Candi McArthur (Cataclysmic Gerosha)

''The following is about the Earth-G7 version of Ciem. For earlier versions, see Ciem (disambiguation).''

Candice Marie McArthur (neé Flippo-Levens) is a young superheroine in the series Cataclysmic Horizons. She is one of several incarnations of Ciem, throughout the Gerosha multiverse of Dozerfleet Comics, this one in particular being part of the continuity known as Cataclysmic Gerosha. She is most closely modeled after her Comprehensive Gerosha counterpart. She is part of a group of freedom fighters that have escaped tyranny in Ameristan, and now defends the nation of Toklisana from the notorious Hebbleskin Gang.

Her teammates consist of reinterpretations of Jack "the Jackrabbit" Mercreek, Jeral "Botan the Plant-Man" Cormier, her boyfriend/eventual husband Donte "Emeraldon" McArthur, Dolly "the Earwig" Malestrom, Laurie Pegol, and a few more that come and go. She begins the series trying to escape from Ameristan along with Dolly, Donte, her godfather Imaki Izuki, and a small band of other exiles. It is her godfather that produces the equipment that allows her to become Ciem officially later on.

Powers
In keeping with the standard power set for most incarnations, this version of Candi has centuition and accelerated healing. She also has enhanced speed, strength, agility, constriction, and body flexibility (although, she still has trouble being as flexible as a professional contortionist.) She weighs 122 pounds, but can push or lift nearly half a ton out of her way if she needs to. At 5'4.5", she's not very tall. She can jump a full story at a time if she needs to, but is outclassed by Jackrabbit's ability to jump 2-1/2 stories in one bound.

Her greatest skill comes in the form of the execution of maneuvers involving her centilegs, which are short stingers that protrude from her upper wrists, shoulders, hips, thighs, and lower calves. They contain a venom that is comparable to bee venom, which can incapacitate someone. Enough stings can cause temporary paralysis, making it easier for her to subdue adversaries. Her centuition works similar to spider sense, in that it lets her sense danger coming and evade it. She can also stalk fleeing adversaries for a short time even after they've left her field of sight, with an almost "psychic radar" ability to know where they are. She dodges bullets after hearing a "phantom scream" sensation that lets her know exactly which direction a bullet is coming from. She can heal quickly from most bullet wounds, just in case one does manage to hit her anyway.

She also possesses the ability to view another individual's romantic history based on an aura she can sense around the eyes, with darker auras indicating more sexual history. (Virgins have no aura.) Because of this, Jack is unable to lie to her about his past skirt-chasing antics.

Finally, her abilities include an enhanced metabolism. While she gets plenty of exercise, she is able to keep her weight regulated more easily than most. This comes in handy during pregnancy, as she'd likely gain a lot of weight otherwise.

Accessories
Courtesy of Imaki, Candi has a variety of tools in her Ciem arsenal as well. She is protected from disease not only by an enhanced immune system, but also from her "dart shooters." These wrist-bound items have miniature darts, up to 500 each in a large pack, which marinate in a solution of her venom. They fire like pressurized staples from a staple gun, and allow her to sting her enemies without having to touch them directly. Mid-range fire also gives her the ability to retain her stealth longer.

Zeran wardrobes are quantum storage packages that enable her to store and change clothes quickly. They are modeled after the Zeran technology that was first developed by the Marlquaanite Lord Zeras in the second century AD. Zeran teleporters allow her to move from one place to another quickly, though her small-size models are very short-range. She can transport about two football fields tops in distance, though usually teleports shorter distances to preserve battery life. Combined with roof-hopping, she uses Zeran teleporters to get around town when nobody is able to fly her across.

This helps her out tremendously with getting out of tight spots. In spite the fact that centipedes in nature can climb walls all the time with little difficulty, she cannot do any of her own wall-crawling without additional equipment. Some variants of her mask also allow for a switch that activates night vision in her eyepieces, letting her see the world around her better at night.

She also possesses Remotach pills, a substance developed by a scientist with help from the Phaelites. Imaki made sure to supply Candi with plenty of these, in the event of capture. With Remotach, she is able to reattach severed limbs - including her own head - while remote-controlling her severed body parts. Remotach also helps prevent excessive blood loss. She makes sure to supply her teammates with some also, in the event any of them are captured. The one time she was captured in Ameristan and could have most used these pills, she didn't have any. Only an electrical blackout on the death camp's power grid saved her life - and Dolly's - when she was able to escape the beheading chambers amidst near-total darkness. Ahead of her, Dolly was being placed on the block; and the two got to witness dozens of other young women being slaughtered before them. She made sure after that to always have Remotach handy. Not only do Ameristani Jihadists want her dead; but Duke Arfaas himself has vowed to collect her head for a trophy. This is because of Candi's mother Shalia, who frustrated a lot of the plans that Arfaas' predecessors had for Gerosha.

