Painkiller Jane
Painkiller Jane is a Superhero character that originated in a comic book series, made a brief B-movie appearance, then migrated to a short-lived TV series on the Sci-Fi Channel.
All the three versions have in common are that they are virtually immortal, ass-kicking hot women. The names, backgrounds, occupations and hair color all mutate wildly in transition.
Not related in any way to the (Second) MOST METAL VIDEOGAME EVER.
The Comic Book started with Event Comics and is now at Dynamite Comics. Jane Vasko with a K was an undercover cop investigating The Mafia, when she got exploded by a rival gangster known only as Adam, who was at ground zero without a scratch. Somehow, Adam revives her, makes her unkillable, and then disappears. She drops off the force and becomes a vigilante, eschewing spandex in favor of lots of bandages ('cause she bleeds a while before healing up), a Badass Longcoat and Cool Shades. She is an expert at close-combat and normally carries twin automatics.
The Made for TV Movie was a Syfy Original, meaning it sucked. Still, it had Emmanuelle Vaugier, even if she spent half the film in a cheap wig. This version is radically different from the original. Captain Jane Browning, a U.S. Special Forces soldier (never mind that they don't have any female members) is hit by The Virus and becomes a Super Soldier. She then tries to discover who to seek revenge against (not just for being Cursed with Awesome, but because her squadmates didn't share her good luck, and died from the bioweapon instead).
The TV series was another new direction. Former Terminatrix Kristanna Loken was Jane Vasco with a C, once again a cop (this time in the DEA), recruited for a special quasigovernmental Five-Man Band to hunt down "Neuro"s, neurological abberants with mutations that gave them superpowers, and stick a microchip in their brains to depower them. Jane discovers quite by accident that she has a Healing Factor. From then on it's Monster of the Week, with every episode having Jane find some reason to get mauled, mutilated, shot, poisoned or given brain cancer. And not knowing if she'll get better, even if the audience has no doubt.
Tropes hit in all three:
- Applied Phlebotinum
- Bandage Babe
- Enemy Within
- Good Thing You Can Heal
- Healing Factor
- Monster of the Week
- Not Wearing Tights