Princess Projectra of the Legion of Super-Heroes (original) (raw)
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| Name: Projectra Home Planet: Orando Super-Power: Creating realistic illusions Member Since: 2966 |
Origin | Super-Power | Personal Data | Membership Record
"Princess Projectra, of the Royal Family of the planet Orando, was endowed by a witch with the power of creating realistic illusions, soon after her birth."
- Adventure Comics No. 365 (Feb. 1968) "The Origins and Powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes"
First Appearance: Adventure Comics No. 346 (written and drawn by Jim Shooter)
By concentrating deeply, Princess Projectra can project realistic illusions. These images are not hypnotically induced visions, but rather real projections of light that register on a person's eyes, and so could also be recorded by cameras.
While her illusions work best if she surprises her enemies with them - like creating illusions of terrifying giant birds that even scared seasoned warriors ( Adventure Comics No. 347) - even if the recipient knows they must be unreal, they are so convincing that they still can induce emotions of fear or hesitation. Once, she projected illusions of giant gripper vines and monstrous space serpents attacking the Persuader and he was "held" helpless because he was so sure they must have been real. Even after she told him they were only illusions, she then made it look like the ground under him had turned to quicksand and he still had to struggle through the illusion (352).
Princess Projectra has also created an illusion that was just pure blinding light ( Adventure Comics No. 353).
Aside from making people see things that aren't there, she can also make people not see things that are there by casting an illusion of the surrounding areas on top of a person or object so that they seem invisible ( Adventure Comics No. 374, Action Comics No. 383/2).
According to her, she is capable of creating "an hallucination so real and frightening" that it could shock a person into madness ( Adventure Comics No. 352)
Using a transceiver device, combined with her own illusion-power, she was able to send images of herself all over the galaxy ( Adventure Comics No. 352).
Once, when Princess Projectra's super-power was "beefed up" by Ambassador Thora, her illusions became solid, able to pack a punch ( Adventure Comics No. 368).
Limitations and Weaknesses: Princess Projectra's illusions cannot be heard, felt, or perceived by any sense other than sight ( Adventure Comics No. 353), and so she couldn't stop a radar guided Chemoid (363). Her illusion power is not selective, in that anyone who can see it will, so she cannot focus it on any one individual. A psychic image disruptor, such as the one invented by Brainiac 5, will interfere with any illusions she tries to create (357) by interfering with her ability to focus on a mental image.
Speculative Explanation of Power: While it may seem easy to simply "write off" her power as being of "magical origin", it must still be explained from a basis of scientific fact and follow some kind of logical set of rules in order to work.
The human eye contains photoreceptors - specialized kinds of neurons - in the retina that are capable of phototransduction. That is, they absorb light reflected off of objects and convert the photons into electrical signals, which are received by the brain and turned into mental images that it understands.
The physiopsychic process that endowed Projectra with her illusion-making ability allows her to reverse the normal processes of photochemistry and optic radiation. In other words, by concentrating mentally on an image, she can send electrical signals to her retinas, which are then converted into photons that are projected out of her eyes to form full-color, three-dimensional light images - or holograms.
Although the power is initiated through her eyes, she can employ the use of her hands to aid in the "light scultping" process. Her hands are capable of bioluminescence through the oxidation of luciferin light-emitting pigments in her skin. The radiance that is produced is a "cold light" emission, with only a negligible amount of thermal heat being generated, and is used in combination with her ability to project a visual image.
Physical Description: Projectra has short white hair, brushed back from her forehead. She has an oval face and her eyelashes are long and thick.
Personality: Although she has a regal bearing and is poised and elegant ( Adventure Comics No. 368), Projectra can be tough and spunky (359, 362), with a commanding nature that is befitting a princess of Orando (362) and a flair for the dramatic (346, 352, 357). Despite her belief in the supernatural, Projectra left Orando "against the will of the stars" (362) to create a destiny for herself.
As a princess of Orando she is not without certain political "pull" ( Adventure Comics No. 359). As part of her royal duties, Projectra enjoys hobnobbing with the social elite, which involves attending swanky parties ( Action Comics No. 383/2).
Projectra lives in a plush penthouse apartment ( Adventure Comics No. 378) that is said to be "fancier than the President's mansion." It has a pool filled with fresh Orandoan spring water, with a tape library next door, and a 3-D theater (373). Projectra has her own private fortune and it is in her will to leave it all to the Legion for the betterment of the universe (378).
Skills: Projectra is well versed in the occult, being in the ruling class of Orikalls (or mediums) and is adept at holding seances ( Adventure Comics No. 357). She is skilled in alchemy, once having concocted a knock-out serum to coat her lips with that would affect an Earthman (Karate Kid) and not an Orandoan (herself) ( Action Comics No. 392/2). Princess Projectra is a good shot with a blaster ( Adventure Comics No. 357) and knows a little judo, no doubt taught to her by Karate Kid (359).
Interests: Besides liking art and literature ( Adventure Comics No. 362), Projectra also enjoys watching films (373, 378) and underwater dancing ( Action Comics No. 383/2). She enjoys expensive perfumes, which she hopes will "make the Kid sit up and take notice" ( Adventure Comics No. 377). Her favorite meal is breast of flamebird and rainbow dressing ( Action Comics No. 383/2).
