Agent Helix is a fictional character featured in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, City of Heroes.

Initially created in 2004 by an anonymous player as an avatar, she has since then taken on a life of her own. The character has spawned a number of spin-off characters and has appeared in other games, such as World of Warcraft.
<br />


<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />

Character creation background

In late 2004, an anonymous player from New York City purchased a copy of City of Heroes and was eager to create a realistic super heroine. At the time, she believed that it was rather cliche to have a heroine in a tight, form-fitting outfit and high-heel boots. Her character, then unnamed, was to never have an identifying face and features. She settled on a character that wore a full face helmet with hi-tech goggles, leather jacket, pants, boots, and a pair of huge robotic gloves. Her rationale was that the character was a genetically engineered clone soldier that was created by a government agency. During the character's escape, she grabbed an odd assortment of technology and clothes to produce suitable armor. She settled on tanker as the archetype because of the higher health points. When it came to naming the character, she could no decide on a good name that was not taken. She looked around her room for inspiration and saw her biology textbook and thought of a double helix. She tried to use the name "Helix" for the character but was disappointed to find that it was already taken. She looked elsewhere in her room and saw a picture of Zeta Gundam, a Japanese Animation robot. She thought the name "Zeta" would sound appropriate as a heroine's name. Thus, she combined the two names as a full name, Zeta Helix.

Difficulties with Zeta Helix

Zeta Helix was unfortunately, a hard character to play, especially for a beginner. Being a tanker, the character did not offer any interesting attacks. Rather, the archetype focused on a strong defense, rather than offense. While speaking to a contact character, she spotted another player's character, wearing a black suit, pants and tie, similar to that of a secret service agent or man-in-black. This inspired her to create a new character for the game, Agent Helix.

This new character was a scrapper, one who went straight into battle with a weaker defense but a larger amount of damage being dealt with each attack. This proved to be a better and a more enjoyable character to play. As a fan of The Matrix, she modeled the new character's costume and powers after the film's antagonist, Agent Smith. She chose a black suit, tie and pants, along with a beautiful, yet devilish face with short black hair and rectangular dark sunglasses. For her powers, martial arts and super human speed were chosen to match the Smith character.

The original background for Agent Helix featured her as a government agent, dispatched to observe and catalogue the activities of super heroes. However, when the character ventured into zones featuring Crey Industries characters, the player was inspired to create a more in-game back story for her character.

Fictional character biography

Helix is a mysterious woman with a troubled past who became one of Crey Industries most efficient and deadly agents. Upon failure to complete a vital mission, her termination was ordered by Countess Crey. After narrowly escaping her former colleagues, she took refuge with an all-female mercenary group called The Knives of Artemis as a blonde-haired vixen named Amanda Curlicue.

Her time with the group was relatively short lived when her team was wiped out during a Rikti ambush. The Knives, believing Curlicue to be dead, left her in the hands of the aliens. Although initially successful in freeing herself from her cell, her escape plan was interrupted by a rescue mission by the supergroup, Freedom Phalanx.

Lady Liberty, a member of the rescue party was caught off-guard and overwhelmed by a group of Rikti soldiers. Helix single-handedly disabled the aliens. Lady Liberty insisted Helix help her rescue the other survivors. Although hesitant, she agreed and the pair rescued a group of civilians. In the aftermath, Lady Liberty saw Helix's potential and offered her a position as a heroine in Paragon City.

Skills and abilities

Crey influence

As an agent of Crey Industries, Helix partook in a variety of tasks. From providing a professional image of the corporation to assassination of targeted figures. She underwent a long regiment of physical and mental training as well as genetic modifications to enhance her abilities and appearance. Her modifications enabled her to jump extremely long distances and heights, as well as attack and react at superhuman speeds. With her training, she mastered several forms of martial arts. She often preferred to eliminate her opponents bare handed, however when the situation called for it, she favored weapons such as Japanese swords, throwing knives, sniper rifles and a variety of hand guns.

Other abilities

Helix also acquired a variety of exotic abilities. Initially, she was able to fly and hover- an ability most agents did not possess, but rather that of a Paragon Protector, a group with amazing abilities utilized by Crey for security purposes. It is speculated that Helix was intended to be a Paragon Protector rather than an agent. Dormant genes were possibly activated, giving her this ability. Unfortunately, Helix lost her flight ability after a mission at the Terravolta nuclear reactor, also causing her to loose her ability to run at superhuman speeds.

During her time with the Knives of Artemis, she often used their technology to cloak and blend with the surrounding environment. She did not possess this technology early in her hero career, but would later modify a cloaking device taken from a fallen Knife.

Helix also possess limited dark magic abilities. These deadly abilities manifested after experimenting with various dangerous magical texts and objects, nearly killing her. She is able to send out a telekinetic wave of extreme force, capable of sending a group of enemies flying back. She can also focus a blast of dark energy that can damage an enemy's life force, weakening or even killing them. Lastly, and perhaps the most unusual, she can open a rift into another dimension, summoning dark, eerie tentacles that restrain a group of enemies, feeding on their life energies. Some would say these powers came with a costly price.

Rogues gallery

With all heroes, there are villains and Helix is no exception, despite her questionable loyalties. She has made many enemies, but a unique few stand out to take her down.

Devil Helix

Part evil twin, part demon doppelganger, this super villain has all the powers and abilities of the real Helix but far more deadly.

Psycho Sister

A cloned meta-human created to replace Freedom Phalanx member, Sister Psyche.

Agent Plague

Fellow former Crey agent with hordes of robot minions who hates Helix with every fiber and cybernetic component in her body.

Mysteria

An insane stage magician's assistant with a taste for sadism.


----