Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)

Hope
Name	Esperanza Ling
Current Alias	Hope
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Warlock
Relatives	Grandparents: Unnamed grandfather (deceased) Parents: Unnamed mother (deceased); Unnamed father (deceased)
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Female
Eyes	Irises: Brown
Hair	Strawberry Blonde
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Mutant, infected with Transmode Virus that further mutated her powers.
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Cuba
Personal Information
Citizenship	Cuban
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Louise Simonson, Pasqual Ferry
First	Warlock (Vol. 5) #1 (August, 1999)
First	Warlock (Vol. 5) #1 (August, 1999)

History

Esperanza Ling was a Cuban citizen who along with her family took a trip to Swiss Alps. There, she and her family encountered a Phalanx invasion. Her parents and grandfather were absorbed into the hive but she could not, due to her mutant nature. Hope was kept as prisoner by government Project Mainspring along with a monkey, Chi-Chee, who was also infected with the Transmode Virus. It was during Warlock's infiltration of the Project Mainspring in order to destroy all techno-organic material. He felt guilty for bringing it to Earth. Warlock prevented the creation of the Babel Sphere. Warlock then freed both Chi-Chee and Esperanza. She ran from him, fearful of what her powers would do. She however fled with Warlock upon finding his good intentions.

Hope, Chi-Chee, and Warlock ran from the Project Mainspring's mechanical guards. While in museum they ran into Iron Man and Warlock had to use all his energy to defeat the mechanical guards. Hope and Chi-Chi give him a bit their lifeglow so he could continue fighting. But after the destruction the mechanical guards he and Hope were kidnapped by the Psi-Cops.

While inside the Psi-Cops' base, Hope, Warlock, and Chi-Chee were places within a sphere and a sad Esperanza spoke of her inability to control her powers and wish to die in order to stop the spread of the virus. Psimon listen to her story and theory that what the Psi-Cops were doing was wrong. She then freed them and just as Mainspring and his robotic guards attack their base. All them fled together, but in the last minute Chi-Chee was lost.

Attributes

Powers

Transmogrification: Hope's original mutant power was the ability to transmute the inherent properties of any inorganic element she came in contact with into anything else. Her exposure to the transmode virus radically altered her powers as well as creating a new, more incredible virulent version of which that upon touch can consume organic material along with non-organic.

Weaknesses

She had no control of her infectious powers. If she infects a living person, she is connected to them and will suffer any of their pains.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Transmech Virus: Exposure to the Transmode Virus of the phalanx changed both her powers and the affliction itself. Resulting in a new alien pathogen that can convert non-organic material into Techno-Mechanical substance which she has no real control over.

Notes

• "Esperanza" is Spanish for "Hope", which she uses as both a nickname and codename.
• Exposure to the T-O Virus didn't merely alter Hope's powers, it in turn changed the infection. Instead of transmoding her using it is called transmeching as it also subsumes inorganic elements.

See Also

• 9 appearance(s) of Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)
• 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)
• 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)
• 8 image(s) of Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)
• 2 item(s) used/owned by Esperanza Ling (Earth-616)