Real name: Monica Rambeau
First Appearance: Amazing
Spider-Man Annual #16
Base of Operations: New York City, New York
Occupation: Adventuress
Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana
Classification: Human
Marital Status: Single
Membership Status: Inactive
Known Relatives: Blacklight
Affiliations: Avengers
Powers / Abilities:
Photon possesses the power 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. She
apparently accomplished this transformation by mentally shunting the
matter of her body into the dimension from which she draws her
energy and replacing it with a corresponding amount of energy. Her
mind remains in the dimension to control the energy-parcel that has
taken the place of her body. By assuming an energy-form, she gains
all of that energy. For instance, if she becomes light, she is
blindingly bright. Some of her energy-forms permit her to pass
trough solid objects. All of her energy-forms enable her to fly. In
all energy-forms except visible light, she is invisible. The
electromagnetic spectrum is compriside of cosmic-ray photons, gamma
rays, x-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, infrared
radiation, microwaves, and radio waves.
Besides being able to totally exchange her matter for energy, Photon
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.
Photon 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.
In some as yet unknown manner, Photon 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.
Photon 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.
History:
Monica Rambeau was a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol
when a friend of her grandfather, physicist Andre LeClare, came to
her for help. LeClare had discovered a means to draw energy from
another dimension, while working under the auspices of South
American dictator Ernesto Ramirez. Learning that Generalissimo
Ramirez intended to use his discovery to make a weapon, LeClare
journeyed to the United States to enlist Rambeau's aid. Rambeau
agreed to investigate his claim and accompanied LeClare to an oilrig
where the dictator had assembled his energy disruptor weapon.
Rambeau was bombarded by its extradimensional energies and converted
into living energy. Materializing in physical form back in New
Orleans, Rambeau contact the put together an identity-concealing
costume out of Mardi Gras outfits. Instinctively reassuming her
energy-state, she flew back to the oilrig to witness LeClare getting
shot by the scientist who designed the disruptor and to discover
that the damaged weapon had created a growing interdimensional
breech. Rambeau was sucked into the breech where she managed to seal
the hole with her body's own energies. She then saved LeClare from a
second bullet and overpowered the gunman, leaving him to the
authorities. Days later, the convalescing Professor LeClare visited
Rambeau and presented her with a costume based on the one she had
worn, only composed of unstable molecules. LeClare explained to the
woman the theoretical extent of her new powers and suggested that
she use them for the public good. He showed her a newspaper account
of her first exploit wherein she was dubbed "Photon."
Rambeau decided the professor's suggestion had merit, and resigned
from the harbor patrol so she could devote more time to it. Soon
discovering that the extra energy she had absorbed from the
interdimensional breech was building up uncontrollably, Rambeau
traveled to New York City to enlist the aid of Reed Richards of the
Fantastic Four. When she found Richards was not home, she went to
the Avengers where Iron Man, with the aid of the passing Spider-Man,
managed to siphon off the excess energy. As Photon, Rambeau accepted
the Wasp's offer to become an Avenger-in-training. In a short time,
Photon was awarded full membership in the Avengers, and she has been
active ever since.
Photon revealed to her parents her secret identity. She was also
abducted to the Skrull Galaxy recently by a band of space pirates
led by Nebula. After spending several weeks in outer space, she
found that she had lost a noticeable amount of weight by the time
she returned to Earth.
She served for a time as leader of the Avengers, but found it very
hard to handle, and stepped down to make room for other members to
take up the leadership.
Photon