- "I've sacrificed my own humanity to help get rid of it."
- ―Engineer to Lex Luthor[src]
Angela Spica, also known as the Engineer, is a metahuman with powers derived from the microscopic machines called Nanites that are infused in her bloodstream, and an ally of Lex Luthor, with whom she worked to assassinate Superman, considering him a threat to Earth. In order to gather evidence for the United States Department of Defense to kill Superman, Spica helped Luthor infiltrate the Fortress of Solitude, where they obtained a message from Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van to reveal Superman's mission to dominate humanity, allowing Spica and her allies to temporarily trap their enemy in a pocket universe. When Superman escaped and set out to stop the black hole opened by LuthorCorp, Spica and Ultraman confronted him, although she was ultimately defeated by Superman.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Death of her Parents[]
During her childhood, Angela Spica witnessed her parents' deaths in a violent accident, causing her to develop immense trauma from the loss of her parental figures. Struggling with her dark past throughout her adulthood, Spica sought to make a difference in the world, which inspired her to become an operative in the United States Armed Forces.[1]
Cybernetic Upgrades[]
Engineer training with her powers
- "A former special operative whose blood I infused with microscopic machines, called nanites, which she can form into anything she can imagine."
- ―Lex Luthor[src]
With the emergence of the Kryptonian superhero Superman, Spica developed a feeling of repulsion and distrust toward him due to his alien ancestry. She resolved to fight him to prevent him from harming Earth. Following her ideals, Spica contacted Lex Luthor, the CEO of LuthorCorp, who injected her with nanites, transforming her into a metahuman with the ability to create any object she could imagine. This led her to adopt the alias of the "Engineer." As a token of gratitude to Luthor, Spica began working with him to eliminate Superman, joining his special team known as PlanetWatch, along with his creation Ultraman and the Raptors.[2]
Boravian-Jarhanpurian War[]
Duel of Metropolis[]
Engineer searches for Superman's Fortress of Solitude
- "Lex, the entire structure has descended into the ice."
"We have what we need. Return to base."
"I can drill into it, Lex."
"Your pride won't be making out choices today, Angela." - ―Engineer and Lex Luthor[src]
Following the escalating political controversy surrounding Superman's intervention in the Boravian Armed Forces' attempted invasion of Jarhanpur, Lex Luthor seized the opportunity to ally himself with President Vasil Ghurkos of Boravia to ruin his reputation, in exchange for eliminating him and paving the way for the conquest of Jarhanpur. While Ultraman, using an armor to act as the "Hammer of Boravia," defeated Superman, Engineer was tasked with tracking him down after he crashed in Antarctica. During her search, Engineer remained in contact with Luthor, reporting her inability to locate him, but her boss ordered her to continue her mission.
Engineer loses sight of the Fortress of Solitude
Suddenly, Engineer saw Superman, fully recovered from his duel, flying off to Metropolis, so she notified her boss to prepare Ultraman. Later, Engineer was able to locate Superman's Fortress of Solitude, which was beginning to disappear into the ground, forcing her to activate her thrusters to reach him. However, she failed to arrive in time. Despite Engineer's failure, Luthor requested her return to LuthorCorp Tower after obtaining the fortress's recordings, much to Engineer's frustration. She suggested she could pierce the ice, but Luthor advised her against letting her pride get the better of her, stating that he would need more soldiers to gain entry as Engineer flew back to the tower.[2]
Attack on the Fortress of Solitude[]
Engineer destroys the Superman Robots
- "It was right ahead. But how are we going to gain access?"
"Oh, ye of little faith." - ―Engineer and Lex Luthor[src]
After the United States Department of Defense refused to take action against Superman regarding the existence of the Fortress of Solitude, Engineer accompanied Lex Luthor, Eve Teschmacher, and Ultraman to Antarctica to infiltrate it. Engineer guided Luthor, though she expressed doubts about their ability to gain access. To Engineer's surprise, Luthor somehow managed to open the fortress. As they entered, the Superman Robots launched a defensive attack against the invaders, prompting Engineer to deploy two saws from her hands to destroy them. During the infiltration, Engineer was violently attacked by Krypto the Superdog, who briefly damaged her face, but she launched a nanite sphere at him to immobilize him.
