Elena Gomez |
|
Portrayed By |
Jessica Alba |
Gender |
Female |
Date of Birth |
March 28, 1988 |
Age |
21 |
Zodiac Sign |
Aries |
Aliases |
Elly (usual), Scrappy/Sucklips/Meatgazer (all given by Jack), Chiquita (Ramon's pet name), Emma (by Jane), Ella (by Manuel), Cluckcluck/Sunshine (by Peter), Pandora (by Gene), Laney (by Trina), Brat (lovingly bestowed by Nathan), Ele (given by Mikhail), Honey (by Rook), Angel (by Ian) |
Place of Birth |
New York City, NY, USA |
Current Location |
New York City, NY, USA |
Occupation |
Junior Political Correspondent/Investigative Reporter for the Washington Post |
Known Relatives |
Catalina Gomez (mother; deceased), Ramon Gomez (father), Desiree Gomez nee Russo (stepmother), Manuel Gomez (brother), Luis Gomez (brother), Juanita Gomez (sister) |
Significant Other |
-_- |
Known Abilities |
Biochemical Control |
First Appearance |
Family Matters |
Elena Gomez is the eldest child of Ramon Gomez, who is the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Evolution Software.
History
The eldest child of Ramon and Catalina Gomez, and raised lovingly by both together, Elena grew up to reflect many aspects of their personalities. Even as a young child, she was as hardworking as her father, and as easygoing as her mother. Both of them instilled upon her the importance of education at a young age, so it was no wonder that academics have been a big part of her life since the beginning. She learned English from her mother, who was a school teacher, and was fluent in the language by the age of four. Given that the Gomez household predominantly spoke Spanish in their household, located in the heart of Queens, Elena was influenced by both American and Spanish culture - while she had exhibited a certain degree of independence early on, she remained a good and devoted daughter while her younger siblings rebelled and often did things they shouldn't.
She was an honor student almost from the moment she started schooling, a bright, cheerful, inquisitive child who had both the gift and thirst for learning. Her exemplary performance in elementary school earned her a scholarship to St. Clemens Academy, a prestigious private school in Manhattan where she was required to do menial, janitorial tasks around the campus in exchange for the privilege of attending there as a student. It was a completely different world for her, considering most of her classmates came from wealthy, caucasian families. The school's social caste system was a harsh reality that she had to learn and deal with at the tender age of 13. In those early days she would come home and hide in her room so her parents wouldn't see her crying over how mean her classmates were to her.
Her social misery was all the more increased when Catalina died in her sophomore year. The coroner declared it a suicide and the story made it to the papers. Like her father, Elena didn't believe that she would willingly kill herself and tried to convince investigating authorities who visited her house of that. In the end, her efforts proved to be futile, after all, what did a kid know of such things? Losing her mother had been devastating, but the dark cloud did have a silver lining - two other students in her school lost someone close to them the same way, and all three of them bonded over one tragic commonality.
However, determination and the desire to give her family a better life someday won out. She made a few friends, all who became her lifeline in St. Clemens. Her teachers welcomed her efforts, and some would say her teachers liked her more than her fellow students did. She continued to excel in her studies, was part of her school's Academic Decathlon team, and by her junior year, managed to convince her wealthy school that starting a Community Outreach program would be a good idea and would raise its acclaim even more in the local media. It was in one of these outreach efforts that she started becoming conscious of her strange gift….while volunteering at a clinic, she noticed that she could take other people's pain away for a short while just by willing it to. She chalked it up to her "bedside" manner, and didn't think much of it.
She also wrote for the school paper, though she never made editor as the positions went to the children of the school's board members, and was an active member of the school's Dance club. While she ran for student government as president in a last-ditch effort to defeat the status quo, she was defeated by the daughter of the school's Headmaster. However, she did make Treasurer, and spent that year organizing fundraisers to fund the school's activities.
