Mayor Callie Summers
Mayor Calliope Summers (a.k.a. Callie)
To most of the world, Calliope “Callie” Summers was most famous as a teen socialite kidnapped from her own sixteenth birthday party by Dr. Sin, presumably to be held for ransom and later rescued, and who then became dedicated to social and charitable causes.
In truth, Callie is the daughter of the original masked crime-fighter known as the Raven and Jasmine, the daughter of the devilish Dr. Sin. Callie’s mother perished saving her from her grandfather’s machinations, and Callie dedicated herself to fighting the forces of evil, as her father did. He eventually came around to the idea and supported her taking on the mantle of the Raven, where she became a stalwart and vital member of the Freedom League for many years.
Those years took their toll, however; Callie is not immortal, nor gifted with superhuman powers. Eventually, she felt she was losing her edge, slowing down. The investigation of the murder of Sarah Grant and the subsequent assassination of Mayor Jonathan Grant drove home to her the need for other types of heroes, other ways to serve the common good. She arranged to retire as the Raven, rather than being forced to give up the role as her father was, and passed the mantle on to a worthy successor. Then she began a campaign for the special election for mayor of Freedom City and won.
Summers impressed her constituents and her opponents with her toughness and savvy during the campaign, and continues to in her role as mayor. Although she has occasionally opined to her heroic friends about her inability to handle political problems with a well-placed crescent kick or smoke bomb, she finds her new calling a worthwhile challenge. Mayor Summers is well on her way to becoming one of Freedom’s most popular mayors, harkening back to the days of the O’Connor administration.
Callie Summers is in her early 40s, with long, straight black hair, usually worn up, and penetrating green eyes. She typically dresses in a variety of smart suits for work, but is known to pull out the occasional fantastic gown for a formal or charity function. She’s known for being charming and incredibly tough by turns, and frequently seems bemused by the challenges of her job—after all, she’s seen far worse in her day.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The original crime-fighting Raven had long since retired to become a husband and father. After years of missed opportunities and tragic separations, Duncan Summers and Jasmine Sin married and had a child. The thrills in Duncan Summers’ life before could not compare to those instilled in him by his daughter. Callie was the apple of her father’s eye, and he made sure she had nothing but the best in life. He also didn’t reveal his past to her. It was something he hoped to put behind him, but it was not to be.
When Callie turned 16, her father threw her a party the likes of which the New York social scene hadn’t seen in years. Unfortunately an uninvited guest arrived—her grandfather, Dr. Sin himself. Although he hadn’t been seen in years, the villainous doctor was as ageless as ever. Despite his daughter’s betrayal, Dr. Sin saw Jasmine had offered him a potential heir to his works. He kidnapped Callie, intending to indoctrinate her as a true Child of Sin.
Duncan got back into his Raven costume for the first time in nearly twenty years to rescue his daughter, accompanied by his equally determined wife. They were successful in freeing Callie, but Jasmine died saving her husband from one of Dr. Sin’s deathrays. Not acknowledging his part in her death, Dr. Sin merely swore greater vengeance on the Raven for the death of his only child.
Callie wanted more than anything to take up her father’s mantle as the Raven but he wouldn’t hear of it. He couldn’t bear the idea of losing her as he’d lost her mother. The stubborn 16-year-old wasn’t so easily denied. She trained in secret, stole some of her father’s equipment, and hacked into his obsessively complete crime files and dossiers from his years as the Raven. When he discovered she had begun operating as the Raven against his wishes, Duncan was livid, but he could not deny her even this. He eventually relented but demanded he train Callie far more thoroughly than even he had trained before taking on the mantle of the Raven. If she insisted on following the life she’d chosen, he wanted to ensure she would be safe.
The Raven was one of many heroes who responded to the crisis in Freedom City when Omega attacked. Duncan and his daughter almost immediately moved to Freedom City from New York. The Summers family purchased one of the most exclusive penthouses in the city, part of which became the Rookery, the secret headquarters of the Raven. Callie joined the newly reformed Freedom League while Duncan Summers became headmaster of the Claremont Academy as well as the Raven’s “silent partner.
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