Black Alice

Origin

Black Alice's Borrowed Powers

Lori Zechlin's mother was a drug addict, and one day Mrs. Zechlin couldn't take it anymore. She put on her best dress,took an overdose of drugs, and drowned herself in the pool. Lori found the body after she came home from school. Lori then discovered later that same night that she had a mysterious, magic ability she could use the magical powers of other magical beings. Lori could not use the stolen powers as well as the rightful owners, and had very little control over how long she keeps them. Lori's father became distressed, and begin to pretend everything was okay for Lori's sake. She began shutting herself off from her peers. Her only social group was a Wiccan circle, that kicked her out because she was expelling dark energy since her mother's death, but this wasn't really the case, her best friend Dawn, the leader of the circle, became jealous of her friends real, and developing ability. The Birds Of Prey, discovered Lori while searching for previously unknown metahumans. Lori took on the powers of Doctor Fate, to try and kill three drug dealers. When Black Canary saw that Lori was determined to kill the men, she intervened to save their lives. Lori escaped, and continued to be unseen. The Birds of Prey and Lori soon discovered that her boyfriend, Kyle, was cheating on her with Dawn. Oracle took Lori and turned her over to the real Doctor Fate.

Creation

Black Alice was created by Gail Simone with artists Ed Benes and Joe Prado as one of the new DC characters introduced in the Hero Hunters arc of the Birds of Prey series.

Major Story Arcs

Day of Vengeance

For further details: Infinite Crisis and Day of Vengeance

During the Infinite Crisis Lori is surprised to see Nightshade and Chimp in her room talking to her dad. She is then teleported to the fight with Shadowpact. When the group and her go to the Oblivion bar Chimp tells everyone what Black Alice can do and the plan to kill Spectre. When he appears on an island she takes his powers. But, it is revealed that with his abilities stolen, the Spectre becomes almost ethereal, unable to be touched by anything - physically or magically. However, before relinquishing the abilities, she uses them to help hurl Eclipso (who was coercing the Spectre into his violent assaults) into an orbit around the sun.

With the Crisis over, Lori returns home, but is soon approached by members of the Secret Society of Supervillains, as well as the Birds of Prey. Manipulating her, the Society brings back Lori's dead mother, albeit in a near catatonic state, and in retaliation, Lori forcibly evicts the Society members and the Birds from town, declaring she never wishes to see them again. After an incident involving the Helmet of Fate, however, she returns to aide the Birds in finding the location of a person, only to be chased off by Misfit in a bout of jealousy.

Reign In Hell

More recently, Lori fought against Misfit in the Dark Side Club's meta-human fights, and, upon attempting to escape, learns that she and Misfit may be related. Black Alice took part in the War for Hell. Satanus offered her his powers. As she reached out to take them, Lady Blaze grabbed her arm, stealing Satanus' powers. Black Alice returned to Earth, and gave up being a hero.

Joining the Secret Six

Black Alice has recently come into conflict with the Secret Six. After stealing Jeannette's powers, Bane, now leader of the Six, decides that she should join the team. At first her motivations are hidden, but she eventually reveals that she needs money to help her sick father.

Blackest Night

After joining the Secret Six, Alice goes on her first mission with the team. While the rest of the team attempt to free a drug-dealer, Lori distracts the guards, who work with the Suicide Squad. She steals Nightshade's powers, as well as Giganta's and attacks the guards. Count Vertigo comes along and captures Alice in his grasp. When the Black Lanterns crash the party, Lori helps the Six hold off the zombies, until Amanda Waller severs the connection to their rings.

Powers

Black Alice Using Nightshades Powers

Black Alice has the ability to borrow the powers of any magical being for a short while, Black Alice must also be able to see the person to borrow their specific powers, or she may end up with anybody's magic ablity. When Black Alice takes the powers of another her clothes transform to a combination of their clothes and her own gothic attire. Black Alice has been shown to take two peoples powers at once, and use her own magic abilities.

Alice mentions that the degree of control she has over her powers stand in direct contrast with the level of magician she steals them from .The more powerful magical powers, the harder they are to control. She has virtually no innate knowledge of the powers she obtains. When she attempted to heal her father with Raven's healing powers, she ended up giving him cancer accidentally.

Some of those whose powers she has taken include:

• Alan Scott
• Blue Devil
• Cheetah
• Doctor Fate
• Etrigan the Demon
• Felix Faust
• Misfit
• Giganta
• Jeannette
• Nightshade
• Phantom Stranger
• Raven
• Shazam
• Spectre
• Wonder Woman
• Zatanna