Magma (comics)

Magma (real name Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla; also known as Alison Crestmere^[1]) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. Like all the other New Mutants, Amara originally appeared as a young mutant aspiring to become a hero. Amara, a mutant with the ability to generate lava, joins the New Mutants and becomes Magma.^[2]

Publication history

Magma was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8 (October 1983), appearing in that title regularly through New Mutants #62 (1988). Along with the other New Mutants, she appeared as an occasional supporting character in Uncanny X-Men, with issue #189 (1985) as a salient issue featuring her conflict with Selene at the Hellfire Club. After departing the New Mutants to return to her homeland of Nova Roma, Magma appeared infrequently during the 1990s, but did take part in the "Child's Play" crossover through X-Force #32-33 and New Warriors #45-46 (1994). In X-Force #87-90 (1997), Magma appeared as an antagonist to her former teammates, but her villainous personality was short-lived as she returned to her affiliation with the X-Men in semi-regular publication in New Mutants vol. 2 #3-4, #7-8, #11 and #13 (2003-2004) and as a team member in X-Treme X-Men #34-46 (2004). Magma then featured prominently as a member of the 198 remaining mutants on earth in the limited series X-Men: The 198 #1-5 (2006) and then in Young X-Men #1-6 (2008) until returning to regular monthly publication in New Mutants vol. 3 #1 (2009) wherein she remained as a regular character through issue #50 (2012).

Fictional character biography

Early life

Magma (Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla) hails from the fictional country of Nova Roma (New Rome), a colony of the Roman Republic reportedly founded shortly after the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The colony is hidden in the Amazon Rainforests of modern Brazil and was ruled until recently by the immortal witch Selene. Amara is the daughter of Lucius Antonius Aquilla. He was presumably a member of the historical gens Antonia which claimed descent from Anton, son of Hercules. Growing up in Nova Roma, she had curly blonde hair, and wore a traditional white Roman toga.

Caught up in a deadly power struggle between Selene and her father, Amara disguises herself as a Brazilian Indian, and is captured by the New Mutants, who soon discover her true ethnicity.^[3] Amara is abducted by followers of Selene, who throws her into a lava pool, causing her powers to manifest.^[2] Amara is defeated by Selene, but later rescued by the New Mutants.^[4] At her father's urging she leaves Nova Roma, in the company of the New Mutants, to be taught by Charles Xavier.^[5]

New Mutants

After the New Mutants visit Nova Roma, Magma officially enters Xavier's school and joins the New Mutants.^[6] She invades the Hellfire Club's New York headquarters to battle Selene.^[7] She is fooled into joining a gladiatorial competition run by the insane Shadow King. She partners with Sunspot. Eventually, the efforts of her other friends free her and Sunspot from the cult-like control of the games.^[8]

Mistaking the New Mutants for the X-Men, the Enchantress kidnaps them during their Greek vacation and takes them to Asgard. The teleportation spell created by her teammate Magik goes awry when blocked by the Enchantress' own power. Thrown through time and space, Magma ends up in the elven realm. They trick her into eating and drinking, thus making her one of their own, body and mind. She participates in a raid on the Asgardian dwarves, where she is defeated by Cannonball. The dwarves, grateful to Cannonball, restore Magma's mind, but they cannot restore her body. This becomes moot when the team is sent back home, with all magical alterations reversed.^[9]

After a time, Magma recognizes her grandmother, "many times removed" in a statue depicting the ancient lunar deity Selene. The witch Selene approaches her to claim having been both the model for the statue and the ancestor in question.^[10] Magma and the New Mutants clash with Emma Frost and her super-powered teens, the Hellions on multiple occasions. Despite the cruelties displayed by the Hellion Empath, Magma develops an attraction towards him. She recognizes this and is distressed by her feelings. Soon after, Magma leaves the New Mutants and joins the Hellions.^[11]

Hellions

She trains with the Hellions, and returns to South America with Empath.^[12] She later reveals to the New Mutants that her father arranged her engagement to a South American prince. She is captured by the High Evolutionary's agents Dr. Stack and Purge, but is rescued by the New Mutants.^[13] Some time later, she encounters Hercules, discovering he is one of the gods she worshiped.^[14]

It is later revealed that Nova Roma is not Roman, but was created by Selene using mind control on British citizens to recreate Rome, and that Magma's real name is Allison Crestmere. While still under the influence of the "Allison" persona, she briefly resurfaces as a member of the New Hellions.