Nicknames: "Princess P" ( Adventure Comics No. 357), "Princess " (362), "Her Highness" (359), "Jeckie" ( Action Comics No. 383/2, 392/2).
Relationships: Although sometimes she comes across as being aloof ( Adventure Comics No. 362, 368), Projectra does enjoy formal social gatherings, and Janice Warren is a good friend of hers who often invites her to her family home for weekend parties ( Action Comics No. 383/2).
Projectra's calm courage in the face of an angry mob, reminding him of someone he once knew, stirred in Val deeper feelings for his royal teammate. Shortly afterwards, he even took an opportunity to kiss Projectra as she stood beneath the Orandonese equivalent of mistletoe (362). Projectra and Karate Kid have since become closer and started dating ( Adventure Comics No. 374) and she knows her boyfriend's moods and motivations very well (378). The couple first expressed their love for each other while watching a double-sunrise atop the glorious meteor-pyramid of the planet Frod ( Action Comics No. 390/2).
Known Relatives: Projectra's parents are the King and Queen of Orando ( Adventure Comics No. 362, 378).
 Application: Princess Projectra tried out for the Legion of Super-Heroes in 2966, just before the first Khund invasion, at the same time as Nemesis Kid, Ferro Lad and Karate Kid. She demonstrated her power of illusion by making the Legionnaires think they were transported under the sea, then hurled into space. Induction: Because she succeeded in throwing the Legionnaires into a panic, Princess Projectra was voted into the Legion unanimously ( Adventure Comics No. 346). |
Career Highlights:
Adventure Comics No. 346 / 347 (July/Aug. 1966) "One of Us Is a Traitor" / "The Traitor's Triumph"
New member Princess Projectra was sent to help guard the electro-tower in Tierra Del Fuego as part of Chameleon Boy's team. During the battle with the Khund forces, she created illusions of giant attacking birds which caused some of the ships to lose control and crash into the ground.
Adventure Comics No. 351 (Dec. 1966) "The Forgotten Legion"
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Princess Projectra was part of the group of Legionnaires who travelled to 20th century Smallville in order to enlist Superboy's help in gaining the ingredients for a magic spell. She created an illusion of the Legion clubhouse on the front lawn of the Smallville High School to attract the Boy of Steel's attention. |
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Adventure Comics No. 352 / 353 (Jan./Feb. 1967) "The Fatal Five" / "The Doomed Legionnaire"
Princess Projectra was one of the five Legionnaires on duty on Earth when the Sun-Eater was located in space and found to be heading directly for the solar system. It was she who persuaded the Persuader into joining their cause, at the same time rescuing the Governor-General of Jupiter from the villain. Her feminine charms encouraged Validus to come to her rescue and later fight back against Tharok's evil influence in order to protect her.
Adventure Comics No. 357 (June 1967) "The Ghost of Ferro Lad"
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Conditioned by the renegade Controller's psychic projector into believing that the ghost of Ferro Lad was haunting her, Princess Projectra held a seance to communicate with the "ghost", which was really a Controller-made projection. |
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Adventure Comics No. 359/360 (Aug./Sept. 1967) "The Outlawed Legionnaires" / "The Legion Chain Gang"
When the Legionnaires were outlawed by the United Planets, the team hoped to use Princess Projectra's political influence to help free some of their members from prison. However, ambushed by street punks who were brainwashed into hating the Legion, Princess Projectra suffered a blow to the back of her head that put her into a coma for four days.
Adventure Comics No. 362/363 (Nov./Dec. 1967) "The Chemoids are Coming" / "Black Day for the Legion"
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When Dr. Mantis Morlo threatened Princess Projectra's home world, she led a group of seven other heroes to Orando to help fight the pollution he was spreading there. When the people of her planet converged on her in an angry mob, accusing her of bringing doom by going against the will of the stars, she projected an illusion of the Spirit King to calm them down and pledged to rid Orando of the plague. |
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Adventure Comics No. 370 (July 1968) "The Devil's Jury"
Working in conjunction with the White Witch, who negated Mordru's destructive spell, Princess Projectra created an illusion that fooled Mordru into thinking that he was successful in destroying the Legion's headquarters.
Adventure Comics No. 378 (Mar. 1969) "Twelve Hours to Live"
Princess Projectra was one of the Legionanires fatally poisoned by rakurga at Brainiac 5's birthday party. She wanted to spend her last hours with Karate Kid, but knew he would want to die fighting. Since she couldn't reach Orando in time to visit her parents, she tried to distract herself by going to a senso-theater but was unable to shake her depression. She ended up in Metro Square Park, listening to a park-bench philosopher, who helped her to face death calmly. She and the other Legionnaires were eventually cured by the Seerons ( Adventure Comics No. 380).
Action Comics No. 392 (Sept. 1970) "The Legionnaires Who Never Were"
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After the archive computer predicted that Princess Projectra had a 98% probability of breaking down in a time of crisis, jeopardizing the other members' lives, the Legionnaires devised a grueling ordeal to disorient and test her response to a crisis. Despite being made to think she was dreaming or was hurled into a parallel Earth where she didn't belong in the Legion, Princess Projectra kept her wits about her and came through the tests beautifully, exposing it as a hoax. |
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For information concerning Princess Projectra after 2969, click here.