At first, Carol just used her powers for her own amusement. However, when she heard her roommate Gene Jones (called GJ or Dži-Džej on Serbian) being attacked outside their apartment building, she jumped to her defense and drove the attackers off. Carol enjoyed the experience and decided to create a costumed identity. Carol "borrowed" some special fabric, woven from metal, to create her mask, gloves and boots, from the Gray's Institute. There was insufficient fabric to create a complete costume, so Carol used a black bikini Gene had given her (but she had never dared to wear) and fishnet pantyhose. (The ordinary fabric of the bikini and hose got torn up and had to be replaced after every fight.) Later, Carol adopted a black leotard and black leather jacket to replace the bikini.