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Alters was a superhero comic book series created and written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by Leila Leiz. It was published by AfterShock Comics from September 2016. The series concerns the emergence of a new Alteration (genetic mutations commonly referred to as Alters) named Chalice, who is navigating both the trials of becoming a superhero and - as alter-ego Charlie - is transitioning from male to female. The premise of the series gathered considerable mainstream attention ahead of the book's launch.
Charlie Young is the latest Alter to emerge. Living as a young man with her kindly but conservative family in Cleveland, Charlie is secretly undergoing hormone treatment and transitioning to being biologically female, keeping both this and her Alteration secret. As a result Charlie finds inner peace in the guise of the superhero Chalice, who is identified as female. Charlie's brother Teddy is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy, but is secretly also a powerful Alter, something only Charlie is able to detect.
Chalice's public appearance attracts the attention of both Octavian and Matter Man, due to her high level of powers including gravity manipulation, the ability to move through quantum tunnels and also to detect emerging Alters. Octavian tries to persuade Chalice to join the Gateway Army but is unsuccessful, while Matter Man begins executing random civilians to draw Chalice out. A disastrous confrontation follows where Chalice's inexperience leads to Gateway Army member Morph being crippled, with his real identity exposed as a result. Chastened and guilty, Chalice joins Octavian's cause. After some friction from other members, and Octavian correctly guessing Chalice's transgenderism (promising not to pry into her private life), the group becomes closer. Out of costume with the other members, Charlie identifies as female. At Octavian's urging Chalice becomes spokesperson for the Gateway Army, issuing a challenge to Matter Man. As a result he targets a baseball game Charlie is attending along with her family as part of a string of attacks. The Gateway Army responds but are spread thin.
Chalice battles a group of Matter Man's followers and is immobilised, with one removing her wig. However one called Agent Nein reveals they are following Matter Man out of a mixture of fear and a dislike of Octavian's agenda. He tells Chalice that Matter Man's powers only last 61 seconds at a time. He is vulnerable at other times but it is impossible for them to tell when he is and isn't using them. After hearing about the weakness, Octavian reveals a containment field capable of holding Matter Man if he can be captured. They draw him into a trap at the baseball ground and Matter Man's followers abandon him. With help from Teddy, Chalice is able to keep Matter Man busy until his powers disappear and he is taken into Gateway Army custody.
Sharise is initially reluctant to accept help from the Gateway Army or Chalice until Agent Nein kidnaps one of her sons, Latavius. Chalice enlists Matter Man to help. Morph meanwhile makes a partial recovery, choosing to use his abilities one last time even if it will kill him, rather than living miserably in a hospital bed. He assures Chalice that she has nothing to feel bad about. Inspired, Charlie tells workmate Darren about her gender reassignment; he is surprised but supportive. After training with the Gateway Army, Sharise joins them in an attempted rescue of Latverius - only for the boy's own powers to be activated. Believing Sharise has been killed, Latavius' powers spiral out of control, summoning dark matter. Chalice is able to find and rescue Sharise from the quantum tunnels; Octavian orders them to retreat but Chalice is able to get Sharise close enough to Latavius to talk him down. Her love for her son inspires Chalice, who decides to come clean to her family and present them with the diary she has been keeping throughout the events.
Other critics were more positive. Patrick Hayes of SciFiPulse.Net noted that "the visuals are beautiful and deserve attention, while the story looks to be addressing something avoided in American society.". Reviewing the first issue for Comic Book Resources, Leia Calderon felt the series had potential but felt the early depiction of Charlie's transitioning was too focused on physical changes. Joe Glass was generally positive reviewing the first trade collection for Bleeding Cool, noting that the story improved after a clumsy start.
| Alters Volume 1 - The Story of Chalice | 25 May 2017 | Alters #1-5 | |
| Alters Volume 2 - The Story of No-Damn-Name: A Loving Mother | 20 June 2018 | Alters #6-10 |
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