Spica deciphers the rest of the message from Superman's parents
As Luthor expressed his contempt for metahumans and his deep hatred for Superman, Engineer reflected on his grief alongside him, recalling how she sacrificed her humanity to kill Superman. Before the Kryptonian computer, Engineer generated cables to gather information, worried about Superman's possible arrival, though Luthor mentioned that he would be occupied with his distraction. Successfully, Engineer accessed the corrupted message from Superman's parents, prompting her to use her powers to the fullest to retrieve the rest of the message. This allowed Luthor to contact various linguists to translate the text, revealing that Superman's parents had entrusted him with conquering Earth in the name of the destroyed planet Krypton.[2]
Arrest of Superman[]
Engineer and Ultraman send Superman to the Pocket Universe
After Superman's heroic reputation was ruined by Lex Luthor's revelation of his parents' full message, the United States Department of Defense finally agreed to give PlanetWatch the green light to arrest Superman, who voluntarily surrendered. With the help of the United States Armed Forces, led by General Rick Flag, Sr., Engineer and Ultraman took Superman prisoner, bringing him to Fort Kramer, where he was thrown through a Dimensional Portal to the Pocket Universe, where Luthor interrogated him.[2]
Infiltration into the Pocket Universe[]
- "But Lex, that could a dimensional rift into the surrounding area!"
"This is something you think I don't know?" - ―Angela Spica and Lex Luthor[src]
The next day, Spica was at the LuthorCorp Communications Hub, where she witnessed Lex Luthor unleash his fury on his employees regarding Superman's recent escape from the Pocket Universe. He then questioned Spica about how Superman managed to escape, but she remained silent as he attacked and captured Eve Teschmacher for sending photos to the Daily Planet that could damage his reputation. In retaliation, Spica overheard Luthor's plan to open a dimensional rift through the Dimensional Portal at Fort Kramer to draw Superman's attention. However, Sydney Happersen argued that it would be dangerous for the planet since the portal had been destroyed, but Luthor dismissed his comments, stating that they could close it using the portal's coordinates. Spica desperately tried to stop Luthor from opening the rift, but, aware of what she was about to do, Luthor proceeded with his plans to force Superman out as the dimensional rift began to open in Metropolis.[2]
Battle of Metropolis[]
- "I won't be able to sustain the impact at this speed."
"No, Angela, unsheathe! He's the only one protected!" - ―Engineer and Lex Luthor[src]
With the dimensional rift tearing Metropolis in half, Superman and Mister Terrific teamed up to assist in the evacuation and avert disaster. Upon the heroes' arrival, Engineer and Ultraman flew toward them, with Engineer attacking Terrific against the LordTech Field and knocking him unconscious after destroying his hover chair. When Ultraman ambushed Superman, Engineer quickly deployed and threw her blades before slamming him to the ground, but Superman used his heat vision to attack her claws and face, restraining Engineer. He attempted to reason with both her and Ultraman about abandoning Lex Luthor, but his speech was cut short when Ultraman struck him, forcing Superman to defend himself while Engineer was trapped in his arm by her nanites.
After being immobilized on the ground, Engineer brought her arms together to generate a cannon and fire at Superman after he was knocked down by Ultraman. Following Luthor's orders, Engineer deployed her nanites from the ground to cover his face and reach his lungs to kill him, an opportunity Luthor used to order Vasil Ghurkos to begin his invasion of Jarhanpur. However, Superman was able to get up and fly into the sky, so Engineer and Ultraman rushed to catch him and successfully struck him to try to knock him down before he reached space, where Engineer completely covered Superman's body. Despite their efforts, Superman began to descend and withstood Ultraman's blows, worrying Engineer due to her low chances of survival from the impact. Luthor begged her to unsheathe to let Ultraman handle it, but before she could detach, Engineer was thrown by her partner along with Superman into the sewers, where Engineer fell defeated and unconscious while Superman emerged unscathed from the crash and expelled the nanites from his body.[2]
Personality[]
Spica is a ruthless and unrelenting woman willing to do whatever it takes to achieve what she thinks is right. She was convinced of the necessity of her actions, as she did not hesitate to destroy the Superman Robots or to try to kill Superman. Because of her abilities, she no longer saw herself as human and even says that she sacrificed her humanity to get rid of Superman. She showed great respect and loyalty for Lex Luthor, even if she disagreed with his methods. She tried to convince him not to open the rift, showing that she cared about potential casualties. Despite Superman telling her she did not have to follow Luthor's directives, Spica decided to complete her mission as she did not want her sacrifices to be in vain.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Mechanokinesis: After Angela was injected with nanites, it was bonded to her body and allowed her to gain several superhuman abilities, making her a deadly opponent for whoever crosses paths with her. She can control the nanites from a distance, even if not connected to her body. She uses them in an attempt to kill Superman by filling his throat, eyes, nostrils, and lungs, and was only stopped when rendered unconscious.
