Art by Ren and Kostmeyer. Colours by Vale.
 
Written byVale, June 2003
Updated, December 2006.

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Code Name: Black
Real Name: Uncertain. Possibly Milena Lora Monikova.
Nicknames: None
Occupations: Special Agent of Coercion East. She had previously posed as a superhuman adventurer while working in the Night Spot hotel and nightclub.
Legal Status: Unrevealed.
Identity: Secret
Aliases: Laura Rachel Monikov, Serap
Place of birth: Bratsk, Russia.
Age: 27
Marital Status: Single
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Known Relatives: Black is an orphan. Her parents were killed when she was a child.
Group Affiliation: Coercion East. Formerly, The Extremists.
Base of Operations: Coercion East Research Facility, somewhere in Russia.
First Appearance: Extremists #1 "Captured".
Origin: Black is a mutant. Her powers first manifested themselves while under considerable stress as a child, before puberty..
Height: 5 foot 5 inches
Weight: 125lbs (8 stones 13 lbs)
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Brown/black and short. Formally long and dyed red.
Distinguishing Marks: Black has a patriotic tattoo of a Russian Coat of Arms on her right shoulder. It has been suggested that this is to disguise Coercion Spiritor insignia when she was sent undercover. She also has a mole on her upper lip.
Strength Level: Black possesses the normal human strength of a woman her age, height and build who engages in intensive regular exercise.
Known Superhuman Powers: Black has the mutant ability to absorb light which can create darkness. The light stored within her body gives her the ability to fly by heating the air around her. She can also see in the dark similar to infra red and channel out heat (but not fire) in a similar way to that a glass light bulb emits heat along with light. This also makes her unbarable to touch in extreme circumstances where she has absorbed so much heat that she can be scaulding to the touch.
Unfortunately, her powers fade away over a period of time and she needs to recharge in order to use her them. Remaining in darkness for too long can render her powerless. Unnatural light (ie light bulbs) is an acceptable source for her to draw energy from allthough it is by no means as effective as the suns natural light.
Black can use her powers in the dark as long as she retains some stored energy (like solar power). The more light she absorbs, the more powerful she becomes. The limit of her absorbing abilities has not yet been measured.
Abilities/Special Skills: Black is trained in Jujitsu and is also proficient in other forms of armed and unarmed combat.
Weapons Used: Black has received extensive weapons training as a member of the Spiritors. She has been trained in the use of modern firearms but prefers to use a knife.

Personality: Up until recently, Black appeared to be an intense, dedicated superhuman adventurer. While she appeared to have little sense of humour (or at least couldn't really come to grips with British humour) she often seemed a little left out or thought that people were poking fun at her even when they weren't. She seemed a little paranoid but this was attributed to a traumatic past that she did not discuss with her team mates. As most of the Extremists have their fair share of skeletons in the cupboard, they respected her privacy and didn’t pry.
She always seemed however very confident in her mutant abilities and as a formidable sparring partner made a valuable asset to the team. She was known for being direct and forthright, with the exception of forming close relationships, which she found difficult.
However, it now appears that this personality may not be the true Black. If Kirova’s claims are true, Black is a callous and cruel killer, who feels no guilt over betraying and murdering other mutants.
Personal Interests: During her time with the Extremists, Black loved nothing better than unwinding and relaxing in her private room whilst playing with her vast collection of computer games. Whether this was a part of her deception, or is a genuine insight into her personality has not been revealed.
History: Black was captured as a child by Coercion, a group dedicated to the extermination of mutants. Rather than being killed, she was brought back to Coercion East’s headquarters in Russia where she was experimented on by the Chief Scientist Elena Kirova. Kirova trained Black to be an agent of Coercion, a mutant Spiritor, who infiltrated groups of mutants before betraying them to Coercion. Often she would lead Coercion strike teams herself, killing mutants who resisted. It is unclear whether Black did this willingly, or whether she was forced to do this through brainwashing. Black appears to have escaped Coercion, and made her way through Europe finally arriving in Britain, where she created a new identity for herself. In this new identity she fought against illegal mutant research groups (although she never dared to confront Coercion) and met other mutant adventurers. The group decided to stay together and pool their resources, basing themselves in the Night Spot night club and hotel in London. Recently Black was recaptured by Coercion and under the mind controlling influence of the Judas Chair has rejoined the organisation. Kirova claims that she was always a Coercion agent, and her time with the Extremists was in fact another Coercion mission, infiltrating the group to betray them. If this is the case, then the personality of Laura Monikov was a fiction created by the Judas Chair, and the true Black is a willing agent of Coercion.