IRON FIST

 

IRON FIST

Real Name: Daniel Thomas Rand'Kai

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere (Vol. 1) #15, May 1974

Powers: Danny Rand developed the power of the Iron Fist by plunging his hand into the molten heart of a dragon named Shou-Lao the Undying. Having spent half his life training himself in the martial arts discipline of his adopted home, the extradimensional city of K'un-Lun, Iron Fist possesses peak human physical capabilities and fighting skills. The power of Shou-Lao's chi runs through him, and Danny is capable of summoning his chi energy to boost his natural abilities even further, augmenting his strength, speed, agility, endurance, and reflexes to near-superhuman levels. He can also direct his chi for healing purposes. Through intense concentration, he can "will" himself or another person he touches to recover more rapidly from physical injuries, poisons, viruses or disease. Iron Fist has a little used power called "the mindmeld", in which he can enter into a link with another person that causes them to completely share their thoughts, memories, and emotions with each other. This act is considered extremely violating, and one of his best friends, Colleen Wing, likened it to being mentally raped. He only used the power on her in order to break through intense brainwashing she had been subjected to. At times, he has absorbed energy directed at himself and channeled it to augment his own power. Under certain circumstances, he can even focus his chi to create nexus points between dimensions. Finally, Danny has the ability to concentrate his chi into his fist, hardening it so that it becomes 'like onto a thing of iron'. The iron fist is tremendously resistant to pain and injury, and allows him to strike blows with the force of a cannon shell. Any excessive use of his chi can drain Iron Fist, and he must rest for a time before exerting it again.

Danny's chi used to deplete much faster than it does now, leaving him exhausted after no more than two or three uses of the Iron Fist. However, after his power was mystically stolen from him, and then returned through the power of the Black Dragon, Danny's chi recuperates at a much faster rate than before. He can charge either or both his fists with the chi of Shou-Lao for extended periods of time.

Later, Iron Fist learned more about his 66 predecessors through Orson Randall and the Book of the Iron Fist. The chi of Shou-Lao has been used in many variety of ways over time by different Immortal Weapons, and Danny has started learning some of these methods. He has developed enhanced levels of awareness that allow him to sense the presence of people from a distance and identify them. The mechanism is unclear: Either his natural senses have been enhanced or he has developed a psychic perception like the ability to sense chi. His overall speed and reflexes have been greatly enhanced, so much so that he can grab a speeding bullet out of mid-air using the power of the Iron Fist. His healing abilities have increased as well -- he can fight off pain or poison through mild concentration, and can enter a light meditative trance to rapidly accelerate his recuperative powers. A few minutes concentration can leave him fully rested and refreshed with all his injuries, where previously he would have required several hours. Danny can cast his hands in a hypnotic gesture that makes people susceptible to his influence, and can infuse physical objects with his chi, increasing their destructive power.

 

Iron Fist is an exceptional athlete, acrobat, and hand-to-hand combatant. He is a master of all of K'un-Lun's martial arts and many of Earth's, and has trained in the use of all martial arts weapons. His fighting maneuvers include the burning chi thunderfoot, burning dove chop, drunken wasp sting, golden star gouge, good fortune thunder kick, gouge of the forlorn, palm of forty sorrows, screaming eagle slap, strike of the silkworm's tooth and tiger scratch. He has near-complete control over his nervous system, enabling him to deaden himself to pain.

ETERNALS

 

ETERNALS

First Appearance: Eternals (Vol. 1) #1, July 1976

History: The Eternals are an evolutionary offshoot of humanity living on Earth who possess greater powers and longer lifespans than the mainstream human race. The Eternals first came into being about a million years ago when the extraterrestrial Celestials arrived on Earth to perform genetic experiments on the nascent human race. To test the adaptability of the human gene, the Celestials accelerated the evolution of a handful of subjects and gave them the genetic potential to mentally manipulate limited quantities of cosmic energy, as well as other superhuman traits. Thus, the Celestials created the race of Eternals. The Celestials also performed experiments on Earth that led to the creation of the genetically unstable Deviants, and to the implantation of latent genetic material in the general run of humanity's ancestors that would one day permit benevolent mutations in human beings.

