Codex

NAME: V■■■■■■■ J■■■■■■

ALIAS: Codex 

• an ancient manuscript or text in book form

D.O.B: April 25

SEX: Female

PRONOUNS: she . her . hers

AGE: 17 - 24

HEIGHT | WEIGHT: 5'8'' | 190lbs.

ORIENTATION: Pansexual

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States

CURRENT RESIDENCE: New York City, NY

UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE(S):

• psychic information absorbtion
• psychic conveyance
• limited ( touch-based ) telepathy
• arcane aptitude & knowledge

AFFILIATION: Currently Unaffiliated

• Formerly under S.H.I.E.L.D surveillance, marked as a potential asset.

ORIGIN ( OF ABILITIES ):

Long before books, written word and even human language, humanity wished to collect the things it learned in a single space to benefit the generations to come. In a time when man and magic were bonded more closely, an entity manifested, which began to collect knowledge within itself.

As it learned, it would pass from one human to another, taking residence in individuals it judged either worthy or interesting enough to further its knowledge. When man began to write and record the things they knew by hand, physical manifestations of the gift were erected. It went by many names, but the structure once known as the Library of Alexandria was by far its greatest form. 

When the library was destroyed, rather than left to fade with time as its former physical selves had, the entity was distraught and ceased to change hosts, settling into one, final woman before falling dormant. Even after her death, it refused to take a new host, and was preserved along with the corpse by those few who knew of its existence. Over the centuries, it was moved many times, and visited intermittently by individuals willing to fill it with whatever knowledge it had missed during its hibernation.  

Eventually, the entity, still housed in its former host's cadaver, came to reside beneath the New York Public Library.

STRENGTHS:

• At its core, what the Library of Alexandria does is allow its host to absorb information through a psychic link to a person, place, or object. Codex is able to "download" information and file it automatically into the Library, wherein she can access it later to be viewed at her leisure. 
• When it was created, the Library was a benign entity, however over time it developed methods through which to defend its core self ( the mental manifestation. ) Its main method of defense involves ejecting a "wave" of psychic energy laden with randomly selected packets of information at hostile entities. The information is sent at a frequency and volume meant to overwhelm, mentally weaken, and in some cases even drive the target mad.
• As its purpose is to collect and share information, the Library also allows a more controlled version of information transference. When in physical contact with another living being, Codex can use a limited form of telepathy that allows her to convey sounds, images, and written words.
• Though self-taught, Codex shows some impressive skill with magic. By no means is she a master, or some genius savant, but she's taught herself quite a lot without outside guidance. Some of her spellwork is sloppy, and her strengths lie in simpler, elemental craft, but it's hard to deny that her methods are effective.

WEAKNESSES:

• Despite being a mentally based entity, the Library of Alexandria is so vast that its host can't actually comprehend it as a collective. While Codex has access to information dating back to the beginning of man, that doesn't mean she necessarily knows how to find, or comprehend it. Oftentimes a piece of information will require additional context, or a translation, from an entirely different part of the Library. It's much easier to access and comprehend information she herself absorbed, however.
• If Codex strains herself mentally, or tries to delve too deep into the Library too quickly, it often overwhelms her. Sometimes this just means being vacant and disoriented for an hour, and sometimes it means days long migraines. 
• Since the Library of Alexandria was manifested and used by humans, its knowledge of otherworldly entities and goings-on is limited. Since joining Codex, however, it has significantly expanded its knowledge of alien lifeforms. 
• Though the Library holds a great deal of arcane knowledge, it can't actually give or augment magical ability. The fact Codex has an aptitude for the arcane is a total coincidence, and anything magical she knows she's had to learn and teach herself.
• What Codex has in information and magic, she lacks in physical strength. She never learned to fight properly, and doesn't do well in hand-to-hand combat.

ORIGIN ( OF HERO ):

Early Life

Codex likes to say that her story is a common one; a quiet kid, from a broken home, who found more comfort in books and games than human beings. Her parents were loving, but equally dysfunctional and damaging, which would later lead to her distancing herself from them, though she loved them all the same. 

Tony Stark's transformation from weapons maker to all around philanthropist, and Iron Man, had a great impact on Codex in her younger years. She aspired to follow a similar path, creating a brighter future for humanity in her own way, but was stopped by limitations out of her control. Her family's financial standing prevented her from pursuing a great deal of opportunities, and eventually she had to accept the limits of her own intelligence. She was smart, but she wasn't smart enough.

The stress of her own failings and pressure from her parents led to a lot of issues with her self-confidence and self-image. She found it increasingly difficult to pursue academics, and eventually dropped out of high school due to bully and increased strain from what was yet to be diagnosed as mental illness. Later, she got her GED, but wouldn't go on to ponder college for several more years.

Pre-Heroism

Distancing herself from her parents started early, when at 16, Codex left home. Having dropped out of school, she was free to get a job and begin trying to scrape out a life for herself in New York City, her home and haven. Lacking a real social life, since she had few friends in school and fewer out of it, she spent a lot of time in late night internet cafes playing online games to pass the time. Eventually, this would lead her to the world of code writing, the language that made up the entirety of the internet.

Fascinated, Codex spent her free time studying code. It didn't come naturally, it was a skill she had to hone, but over time she became adept at writing and editing code. What started as a hobby, breaking into websites to fix minor errors in their security, or simple typos they missed, became something more when she was invited to join a small group of hacktivists going after a corrupt politician. For the first time, she felt as though she was really making a difference, changing the world for the better- So she didn't stop.

Codex went on to target corruption in government and corporations, but her chief focus became the spread of information. Often, rather than outright attacking a target, she simply collected facts to prove their wrongdoings and spread them across the internet in dossiers for anyone to read. From disproving false medical claims to citing bribes taken by city officials, knowledge truly became her power. 

Her actions garnered attention from S.H.I.E.L.D, who began to monitor her activities without direct interference. They went on to reach out to her through proxies several times without revealing themselves to enlist her help. She was judged to be a potential asset and of a benign enough nature to be left monitored, but uninterrupted. 

Acquisition of Abilities to Current

• There are two points in the MCU where Codex's "origin story" can take place, the only difference being the inciting incident. The first is post-Avengers and the Chitauri's attack on New York; the second is post-Infinity War and the Snap. In this, the inciting incident will be referred to as The Event.

TRIVIA:

• Codex's interest in the occult began in childhood. Fed on a steady diet of fantasy, fairytales and mythology, she grew up with a firm belief in the supernatural. She often looked for magic in everyday things, despite being unaware of her own potential skill with the arcane at the time.
• The Avenger she'd most like to meet after Iron Man is Thor.
• Stubbornness and determination go hand in hand, and Codex has both in spades. Unfortunately, she also has a lot of self-doubt, and has a tendency to overthink things and second-guess herself. If she can actually get started on a task, she's most assuredly going to finish it, but that's if.
• Despite having a lackluster opinion of herself, Codex is actually quite adaptable, and very good at thinking on her feet. Making snap decisions and trusting her instincts are actually places she shines, though she has a hard time seeing it. 
• Codex is clinically depressed and suffers from anxiety and insomnia. She takes medication for her illness, though, and actively tries to manage her symptoms most of the time.
• Her hobbies are reading, playing with code, practicing magic, and coloring books. She finds them very relaxing. 
• Codex has worn glasses so long that she doesn't really like how she looks without them, which is why she's never owned contacts.
• Following the acquisition of the Library of Alexandria, Codex resumed her online activities as a hacktivist. She runs an anonymous blog now where she tries to keep people apprised of what she knows about threats to earth and potential ways to protect yourself from them in the event of an emergency.