- Metamorphosis: The Engineer is able to turn her entire body into a black metallic armor when using her cybernetic powers at their full potential. She can switch position during combat without having to turn around, just by moving the nanites in her body from head to toe.
- Blade Generation: The Engineer can morph her hands into circular blades, she uses as throwing weapons in combat. The blades are strong enough to cut through metal.
- Cannon Generation: To better attack out of reach targets, the Engineer can create a cannon by combining both forearms. Its blasts are so powerful it can momentarily stun even a being as strong as Superman - albeit he was already weakened by Ultraman's attacks at the time.
- Flight: The Engineer can create a jetpack she uses to fly at superhuman speed, enabling her to cover the distance between an American city like Metropolis and Antarctica in a matter of minutes.
- Metamorphosis: The Engineer is able to turn her entire body into a black metallic armor when using her cybernetic powers at their full potential. She can switch position during combat without having to turn around, just by moving the nanites in her body from head to toe.
- Superhuman Strength: The Engineer's armored cybernetic body grants her considerable superhuman strength, allowing her to face strong opponents easily. She was able to destroy Superman Robots despite their strong durability, and even faced Superman himself, a full-grown Kryptonian empowered by yellow solar radiation.
- Superhuman Durability: The Engineer's cybernetic body is extremely durable, capable of withstanding immense blunt force trauma. She sustained powerful attacks from Superman during their fight and survived an impact hurtling down from the upper atmosphere through Metropolis into its underground, although she was rendered unconscious. The Engineer also seemed impervious to extreme temperature as she was not bothered by walking in Antarctica with no protection against cold. When she held Superman at the edge of the atmosphere, she was not affected by the extreme cold temperature of space.
- Superhuman Agility: Her cybernetic enhancements greatly improved Angela's flexibility during fights, giving her the opportunity to attack numerous adversaries at the same time.
- Superhuman Speed: The Engineer is considerably faster than humans and possesses exceptional reflexes.
- Regeneration: The Engineer's nanites instantly repair any injury she sustains when fighting. During the Ambush at the Fortress of Solitude, her face healed in a matter of seconds after she got mauled by Krypto, who is stronger than an average dog due to his Kryptonian physiology.
Abilities[]
- Master Combatant: Before becoming the Engineer, Angela was already an expert hand-to-hand combatant during her time as a special operative. The nanites in her body combined with her already impressive skills changed her into a dangerous fighter, able to face strong opponents like Superman.
- Expert Markswoman: The Engineer has proven to have a good aim, especially when generating her cannon. She perfectly shot Superman while he was falling from the sky. She also perfectly throws her blades to eliminate more than one opponent at the same time.
- Master Acrobat: Combined with her superhuman agility and reflexes, the Engineer displayed impressive acrobatic movements, particularly useful when fighting strong opponents.
- Bilingualism: The Engineer is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Equipment[]
- Engineer Suit: To be added
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Appearances[]
| Appearances for Engineer |
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In chronological order:
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Trivia[]
- In the comics, Angela "Angie" Spica is the second person to take up the Engineer mantle and a member of the Authority and StormWatch. She was a brilliant scientist who injected herself with nine pints of liquid nanotechnology, which replaced her blood and gave her technopath abilities and the power to create solid objects. Her body became a liquid metal form, which also provides her the ability to shapeshift. She was originally introduced in the WildStorm universe, which later became part of the DC multiverse after the events of Flashpoint and The New 52. Engineer debuted in The Authority #5 (1999) and was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Before María Gabriela de Faría was cast as Engineer, Sol Rodríguez was considered for the role.[4]
- When asked about portraying the Engineer, María Gabriela de Faría said "She is a very strong character and it’s been a huge challenge to portray her from every aspect."[5]
- In the DC Showcase podcast, María Gabriela de Faría reveals that she believes Engineer and Lex have an affair: "I kept telling James, "I think they fucked. What if, after hours, Engineer gets really mean with Lex and he loves it ? That's how i play it."
- Angela Cipra was a stunt double for María Gabriela de Faría in the role of the Engineer.
References[]
- ↑ 'Superman' Interviews With David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, James Gunn And More
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Superman
- ↑ Superman | Lex Luthor: The Mind Of A Master Villain | Behind The Scenes | Warner Bros. Entertainment
- ↑ Peacemaker The Official Podcast with James Gunn | Season 2 Episode 1 | HBO Max
- ↑ Superman’s Engineer Star Describes ‘Badass’ Character, Praises James Gunn & David Corenswet
External Links[]
Engineer on DC Database- Engineer on Wikipedia
