Grace Choi
Grace Choi is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Judd Winick and artist Tom Raney, first appearing in Outsiders (vol. 3) #1 (August 2003) in the Modern Age of Comic Books.[1] Choi is introduced as a young Asian American woman using her powers of superhuman strength, healing, and enhanced durability to make a living as a nightclub bouncer, who is reluctantly recruited by her superhero acquaintance Roy Harper to join his new crew of heroes, the Outsiders.
| Grace Choi | |
|---|---|
 From the cover of Outsiders (vol. 3) #41. Art by Daniel Acuña | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Outsiders (vol. 3) #1 (August 2003) |
| Created by | Judd Winick (writer) Tom Raney (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Amazon |
| Team affiliations | Outsiders Birds of Prey |
| Abilities |
|
In the course of their adventures, Grace comes to take pride in her work as a superhero, and discovers that she is descended from a tribe of Amazons, explaining her better-than-human abilities, and giving her a new role model in Wonder Woman. While working with the team, she enters into a relationship with her teammate Thunder, the daughter of superhero and Outsider-founding member Black Lightning.
Outside of comics, Choi has made appearances in television shows and video games. The character is portrayed by Chantal Thuy in the live-action television series Black Lightning. However, this version of her is a metahuman instead of an Amazon and possesses the ability to shapeshift.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Grace Choi is a tall Asian-American woman with metahuman strength who sports tattoos styled along Pacific First Nations lines on both of her arms and a circular sun design around her navel.
Grace's history was explored in detail in the "Outsiders: Most Wanted" arc, in which it was revealed that she was one of the surviving victims of a prostitution ring that exploited abducted and runaway children as its "merchandise". Upon reaching puberty, Grace used her then-nascent metahuman powers to escape, and spent the next several years living independently, until her recruitment into the Outsiders.
Though initially the source of Grace's powers was not revealed, when the team was captured by the Brain and Monsieur Mallah in Outsiders (vol. 3) #39, they noted that Grace has been enhanced more than "her kind" usually is. The Outsiders were confused by that remark, leading Mallah to laugh and comment: "You mean they don't know what you are?" Later, Grace's Amazon lineage was revealed.
Joining the Outsiders
In her first appearance in Outsiders (vol. 3) #1, she was the bouncer for the metahuman nightclub Chaney's in Metropolis; Arsenal recruited her for the newly formed Outsiders. She and Arsenal were old friends but she was not very keen on joining until he told her the Outsiders job would pay her three times more than her bouncer job.[2]
"One Year Later"
Grace Choi remains a member of the Outsiders, and assisted in toppling the regime of Mali. She gets along quite well with the team's newest member, Captain Boomerang II, and the two have been involved in the somewhat questionable interrogation of some soldiers, involving torture. It has been revealed that Grace has been secretly involved in a relationship with Thunder (Anissa Pierce). After an unsuccessful mission in North Korea involving Checkmate, Nightwing hands over the Outsiders to Batman, who elects to decide on his own roster culminating in DC Comics' relaunch of the Batman and the Outsiders title.
Grace features in the Amazons Attack limited series where during an attack on the United States by the Amazons, she encounters the Bana Amazons. One of its members tells her that she is actually part of their tribe, the explanation for earlier allusions by others to "her kind."[3] This did not entirely explain Grace's metahuman powers, however, as the Bana Amazons have only peak human level strength and conditioning while their Themyscirian Amazon cousins possess true metahuman strength. In the aftermath of the war, Batman assigns Wonder Woman and Grace to a cleanup mission which serves as an audition for his new Outsiders roster. Grace identifies herself as half-Amazonian and displays a deep knowledge of Bana-Mighdall history. Batman and Wonder Woman accept that she is a Bana, and it is confirmed when Grace successfully handles a bomb engineered so that only women with Bana DNA might control it.[4] Diana and Grace end their joint mission describing each other as cousins.
Grace was briefly shown working alongside the Birds of Prey when they attempted to stop a group of villains from killing the Secret Six and taking Neron's "Get Out of Hell Free" card from them.[5]
Pleased with her performance, Batman welcomes Grace as the final member of his Outsiders. Despite being angry that Thunder "washed out" during Batman's try-outs and has been excluded from the team, she accepts. She then invites Thunder back onto the team without Batman's permission. Following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne, the Outsiders fall into a trap set by Simon Hurt, and most of the team members are severely injured. The group is disbanded shortly thereafter, and is replaced by a new team of Outsiders.