After four years, her hard work and tenacity paid off….she graduated with a bang, becoming her school's Valedictorian. Her academic and extracurricular record couldn't be denied. She received a full scholarship to New York University, with the option to apply for a grant if she decided to major in the sciences. She applied for the grant to further ease the financial burden of supporting her schooling from her father, who was already struggling to make ends meet. She got the grant, and enrolled as a Biology major, a requirement for those taking the school's "pre-med" track.
One Year Later…
Several events, however, have prevented her ultimately from pursuing a fulfilling career as a doctor. Nasty run-ins, kidnappings, and finally, and perhaps most importantly at all, an entreaty from her overprotective father who personally asked her to stop pursuing Science, knowing full well what she intended to do with that knowledge and a last-ditch effort in preventing his daughter from sinking in to further danger. It seemed, for the most part, that the spirited Gomez girl was willing to listen, as sometime during 2008 she looked ready to shed her involvement in dangerous activities entirely, though she kept seeing Peter Petrelli until he decided to join the Company, a decision which put a strain in their relationship and sent her leaving with her father, who was required to stay in Washington DC to aid Evolution Software's lobbying efforts in the American capital. Taking her father's concerns to heart, she abandoned science, and switched to Journalism. She graduated from George Washington University early, and true to her ambitious nature, immediately secured a position in the Washington Post as a junior political correspondent, under the supervision of senior investigative reporter, Roger Redford, a mainstay in the District of Columbia's media circles with ties to the White House's blue room.
She returned to New York in 2009, a few months after her twenty-first birthday, at the request of her father to be a little closer to home and a little more accessible to her stepmother, Desiree Gomez nee Russo.
Abilities
Elena can control biochemicals in a physical body. Broken down to the mechanics, she can somehow control neurotransmitters in a person's body that have a direct effect on the ability of that person to feel either pleasure or pain, as well as a few other things. For example, she can induce a body to secrete adrenaline to keep someone's heart from stopping, or dopamine to keep someone who is brain-addled (or senile) lucid. At this point, she has a strong, but unconscious command on a body's ability to produce Norepinephrine…a neurotransmitter often associated with the body's "flight or fight" response to stress. A mild increase of Norepinephrine on a body could induce a state of euphoria, akin to a good "high" when someone takes recreational drugs (and as a consequence, make someone forget their pain for a while). She can also cause a bit of heightened arousal. A sudden and high increase would cause a panic attack, characterized by difficulty in breathing, sweating, chest pains and nausea or stomach distress. She can also cause the body to experience a good deal of pain. These effects are temporary, and her ability is dependent on her actively imposing her will onto the other body.
Given her quick and impressive learning curve, Elena has managed to learn how to control her powers by touch or remotely. She can use her abilities through tactile contact, or by just willing it to happen. She has also learned to affect multiple people in a given range. Her maximum range is, presently, between a five to ten feet radius. Any bigger than that, her nose will start to bleed and a migraine will hit her, killing her ability to use her gift for an entire day or more, depending on how badly she strained herself. In such extreme cases, she also tends to lose her sight as part of her brain shuts down before any damage turns permanent.
Her ability, while seemingly innocuous, has been discovered to be something that goes deep into the heart as to how Evolved powers work, and due to its nature, is extremely versatile in terms of its uses. The last three years have been spent in diligent efforts mastering these talents, and the exploring the breadth of their uses.
Stunts
Elena's abilities are surprisingly versatile, they can be benign or…not-so-benign.
- Biochemical Manipulation - Elena can increase or decrease the body's production of a certain biochemical/neurotransmitter by imposing her will on the target. For example she can increase a person's adrenaline production to kickstart a stopped heart or she could increase the brain's dopamine levels to keep someone lucid. Her range is between 10 to 30 feet.
- Detect Imbalance - As an offshoot to her abilities Elena can detect biochemical imbalances in the body.
- Lessen Pain - Elena can lessen or wholly remove a target's ability to sense or feel pain for a certain amount of time. This effect is not permanent for pain that is not caused by her (for example, if someone is shot, she can take the pain away so the victim can move on his own to a safe place, but she can't remove the pain permanently because she didn't cause the pain with her powers). However, she can remove it permanently if she was the one who caused the pain in the first place with her gift. Her range is between 10 to 30 feet.