At first, the Eternals' genetic potential for extraordinarily long lifespans and virtual invulnerability due to cosmic energy lay dormant (though they possessed enhanced physical prowess and semi-longevity). A devastating civil war eventually broke out among the first known generation of Eternals. The two opposing factions, one led by Kronos (whose name is also spelled "Chronos") and one by his brother Uranos, clashed in a conflict of ideologies over their people's destiny. Kronos's side prevailed, and the warlike Uranos and his surviving band of followers were exiled into outer space. The exiles found an abandoned military outpost left by the alien Kree on the planet now known as Uranus and used it to construct a spaceship in which they attempted to return to Earth and renew their war with their brethren. Four Eternals stayed on Uranus and gave rise to colonies of Uranian Eternals. However, the native Uranians (called Aboriginoids) had allowed the Uranian Eternals to colonize the planet under strict conditions. The Aboriginoids would feed off by-products of the Uranus colonies and the Eternals swore never to leave the planet, making them penal colonies. Feeling trapped, the Eternals eventually believed they found a loophole in the agreement that would allow them to leave Uranus if they were invited elsewhere. Longing to return to the world of their forefathers, during the 20th century, the Eternals welcomed German scientist Horace Grayson and his infant son Bob as part of a long-term plan to return to Earth. Bob grew up in the colonies and was sent to Earth as their ambassador Marvel Boy to pave the way for Earth inviting them home and freeing them from Uranus. Unfortunately for the Eternals, the Aboriginoids didn't appreciate the subtle loophole in their agreement. They destroyed the colonies from within, leading to the death of most Uranian Eternals just as Marvel Boy was returning home to Uranus.

While the four Eternals remained behind on Uranus to colonize it, Uranos and his followers were attacked by a Kree armada before reaching Earth. The survivors among Uranos's band crash-landed on Saturn's moon Titan and built a civilization of Titanian Eternals. One of Uranos's followers, Aflok, was taken by the Kree for vivisection. Learning that the being had derived from Earth, the Kree determined to perform genetic experiments on Earth's pre-humans themselves. Their experiments would result in the Inhumans.

Later, Kronos was working in his laboratory in the Earth Eternals' city of Titanos on an experiment with cosmic energy when he accidentally caused an explosion that demolished Titanos and subjected the Eternals to a cosmic particle bombardment. This irradiation activated the latent genes in the Earth Eternals that gave them their long lifespans, virtual invulnerability, manipulation of the cosmic energy bolstering their life force, and enabled them to pass these active genes down to the children produced by any mated couple of Earth Eternals. There is as yet no known example of an Eternal and a human mate together producing a child with Eternal superhuman traits. Kronos's atoms were scattered, but his astral form expanded to godlike proportions and survives on this plane of reality.

After Kronos's physical death, his eldest sons, Zuras and A’Lars, initiated the first creation of the Uni-Mind, a collective melding of the minds and bodies of the Eternals. While in the form of the Uni-Mind, the Eternals determined that Zuras should be Kronos's successor as their leader. To avoid disunity among the Eternals, A’Lars, who differed with Zuras as to what the Eternals' goals should be, left for outer space. Eventually, A’Lars arrived on Titan, where he mated with Sui-San, the last survivor of a civil war among the Eternals there. Together Alars and Sui-San repopulated Titan. However, since Sui-San was not present on Earth during Kronos's cosmic energy explosion, their children were not as powerful or long-lived as the Eternals of Earth, but they were stronger and longer-lived than the Eternals previously living on Titan. A’Lars renamed himself Mentor, and the race of Titanian Eternals, although recently greatly reduced in number, still exists today.

Zuras directed the construction of the principal city of the Eternals, Olympia, in a mountainous region in Greece. Two other major Eternal cities were founded: Polaria in Siberia and Oceana in the Pacific. Many Eternals have lived among ordinary human beings over the centuries.

Olympia lay near the principal nexus between Earth's dimension and that of the Olympian gods on Mount Olympus. Zuras and Zeus, leader of the Olympian gods, made a mutual non-interference pact between their two races. The people of ancient Greece and Roma often confused the Olympian Eternals with the Olympian gods. Over the centuries the Eternals have continually fought the Deviants' attempts to gain power.

