Sideshow: Juno (Patreon)

Alright! Next Sideshow character serves as both the circus fat lady and field team leader, Juno!!

ORIGIN

Before joining the Sideshow as the resident circus fat lady, Lt. Juniper Bailey was a newly decorated astronaut who had just completed her first mission into Space, where she had been awarded the Congressional space medal of honor for her part in saving her crew from destruction during orbit into earth following their mission into space. Afterwhich, NASA invite her to be the first to test their new experimental gravity chamber meant to serve as new form of training for future astronauts while also further studying the effects of anti-gravity on the human body. During the initial experience the chamber’s experimental engine malfunctioned, causing the entire chamber and Juniper’s body to be filled with highly energized gravitons that caused her body mass to swell to extreme levels as well as an extreme form of spaceflight osteopenia bone loss. Left as a near immoble blob of mass from the whole experience, Juniper was forced to retire indefinitely until NASA could find a cure for her condition.

While studying the effects of the chamber’s gravition’s on her body, Juniper discovered that the amount of gravitons in her body granted her a form of orbital-based gravitational telekinesis that allowed her to move objects around her like satellites and moons surrounding a planet. When word of her powers and condition reached Alvyn Showman, he contacted Juniper about joining his circus, only accepting his offer as a means of travel and do something with her retirement instead of waiting for Nasa to find a cure for her, despite not like the idea of being reduced to a circus sideshow fat lady. However, when the Carnival of Killers attacked the circus on their opening night, It was Juniper’s quick thinking and leadership that allowed her to rally the other freaks to save the audience, after which she and the others were hailed as heroes. Immediately she recongized the Circus had potential to be real heroes who could make a difference, and it was Juniper who help Alvyn push the decision to make the Sideshow a legit superher team. Since then, she has taken the callsign “Juno” and has become the Sideshow’s powerhouse as well as mission controller/coordinator and field leader.

Powers/Abilities:

Orbital Gravity Telekinesis - Juno’s body houses vast quantities of highly energized gravitons that allow her to control and manipulate gravity, mainly in the form of an orbital telekinesis. Her powers grow the more she pushes herself.

When I create the Sideshow I knew I wanted to create circus fat lady as a member, but I wanted to do so in a way that was tasteful and not played for laughs like most plus-size superheroes are. While I'm aware that superheroes are meant to represent the best of our capabilities including physical fitness, being a big person myself I still have always wanted to create a plus-size superhero that showcases you can still kick ass and not look like a fitness model to do so. It's kind of the similar thinking behind what drove me to create Humble Bee.

So, while Juno's origins might seem comical and bizarre (but then again most of the Sideshow's are), she's actually the strongest member of the team, both in power and in character. Her background as a decorated astronaut means she has both military training and NASA training to lead the team in the worst of situations, with a clam mind and a commanding yet respected presence. I actually ended up channeling a bit of my favorite X-men character, Storm, into her. Gravity powers were the obvious choice for her body type, but Juno is capable of more than just telekinesis. When pushed, she is actually one of the strongest superhumans in the NRG universe, capable of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Travail. But pushing herself to that level and maintaining it puts a strain on her already heavily conditioned osteopenia body. So while her powers and body type are a strength, it's also a weakness.

Big shoutout to our artist Gaston and Danilo for their incredible design work on Juno! Let us know what you guys think of her with a comment below!

The Sideshow: The Greatest Superheroes on Earth © NRG Comics

Design by https://www.deviantart.com/sirhocuspocusfocus

Art by Danilo Cassonato