GC-161 is the pinnacle development of the Paradise Valley Chemical Plant, a wonderdrug created by Charles Furnell in 1978 that would greatly improve the human body's physique by reducing their weight drastically. However, the chemical exposed to any living being either through ingestion or skin contact, causes unintended side effects and drastically changed the lives of two people, namely the titular protagonist Alex Mack
Intended use and side effects
The GC-161 compound was to allow anyone who took it to instantly reduce weight, easily solving obesity problems. However, the compound had not been fully refined and was still experimental. Though the compound's actual ability to reduce weight was unclear, it was known to give those exposed to it a set of powers that were usually consistent with every subject: Telekinesis, Energy projection and the ability to morph into a liquid. Charles claimed that the powers eventually wore off after a while, indicating an earlier version was produced. However, when Alex and Oscar were exposed, theirs did not. Alex's powers stayed with her from the beginning of junior high all the way up to high school and kept evolving over time.
Legacy
Because of the unintended side effects of the project, Danielle Atron has attempted to either experiment on or remove anyone who carried the unintended side effects and has drastically changed the lives of those affected by it, namely Alex. Charles went into exile knowing that Danielle would want him killed to erase any trace of evidence of her plant being involved in human test subjects, and Alex kept her powers hidden from everyone save for a very select few. The repeated failures of trying to capture Alex infuriated Danielle and her cohorts and drove them to drastic matters.
This eventually accumulated in Danielle in the closing episodes of the series, where she was attempting to sell the refined drug in Paradise Valley's market despite all the side-effects. In order to cover up her tracks, she trapped Alex and her parents in the plant as she prepared to blow it up and erase all evidence of her corporate evil while she escaped with her money. This was foiled thanks to Alex and her friends.
A drum of GC-161 compound ends up leaking into a drain after the blast, its effects unknown. George Mack also develops a GC-161 antidote for Alex. Whether or not she takes the cure is left up to speculation.
Members
- Charles Furnell - Creator
- Robert Dekam
- Jonathan Pollock
- Edwin Bloom
- Donald Gold
- George Mack
- Annie Mack