Crush Hour
She'll break a promise as a matter of course
Because she thinks it's fun to have no remorse
She gets what she wants and then walks away
And she doesn't give a fuck what you might say
- Curve. "Chinese Torture"
Character History
There is very little information on Crush's personal history prior to her first arrest in Paragon City at age 18 on a rioting charge (A common practice for the PPD when it comes to first-time offenses with no injuries). While easily able to press at least five tons baseline, with that number increasing in proportion to exertion, (see subclassification "Brute") she was by no means remarkable, and was subdued by PPD specialists using standard methods.
Several short jail stints later, Crush was put away for twenty-five to forty in Zigursky for fifty-seven counts of grand theft, eighty-five counts of aggravated assault, public indecency, and public intoxication. Three weeks into her incarceration Arachnos launched a large-scale assault on the prison with OPERATION: BREAKOUT. Despite being classified as a mid-range threat, she was able to overload her power inhibitors and break out of her cell. Next, she made her way to one of the cold storage facilities and stole a large war hammer and shield, both made of solid impervium. The massive weights were soon overcome by her physiology, and she escaped with ease after making her way to the maximum-security wing, killing two guards, fifteen inmates, and apparently one Arachnos Crab Spider operative in the process.
The Angel of Ruin
The hammer and shield Crush made off with had been evidence being held for the case of a fence specializing in antiquities. The pair, known as the "Ruinous Angels", (though their original names, if they had ones, are still unknown) had been created from a solid block of impervium several thousand years ago. Both hammer and shield weigh well over three hundred kilograms each, and as of the time of this report, no device, magic, or element is known to be able to damage them. References to similar weapons appear in books of demonology, and were associated with a high Calabim (destruction demon) known as Belah Nain.
Personality and Reputation
The best word to describe Crush would be "inevitable". The nature of her powers means that she will not stop until her target submits. Dangerous enough, but her attention span and capricious nature means that this can be applied to anything that catches her eye. She is a force of nature, like a tornado or a earthquake: unstoppable and with the potential to strike anywhere.
She seems to pick her partners based on how much fun she thinks they'll have, and is very firm about turning down unwanted advances; a fact that has earned several pushy wannabe partners the heavy end of the hammer. Literally.
Goals & Motivations
It's closing in on you, closing in on you
Run from the fire raining down on you
It's closing in on you, closing in on you
Oh (oh), and no way out
- The Offspring "Dividing by Zero"
Apparently chaos. Pure and simple. Crush Hour doesn't seem to have any goal beyond doing whatever she wants when the urge strikes her. Money is virtually useless to her, and she has no permanent possessions to speak of besides her clothes, hammer, and shield.
Some reports have suggested she's lashing out at a materialistic society, or that she fancies herself an artist. Forensic psychiatrists and psychologists have created a slightly different portrait, suggesting a deeply traumatic event. Over time, her usage of lethal force has dropped, with her highest body count being her breakout from The Zig. Several trained observers during attacks on Paragon City locations noted hesitation when fighting people vs destroying objects. One notable exception to this pattern is Longbow and anybody associated with Ms. Liberty. In these cases, borderline berserker behavior has been noticed, with any teammates being forced to extract her through various incapacitation methods ranging from sedative to intangibility to unrequested teleportation.
Powers and Abilities
Crush possesses super strength and significant damage resistance, along with great skill at deflecting incoming attacks with her shield. Other powers exhibited include a degree of rapid regeneration. Her most dangerous ability appears to be her ability to meet and eventually surpass any feat of strength she sees performed. If she knows a feat can be performed, then she can achieve it. Rather than happening in a rapid burst, this increase in strength appears to happen at a moderate pace. Whether this is psychologically driven by a desire to slowly and surely overcome, or simply a physical limit to how fast she can gain muscle mass is a question that can't be answered without a full medical examination. And that seems highly unlikely at the present time.
(In)famous Exploits
- Crush has gained some amount of notoriety online for videos she makes showing her criminal exploits. To date, the most popular video has depicted her dismantling a vintage '67 Shelby Mustang while the owner gradually shifts from begging her to stop, to begging her to continue.
- The superheroine Mynx recently tangled with Crush inside a Longbow installation in the Rogue Isles. Reportedly, Mynx was found unconscious in the wreckage of the command center with several new piercings.
- The art world went wild with equal parts shock and anger in mid-November, when a video surfaced of Crush destroying a Fabergé egg. The 1913 Winter Egg had recently been stolen while in transit, presumably for the purpose of ransom. Upon recovering the artifact, Crush unceremoniously smashed it with a single blow from her hammer.