Dame Michelle Holmes
Dame Michelle Holmes is the leader of the world's most powerful spy agency. The Foundation for World Harmony has, in theory, authority to briefly impose a world government in order to protect the planet from alien invasion or other global threats. Occasionally, Miss Holmes debates the possibility of this in order to protect the world from homegrown threats like P.H.A.N.T.O.M or the Black Hand. These thoughts quickly leave her mind but help illustrate what an awesome responsibility she has.
Michelle Holmes is the direct descendant of the World's Most Famous Detective's brother, Mycroft Holmes. Inheriting the massive intelligence that is a feature of that bloodline, Michelle has devoted her entire life to thwarting terrorism. She has been a controversial choice for the position of Foundation Director, ever since Sir John Major and President George H.W Bush recommended her for the position. Several times, she's nearly been thrown out of her office but has always rebounded to retain control of her agency.
Director Holmes began her career during the 1960s when she was a mere secretary for the Foundation. In the days before efficient computers, Michelle Holmes' brilliant mind coordinated the massive amounts of information needed to run the agency. It is a painful fact that she was once intimate with the second Steel Commando, Jack Washington Junior, and considers his revolt to be the worst event of her life. The two have so far avoided a confrontation but it is inevitable.
Her career after the end of the Cold War was considerably more lucrative. A recognized data-analyst and information broker, most believes Miss Holmes was the perfect compromise choice for the expanded Foundation for World Harmony. The expectation that her tenure would be undistinguished and without incident was immediately interrupted by a series of devastating alien invasions.
Knighted for her efforts, Dame Michelle Holmes proceeded to focus her attention on international terrorism. This included, much to the disgust of the Psychotic Seven, those vigilantes who killed. Dame Michelle Holmes had nothing against super heroes, but viewed the champions of the Iron Age with a barely disguised loathing. She unconsciously compared them to the champions of her own youth and found them to be wanting.
The Modern Age of Heroism has seen Dame Michelle Holmes cooperate much more openly with super heroes. She is the one who authorized the Patriots as Agents of the Foundation and she's open for others to try out for the Agency's sanction. One should be warned that her standards are very exact and she expects heroes to act like 'heroes.' Which has a very specific definition with her.
Her current goal, above all other things, is to destroy P.H.A.N.T.O.M. While she has been unable to seriously injure the organization, Michelle Holmes is a chief reason that the organization is so badly organized and growing at such a slow rate. Death Mask III would dearly love to kill her but she's survived every attempt on her life so far. The only problem she has now is the lack of a worthy successor should she die or be forced into retirement.
Dame Michelle Holmes is a stern, business-like, and cold British woman who brooks little nonsense from her agents. She is not without a dry wit, however, and often enjoys making quips when reviewing missions. Dame Holmes is not without a heart but puts the safety and security of the globe before the personal problems of her agents.
Dame Michelle is a solidly built woman who is well preserved for a woman in her early seventies. She has short cut white hair and tends to dress in business suit dresses. She is not above putting on a tactical vest and occasionally firing a laser gun herself during emergencies. This is rare and mostly for the benefit of her troops' morale.