Weaknesses
Consistent with Comprehensive Candi, she has a lot of the same powers and weaknesses. Her equipment is also similar. One major difference is that she's not under the Curse of Honeybee Samuel. Yes, she has Sam Wrikon as an ancestor. But there is nothing supernatural about him this time. While she does struggle with sexual self-control, she is not as prone to nymphomania as her previous incarnations. That being said, she still has to deal with the fact that she has trouble controlling herself around Donte. Donte has a little more self-control in this version than the previous, allowing him to better calm her down when she gets too excited. She isn't as clingy this time as in previous incarnations, making his tolerance of her personality quirks more understandable. Like Classic Candi, Cataclysmic Candi is susceptible to the substance known as Bezeetol. However, it is a drug in this version. The drug is manufactured specifically to dampen the powers of Phexos and render them dizzy and confused. It is short-lived in its effects, acting as a sort of sedative. Like with every version since Despair Candi, Cataclysmic Candi is particularly susceptible to her powers being dampened if she gets pregnant. This becomes a source of internal conflict for her, as she looks forward to having children. Due to how most birth control pills work, this means that she cannot be on birth control either.

Since the Marlquaan is indirectly responsible for how Phexos are able to get their abilities, she is also susceptible to being trapped in a Marlquaanite prison. However, Emwaults are more directly tied to the Marlquaan. This means that her boyfriend is even more susceptible to imprisonment. Any Marlquaanite she meets, however, is going to have a direct bond, and be the most susceptible. This means that her non-Phexo and non-Marlquaanite friends are essential teammates in reducing her likelihood of capture.

Ancestry
Candi's double-maternal great-grandparents include the Indo-Persian explorer Sadasheeva Cherupara from India and Alexis Hood from Indiana. Their union was generally frowned upon by both their families; but they were determined to make their marriage work. Some Thuggees had a score to settle with Sadasheeva, however, and stalked him all the way to his home with Alexis. While Sadasheeva himself was murdered, his wife Alexis escaped. She raised their daughter, Marissa Hood, in the forests outside of Booneville, IN.

Marissa eventually took over living in her quiet home after Alexis died. She discovered that much of her life would be a repeat of her mother's - up until the day that a fugitive named Dwayne Lloyd invaded her home. Dwayne was eventually captured, but the tragedy had one positive effect: Marissa conceived. The child that resulted was the young Shalia Hood, who grew up to become the wife of Stan Flippo. Shalia also became a politician, and her efforts helped to bring down the Hebbleskin Gang's growing influence. She played a major role in bringing things to a head in Boonville in 1990, leading to Fantisk Hebbleskin and Sgt. Luddin destroying the city. She helped the Phaelites and National Guard defeat both crime lords, and pushed the Hebbleskins back. She and Stan then built Gerosha atop the remains of Boonville.

Stan's history was even more convoluted. The abusive minor league baseball player Steve McNolan finally alienated his pregnant girlfriend, Alison Ligash. As he was in prison dying of throat cancer, he vowed to break out and seek vengeance on Alison for leaving him. She found refuge in a kindhearted male friend: Tobey Flippo. Tobey agreed to marry Alison, as well as adopt the child inside her. However, Steve betrayed the couple to the Hebbleskin Gang, whom he had been doing dealings with. Phaelites in the area agreed to protect the young Flippo family - at a price. Stan was to have two experiments performed on him. The first was that some of his cells would be extracted to produce a half-clone. These would be inserted in a donated egg from a Phaelite woman, and would lead to artificial partial cloning. While Tobey was not a fan of the idea of reproductive science, he relented and allowed Alison to give the scientists permission to experiment with Stan. The second experiment merged Stan with "Grandma Centipede," a Michigan garden centipede that was captured and used for experimentation.

Through this, Stan became a Phaelite Experiment with the blueprints for a Centhuen Prototype. When switched on, a gene inside one of his children would lead to that child developing the centipede powers that the Phaelites were trying to create. Their goal was to begin with enhanced human beings with centipede abilities, which could then be employed to form an army. From there, they'd create large monsters that were more centipede than man, dubbed "True Centhuens." The first successful implementation of a Phaelite Experiments' Offspring ("Phexo") into a Centhuen Prototype was Charles "Centipede Charlie" Hammerstein, who used his abilities to some effect in Japan during World War II. They were looking to make an even better version of Centipede Charlie, and were beginning to question the possibility of what would happen if they produced female Phexos. Through early tests, they discovered that the female Centhuen Prototypes were prone to their powers being dampened in the event of pregnancy. They figured that those women would learn to control themselves around men, reducing the need to worry about this minor detail.

Baby Stan's half-clone was inserted into the womb of a Phaelite scientist named Insila Murtillo, who volunteered for that experiment. The half-clone was not to know for several years who his true father was. The baby that grew inside Insila was born as Ploribus Murtillo. He grew up to become a war hero, and changed his name to Darius Philippine to protect his mother. He eventually learned the truth about who his father was, but chose not to get too involved in Stan's life as that would only complicate matters. Even so, his half-siblings are aware of who he is.