In later years, the Fourth Host of the Celestials arrived on Earth to judge humanity. Fearing that the Celestials would destroy Earth if they judged against its people, Zuras led the Eternals against the Celestials, who retaliated by killing him. The Celestials judged in Earth's favor and left Earth. Zuras's daughter Thena contacted Zuras's spirit before it left this plane reality, and thus learned that the Eternals were to leave Earth to explore space now that the Celestials had departed. Virtually all of Earth's Eternals left for space in the form of the Uni-Mind. However, the Eternals' collective consciousness in the Uni-Mind decreed, that a small number of Eternals who were particularly involved in Earthly matters remain behind. Among the Eternals known to still live on Earth are Thena, their new ruler, Ikaris, Sersi, Makkari; the Forgotten One, Kingo Sunen, Sprite, Cybele, Phastos, Khoryphca, and Interloper.

Powers: The life force of all the Eternals of Earth is augmented by cosmic energy. Moreover, each of the Eternals of Earth maintains a virtually unbreakable mental control over the processes and structure of his or her body, even when he or she is asleep or unconscious. As a result, the Eternals of Earth have lifespans that last for at least thousands of years, are immune to disease and aging, are virtually indestructible, and, if somehow injured, can regenerate injured or missing organic tissue. There are only two known means by which Earth Eternals can actually die. One is through an injury that disperses a significant portion of the Eternal's body molecules; the other involves overwhelming and breaking the Eternal's mental hold over his or her own body. Once this hold is broken, then the Eternal can be injured or killed through conventional means. An Eternal's control over his or her body allows him or her to appear at whatever age he or she wishes. Hence, although many known Eternals have lived for at least several thousand years, they appear to be in their twenties. Cosmic energy bolsters the metabolism of Eternals so they do not tire from physical exertion. Through mental concentration, they can resist temperature extremes.

Eternals are born with the potential for various superhuman abilities. Although an Eternal may be born with less potential for one ability than another, he or she can overcome that difference through training, Eternals develop their superhuman abilities through training and discipline over their long lives. Each Eternal is guided by personal desires in deciding how far to develop a specific ability. Sersi, for example, is acknowledged to have developed her talent for matter rearrangement far more than any other known Eternal has.

All Eternals have superhuman strength, and an average Eternal can lift (press) about 15 tons without using his or her mental powers to negate the force of gravity on whatever he or she is lifting. Eternals can levitate themselves by mentally manipulating gravitons (subatomic particles carrying the force of gravitational attraction between atoms) around them. An Eternal can also levitate other persons or objects while simultaneously levitating himself or herself. Eternals can "fly" at great speed through levitation, and the average Eternal can thus travel at 600 miles per hour. Eternals can mentally create illusions so as to disguise themselves. They can also psionically manipulate atoms and molecules so as to manipulate and shape matter. However, this ability is highly limited in most Eternals.

Eternals can project cosmic energy in the form of beams from their eyes or beams or flashes from their hands. This cosmic energy, stored in specialized enclaves of cells in their bodies, can be used as force, heat, light, and possibly other forms of electromagnetic energy. An average Eternal can project a maximum concussive force of at least 200 pounds per square inch and heat reaching a maximum temperature of 2000° Fahrenheit. The maximum effective range for an average Eternal's energy beams seems to be about 176 feet. The expenditure of cosmic energy in this way continually for several hours will temporally deplete an Eternal's physical strength, but not his or her resistance to injury, although it will temporarily increase his or her sensitivity to pain. However, the Eternal will rapidly return to normal after such lengthy energy expenditure is over. Several Eternals are also known to be able to teleport themselves psionically.

The Eternals have an extremely low birthrate among themselves, having one child every millennium or so. However, those Eternals who choose to mate with ordinary human beings often have children much more frequently, although these children will not themselves be Eternals. Hence, the population level of the Eternals has remained very stable over thousands of years.

YOUNG GODS

 

YOUNG GODS

Roster: Bright Sword (Carter Dyam), Caduceus (Mark Cadmon), Calculus (Jahaharel Patel), Daydreamer (Catherine Moranis), Genii (Jason Kimball), Harvest (Chi Lo), Highnote (Raoul Hernandez), Mindsinger (Gregor Buhkarov), Moonstalker (Kiana), Sea Witch (Bridget O'Hare), Splice (Chandra Ku), and Varua (Mira)

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #202-203, August-September 1972 (Genii and Bright Sword); The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #300, October 1980 (remaining members)

Powers: The Young Gods are a dozen Earth humans chosen by Gaea, mother spirit of Earth, and the various pantheons of gods over the last 1,000 years to prepare for the Fourth Host of the Celestials. Most were held in suspended animation until the coming of the Host, when they were presented to the Celestials as an example of humanity's greatest potential. They were accepted, had their superhuman powers fully unlocked, and taken under the guidance of the Celestials' servants for training.

