"Aaahhhh!" Eighteen-year-old Violet Chambers screamed as one of her ruthless captors twisted her left nipple.

"That’s enough, my Pussies," said the Black Leopard, "we don’t want her damaged. She’s worth a lot of money if we keep her in one piece.

"Oh Blackie," protested one of the black-clad women, "we’re just having fun."

"Do as you are told, and don’t call me Blackie."

The Black Leopard’s underlings moved away from the weeping girl. They knew better than to push their boss too far. And the Black Leopard was right. The girl was the daughter of one of Metro City’s richest industrialists. She was worth a lot of money.

The Black Leopard lifted Violet’s chin. "Stop your sobbing girl. I’m not going to let anything happed to you. I don’t even really want you for the money. I have a more important goal in mind."

The Black Leopard rebuttoned Violet’s torn blouse. "You know, you are rather attractive. I could enjoy having a little fun with you, if I was inclined that way. But you’re safe from me – I prefer men."

The redheaded girl trembled. Only one day ago she had been safe at home, lying on her bed while she studied for next day’s history exam. Now she was trussed up against a wall, and subject to the taunts and brutality of her kidnappers. Her wrists were shackled and her arms were stretched over her head and fastened to a ring embedded in the concrete wall. The ring was only four feet of the floor so she was forced into a kneeling position. Twice a day her arms were released from their shackles so that she could attend to bodily functions and have some food and drink, but she was always accompanied by the Black Leopard’s two "Pussies." She had supposed that she had been kidnapped for ransom, but the Black Leopard’s comments alluded to a more sinister motive than mere money.

The Black Leopard moved away from the helpless girl. Opening a door at the side of the small room she exited and moved into a much larger chamber. The room was filled with all sorts of exotic machinery and strange apparatus. In the center of the room, bent over a cluttered workbench was a wizened little man dressed in a white lab coat.

"Well Mad Ivan," the Black Leopard said, "how is the project coming? "Will we be ready for them?

"I prefer Dr. Retinoff," replied the little man.

"Have it your way, Doc. Now will you answer my question?"

Retinoff grimaced. He did not like "Doc" much better than "Mad Ivan." He had met the Black Leopard quite by chance, when the Jade Dragon and her companions had destroyed Brick Henson’s gang (See the Jade Dragon’s Subjugation). He had been part of that gang and his fiendish inventions had almost been the end of Metro City’s band of superheroines. He had almost had sex for the first time in his life with one of them. But somehow everything had gone wrong. The superheroines had escaped and he had almost been captured along with many of the gang members. But at the last second, just when capture seemed certain, the Black Leopard had appeared and had shown him a way out of Brick’s hideout. He had been with her ever since.

Retinoff turned to look at the magnificent black costumed figure that stood in front of him. "So much evil," he thought, "in such a tiny package." He liked that. The Black Leopard was quite petite, standing only five-foot-three and weighing just over 100 pounds. She was the same height as he was. Sometimes he had thoughts about her. He jerked himself back to reality. The Black Dragon was looking intently at him, and tapping her clawed fingers on his workbench.

"Yes, I will be ready," Retinoff said finally, "I am just making a few final adjustments."

"Good, because one of those costumed showoffs could show up at any time."

Retinoff smiled. The Black Leopard was the biggest costumed show off that he knew. "Do not worry, my lovely, they will get more than they bargained for when they show up here."

"You better be right, and don’t call me "your lovely." The Black Dragon turned and left the room.

"Blackie," shouted one of the Black Leopard’s Pussies as the Asian criminal re-entered the room, "she’s here! Take a look." The Pussy gestured toward one of Retinoff’s ingenious inventions. He called it distance vision or DV for short. It was a glowing screen that somehow transmitted images form cameras placed outside to the interior of the building. The Black Leopard did not pretend to understand these sorts of things. That was Retinoff’s department. He did the inventing, she supplied the money and gave the orders.

"Don’t call me…" The Black Leopard began, "who’s here?"

"The Jade Dragon. Look, you can see her on the rooftop across the way."

The Black Leopard looked. Sure enough it was the Jade Dragon. That green and black costume was unmistakable, as was the way she suddenly bounded from the rooftop of the neighboring building to the building the Black Leopard was in. That leap had been truly tremendous. It had covered at least forty feet and the Jade Dragon had not even strained herself.

"Impressive," thought the Black Leopard. "Retinoff’s little scheme had better work." She hurried to inform the little scientist of what was transpiring. With any luck the Jade Dragon was going to get a shock she would never forget.