Return and going

Later, she is one of the mutants who appears crucified on the X-Men's lawn. While she is saved by a transfusion of Archangel's blood, when she goes to sleep, she lapses into a deep coma. She is forcibly revived by Elixir, a traumatic event which prompts her to destroy the infirmary and flee in a rage. Further telepathic contact with Magma is rebuffed.^[15]

Rejoining the X-Men

When she eventually arrives in Los Angeles, as Amara once more, she meets up with Cannonball, who had joined a splinter team of X-Men. She aids this team for a time, and when "Allison" is brought up by Cannonball, revealing that Elixir's healing had removed the "Allison" personality, she now realizes that it was, in fact, the true deception.

Amara returns to the school for a while. When her friend Wolfsbane had to leave, Magma takes over her advisory role, becoming the leader of the Paragons.

Magma is part of the X-Treme Sanctions Executive, although she is never seen as taking part of any missions on-panel.

Post M-Day

Due to the events of House of M and the Decimation of mutants, Magma loses her boyfriend while the two are exploring the inside of a volcano at the exact moment that the depowering wave of the Scarlet Witch runs across Earth. His death temporarily drives her insane causing her to make the volcano erupt and attack a nearby town. She is later apprehended by Empath and brought to the Xavier Institute where she shares a tent with Skids and Outlaw. She is also being manipulated emotionally by the mutant Johnny Dee who is infatuated with her. Because of previous experience with being emotionally controlled, she incorrectly blames Empath who denies her accusations.^[16]

Young X-Men

Along with former New Mutants, Danielle Moonstar, Cannonball, and Sunspot, Magma appeared to be a member of the newest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, as claimed by Cyclops.^[17] She is one of the first members targeted by the new team of X-Men, composed primarily of former Xavier Institute students.^[18] During the battle, Amara turns Dust into glass by superheating her sand form, shatters Rockslide (who later reforms), and is eventually taken out by Wolf Cub. She is held in a holding cell in the custody of Cyclops. It is eventually revealed that "Cyclops" is in reality Donald Pierce, the former White King of the Hellfire Club, who is posing as the X-Men leader using an image inducer.^[19] Pierce's reasons for recruiting these "X-Men" is currently unknown, but it was revealed that Pierce utilized the ruse that Magma and her allies formed a new Brotherhood in order to convince the former students to attack their former teachers and allies. She later helps to capture him and then relocates to San Francisco.^[20]

Reforming the New Mutants

After receiving an anonymous tip in Colorado about a young mutant endangering a small town, Dani and Shan are sent to investigate and calm the locals. During their mission, Magik reappears back at the X-Men's base in San Francisco after teleporting off into the future after the events of "X-Infernus". Upon her return, Magik informs Sam and Roberto that Shan and Dani are in trouble, a situation that will result in their deaths. Amara is visiting with Empath in his cell when she is called away by Sam. Amara questions as to whether Illyana is the real Illyana. Sam assembles a team of X-Men consisting of himself, Sunspot, Magma, and Magik to go find Dani and Shan. While en route, Illyana asks Magma why she visits Empath in his cell since he tried to kill her friends and asks if she still loves him. Magma stumbles to answer and Magik accuses her of still having feelings for Empath. Magik then tells Magma that she will help cure Empath if Magma wishes and will keep the whole thing a secret from the others.

While searching for Shan and Dani in Colorado, the girls split up and Sam and Roberto come across a tied up and unconscious Shan in the back of a bar, while Magik and Magma are tricked into freeing Legion from a box.^[21] The personalities in Legion's mind want to kill Dani because she can help Legion get them under control.^[22] Legion locates Dani in a jail cell and is about to kill her when Sam stops him. Legion is forced outside where he distracts Sam and Sunspot while again trying to kill Dani, only to be stopped by Magma and Magik.^[23] After Legion takes out Sunspot, Magma attacks Legion, who manages to counter her attacks by making her feel extremely cold, taking her out of the fight.^[24]

Utopia

Magma is mentioned by Pixie as one of the first mutants being teleported to Utopia, the X-Men's new island home.^[25] She is later seen alongside Match during the final fight against Norman Osborn's forces, throwing fire at Venom, as well as lighting a small area on fire around Colossus during his fight with Venom.^[26]

Necrosha

Magma is targeted by Selene, who wants her dead.^[27] Selene sends Magma's former teammate Cypher to kill her. After breaking into her room, he surprises Amara, viciously beating her unconscious and dragging her body to the kitchen for Amara's teammates to see before he engages them in battle.^[28] During the fight, the deceased Hellions show up to reclaim Doug while the New Mutants teleport away.^[29] The New Mutants split up, with Dani and Sunspot taking Amara to Utopia's medical lab. On the way they are attacked by Feral, who is quickly taken out by Sunspot and Dani. Upon arriving at the lab, Doctor Nemesis injects Amara with a serum which activates her powers and heals most of her wounds.^[30]

