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Maureen Connor was an unhoused child suffering from an undiagnosed and unmedicated mental illness that led to her hearing voices. After the Big Bang, she was imbued with powers to control ice, and was dubbed Permafrost.
History[]
Maureen grew up in a troubled home environment, with a sick mother and a stepfather who wanted nothing to do with her. One Christmas Eve in her early childhood, her stepfather abandoned the family as Maureen was opening her Christmas gifts. Her mother died from medical complications quickly after. Running away from the child services agent assigned to her case, Maureen shattered the gift angel her mother bought for her. she spent the night in the cold. She lived in the repair depot of the cable car company, with other unhoused people. She occasionally came to Reverend Anderson for meals, but disappeared after the Big Bang granted her the power to manipulate, and be impervious to, the cold.
A year or so after the Big Bang, her activities reached the news. Maureen froze the power station on Dakota Hills, causing a black out affecting dozens of homes. After thawing the ice, Static met her, but looked past her as she was asking for change.
The following day at the Dakota Mall, as she was admiring a glass angel reminiscent of the one her mother bought her, Maureen was berated by a shopkeeper who claimed he didn't think she belonged there. Experiencing a trauma episode, her powers went haywire, causing a feedback loop of panic among the shopping crowd and herself. Taking refuge in a clothing store, Maureen witnessed a mother protecting her daughter — reminding her of the loss of her own mother. Coming to clarity, she fled.
Permafrost met Static for the third time at the Dakota Turnpike, where her powers gridlocked Christmas traffic. Having repeated the words of the child services agent, Maureen experienced another trauma episode, and fled burying Static in an avalanche of snow. He chased her to a homeless encampent in the Dakota Cable Car Repair Depot. In her absence, an unhoused mother escorted him to Maureen's frozen out living chambers, stating "she's not bad you know? She just has problems.". Having hidden outside in the snow, Maureen witnessed Static fly off with a photograph of her mother. Believing she'd lost everything of her mother, she attacked him at the tree lighting ceremony. Coming to realize why she was upset, Static utilized Reverend Anderson's advice: "Try to remember this. She's not some faceless category, 'the homeless'. She's a person like you and me. A person in pain." Finally recognizing her by name, Maureen was more open to hearing that people cared about her, and the two shared a human connection over the fact they had both lost their mothers. Bringing her to a safe place, Static reunited Maureen and Reverend Anderson who offered her help through the Church's homeless program. Committed to getting better, she gratefully accepted, and thanked Static for helping her.
Metahuman Abilities and Powers[]
Permafrost was a metahuman with the water-based elemental ability to manipulate thermal energy to create extreme cold. Including generating ice in various forms including snow, frost and solid pieces. Although she dresses for the weather; she appears completely immune to the extremely low temperatures.