| “ | She was the leader before all of this started, yeah. You have to understand, she’s a natural tactician, and tacticians come in two varieties. There’s the strategists that think things through, innovate, and analyze. Then there’s ones that go by instinct. Noelle’s the latter. | ” |
—Ballistic to Taylor, Queen 18.2 | ||
Noelle Meinhardt[1] is a member and the former leader of the Travelers.
Personality[]
Prior to gaining her powers, Noelle struggled with anorexia.[2] She claims to be very bad at remembering names of capes.[3] Krouse describes her as nervous[4] and stated that the process of their relationship involved a lot of skittishness on her part.[5] She is implied to have been interested in game design.[4]
She is described as a natural tactician and led her gaming group to multiple victories. As Echidna, she is shown to be a clever opponent, though as the fight went on she became more feral.[6]
Relationships[]
Francis Krouse[]
Sometime after she was voted captain of their school's Ransack team, she started dating Krouse.[7][8] Near the end of December 2009, Noelle was still in the very early stages of dating him and was taking things very slow;[9][5] before being transported to Earth Bet, she admitted for the first time out loud that she liked him.[10]
Krouse was not yet part of her intimate personal space, as she still parceled out hugs,[11][12] kisses, and holding hands with reluctance.[13] Before she took a vial at St. Mary's Hospital[14] and then discovered its side effects,[15][16][17] she admitted to Krouse that she wished they did more boyfriend and girlfriend stuff as she believed she wouldn't be any good to look at if she went ahead with more surgeries.[18]
Marissa Newland[]
They met each other in therapy, and Marissa stated that Noelle helped her "find her way". [19] Marissa referred to Noelle as her best friend. [20] Noelle used Marissa's nickname "Mars" both out loud and within her narration.[21] Noelle found comfort in the fact that Marissa knew of her eating disorder and "got it", and that she would keep quiet and back her up when needed.[21] Marissa tried her best to make sure Noelle ate, even when it irritated Noelle. [21] [22] [4]
Appearance[]
Noelle is a white[23] young woman with straight brown hair.[24] Before drinking a vial, she weighed between 115 and 120 pounds.[25] Taylor noted that she appeared ill, and likened her to a drug addict in an early stage of addiction. [26]
Although she was not unattractive, Krouse thought she looked like a sparrow in comparison to the swan of Marissa, describing her as "small and plain".[27] However, she was still attractive as several boys tried asking her out.[5]
Abilities and Powers[]
Noelle has the ability to consume people and make clones out of them. If someone touches her, clones of that person will emerge that are stronger, of a twisted disposition, and loyal only to Noelle herself but otherwise impossible to control. If she maintains contact with the original, she can continuously produce clones of that person. These clones, along with vomit, are her only excretions; she eats only meat and it adds directly to her mass. She is capable of manipulating the created limbs of this mass to devastating effect.
Any clone created from a parahuman gives the clone parahuman a variation of the original's abilities. This is done through a process similar to budding.
All the above powers are fueled through a seemingly bottomless resource of potential mass stored in the core of her lower half; this also allows her to grow and regenerate at an alarming rate.
It is likely that her power was affected by the fact that she was administered only half a dose of Cauldron's superpower serum; her unstable temperament and monstrous lower body were probably not in the intended spectrum of effects. Oliver, who drank the second half of the dose, may have received the portion of the power intended to moderate and control these effects.
History[]
Background[]
Noelle was the captain of a professional-level video game team on Earth Aleph.
Migration[]
When the Simurgh attacked Madison, Wisconsin, on Earth Bet, she took several buildings from Earth Aleph - including the building Noelle was in - which left Noelle stranded on Earth Bet with her friends. After Francis found a suitcase full of Cauldron formulas, they each took one except for Noelle and Oliver who took half each of the same dose.
Story Start[]
Noelle is the reason why the Travelers are constantly shifting from place to place. The group is on a search to find a solution to fix the defects in Noelle granted by the incorrectly administered dose, and this, along with Noelle's unpredictable temperament, is inimical to their lingering in any given place for long.