Varua was born in 15th century Polynesia. She has developed psychic abilities including levitation, clairvoyance, precognition, telepathy, and teleportation. She has a spiritual intuition which expands her senses so that she can be aware of coming events or situations of particular significance. Her teleportation abilities are strong enough to carry herself and others across intergalactic space. She also has the ability to form the Uni-Mind, much like high-ranking Eternals do. Varua produces a blue flame of energy that makes her the receptive center of the Uni-Mind, after which other members of the Young Gods can make contact with her and they all will merge into the floating Uni-Mind construct, where their thoughts and viewpoints merge into a cohesive whole.

Bright Sword was a modern-era Israeli soldier. He was given superhuman strength, endurance, reaction time, and resistance to physical impact. Bright Sword wears a suit of metallic armor that further protects him from injury, and can project a short lance of energy from his gauntlet which can be used as a plasma sword in combat.

Caduceus is an American physician from the early decades of 20th century Chicago. He is primarily a healer, capable of producing bio-energy that cleanses diseases and viruses, repairs physical injuries, and can even properly undo psychic damage done to the mind and expel outside mental influences. His power can also be used as a "booster" effect to temporarily increase the vitality and physical prowess of others, or reverse the effect to leech strength from people to physically weaken them or render them unconscious.

Genii is a modern-day American. His power allows him to animate and manipulate unliving materials. This can act for practical purposes as telekinesis or molecular manipulations. He can levitate matter and cause it to move on its own accord, and can reshape raw materials into different shapes that he visualizes. Genii could, for instance, animate a pile of sand and mud into a statue of a horse, then compel the statue to run and move just like a real animal. Genii accomplishes his effects by projecting his own life energy partially into the matter he is manipulating -- this limits the amount of matter he can animate at a time and could possibly cause a psychic backlash if something he is manipulating is destroyed.

Sea Witch was a 12th century Irish barmaid. She was given amphibious abilities, allowing her to breathe underwater, swim at great speeds, survive the greater ocean pressures, and see more into the green spectrum of light to modify her vision for underwater activity. She could also manipulate water in solid, liquid, or gaseous forms. Sea Witch could generate waves, waterspouts, directional currents, whirlpools, and any other aquatic phenomena she could imagine. Presumably, her powers could also be used to dehydrate objects, coalesce liquid water out of vapor in the atmosphere, among other tricks.

Highnote was a 19th century Spaniard. He developed sonic abilities, allowing him to produce a wide range of sub- and super-sonic frequencies by modulating his vocal chords. He could produce deafening wails, concentrated blasts of sound which carried physical impact or could shatter or disintegrate objects at a molecular level, or even employ highly controlled sonic waves to lift and manipulate objects from a distance. Somehow, Highnote was capable of teleportation as well, producing sonic waves which transported him and his teammates across the galaxy.

Daydreamer is a 19th century Canadian farm woman. She is able to manipulate minds in different ways, such as controlling the actions of other people or projecting psychic visions into their consciousness. These visions can share information she or others have with her target, warp their minds to drive them mad or render them comatose, alter their perceptions of reality, or even reconstruct their entire life history with a false set of memories and identity. Daydreamer once used her powers to make the Gwen Stacy clone believe she was a woman named Joyce Delaney. There was no such woman, even though Daydreamer believed there to be, which means the "Joyce Delaney" identity the clone developed was a complete fabrication, probably developed from subconscious impressions both the clone and Daydreamer had over what the woman should be. She also had certain precognitive and psychic communication powers.

Mindsinger was from 18th century Russia. He is a polymorphic shape-shifter with the power of trans-substantiation, enabling him to alter his body into different physical constructions. Mindsinger can stretch portions of his body like taffy to increase his reach or shift his mass to one side in order to avoid harm. He can also absorb physical assaults to some degree, morphing with the impact to dampen its effectiveness. He can dramatically reshape his body into nonhuman objects, vehicles, or shapes, or form his hands into pincer claws, bludgeons, etc. He also has limited telepathic abilities.