- Neutralize Toxins - As an offshoot of her power Elena can increase a body's production of its natural antitoxins to slow down or stop the progression of foreign toxins in the body. Her range is between 10 to 30 feet.
- Transmit Euphoria - Elena can cause one or several targets in between a 10 to 30 feet radius to feel something akin to a good "high" that one feels after the use of recreational drugs. The effects can cause the target or targets to feel drowsy, delirious, uncoordinated, warm or with lowered inhibitions.
- Transmit Pain - Elena can cause one or several targets in between a 10 to 30 feet radius to feel debilitating pain. These can be muscle spasms blinding headaches extreme stomachache. These can hurt to the point of the person vomiting from the severity.
- Intensify Pain - Elena can intensify pain on a target or several targets already experiencing pain (between a 10 to 30 feet radius) on a temporary basis, just as she can lessen existing pain on someone on a temporary basis.
- Induce Arousal - If she ever chooses to Elena can induce a target to a heightened sense of arousal. Her range is between 10 to 30 feet.
- Crucio - Elena can cause one or several targets in between a 10 to 30 radius to feel such a tremenduous amount of pain that a person can go crazy or pass out because of it.
- Induce Panic Attack - Elena can cause one or several targets in between a 10 to 30 feet radius to feel severe panic attacks by increasing the body's Noripinephrine levels sharply. These can manifest as sweating chest pains, elevated heart rate, shakiness difficulty breathing and nausea.
- Ad Nausea - Elena can cause one or several targets in between a 10 to 30 feet radius to puke their guts out.
- Ping - An improvised "radar" of sorts, Elena can extend her ability between a 10 to 30 feet radius to sense biochemicals in a human body to focus on only the neurotransmitters a human produces to be able to determine whether there is a person or persons in a given area. This ability can also be used in conjunction with her other abilities, to be able to "home in" on a target and transmit her control (ie. for example, she can use Ping to determine someone is around a corner, and then use Transmit Pain to send a blast of pain to that person).
- Bioshock - Elena can forcibly use her abilities within a 10 to 30 feet radius to open up the floodgates, so to speak, and wreak a number on the human body by causing a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock), and can cause it to collapse and shut down. This use can be fatal, and at present she can only use this ability one person at a time given the considerable amount of concentration needed to do this.
- Boost - Elena can flood her system or someone else's system with adrenaline to bring it to "emergency response" mode. In this state the human body becomes more alert and aware and is able to move in ways that may be unexpected in non-emergency situations. A human body can go faster, have increased stamina, or even greater strength than it normally does. Boost can also affect the person's sight given adrenaline's effect on a human being's pupils, allowing it to expand for extra sight depending on the amount of light in the human being's given surroundings. As a result Boost can affect Dexterity, Stamina, Strength and Perception. As established by staff in the log What's To Come, given this aspect of her ability specifically affects Adrenaline levels, this also has a profound effect on someone with special abilities… it can amplify the strength of an Evolved's abilities, for so long as Elena concentrates. She can affect several bodies at once, but she, herself, can't do anything else but that while she does this.
Timeline
Elena's Timeline
Relationships
Elena's Connections
Personality Profile
Elena, through the Myers Brigg Personality Test, is an ENFJ.
As an ENFJ, you're primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.
ENFJs are people-focused individuals. They live in the world of people possibilities. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people. They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others. They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this.
Because ENFJ's people skills are so extraordinary, they have the ability to make people do exactly what they want them to do. They get under people's skins and get the reactions that they are seeking. ENFJ's motives are usually unselfish, but ENFJs who have developed less than ideally have been known to use their power over people to manipulate them.