Post-Leviathan[]
With the Slaughterhouse Nine active in Brockton Bay, the Travelers felt it prudent to reinstate Noelle as the team leader, due to her tactical acumen.[28] Her advice significantly influenced the Traveler's actions during this period.
Post-Slaughterhouse Nine[]
Noelle's condition worsens. When Coil's underlings turn and Coil himself is killed, Noelle escapes confinement from his headquarters.
Echidna[]
Having escaped, Noelle subdues and kidnaps Vista, keeping her in stasis within Noelle's lower half. She eventually contacts the Protectorate and PRT, claiming she had killed Vista and talking about how the Undersiders had robbed her of her greatest chance of a return to normalcy. She then gives an ultimatum: If the authorities kill the Undersiders, or give the Undersiders over to her, or at least allow her to kill them, she will submit to attempts to execute her. Otherwise, she will continue her rampage. Just before dawn Noelle encountered Eidolon, having prepared an ambush of clones for him. They talk, with Eidolon mentioning Coil's connection to Cauldron to a skeptical Noelle. Both agree that they are each prepared to die, but Noelle mentions that a second consciousness within her disallows her from accepting death by flooding her with emotions that would lead her to reject it.
They battle, moving through several sections of the city in the process. The battle is joined by the Travelers, come to claim responsibility for, and see to the execution of Noelle. Noelle herself blames them, especially Trickster, for her condition. This leads Trickster to begin to sabotage Eidolon's efforts at fighting Noelle. Noelle grows as more heroes and villains join the battle, eventually capturing several members of the Undersiders while semiconscious.
Trickster's sabotage eventually leads Eidolon to create a lingering electric effect that keeps Trickster's interference to a minimum. Noelle, reflecting on how her condition was her fault as much as it was anyone else's, runs through these powers to get to Trickster, noting that even their great intensity failed to kill her. There, as heroes gathered at range, Noelle surrenders to her other consciousness.
When she wakes, she notices Eidolon partially subdued in front of her. She offers the same deal as before, and Eidolon resignedly accepts to let her be and orders his reinforcements not to engage her, revealing that Noelle had been designated by the PRT as Echidna.
(This summary is incomplete.)
Chapter Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ Migration 17.8
- ↑ Hydrargentium
I’m inclined to disagree with the bulimia diagnosis, and go with anorexia instead, based on this clue: “The way she picked at her food, the way Marissa got on her case about eating?”
Bulimics don’t pick at food. They eat it. Then they throw it up to get rid of it, so it can’t make them “fatter”. Anorexics don’t want to eat food at all, so that it can’t make them “fatter”. The quote above implies that Mars was getting on her case about needing to eat more, not eating in general. Hence, the anorexia diagnosis.
And, of course, anorexia is all about control as well — the same as bulimia, since controlling one’s food intake is not just about trying to keep from being “fat”, but actually having something, anything to control at all.
Also, as JGuy pointed out, she did try to starve herself to gain control of her situation.
wildbow
There we go. - Comment by Wildbow on Interlude 18 - ↑ The space-warper. I’m so bad with the names. So many names for you capes. I only ever paid attention to the powers - Excerpt from Queen 18.4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Migration 17.4
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Then there was Marissa, the most attractive member of their group by far. Nobody would deny it. Tall, blond, slim, with a body honed by years of dancing and ballet. She was good looking enough that it was intimidating. Odd as it was, nobody in the group had asked her out, as far as he knew. Marissa’s mother played a part in that; nobody wanted to deal with the megabitch.
Noelle, oddly enough, had been the girl they’d fought over the most. It was odd because she didn’t have Marissa’s head-turning beauty or Jess’s confidence. It made her more approachable, in a strange way, up until the point where Noelle had shut down any and all advances. Getting close to her had been a slow process, one with a lot of missteps on his part and skittishness on hers.
He had a sense of what the story was behind that. Marissa knew too, by all indications, but he hadn’t asked. That was Noelle’s private story, to be shared when she was ready. - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ - Excerpt from Queen 18.5
- ↑ “You assholes! I didn’t want him on the team in the first place and now you’re replacing me with him!?”
“Calm down, Cody.” Luke, ever reasonable. “Shouting isn’t going to help, and it’ll bother the neighbors.”