Harvest is from modern-era Japan. She is able to telepathically communicate with and manipulate plant-life. She can sense changes to her natural environment, both recent and presently-occurring. Harvest can animate trees, bushes, grass, and other forms of vegetation, causing them to move and act according to her direction, or grow at a highly accelerated rate.

Calculus was chosen from 1940's India by a Hindu goddess. He was given a range of psychic powers much like Varua, including telepathy, levitation, illusion-casting, precognition, and self-teleportation. His intelligence has been enhanced as well and, as a naturally talented mathematician with precognitive powers, Calculus can measure future probabilities to predict the likelihood of different future events, then work to manipulate present day events properly in order to ensure different futures. He also serves as a strategist for the Young Gods, monitoring situations and telepathically projecting suggestions and analyses to his teammates.

Splice is from an 18th century Zulu tribe in Africa. Similar to Genii, she was able to manipulate matter, using bolts of transmogrifying energy fired from her eyes. Splice could rearrange molecules and transmute elements, converting raw materials into any object or device she could imagine, apparently permanently unless she chose to reverse the process. She was seen using her eye-beams to reconstruct vegetation and soil into highly complex technology. Splice could also animate uniform surfaces, such as causing giant hands to reach out of an otherwise smooth wall to grapple with her opponents.

Moonstalker is from an 11th century Inuit tribe. She is a speedster, possessing a metabolism adapted for running at probably a few hundred mph, and augmented perceptual abilities and reflexes that allow her to recognize threats or obstacles and react fast enough to avoid them. She can also blend in with her surroundings thanks to a camouflage power that renders her virtually invisible against any background.

CELESTIALS

 

CELESTIALS

Roster: Dreaming Celestial, Gammenon the Gatherer, Arishem the Judge, Nezarr the Calculator, Ashema the Listener, Jemiah the Analyzer, Eson the Searcher, One Above All, Exitar the Exterminator, Oneg the Prober, Ziran the Tester, Tefral the Surveyor, Hargen the Measurer, and several unnamed others

First Appearance: Eternals (Vol. 1) #2, August 1976

History & Powers: The Celestials are a race of extraterrestrial beings of humanoid form who possess untold cosmic power. Standing two thousand feet tall in full body armor, no being knows their planet of origin or what they look like without the armor. It has been theorized that the Celestials actually exist in hyperspace and that their armor is actually a channel which allows them to interact on various planes of existence. What is known about the Celestials is that they travel through space and manipulate the genetics of species on various worlds. They came to Earth over 1,000,000 years ago and performed genetic experiments on Earth’s highest lifeform: The nascent human beings. In order to test the adaptability of the human gene, the Celestials created two subspecies of the human race: The Eternals, who possess long lifespans and vast physical and cosmic energy-manipulation powers; and the Deviants, who possess an instability in their genetic code. The Celestials’ sole legacy to the mainstream human race was the implantation of a dormant DNA complex that would one day permit the emergence of superhuman abilities (mutants and altered human mutates). After performing their experiments, they left Earth. 

 

The Second Host of the Celestials arrived on Earth over 25,000 years ago to inspect the results of their first visit. They were sighted over the continent of Lemuria, the center of activity for the Deviants who had made human beings their slaves. The Deviants attacked the Celestials, who retaliated by unleashing a vastly powerful nuclear weapon that affected the earth’s plate tectonics. Repercussions of the explosion resulted in the continents of Lemuria and Atlantis sinking below the ocean and the division of Pangea. This event was referred to as the Great Cataclysm.
 
The Third Celestial Host arrived on Earth over 1,000 years ago. Their landing sight was arranged by the Eternals working in conjunction with the Incas of Peru. Upon their arrival, they were confronted by a contingency of Earth’s mythological gods from extra-dimensional realms. The gods were afraid that the Celestials had returned to judge humanity’s worthiness to survive. If the Celestials ruled against humanity, Earth would be destroyed. Among the gods were Odin of the Asgardian gods, Zeus of the Olympian gods, and Vishnu of the Hindu gods. The gods challenged the Celestials’ right to interfere in human affairs. The Celestials had threatened to permanently seal the gods’ dimensional portals to Earth if they interfered in Celestial matters again. Though the gods were forced to forego their involvement in the destiny of humanity, Odin planned an assault on the Celestials on their next visit.  

