Real Name: Vadrini Claridjna
Alter Ego: Lightning Bug
Known Relatives: Jonathan Claridjna (son)
Group Affiliation: Green Lantern Corps., Outsiders, Young Justice (former)
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 120
Base of Operations: New York
Appearance: purple skin, huge silver eyes, no hair
Cultural Background
Murla is a planet that keeps mostly to itself, though, on occasion, some of its people are sent to various
planets throughout the universe, especially to Colu, to research the newest advances of medicine and
science. Murla has a long history of being enslaved because the women are extremely prolific breeders.
Only in the last couple of centuries has Murla been able to consistently and successfully defend itself
against the oppressive forces of the universe. At least half of the population dies each year in the fight
to keep Murla free.
Murlan society more resembles that of an ant colony than the modern societies of earth. All Murlans are
part of the planet's military. Private property and money doesn't really exist. Marriage doesn't exist. The society is matriarchal and matrilinear and is guided by a council of elders who are appointed from each clan or extended family. The elders are chosen for their wisdom, sense of responsibility, honesty, cooperation and mediation skills, and their mastery of aggression. In addition to their defensive duties, all Murlans perform tasks to benefit society.
Most Murlans are extremely pious, worshipping nature and the elements (earth, wind, fire, and water). Almost all Murlans are vegetarians as prescribed by their religion. Murlan children are presented to the elements an hour after birth by their fathers or foster fathers, when they pledge to honor, worship, protect, and serve the elements and nature.
Personal History
As Vadrini Claridjna was being presented to the elements, she was struck by lightning. Instead of being
harmed, she became able to project lightning bolts from her body at will. A little over three years later,
she was trying to provide a diversion to allow her defensive team to gather reinforcements during a
battle, when she ran into and attempted to protect Kyle Raynor. After she defeated the aggressors and
sent them limping back to their homeworld with Kyle's help, Kyle made Vadrini a Green Lantern. The
elders asked Kyle to take Vadrini to earth to "prove" herself so she wouldn't accidentally endanger
Murla. They asked that Vadrini gain an understanding of earth's culture in order to comprehend the
motivations and desires of non-Murlans so that she might appreciate Murlan values even more.
The few months that Vadrini has been on earth as Lightning Bug has barely diminished her culture shock. She went to Coney Island with a group of superhero friends, but they all left after she met Jess, who asked her to ride the Ferris Wheel. They ended up spending the entire day and night together, until she woke up next to his murdered body. She was still in shock when the police came and arrested her, but someone gunned them all down, so she broke out of the handcuffs and went back to the Justice Cave to try to discover the identity of the murderer. Lyle Norg was able to exonerate her, and the Executioner was found to be the murderer of the cops, though they weren't able to determine who killed Jess. Vadrini found herself pregnant, and a month later she gave birth to Jonathan.
Powers
In addition to the lightning powers Vadrini gained during her birth ceremony, she has the typical Murlan powers of skin armor, sealed systems, systemic antidote, iron will, and exorcism.