ENFJ's are so externally focused that it's especially important for them to spend time alone. This can be difficult for some ENFJs, because they have the tendency to be hard on themselves and turn to dark thoughts when alone. Consequently, ENFJs might avoid being alone, and fill their lives with activities involving other people. ENFJs tend to define their life's direction and priorities according to other people's needs, and may not be aware of their own needs. It's natural to their personality type that they will tend to place other people's needs above their own, but they need to stay aware of their own needs so that they don't sacrifice themselves in their drive to help others.
ENFJ's tend to be more reserved about exposing themselves than other extraverted types. Although they may have strongly-felt beliefs, they're likely to refrain from expressing them if doing so would interfere with bringing out the best in others. Because their strongest interest lies in being a catalyst of change in other people, they're likely to interact with others on their own level, in a chameleon-like manner, rather than as individuals.
Which is not to say that the ENFJ does not have opinions. ENFJs have definite values and opinions which they're able to express clearly and succinctly. These beliefs will be expressed as long as they're not too personal. ENFJ is in many ways expressive and open, but is more focused on being responsive and supportive of others. When faced with a conflict between a strongly-held value and serving another person's need, they are highly likely to value the other person's needs.
The ENFJ may feel quite lonely even when surrounded by people. This feeling of aloneness may be exacerbated by the tendency to not reveal their true selves.
People love ENFJs. They are fun to be with, and truly understand and love people. They are typically very straight-forward and honest. Usually ENFJs exude a lot of self-confidence, and have a great amount of ability to do many different things. They are generally bright, full of potential, energetic and fast-paced. They are usually good at anything which captures their interest.
ENFJs like for things to be well-organized, and will work hard at maintaining structure and resolving ambiguity. They have a tendency to be fussy, especially with their home environments.
In the work place, ENFJs do well in positions where they deal with people. They are naturals for the social committee. Their uncanny ability to understand people and say just what needs to be said to make them happy makes them naturals for counseling. They enjoy being the center of attention, and do very well in situations where they can inspire and lead others, such as teaching.
ENFJs do not like dealing with impersonal reasoning. They don't understand or appreciate its merit, and will be unhappy in situations where they're forced to deal with logic and facts without any connection to a human element. Living in the world of people possibilities, they enjoy their plans more than their achievements. They get excited about possibilities for the future, but may become easily bored and restless with the present.
ENFJs have a special gift with people, and are basically happy people when they can use that gift to help others. They get their best satisfaction from serving others. Their genuine interest in Humankind and their exceptional intuitive awareness of people makes them able to draw out even the most reserved individuals.
ENFJs have a strong need for close, intimate relationships, and will put forth a lot of effort in creating and maintaining these relationships. They're very loyal and trustworthy once involved in a relationship.
Sexually, the ENFJ looks forward to intimacy as an opportunity to express love and caring. The ENFJ is generally very interested in the happiness and satisfaction of their partner. Because they achieve much of their personal satisfaction from making others happy, they're likely to be skilled lovers. Like other Judgers, the ENFJ is likely to follow a schedule for intimacy, and may be prone to becoming routinized. For the ENFJ, the most important aspect of a sexual encounter is the affirmation of love and affection.
An ENFJ who has not developed their Feeling side may have difficulty making good decisions, and may rely heavily on other people in decision-making processes. If they have not developed their Intuition, they may not be able to see possibilities, and will judge things too quickly based on established value systems or social rules, without really understanding the current situation. An ENFJ who has not found their place in the world is likely to be extremely sensitive to criticism, and to have the tendency to worry excessively and feel guilty. They are also likely to be very manipulative and controling with others.
In general, ENFJs are charming, warm, gracious, creative and diverse individuals with richly developed insights into what makes other people tick. This special ability to see growth potential in others combined with a genuine drive to help people makes the ENFJ a truly valued individual. As giving and caring as the ENFJ is, they need to remember to value their own needs as well as the needs of others.
Famous ENFJs - David the King of Israel, Abraham Lincoln
Astrological Profile
Elena is an Aries.