After Alison died, Tobey took Stan into the woods outside of Boonville to live. He taught Stan how to be self-reliant, and inspired in Stan a quest to find the lost treasure of the pirate Henry Lohtz. Stan eventually met Shalia, and the two of them embarked on a journey. Being the first couple to successfully stumble on the treasure, they were immediately rich beyond their imaginations. However, they decided to call their investment "Project: Gerosha." This is because they discovered the Gerosha Stone, a seashell that became the most prized possession of Henry Lohtz.

Stan and Shalia married soon after the death of Marissa. Their first son was Reily, who grew up to become a world-famous chef. During the Battle for Gerosha, young Erin Wyer was discovered to be an orphan. She was adopted by Stan and Shalia. A few years after the battle, Reily met and married Ashlee Kornsdall. They immediately had a son named Kirby. It was not long after Kirby was born that Stan and Shalia had triplets Candice, Miriam, and Marina. Strangely, only Candi manifested the Centhuen Prototype ability set.

Early life
Candi was born as one of three fraternal triplets to Stan and Shalia Flippo on September 9th, 1999. She was the only Filippo child to receive the Centhuen Prototype mutation via Stan. Her two non-mutant sisters, Miriam and Marina, would develop other talents. Candi had lived for much of her early life going back and forth between being exposed to various environmental factors and being sheltered from them. She was aware early on of her mutation, and her implied calling in life; but has always had mixed feelings about it. Her powers did not fully manifest in this version until the age of 12.

While she was trained from early on how to engage in superheroics by her godfather Imaki, her parents and older siblings advised against her going on real missions while still a small child. She was content to behave as a ordinary child for much of that early life. Her world was turned inwards in October of 2006, when her parents were run off the road by Hebbleskin Gang associates. Her older sister Erin gained custody of her, along with gaining custody of Miriam and Marina.

However, there were some problems. Erin got in with a bizarre crowd at college, leading her to become very strict about her younger sisters' dating habits. A chemical imbalance started forming in her brain, leading to the gradual deterioration of her mental health. Since Reily was busy with his wife Ashlee and son Kirby touring the world as celebrity chefs, he felt little connection to his biological sisters. The fact that they were technically young enough to be his daughters made meetings even more awkward, leading to him generally ignoring all his sisters. His luxurious lifestyle also conflicted with the family model of living beneath one's means, resulting in him being ostracized by Erin. Given that Erin was unable to provide the emotional support and stability that Candi needed, she often looked up to her godfather, Japanese inventor and Phaelite-friendly Imaki Izuki, as a surrogate father.

Middle school
Candi spent much of her middle school life as an ordinary student, though she did have some issues with some of her classmates. Candi's fifth grade teacher agreed with the sixth grade teacher concerning curriculum content. However, pressure from left-wing lobbies resulted in the state replacing the successful curriculum with a very destructive one. The new teachers were not only hard on Candi for her traditional views, but were actually encouraging the corruption of the youth they were charged with. Angry parents' concerns over their children going from caring about their future and how to support themselves to caring only about sex fell on deaf ears. When one father threatened to pull his daughter out because the school refused to protect her from being bullied by lesbians; he was thrown in jail, accused of threatening the lesbians that were threatening his daughter for real.

Candi found that the more politically-correct the school's curriculum became, the more hostile the school's environment became for all students - not just her. She began dating a certain Don Mendoza in sixth grade, in spite of Erin's wishes to the contrary. She thought she could cheer him up when he began having doubts about the goodwill of God, following the fact that his mother was sick and dying and his father was missing. However, the Hebbleskins also found him and got to him. Finding them willing to give him more than just promises to hold onto, he turned on Candi.

One day after basketball tryouts, Candi was in the showers at school. Don decided to lie in wait. When he saw that she was alone, he seized the opportunity and attacked her. The attack led to rape; but Candi's full centipede powers manifested during the attack. She was able to throw him off of her and fight back, leading to him fleeing the scene. Candi realized that the faculty would not work in her favor, given her religious views. She also realized that she'd blow her cover - and that of her sisters - if she made too big a fuss. During the attack, Don confessed to his allegiance to Arfaas. When Candi fought him off, he swore to find her again. He vowed that when he did, he'd be stronger. Until then, he vowed to find a way to haunt her nightmares. Much of Candi's desire thereafter to consummate with Donte stems from a desire to replace her negative sexual experience with positive experiences, so as to erase Don's legacy in her mind.

That same year, Miriam started being harassed by classmates. Marina was drugged and raped by a boy named Fred, and Candi used her centipede powers and a cheap costume to exact some revenge. Fred never figured out who it was that came from the shadows, beat him savagely, and temporarily paralyzed him. Candi and Marina kept it between the two of them. When Imaki eventually found out; he warned Candi about the dangers of personal revenge.

Visuals

 * Only major issues with model: Muscles not toned enough; hair too long.

Gallery