Carol (Painwheel)

Carol (Painwheel) is a playable character from the Skullgirls game.

Painwheel was once a sweet, caring school girl named Carol before she was kidnapped and transformed into the monster that she is now by Valentine and Brain Drain.

In the Heroes Coalition fics, Carol is a member of the Heroes Coalitions and is part of the Death City Squad.

Appearance
The blades attached to Painwheel's back bear a slight resemblance a Japanese shuriken throwing star, although their original design was closer to her namesake, the pinwheel.

It is unknown if the scars on Painwheel's face after removing her mask are permanent or not.

When Painwheel is being introduced to her new class (in Filia's ending), she is seen carrying a cello case. It is implied by Alex Ahad that the removable parts of Painwheel's Buer Drive are kept in here.

In the Heroes Coalition fics, Carol's appearance is different. She has a mid-length brown hair and has red eyes, and her face has cross shaped scar with stitches. She wears a white collared uniform with a dark-blue necktie, dark-blue skirt, and brown shoes.

Personality
Painwheel's personality tends to be initially mistaken at first glance; by her appearance, she has the form of a monster and is expected to kill and bring harm under orders from Valentine, Brain Drain and her creators. However, it was revealed that Painwheel was able to keep control of her mind over Brain Drain and was able to think and behave for herself.

She has a powerful hatred for Valentine and ASG Labsand judging by her lists of dislikes she also dislikes people and her own body. This could be from a rough past of others bullying her about her appearance which would have resulted in low self-esteem, though another possibility is the monstrous transformation she's been put through.

Fueled by rage, she draws her power from her pain and fury. Despite that, the soul of that scared young girl still lives on inside this monstrous body, desperately fighting off the onslaught of voices that would control her.

Aside from all her hateful attributes Painwheel enjoys peaceful and beautiful things such as flowers, dogs and walking on a beach during the sunset. Painwheel underwent changes as revealed in Filia's ending as she was shown to be very positive and happy about starting over and getting a new lease on life (thanks to Filia's wish) overjoyed seeing her new class telling them it was a pleasure to meet them. Instead of living with her parents, she lives in the ASG Labs, where she is actually happy there. Afterwards Painwheel and Filia watch the sunset together. All in all, Painwheel is a very kind girl who just wants a normal life.

Abilities
An "aerial dominance" character, Painwheel can fly using her Buer Drive blade and charge her attacks, as well as confronting foes with spikes that eject painfully from her body. She can also contort her body into inhuman shapes and unleash her rage with brutal moves. She can use the spikes to paralyze opponents or use them as projectiles as well as extend them in her attacks. Painwheel has armor in some of her attacks when charging them, allowing her to catch opponent off guard and counterattack.

With Hatred Install, Painwheel powers herself up with immense rage, which boosts her in-game abilities for the duration of the move. Not only is she capable of dealing additional damage, but the speed of her attacks and flight have increased as well. With the increased endurance of her armor, Painwheel is capable of persisting damage with even the smallest amount of health. Players can use it to their advantage to turn the tide of battle.

Trivia

 * Painwheel's override code, 36E-25-40, is the exact same as Valentine's breast, waist, and hip measurements.
 * Painwheel's "Valentine" color palette was not changed in the update that changed the color of all the crosses Valentine wears, due to the fact it does not consist of a red cross on a white background.
 * In an unused alternate ending, Painwheel is swayed by the Skull Heart into wishing for freedom. The Skull Heart declares that she will be free from everything, including memory, reason and morals, and be "rage incarnate" as the next Skullgirl.