OTHER ALIASES: Numerous faux identities, including Candice Pingree, one time girlfriend of Peter Prescott (Darkforce).
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION: Exiled heir to the Montavian monarchy, political terrorist, housewife.
CURRENT STATUS: Founding member of the Destroyers.
SUPER POWERS: No true superhuman powers; however, the Countess is a master manipulator and master of disguise..
ORIGIN: Candice was born into the royal family of Montavia, an Estonian principality. When she was very young the entire royal family was murdered during a revolution. Candice's grandmother threw her body over Candice to save her, and loyalists to the royal family spirited her away to America. When she reached her teen years Candice decided to stage a coup to reclaim her title, but first needed funding...which led her into criminal acts, such as an attempt to hold San Francisco's Golden Gate park hostage.
HISTORY: The Countess' many politically motivated crimes have often led to confrontations with Galaxy Heroes. Her most heinous crimes occured when she formed an association with Death Master and Electrode as The Destroyers. The Countess went undercover as Candice Pingree, becoming the girlfriend of Peter Prescott (Darkforce). Candice used her role to learn the secret identities of the GHI members, as well as the secrets of their headquarters. The Destroyers used this information to murder several members and their family members, blackmail GHI into retirement, and eventually hold a nuclear warhead for ransom (see prologue, issue#1). When the Destroyers were defeated, Death Master and Electrode were killed, and Candice's true identity was revealed. Unexpectedly, Candice had actually fallen in love with Darkforce however. To silence her, GHI placed her on a secluded government island. Later she escaped with the help of the witch Lotira, who married Candice and Peter in a dark ceremony (see flashback issue#13).
After many misadventures, Peter secreted Candice to his otherdimensional home the Dark Dome, where she lived as his secret wife for many months. Eventually she became bored and fled the Dark Dome (issue#7). Peter/Darkforce searched the world for her, fearing she would reveal their secret union. While he has not found her yet, the Countess provided an interview to a major magazine and may be up to her old tricks.
KNOWN RELATIVES: Peter Prescott (Darkforce)- husband.
FIRST APPEARANCE: Issue #1