Peek-a-Boo (comics)

Peek-a-Boo
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Flash v2, #180, (January 2002)
Created by Geoff Johns
Scott Kolins
In-story information
Alter ego Lashawn Baez
Abilities Teleportation
Advanced knowledge of medicine

Peek-a-Boo (Lashawn Baez) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Flash.

Publication history

Peek-a-Boo was created by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins; the character first appeared in Flash v2, #180, (January 2002).

Fictional character biography

Peek-a-Boo is Lashawn Baez, a Central City Medical School graduate student who set aside her studies to take care of her father Tomas Baez when he fell ill. Tomas was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Lashawn tried to donate hers, but the procedure activated her latent metagene, granting her teleportation powers, but making her unable to donate her kidney, because she teleported whenever she was touched. Lashawn decided that she would use her powers to find a matching donor organ for her father.[1][2]

As Peek-a-Boo, she sneaks into Central City Hospital to steal a kidney, but accidentally destroys a lab because her powers are unstable and dangerous. A random teleport is unintentionally set off by a doctor grabbing her arm, causing an implosion in which she disappeared, and which nearly kills the surprised surgeon. Peek-a-Boo is forced to fight the Flash and his ally Cyborg, who are able to defeat her after much difficulty, using a combination of a wall of white noise generated by Cyborg, and disorientation from hundreds of teleportings a second, deliberately triggered by the Flash. The Flash later returns the kidney to the hospital, and Lashawn is convicted and sent to Iron Heights. The Flash tried repeatedly to intercede on her behalf, but Warden Gregory Wolfe insisted on following the strict letter of the law, going so far as to drug Lashawn whenever anyone outside came to interview her.[1][2]

As a result of Gorilla Grodd's attack on the Iron Heights Penitentiary, Peek-a-Boo is able to escape. She goes directly to Central City Hospital in order to check on her father. Tomas Baez' doctors have been able to find a new kidney in time, but his ailing body rejected it, and Lashawn is just in time to sit with him as he dies. The Flash appears at the hospital, and confronts Peek-a-Boo. Lashawn, sick with grief and embittered by her incarceration, reveals that she had originally intended to become a hero like the Flash whom she had idolized. Since being branded as a Rogue by Flash, she has rejected him and all he stand for. Nevertheless, Lashawn later saves the life of the Flash's wife, Linda Park, when Park is injured in the fight between Peek-a-Boo and the Flash. Lashawn then turns herself in to the police believing she has nothing left to live for, and remains in custody.[1][2]

Powers and abilities

  • She can teleport by breaking down her molecular structure and then re-assembling her body elsewhere possibly by unconsciously entangling her molecules with molecules local to her destination.
  • Whenever someone touches her, she teleports a short distance away; this makes her difficult to capture.
  • Peek-a-Boo's teleportation powers can create dangerous implosions at their exit point if she isn't careful.
  • Lashawn has an advanced knowledge of medicine and first aid.

Weaknesses

Darkness and limited field of vision inhibits Peek-a-Boo's teleportation ability. She cannot perform teleportation in absence of light, as she can only teleport to the places she can see near or far. She is also unable to control her power, triggering her teleportation ability whenever anyone makes contact with her.

Other versions

Tiny Titans

An adolescent version of Peek-a-Boo appeared in Tiny Titans. Here, she flirted with Kid Flash and used her abilities to playfully pick on him.[3]

In other media

Television

  • Peek-a-Boo makes her television debut on The Flash played by Britne Oldford. This version of the character is named Shawna Baez and she has the teleportation ability. In the episode "Crazy for You", she breaks into Iron Heights prison to free her boyfriend, Clay Parker. Dr. Caitlin Snow nicknamed her 'Peek-a-Boo'. Later, The Flash is able to capture her after removing all the lights in a tunnel, effectively making her unable to teleport without being able to see where she is going. She returns in "Rogue Air", where she's one of the prisoners being transferred to Lian Yu, but the transfer is foiled by Captain Cold as he frees the prisoners, hoping to call in a favor from them in the future. Peek-a-boo returns in episode 1 of the fourth season, "Flash Reborn", where Wally West and Cisco Ramon coordinate their efforts to catch Peek-a-boo during her latest crime spree in the absence of Barry.

Web series

  • Britne Oldford reprises her role as Shawna Baez / Peek-a-Boo in the web series titled Chronicles of Cisco, where she breaks into S.T.A.R. Labs to make Cisco Ramon build her a specialized gun.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Peek-a-Boo". hyperborea.org.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Unofficial Peekaboo Biography". dcuguide.com.
  3. ↑ Tiny Titans #30
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