“He’s manipulating you! He’s a slimy creep, and you know this is exactly why he’s dating Noelle. Or don’t you find it a little suspect that they started dating almost right after we voted her captain?” - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ There were nods from the others. Krouse stayed very still, watching them.
“This makes things complicated,” Luke said. “You’re in charge, though, so you get the final say.”
Noelle made a face. “I know, but the problem is we’re not just teammates. We’re friends. And you guys know that Krouse and I are dating. That complicates things. I don’t think I have the perspective to make the call on my own. I put my thoughts in the emails, I’m just hoping you guys can give me some direction. If you say we shouldn’t-”
“No. The shitty thing is that the logic is sound,” Luke said. “No offense, Krouse, but this would be a lot easier if you sucked and we could kick you to the curb.”
Krouse shrugged. - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ “I just- I worry I’m not being fair. We don’t actually-”
“We do what we want to do, right? We enjoy each other’s company?”
“Yeah.” She sipped at her coffee again, then put it down to rub her hands for a second. “I enjoy your company.”
Tentatively, he reached out and placed his hand over hers. Cold. He reached out with his other hand and placed it under hers to help warm it. - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ “We are boyfriend and girlfriend?” he asked. He could see the smile fall from her face. He hurried to speak before she could protest. “Probationary boyfriend and girlfriend. You know you can still break this off any time, right? Don’t give a second thought to my feelings.”
“That’s not it. I like you, Krouse.”
Francis Krouse felt something jolt inside him. It was like surprise but not. He already knew she liked him, but hearing it said… he felt his face warming up, and distracted himself by untucking and folding his scarf.
Finding himself unable to look directly at her, as embarrassed at his own embarrassment as anything else, he replied, “I like you too.” - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ “Actually…” He trailed off, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I took my old machine, I replaced the power supply, formatted it, installed a clean OS and done all my usual tricks for clearing out the crap that we’ll never use and optimizing it. You can consider it an early Christmas present.”
She stared at him, and he tried to interpret her expression. A used computer for a present, would she be offended? Or, conversely, was she bothered at the idea that he’d given her a two-year-old, two-thousand-dollar machine and that he might want something of equivalent value?
She hugged him for the first time in recent memory. “It’s great. Thank you.”
“I know the hardware is two years old, but it’s still better than most.”
She hugged him tighter, then let go, “I don’t know how to thank you, and I don’t want you to take this as me dodging the subject or being ungrateful, but we really should prep.”
“For sure,” he smiled. His body was buzzing from the physical contact. - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ The others were out of their chairs, cheering. She joined them. They hugged. She turned, saw Krouse perched on the desk in the center of the room beside Chris and Oliver. He was smiling.
Noelle hugged him, and for once she was able to forget all her doubts and insecurities, all her issues, the way even physical contact would leave her with a pit in her stomach. She hugged him tight, and it was good. It felt right. - Interlude 18 - ↑ Without looking away, he said, “Marissa.”
“What?”
“I need you to give Noelle a thorough check-up. I… I don’t think she’d want me to do it, or see. She was always sensitive about that stuff.”
Even hugs, even kissing, or holding hands, they were things that she’d parceled out with reluctance. She wouldn’t want him manhandling her, checking for injuries. - Migration 17.2 - ↑ A quarantine processing center is already established at St. Mary’s Hospital, servicing city residents who were not evacuated before temporary blockades were set up. - Migration 17.6
- ↑ Noelle had crumpled to the ground at the far end of the bathroom. Oliver, Luke and Jess were huddled around her. Marissa moved straight to Noelle’s side.
“Don’t touch me!” Noelle screamed, her voice shrill.
Marissa stepped away, hands raised, as if showing she were unarmed, safe. - Migration 17.7 - ↑ “What happened?” Krouse asked, his voice quiet enough that the others might hear, but Noelle wouldn’t.
Each of the others gave him a look, expressions haunted.
He stepped closer, to get a better view. Noelle’s pants were down around her knees. Her jacket meant Krouse couldn’t see anything but her thighs. There was a mark about a foot long and eight inches wide, raised on her left leg. Red, angry, it was wrinkled and blistered like a bad burn.