Romance is something that no Aries can live without and the same goes for an Aries woman also. However, for her, not getting on without romance is not same as not being able to live without a man. In her heart, she will always be yearning for that someone special, thinking about him in the monsoon and that will be her idea of romance. She doesn't need a real man for it. Aries female is the one who will do anything and everything herself, without needing any male help. One of her basic personality traits is total confidence in her abilities.
She has to lead, to be the first one to do anything. At times, her independence does not go well with the male ego. However, an Aries girl never wants a puppy for a lover or a husband. She seeks a man, but not the one who constantly chases her. The best way to woo her is to throw subtle hints, be a little detached and keep her wondering. Give her the impression that you can resist her charms and she will come rushing to you, to prove that she's desirable. Aries women will never have to yearn for male attention.
They always get plenty of it, but inside they will be waiting for the one they cannot have. An Aries woman can survive even the toughest of circumstances alone and has the ability to come back even after the most gruesome tragedies. She can play the role of a female perfectly and, at the same time, can do everything that a man can do. If you have managed to subdue her aggressive drive, you will be treated to a woman who is full of optimism and has such faith in future that can uplift your mood also.
An Aries female does not like flattery. You should be sincere while complimenting her. Over-sweetness and too much closeness can make her run away, but she doesn't want you to be too detached also. You'll have to maintain that delicate balance and still keep the romance alive. Once she has committed to you, she will be extremely sentimental and very loyal. Don't dominate an Aries female and don't let her dominate you. Either of the extremes, she will not be able to tolerate. Give her reasons to be proud of you, but do not forget to praise her for her talent too. Her expectations are too high, but she will also give you double in return.
She is very possessive and love is something she can never share. She can be very jealous even at the slightest of suspicion. In case you have a female secretary, it is better to bid her good bye right now. If an Aries girl gets hurt, she will become as cold as the ice in your fridge and this behavior may last an entire lifetime. She is generous to the faults of her loved ones and it is better not to criticize them in front of her. On the other hand, if you are good to her, she will be extremely kind, tender, loyal and supportive.
You will get plenty of reasons to be jealous when you are with an Aries female, since she is more comfortable with men than women. However, don't be suspicious of her, she would be really hurt. She is possessive, but she doesn't like to be possessed. She wants her freedom and your complete trust. Remember, if she's committed to you, you have no reasons to doubt her loyalty and sincerity. An Aries woman is much too truthful to be involved with two people at the same time. She will first break up the relationship that is not working.
She is extremely passionate and believes in forever-lasting relationships. Though, this leaves her disillusioned many a times. She will never play games with you and is incapable of deceit. An Aries girl is nothing if not simple, innocent and very emotional. Maximum chances are that she will continue her career even after marriage. She loves challenges and believes in miracles. Though it sounds a little freaky, but miracles do happen in her case. Just like a typical Aries, she never learns from her mistakes and is likely to fall in the same hole again.
For her love means sharing and that means sharing everything, right from her emotions and checkbook to your bank account. Always respect an Aries woman and never try to dampen her zeal, or she will be hurt. Though she tries to show that she is very strong, she is as innocent and as vulnerable as a baby. Be there to comfort her when she runs up to you after being disappointed with the world. If you stand up to her when she comes to you like this, you will never ever lose her. An Aries female will never forgive you if you fail to fight for her.
In return, she will always be there with you, even if she has to go against the whole world. She is not the one to feign illness, but if she is really ill, be there to care for her. She is quite extravagant and giving her the debit cards will mean an empty bank account. She will be a caring mother, who makes no unnecessary fuss and sparks children's imagination. An Aries girl has a bad temper, but it will go away as quickly as it came and leave no grudges behind. She is a complete woman, who gets hurt easily and is totally innocent. Though she is a little impulsive and bossy, she will give you complete security, fight against the world for you and be yours forever.
Quotes
"Nope, can't come get you. The shaman is in town, cleansing the manor so all the positive vibes will get stronger, ya know?"
"….a shaman. In New York City."
— Kitty Hanner and Elena Gomez, in Red Thread of Fate is Painful
"You wouldn't be so forgiving if they had taken Nathan from you."
