Doll Maker's Diary, Part 37: Getting the Band Back Together

Doll Maker's Diary, Part 37: Getting the Band Back Together

Revisiting CRASH Chronicles recently made me consider the idea of integrating the four characters from my other series, STAR Power, into that series' lore. And after some deliberation, I finally went ahead and did it. To accommodate this, I have made a few changes. The red-clad, raven-haired X-Girl/Heroine Fan Art Creator character I had made a few years ago is now called Jessica Barton, and has gained the ability to create something resembling a laser beam (which can temporarily stun targets and render them vulnerable to subsequent attacks) using her fists, while her dark-skinned best friend now has the snappier, simpler name of Mara Hart, and has gained the ability to generate small fires. Tiffany Ward retains her original name and powers (the latter of which involve boosting her defenses, especially by reducing the accuracy of enemy attacks), but the last member of STAR Power is now called Katie Palmer, and has the exact opposite ability to Ward's: a temporary buff to her offensive capabilities.

Combine the women of CRASH Chronicles with their buddies from STAR Power, and you have a virtually unstoppable force on your hands.

The premise of this collaboration is that, after a series of battles, the original four women of CRASH Chronicles are in desperate need of reinforcements - and they find them in the form of the recently disbanded STAR Power initiative, of which Ward, Palmer, Barton and Hart are the only surviving members. All four of them decide to join CRASH Chronicles by volunteering for its enhancement program, thereby explaining how they got their new powers. CRASH promises that they will provide all four newcomers with the expertise needed to team up with any existing CRASH agents, and they do just that. With all eight members now working together, CRASH will be better equipped to handle threats that no other agency will want (or be able) to deal with.

The eight women of the CRASH Alpha Squad again, in their respective teams' training outfits (above) and in fancy color-coded dresses (below). Jessica and Claire are on the White Wolves, Ellie and Katie on the Blue Eagles, Kayla and Tiffany on the Purple Lions, and Alexa and Mara on the Golden Dragons.

To reflect their diverse roles and powers, the CRASH Alpha Squad has been split into four divisions. The Blue Eagles specialize in offense, while the Purple Lions place an emphasis on defense. The White Wolves, meanwhile, focus on speed and precision, while the Golden Dragons prefer a balance between these attributes. Each division carries a total of five members, led by two co-captains, and ever since the CRASH Alpha Squad's expansion, each co-captaincy position has been held by an X-Girl from that team.

Now that the Alpha Squad is ready for battle once again, who knows what dangers they will face? Only time will tell.