Rad (comics)
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Rad is a comic book supervillain. Although her origins go back to the 1940s, she is best known as a central character in the current Femforce comic published by A.C. Comics.
Rad possesses superhuman strength, together with the ability to fly (although only over short distances). Her true identity was Dr. Joan Wayne, a research scientist in the United States Department of Defense, who in the 1940s developed the "V-formula" to increase the strength/stamina of allied troops. The initial formula, V-45, turned Dan Barton, crack covert agent and boyfriend of Laura Wright, into the supervillain Black Commando. Joan was able to alter the formula, creating V-47, which only worked on Joan and only for a period of time, and she became the superheroine "Miss Victory" (later "Ms. Victory").
In the 1980s, the Black Commando force-fed some of the V-45 to Joan. In addition to permanent superstrength and youth, she developed the same paranoia and narciscism as Dan had. She took the name "Rad" and became a ruthless mercenary. Eventually, Femforce was able to expunge the V-45 from her system and restore Joan's normal personality.
In the meantime, Joan Wayne was replaced by her grown-up daughter Jennifer (the only other person on whom the V-47 would work). The combined stress of replacing her mother in Femforce, her son being killed by a villain, losing her husband to a team member, and then being replaced by her mother left Jennifer vulnerable to the machinations of the Shroud. Once again, she followed in her mother's footsteps, taking the V-45 and becoming Rad II.