Some time later, Grace shows up in Wonder Woman #600 as a member of Wonder Woman's all-female team of heroes.[6]
Many months after her departure from the Outsiders, Grace is shown in a live-in relationship with Anissa, with both women now in a state of semi-retirement following Anissa's recovery. When Black Lightning arrives at Grace and Anissa's apartment with his small band of fugitive heroes, Grace comes to his aid and helps fight off the attacking members of the Justice Society of America. In the ensuing battle, Grace renders Stargirl and Mister America unconscious, telling them not to threaten her "in-law". After the battle with the JSA, both Grace and Thunder agree to join up with Black Lightning's small team of Outsiders, who are tasked by Amanda Waller with travelling to Markovia and capturing Geo-Force and his rogue faction of the team.[7] Following a massive battle in Markovia, both teams of Outsiders are disbanded by Batman, and the individual heroes return home.[8]
Powers and abilities
Grace Choi possesses metahuman levels of strength, heightened durability and endurance, as well as regeneration and increased healing.[2]
Other versions
Grace Choi is featured in the Smallville Season 11 digital comic based on the TV series. She is a member of the Outsiders.[9]
In other media
Television
- Thunder can be seen texting Grace in the first Thunder and Lightning short on DC Nation Shorts.
- Grace Choi appears in the Black Lightning TV series, portrayed by Chantal Thuy while her teenager form is portrayed by Stella Smith and her old man form is portrayed by Joseph Steven Yang. Grace met Anissa Pierce at a library, insisting she check out a favorite of hers, The Outsiders. She then promptly invited her to a cosplay party at the bar she worked at. At the party, the two danced together, before being interrupted by Anissa's then-girlfriend Chenoa. Trying to avoid a fight at her bar, Grace asked Chenoa to take their problems outside. Leaving the Ruby Red Lipstick Bar with Anissa, they were confronted by former patrons, angry at Grace and the bar. He knocked out Grace, but the whole group was quickly knocked out by Anissa. She soon woke up, with Anissa tending to a graze on her head. She reappears in the second season. It is revealed in the episode "Book of Secrets: Chapter Three: Pillar of Fire" that "Grace Choi" is an alias. Her real name is Shay Li Wylde, who was kidnapped and forced into prostitution at a young age before she was rescued by I.C.E.. She disappeared and resurfaced in Freeland as Choi. Furthermore, she was seen taking pills whenever her eyes started changing color and spots start to appear, which were later revealed to treat schizophrenia. She led a normal life until Anissa saw her eyes change color, which led to Grace leaving and disappearing. In the episode "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha", Thunder told Peter Gambi about her encounter with an old man who had glowing eyes and a half-eaten horse in his apartment. This caused Gambi to theorize that Grace is a shapeshifter. Jennifer comments to Anissa that Grace will resurface eventually. In the episode "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of the Blackbird," Anissa and Gambi find security footage of Grace shapeshifting from a leopard. In "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent Odell's Pipe-Dream", Grace reunites with Anissa where she reveals her shapeshifting abilities which she is working to control. Anissa accepts Grace's metahuman status as they rekindle their love relationship. In "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four: Lynn's Ouroboros", Jefferson learns of Grace's abilities. In "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two: Henderson's Opus,", Anissa has her father evacuate Grace with the other suspected metahumans. When an A.S.A. soldier follows Grace into a house, he is killed by her leopard form. Black Lightning catches up to her and Grace voices her knowledge of his identity due to the scents she maintains from her leopard form. In the season three finale, Grace and Thunder confront Gravedigger in the Pit. Gravedigger mind-controls Grace into attacking Thunder causing her to use her powers to knock Grace out. Following the Markovian invasion on Freeland, Lynn states that Grace is in a coma where she is unsure when she'll come out of it. She does state to Anissa that they should place her somewhere where she can get some full care.
Video games
- Grace Choi appears in DC Universe Online.
References
- Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- Wallace, Dan (2008). "Grace". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 148. ISBN 0-7566-4119-5. OCLC 213309017.
- Amazons Attack #5
- Outsiders - Five of a Kind: Wonder Woman/Grace
- Secret Six (vol. 2) #7
- Wonder Woman's all-female team from Wonder Woman #600
- Outsiders vol. 4 #36. DC Comics.
- Outsiders vol. 4 #40. DC Comics.
- Smallville Season 11: Continuity Vol 1 #4 (May 2015). DC Comics.
