to touch it without harm. Unfortunately, it was a suicide device, and Grace's touch armed it. When she dropped it, the countdown timer activated. With Batman's help over the radio, Grace disarmed it.

Pleased with her performance, Batman welcomed Grace as the final member of his Outsiders. Despite being angry that Thunder "washed out" during Batman's try-out and had been excluded from the team, she accepted.^[1]

Outsiders No More

Main article: Batman and the Outsiders: Outsiders No More

When Batman disappeared without a trace, the Outsiders went looking for him across Gotham. Grace and Metamorpho went to Arkham Asylum, where Dr. Arkham informed them that Joker had instructed the inmates to sing a song about Batman after giving them a picture of Batman's tombstone. When they returned to the headquarters, Grace argued with Batgirl about Batman's trust in them.^[13]

Grace was devastated when Thunder was left in a coma after an explosion that caused REMAC's death and the destruction of the Outsiders' HQ. She blamed the accident on Batgirl, who unintentionally allowed the attack to happen. Grace went to the hospital where Thunder was recovering and after one last discussion with Batgirl, Grace was the first member to leave the Outsiders and almost all the others followed her.^[14]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Divine Empowerment: As a half-Amazon, even of a mingled Bana bloodline, Grace still carries the gifts of Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera and Hestia.
- Enhanced Sense of Smell: Grace could smell fresh blood at some distance.^[4]
- Superhuman Strength: Often described as a juggernaut, Grace was the strongest of the Outsiders.^[6] She is stronger than regular Amazons.^[11] She can bite through an elevator cable.^[15]
- Superhuman Durability: Grace can withstand explosions at close proximity,^[16] but her skin can scar and burn, and her hair can burn away.^[5] She can take a punch, but not a hundred in brief succession.^[17] She also has a high tolerance to alcohol.^[18]
- Accelerated Healing: Grace healed by herself from third degree burns to her face without visible scarring, though it took several months.^[19]

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Grace spent much of her teenage years fighting for both sport and money.^[5]
Leadership: Arsenal trusts Grace enough to be a field leader.^[20]

Weaknesses

Medication Resistance: As a result of her physiology, Grace does not feel any effects from medication, including pain medication.^[5]

Notes

Grace has sexual relationships with men and women, though she never considered herself explicitly bisexual or pansexual. She described her sexuality as having sex with men, but relationships with women.^[21] This would suggest that she is homoromantic bisexual or pansexual.
Grace's knowledge of her heritage is unclear. When Mallah discovered it, he mocked her for not telling her teammates, and her reaction to shut up about it implied she knew who Mallah meant when he talked of "her people".^[22] However, after learning of her Bana roots about a year later, she described it as "newfound Bana heritage".^[1]
Whereas the original revelation of her heritage merely describes her as having Bana genes and vague ancestry,^[12] Grace later referred to herself as a Half-Amazon with an Amazon mother.^[1] Technically, this would make her no less an Amazon than other Amazons of Bana-Mighdall, who have always relied on outside males to carry on their tribe.^[23]

Trivia

Grace is half-Korean and half-Egyptian/Bana, so her natural hair color is black and her eyes are brown. However, she dyes her hair auburn and likes to wear purple contacts.^[24]