She saw him. moved to try and cover herself, “Don’t look, Krouse!” - Migration 17.7 - ↑ He looked again, saw Noelle’s head hanging, her hair a curtain around her face. She was sobbing.
The skin on the angry red mark parted. There was no surprise from the others; they’d seen this already.
Beneath the angry red skin on Noelle’s thigh, there was an eyeball, twice the normal size, with a broad yellow iris. Noelle’s hands were clenched into fists, gripping the cloth of her jeans as the eye’s gaze darted from one member of their group to another. It settled on Krouse.
Accusatory. - Migration 17.7 - ↑ She nodded a little. “I’m due for another surgery. They gave me one short one, and now they’re replacing my blood, see?”
“I see,” he said, eyeing the blood bags.
“…I kind of wish we’d done more boyfriend and girlfriend stuff,” she said. “Sorry.”
“Don’t need to apologize. You did what you had to.”
“I could die,” she said. Her voice was feeble, quiet. “They’re cutting too much out, and they can’t wait any longer, but my condition’s bad, so I could die on the table.”
“You’re not going to die.”
“And even if I live, I’m gonna be ugly. Nice big plastic plug in my belly, with a bag of shit attached. Which is really ironic, you don’t even know…” she trailed off.
“I sort of figured it out,” he said.
She nodded. “Big scars, bag of shit. Is why I wish we’d done more, before. Won’t be any good to look at, after.”
“I don’t care about scars. But it doesn’t matter anyways. You’re not going to die, and you won’t have scars. Or a colostomy bag.” - Migration 17.6 - ↑ Migration 17.6
- ↑ Scourge 19.7
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Interlude 18
- ↑ Migration 17.1
- ↑ “On her side,” Marissa said. “There’s a lot of blood in her mouth, and we don’t want her choking.”
Oliver nodded, and Krouse found space to get close and help them shift Noelle over. Once she was in position, he seated himself on the oak coffee table, elbows on his knees, facing her.
She was white to the point that she was pushing pushing past pink and moving into the bluer hues, and she had a purple-brown bruising around her eyes. The blood around her nose and mouth was caked on thick. Some had gotten onto her coat and sweatshirt. - Migration 17.2 - ↑ He saw her, but he didn’t hurry to her side. Instead, he spent a moment standing by the door, watching as she stood at the end of the short line. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and the snowflakes had melted into droplets on her eyelashes. Some flakes still clung persistently to her straight brown hair. She made her way to the front, and ordered. While she waited, she dabbed at the snow, wiping her eyes and hair, and then tucked her hat into her pocket.
Seeing her rub her cheeks to warm them, he felt an urge to hold her as tight as she could bear, to feel her cold cheek against his, to warm her with his body, and to let her warm him in turn. It caught him off guard in its suddenness and intensity.
He took a deep breath and crossed the coffee shop to wait by the far end of the counter. He jammed one hand in his pocket, as if that could keep him from following through on the impulse. After a few seconds, he pulled it out again. He did have self control. - Excerpt from Migration 17.1 - ↑ “And Noelle’s hurt pretty bad,” Marissa said.
Krouse grit his teeth. He didn’t want to think about that, about how he was jostling her, how she might be dying as he ran. He was carrying her, his legs, back and stomach screaming from the hundred-and-fifteen or hundred-and-twenty pound weight he was carrying piggyback, but he couldn’t check on her, couldn’t see how well or how badly she was doing. - Migration 17.2 - ↑ Plague 12.3
- ↑ He was turning to leave when he saw Marissa Newland approach and sit down next to Noelle. They weren’t people he’d expected to see together. It wasn’t that Noelle was unattractive, only that Marissa was a swan, one of the better looking girls in the school, and Noelle was maybe best described as a sparrow. Small, nervous, plain. He hadn’t imagined they had any shared interest, social circles or friends. - Migration 17.4
- ↑ Plague 12.3
[]
| Leader | Noelle Meinhardt † • Trickster ‡ |
|---|---|
| Members | Ballistic ‡ • Genesis ‡ • Oliver ‡ • Perdition ‡ • Sundancer ‡ |