— Elena Gomez to Peter Petrelli, in Red Thread of Fate is Painful
"You really are in a pissy mood."
"Jetlag."
— Noah Bennet and Elena Gomez, in One Coffee, Hold the Awkward
"Sounds like a fun time. …do I wanna know why there's a guinea pig?"
"That's Meryl's. We couldn't have the party without having Basil there. She's uhm, rather fond of her guinea pig."
— Elena Gomez and Benjamin Winters, in It's Not Us
"Just because we've all got a fraction of God's power living inside us does NOT give you carte blanche to be bloody stupid."
— An angry Elena Gomez rounds on Charlotte Corday in Fallout
Embarrassing Elena Events
Elena is somewhat infamous for having a lot of off-the-wall and embarrassing events happen to her on a regular basis. This is a list of these.
- Videotaped wearing a bright pink chicken suit, handing out fliers for the Chicken Bucket.
- Proclaiming herself a Penis Doctor to horrify Jack, only to have him laugh harder and give her "Meatgazer" as a new nickname.
- Walking in on Cass and Lachlan in the backroom of Enlightenment Books, followed by Eric falling on her when she tripped.
- Jack entering Enlightenment Books, bellowing to all the customers about how Eric was trying to defile Elena.
- Elena breaking into Peter's apartment thinking he was attacked, only to find out he was just having a nightmare.
- Ramon handing Elena her feminine products in barbecue tongs while Elle was watching.
- Forced to dress as a Bond Girl in Jaden's benefit for Seville Medical. She was later Bat Signaled in the same event.
- Jack yelling at Elena that Randall was too old for her when she was spotted dancing with him at Tabitha's Club, for the entire dance floor to hear.
- Peter painting her as a stripper, and laughing at her reaction about curing cancer. (See Quotes Section)
- Dressing up as a female Robin so Jaden could be convinced to loan Cass some rooms in Seville Medical for her clinic. She later realized that a horde of fanboys from Secret Lair were gawking at her from the windows of the bookstore while she was modeling the outfit.
- Lachlan giving Eric a condom for his and Elena's supposed benefit.
- Lachlan giving Eric another condom for his and Elena's supposed benefit.
- Elena blurting out "Destiny" when Heidi asked how she and Peter met, without thinking about it, because it was Peter's word for it.
- Elena used the word "contingencies" in a conversation, which prompted Lachlan to believe she was talking about contraceptives. Awkward conversation regarding birth control ensued.
- Having an amorous dream about Jack, and making the huge mistake telling him about it. This prompted Jack to give her the nickname "Sucklips."
- Manny asking Elena flat out if Peter was her boyfriend and arguing with her about it….in front of Peter. Thank God it was all in Spanish.
- Peter taking a picture of her while Elena was being mauled by two puppies and a cat that jumped on her shoulder upon entering the Petrelli mansion.
- Jane presented herself to Elena wearing nothing but a pair of panties thanks to Lyndsay's powers.
- Due to an insane string of circumstances, Jack accidentally set himself on fire after Elena asked him a question about the Friends Zone. She ended up dumping salsa on him to put out the fire, but it was too late. The smoke alarm goes off, and sprinklers drenched the Den.
Soundtrack
Trivia
- The name "Elena" is a variant of the Greek name "Helen," which means "shining light."
- Since discovering how to consciously control her powers, Elena's lost 15 pounds as of February of 2008. The nature of her gifts and their constant use has accelerated the rate of her metabolism. At 5'6" and 115 lbs, she's considered underweight. This has also markedly changed her eating habits as she's been eating enough to put a small horse to shame since then. Elena these days eats close to eight meals a day.
- Elena was an active member of NYU's Dance Corps, though she had to leave it when she moved to DC. Dancing is still, however, an active hobby. She has also taken up kickboxing and combat lessons from Jack Derex.
- She is a practicing Catholic and wears a gold crucifix around her neck that once belonged to her mother.