Read more about Orca (Grace Balin) at: Wikipedia Official Site: DC Comics Orca is the name of two fictional characters in DC Comics. The Grace Balin version of Orca first appeared in Batman #579 (July 2000) and was created by Larry Hama and Scott McDaniel. The Dean Toye version of Orca first appeared in Aquaman Vol. 8 #12. Grace Balin attends Gotham Gate College and quickly becomes fascinated with the ocean. She receives a Ph.D in marine biology and Bio-Medicine and takes a job at the Gotham Aquarium. She is a very charitable person who funds an after-school program involving the ocean for underprivileged youths. She also volunteers at a soup shelter and takes care of many homeless people. Dr. Balin is later involved in an accident that leaves her paralyzed, dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. She continues to work at the Gotham Aquarium until it is supposed to be closed for lack of funding. Grace experiments with spinal cord tissue regeneration using orca spinal cord tissue. The gene therapy studies and human experimentation that she was conducting is deemed controversial and results in her loss of funding. It is implied that Grace used a chemical formula that she derived from an orca in the aquarium on herself and that this is what caused her to transform into Orca. She is able to easily switch between being Orca and her regular appearance as Dr. Balin, although she is apparently still paralyzed as Balin even if Orca is fully mobile. Orca begins a crime spree in Gotham City by stealing a valuable diamond called the Flame of Persia from rogue millionaire Camille Baden-Smythe. After the theft, Batman becomes involved. Orca's dedication to what she perceives as justice conflicts with Batman's attempts to see that everyone is entitled to legal protection even if he dislikes them personally. Orca aims to sell the diamond and use the proceeds to help fund several projects for underprivileged people. After her attempt to sell the diamond back to Camille Baden-Smythe fails with the discovery that she had stolen the diamond originally, Orca attempts to kill her. Camille's security force shoots Orca several times, mortally wounding her. After an extensive underwater chase — Batman using an aquatic-equipped suit — she begins changing back into Dr. Balin in an underwater cavern, telling Batman that the only way that she can survive is if he gives her the rest of the chemical formula that turned her into Orca, and that this would permanently transform her into Orca. Although Camille tried to forbid Batman from giving her the formula, arguing that such an action would make Batman responsible for everyone she would subsequently kill, Batman states that they are all responsible for their own actions, as well as that he refuses to allow anyone to die. Having ingested the formula, Orca swims away, resolved to continue her current career. It is revealed that the jewel was then sold to its original owner and that the money was used to build a new recreation center near the aquarium as well as to "...gentrify a derelict waterfront tenement".
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Orca (Grace Balin)