Jenny Swensen

Origin

Professor Jenny Swensen was an M.I.T. instructor until that fateful day when her father was killed, murdered by a minion of Fritz Krotze, who thought the Doctor was holding back on his development of M.A.X. technology. A pacifist at heart, Doctor Swensen soon realized that his ultimate tool was being developed by Krotze as a deadly weapon.

As such, he did indeed hold back the prototype of his greatest work, an act that got him killed. Once this occurred, Jenny came to collect her things from the family home (which was situated on Krotze International property), when she discovered things that made her suspicious about the conditions surrounding her father's demise.

Soon after, Jenny broke into the place with the help of five M.I.T. students, the so-called Troubleshooters, found the Mark 2 M.A.X. suit, and discovered that her father had indeed been killed by Krotze's flunky. She then decided to steal the M.A.X. suit and the mobile lab it was built in (it was three mack trucks) and made for the sticks.

Krotze made several attempts to recover the suit and the laboratory, though he was ultimately thwarted when Jenny testified about the events surrounding her father's death and Krotze's shady dealings with the so-called Club, at which point the terrorists in that organization eliminated him for his failures; they then targeted Jenny and the Troubleshooters.

Their best operative, the assassin known as Steel Hawk, did a number on Jenny on many occasions, and managed to effectively wipe out the Troubleshooters (killing one and maiming another). As the remaining two Troubleshooters dealt with Steel Hawk once and for all, Jenny was kidnapped by the government, who had Plans for her.

Plans involving the creation of Project: Spitfire, a C.I.A. program meant to deal with the proliferation of M.A.X. technology, which was sold by Krotze (and through him, the Club) to various world powers, like the U.S.S.R. Jenny worked with this group for a time, until she was caught up in the chaotic swirl of events surrounding the creation of the Pitt.

While there, she disobeyed orders in order to save the lives of several people, though she got dipped in Pitt-juice in the process (as did the people she saved). Jenny then left the Project, which got her landed in military jail for her troubles, though not before she met the paranormals that made up the group known as D.P. 7, who took her in as one of their own.

The Pitt-juice eventually caused a mutagenic effect in Jenny, an effect that changed her skin into a sort of flexible steel armor. Once this transformation was completed (with Glitter's unwitting help), Jenny joined up with the C.I.A.'s paranormal program for a time, though this time was somewhat limited. This was because of the Overshadow.

You see, the C.I.A.'s female paranormal force was sent to investigate Philip Nolan Voight, who was currently running for President of the United States, and doing quite well. He was, in fact, compelling people to vote for him, wielding Wayne Tucker's paranormal power to 'push' people into doing things (he could wield any paranormal's powers). While observing him, Jenny and her fellow C.I.A. operatives fell to this power.

When the rest of D.P. 7 discovered this, they tried to defeat Voight, but were pummeled senseless by their mind-controlled friends. Realizing that they couldn't do anything at this time, the group simply got on with their lives, living under Voight's shadow until they convinced the current Starbrand to confront the now-President. He did so, and soon, Voight's powers were neutralized by the older Starbrand.

While this was taking place, however, Jenny met and befriended a local hero, a man who took the name Captain Manhattan, and introduced the man to the rest of the Displaced Paranormals. Furthermore, Jenny sort of fell for the guy, who was intensely driven to improve the city he loved, mostly by going about and roughing up criminals (never seriously injuring them, however).

Assuming she was a super heroine, Manhattan started calling her Chrome, and the name sort of stuck. The duo continued to fight crime for the next couple of years, protecting the dwindling population of New York City as best they could. This, of course, continued until the two participated in their world's defense against the Starblasters.

As a result of these alien marauders' actions, their earth was dragged into the Marvel Universe, where the Stranger began to study the paranormals within. Of course, the Living Tribunal ultimately stopped this, sealing the world off from the rest of the universe, as this cosmic being believed that the energies of the Star Brand were a dangerous contaminant in his reality.

Though their world was forever displaced, and supposedly sealed off from the rest of the Marvel Universe, it is assumed that Captain Manhattan and Chrome continued their super-heroic adventures together, possibly even trying to find a way to return their world to its rightful place in the omniverse...

Powers

After exposure to the so-called Pitt-Juice, Jenny Swensen was forever altered. This mutagenic compound caused her to become a paranormal, and she evolved a sort of organic steel skin to replace the M.A.X. armor she'd lost to the government. Jenny is coated in a silver metal material which gives her invulnerability to a degree and super strength.

Alternate Realities

Earth-15731

The Exiles' "World Tour" brings them to a universe much like the New Universe. They drop in at what would be the very end of its run. Almost the whole lineup of the New Universe were featured, D.P. 7, Justice, Nightmask, and Star Brand (Ken Connell). The Exiles continue their adventure in the not-quite-the-New-Universe through Exiles. At that point they and their villain, Proteus, move on to 2099. Proteus does so in Justice's body, which is last seen in Exiles #75. Sometime later there is an Exiles one-shot featuring Jenny Swensen and the MAX armor. This version of Spitfire used the Spitfire armor, and had no other powers. She later would join Quentin Quire's Exiles.

Newuniversal

The Newuniversal Jenny Swensen is the Cypher, part of a quartet of superhumans created to usher in the new age of the Newuniversal Web. She appears to have technopathy.