The Fall and Rise of Dakota Blue

Paragon Sentinel, by Devon Humes The Jupiter Foundation announced today a new member would be entering the ranks of the Paragon office. Hired by Dr. Colt to oversee activities in the western mountain regions of the country, controversial bounty hunter Dakota Blue has been called up to help out in the besieged Paragon City.

After aiding actress Autumn Jones during an abduction case involving the actresses' son, Dakota Blue jumed to fame as a guest on the Tonight Show in 1998. Winning over the host with her no-nonsense cowgirl style, blue skin, athletic good looks, and rough humor Dakota enjoyed several more interviews and guest appearances. She was in the middle of negotiations for a reality TV show featuring her career when she assaulted controversial news reporter Emanual Miller in late 1999 during his investigation of bounty hunters and their practices. Eventually settled out of court but widely believed by many to be justified, the assault still damaged her reputation and her TV show was canceled in pre-production.

Finally, in 2003, the Jupiter Foundation hired her as a permanent agent after her assistance in a missing person's case in the Colorado Rockies. Since then she has also continued her bounty hunting career on the side while also troubleshooting for Dr. Colt in the mountainous area.

Long thought to be a mutant because of startling blue skin, toughness, and agility, Dakota Blue says she is not. Due to a condition believed to be linked to methemoglobinemia, a rare blood disorder, Dakota has always had the azure skin which she uses as her working code name. Born and raised on a horse ranch in Colorado which has been in her family since 1872, Dakota believes her blue skin is a gift and has stated repeatedly in interviews that, "it caused people to treat me differently and the result is it taught me how to be tough. The rest of what I can do? That's just due to good ol' fashioned practice."

One of the stumbling blocks of hiring on with the Jupiter Foundation was that she had to retool her typical way of doing things. "I'd wanted to try some less lethal methods of bringing in fugitives but I couldn't afford it. Life after '99 had been pretty rough. Max refitted my weapons for me at first and then eventually gave me a whole new rifle complete with rubber bullets and a mix of concussive and beanbag shotgun rounds."

The process was anything but safe. "He gave me this lightning gun once based on some taser tech he was working on. I tried to bring in Buffalo Jim with it and the durn cuss laughed it off, took it away from me, and hit me with it. Luckily, when he tried to use it on me in return the fool done blew his hand off."

"We're pleased to have Dakota with us here in Paragon," Dr. Colt stated outside the Steel Canyon University. "She's a good fighter to bring to this battle and her experience is desperately needed."