Black Alice (Lori Zechlin) is an anti-hero who can temporarily take the magical powers of any being, gaining all their skills and power to protect her hometown of Dayton, OH, but leaving the individual powerless in turn.
History[]
Origin[]
Black Alice Uses Doctor Fate's Power
Lori Zechlin's mother was a drug addict, and one day Mrs. Zechlin couldn't take it anymore. She put on her best dress, took an overdose of drugs, and drowned herself in the pool. Lori found the body after she came home from school. Lori then discovered later that same night that she had the ability to use the powers of other magical beings. Lori could not use the stolen powers as well as the rightful owners could, and had very little control over how long she kept them. Lori's father became distressed, and begin to pretend everything was okay for Lori's sake. She began shutting herself off from her peers.
Her only social group was a Wiccan circle that kicked her out because she had been expelling dark energy since her mother's death. However, this was not actually the case; her best friend Dawn, the leader of the circle, became jealous of her friend's ability. The Birds of Prey later discovered Lori while searching for previously unknown metahumans. Lori took on the powers of Doctor Fate to try and kill three drug dealers. When Black Canary saw that Lori was determined to kill the men, she intervened to save their lives. Lori escaped, and continued to be unseen. The Birds of Prey and Lori soon discovered that her boyfriend, Kyle, was cheating on her with Dawn. Oracle took Lori and turned her over to the real Doctor Fate.
Day of Vengeance[]
During the Infinite Crisis, Lori was surprised to see Nightshade and Detective Chimp in her room talking to her dad. She was then teleported to the fight with Shadowpact. When she the group go to the Oblivion Bar, Chimp tells everyone what Black Alice can do and the plan to kill Spectre. When he appeared on an island she took his powers, but it was revealed that with his abilities stolen, the Spectre becomes almost ethereal. He is unable to be touched by anything - physically or magically. However, before relinquishing the abilities, she used them to help hurl Eclipso into an orbit around the sun.
With the Crisis over, Lori returned home, but was soon approached by members of the Secret Society of Supervillains and the Birds of Prey. Manipulating her, the Society brought back Lori's dead mother, albeit in a near catatonic state. In retaliation, Lori forcibly evicted the Society members and the Birds from town, declaring she never wished to see them again. After an incident involving the Helmet of Fate, however, she returned to aide the Birds in finding the location of a person, only to be chased off by Misfit in a bout of jealousy.
Reign In Hell[]
More recently, Lori fought against Misfit in the Dark Side Club's meta-human fights, and, upon attempting to escape, learns that she and Misfit may be related. Black Alice then took part in the War for Hell, where Satanus offered her his powers. As she reached out to take them, Lady Blaze grabbed her arm, stealing Satanus' powers. Black Alice returned to Earth and gave up being a hero.
Secret Six[]
Black Alice has recently come into conflict with the Secret Six. After stealing Jeannette's powers, Bane, now leader of the Six, decides that she should join the team. At first, her motivations are hidden, but she eventually reveals that she needs money to help her sick father.
Blackest Night[]
After joining the Secret Six, Alice goes on her first mission with the team. While the rest of the team attempt to free a drug-dealer, Lori distracts the guards, who work with the Suicide Squad. She steals Nightshade's powers, as well as Giganta's, and attacks the guards. Count Vertigo then captures Alice in his grasp, and when the Black Lanterns crash the party, Lori helps the Six hold off the zombies until Amanda Waller severs the connection to their rings.
Powers and Abilities[]
Black Alice Uses Nightshade's Power
Black Alice has the ability to borrow the powers of any magical being for a short while. She must also be able to see the person to borrow their specific powers, or she may end up with anybody's magic ability. When Black Alice takes the powers of another, her clothes transform to a combination of their clothes and her own gothic attire. Black Alice has been shown to take two peoples powers at once, and use her own magic abilities.
Alice mentions that the degree of control she has over her powers stand in direct contrast with the level of magician she steals them from. The more powerful magical powers, the harder they are to control. She has virtually no innate knowledge of the powers she obtains. When she attempted to heal her father with Raven's healing powers, she ended up accidentally giving him cancer.