 

The Fourth Celestial Host came to Earth over 50 years ago to finally judge humanity now that the dormant DNA complex had finally emerged in humanity. Odin had created an invincible suit of armor called the Destroyer to battle the Celestials if humanity was judged against. The suit was operable so long as another being’s life force animated it. Odin joined forces with the Eternals, who joined together to create the Uni-Mind. Odin gathered all Asgardians, including himself, to animate the Destroyer. The Destroyer grew to the size of a Celestial and did battle with them. The Celestials obliterated the Destroyer with a single energy blast, dispersing the life forces that animated it. The Uni-Mind tried in vain as Arishem the Judge broke it apart with a wave of his hand, injuring all Eternals but killing only one. Earth’s mythological goddesses had found 12 human beings who represented the pinnacle of human genetic perfection. They showed them to the Elder Earth goddess Gaea, who presented these 12 humans to the Celestials as proof of humanity’s evolution. The Celestials ruled in favor of Earth and departed with the 12 humans who were called the “Young Gods”. The Asgardians were resurrected thanks to the Olympian god Zeus. 

 

20 years ago, the Celestials came to Earth to study the young mutant named Franklin Richards, the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four. Franklin possesses the mutant ability to manipulate and alter reality with his mind and created an entire pocket universe to save his family and the Avengers during a battle with the villain Onslaught. This feat placed him above the Celestials in power levels. The Celestials sent Ashema the Listener to Earth to show Franklin what he had created and force him to destroy either Earth or the universe he created. Franklin destroyed neither and returned the Fantastic Four and the Avengers to Earth. Ashema sacrificed her mind for the preservation of Franklin’s universe, which will exist within her mind forever. This allows the Celestials to get a first hand look into the structure and workings of humanity. Ashema remained in a catatonic state until revived.

No one knows the full extent of the Celestials’ power. They once withstood a full frontal attack from the collective might of the Asgardians and the Eternals. They are not indestructible, however. They once killed one of their brethren for breach of conduct. They have also been shown to resurrect the dead. The Celestials have erased themselves from the memories of most human beings in each of their visits. Only the Eternals, Deviants, the extra-dimensional gods, and a handful of humans remember the Celestials and the nature of each Celestial visitation.

LUKE CAGE

 

LUKE CAGE

Real Name: Carl Lucas (Legally changed to "Luke Cage")

First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero For Hire (Vol. 1) #1, June 1972

Powers: Luke Cage underwent an experimental process while in prison which involved submerging him in a high-frequency electric field conducted by an organic chemical liquid. The process was designed as a chemical method to promote human cell regeneration as an aid against disease and aging. Cage's treatment was accelerated past its intent, inducing a body-wide mutagenic enhancement. Despite possessing normal height and proportions, Cage now weighs over 400 lbs, as his entire body is now composed of a much denser and sturdier form of carbon matter. Cage has Superhuman Class 25 strength and can punch through barriers as thick as four-inch steel plate. His skin is steel-hard and his muscles and bone tissue super-dense. He can withstand conventional handgun fire at a range of four feet and cannot be cut by the sharpest of blades, although in the event of required surgery his skin can be lacerated by an overpowered medical laser. He can withstand up to one-ton impacts or blasts of 150 pounds of TNT without serious injury, and is impervious to temperature extremes and electrical shocks. His recovery time from injury or trauma is usually one-third that of an ordinary human. His skin is virtually impervious to penetration or damage from anything weaker than Adamantium, and his internal structure is equally resistant to all forms of assault or injury.

Luke Cage is a self-taught combatant with years of street-fighting experience, and a superb athlete despite his great height and weight. He is self-educated in the law and fluent in several languages. He owns a leather jacket which, like his skin, is virtually impervious to damage; however, he wears it infrequently and is customarily left with shredded clothing in the wake of his adventures.

MISTY KNIGHT

 

MISTY KNIGHT

Real Name: Mercedes Kelly Knight

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 1) #1, March 1972 (as unnamed woman); Marvel Premiere (Vol. 1) #21, March 1975 (as Misty Knight)

Powers: Mercedes “Misty” Knight was a police lieutenant with the New York City Police Department who lost her right arm while trying to dispose of a bomb. Her arm was amputated and replaced with a bionic steel arm originally designed by Stark International, but improvements and updates have been provided by Forge, Rand Enterprises and other contractors.

The original bionic arm was intended as a prosthetic, not a weapon. As a result, its primary feature was its ability to appear like a normal flesh-and-blood arm without alerting others. Beneath a synthetic layer of flesh, the arm was made out of metal and therefore stronger than a normal arm. However, practical matters prevented it from giving Misty true super-strength. Only Misty's arm was bionic: While it could lift and support immense weight, her spine and legs could not. Trying to lift more weight than she could normally would crush her still human physiology under the pressure. Misty Knight's bionic arm did have a vice-like grip, though, able to crush steel, and she could deliver powerful, piledriver-like blows of force.

Years later, Misty began using a more ostentatious bionic arm, no longer trying to hide its artificial nature but incorporating more features into it. This new arm was comprised of Antarctic Vibranium encased in a layer of diamond alloy. This not only made the arm virtually impervious, it also allowed Misty to selectively deploy the metal-melting properties of the Anti-Metal by retracting the diamond casing. This enabled her to liquefy metal in close quarters when she wished. Misty could also generate magnetic fields. She could not, however, manipulate magnetism with skill, only generate it. As a result, she worked best deploying her magnetism for brute force effects like repelling anything metal nearby, or attracting metal objects in close. Anything more selective or delicate would require some concentration and chance. The arm was controlled using a neural-cybernetic interface between Misty's brain and the arm. Retractable cyberjacks enabled Misty to extend this interface to other electronic systems, using her arm to override digital locks, hack into computer systems, etc. Other one-time features seen include a force beam, freeze beam, and a form of short-range anti-gravity thrust.

Misty Knight is an excellent marksman with conventional weapons and has superb detective skills. She is a good athlete with considerable knowledge of martial arts.

NAMORITA

 

NAMORITA

Real Name: Namorita Prentiss

First Appearance: Sub-Mariner (Vol. 1) #50, June 1972

Powers: Though a member of the human sub-species Homo Sapiens Mermanus, Namorita is actually the clone of her own "mother", Namora. Namora was having difficulty conceiving a child, and went to the exiled geneticist Vyrra for help. Vyrra created a clone from Namora's own cells, genetically altered it in certain ways, and implanted it as a fetus in her uterus. Thus, Namora effectively gave birth to herself.

Namorita was originally blue-skinned like her father, but upon puberty shifted to the pink skin Namora and her cousin Namor possess. Namorita has most of the conventional attributes of Homo Mermanus: Superhuman strength, swimming speed, endurance, reflexes, vision, hearing, and durability. Her dense musculature allows her to withstand deep sea pressures, augmented vision to penetrate murky ocean depths, and specialized blood circulation to endure freezing temperatures; when exposed to sufficiently virulent poisons, she automatically entered into a death-like state until her body was purged of toxins.
Namorita's lungs presumably contain oxygen-diffusing membranes, or lamellae, allowing her to extract oxygen from water as she inhales it; she can thus survive indefinitely either underwater or on land, but she must periodically make skin contact with water, preferably by immersion, to keep her powers replenished. Although Namorita lacks the fully developed gills of typical Atlanteans, she presumably possesses vestigial, partially functional gills behind her ears that are nonetheless somehow essential to her respiration.

She also has Namor's ankle wings enabling her to fly up to 35 miles per hour and the ability to re-channel electricity. She has never demonstrated his radar sense or marine telepathy, though. Her strength level fluctuates in and out of water as Namor's does, but her upper level is approximately Superhuman Class 75.

Eventually, Namorita's genetically unstable clone DNA caused her to mutate, and she reverted to an Atlantean throwback state. She developed the blue skin of her people in addition to webbed fingers and small fins extending from the backs of her thighs. She took to calling herself "Kymaera", after a legendary Atlantean ghost-shark. Her new skin eventually cracked and peeled, shedding off to reveal her former pink-skinned, webbing and fin-less self. This reverse transformation gave her new powers in the process, though. Namorita could now turn herself invisible, bending light waves around her body. She can also secrete a powerful acid from her pores or a neurotoxin which temporarily paralyzes her opponents on contact.