While she is still recovering from her wounds, Doug arrives to apologize. At first Amara tells him to leave, but he convinces Amara to hear him out by communicating with her in a special language he designed for her. She then thanks him and welcomes him back.^[31]

Second Coming

When Cable and Hope Summers arrive back from the future, Bastion and his Purifiers attempt to kill them.^[32] The New Mutants are sent to gather intel on weapons being produced by Cameron Hodge in St. Louis.^[33] After arriving back on Utopia, Amara hears a series of explosions, and she, Namor, and X-23 find that Donald Pierce has destroyed the X-Men's hangar.^[34] Amara then goes with a team of X-Men to help out in San Francisco when the city is surrounded by a giant, impenetrable dome. Upon discovering a giant sphere on the Golden Gate Bridge, the X-Men investigate and several Nimrod Sentinels emerge.^[35] After defeating the first fleet of Nimrods, Amara stands guard with several other X-Men, awaiting more.^[36]

The Fall and Rise of the New Mutants

After the events of the "Second Coming" storyline, the New Mutants take a vacation, which is interrupted when Magik discovers that Pixie has been kidnapped.^[37] After traveling Limbo for days searching for her, the New Mutants are attacked by the mutant babies gathered during "Inferno", now adults working with the military faction that kidnapped Pixie. During the fight, Amara is the last to be captured.^[38]

Powers and abilities

Magma, when fully lit.

Magma is a mutant with geothermal powers. These grant her the ability to control the movement of earth and tectonic plates, even to the extent of causing seismic upheaval. She can also call forth molten rock from the Earth's core, producing projectiles composed of lava, or miniature volcanoes. When using her powers, Magma typically assumes an energized form that emits intense light and heat. She can also create orbs of a fire-like substance and use them as projectiles or a source of light. Although Magma has triggered small earth tremors without taking on her energized form, she has never been seen to use her power to control lava while in her ordinary human appearance. On M-Day, she traveled within the heated gases of an active volcano, and demonstrates an immunity to volcanic gases, heat, and flame.

In addition, Amara possesses certain regenerative powers when in contact with the ground. Even when she was once affected by Selene's life-draining touch, she recovered quickly enough to aid the New Mutants in battle.^[4] If she is not in contact with the ground or the physical shock to her system from a single injury is too great, the regenerative power is no longer in effect and she may die.^[21] Dr. Nemesis discovered that Magma is also able to recover from laceration wounds in her human form by changing to her energized form, the intense heat cauterizing and sealing any wounds.

Due to her Nova Roman heritage, Magma is well versed in Roman culture, including the Latin language, and is a skilled swordswoman.

Other versions

Ultimate Marvel

Ultimate Magma is featured as a former mutant prisoner of Camp: Angel and joined Kitty Pryde's resistance in the Ultimate Marvel title, Ultimate Comics: X-Men.^[39]

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse, Amara, like many other young mutants, is recruited by Apocalypse and became one of his assassins. Fanatical and in total control of her powers, Magma is sent to London to eliminate the leadership of the Human High Council. The attack is foiled by Weapon X (Logan), who kills Amara. The assassination attempt is actually a provocation on Apocalypse's behalf, who wants the Council to amass its fleets, making them more vulnerable to be destroyed.^[40]

Days of Future Past

In an alternate version of the Days of Future Past future, a war between mutants and baseline humans, started by the latter, results in a mutant victory thanks to an alliance between Xavier's Institute and the Hellfire Club. Magma and Sunspot become the Chief Arbitrators of the Lords Cardinal, and create an idyllic state for mutants, while regular humans are left to fend for themselves. Mutants born to baseline humans are taken from their parents and those who oppose Magma and Sunspot are brainwashed by the Hellfire Club's agents.^[41]

X-Men: The End

Magma is seen fighting alongside the other X-Men against the Warskrulls who invade the mansion.

In other media

Television

• In the cartoon X-Men: Evolution, Magma is an Afro-Brazilian student with no apparent connection to Nova Roma, and a member of the X-Men subset known as the New Mutants. She is a rather shy and insecure girl, though with a quite fiery temper if she ever gets angry, and who also had a strong friendship with fellow New Mutant Tabitha Smith a.k.a. Boom Boom, and a budding relationship with Sam Guthrie. A special episode featuring a vacation trip to the Bahamas focuses on Magma in particular; during this trip, Magma's association with volcanoes is clearly emphasized. She was voiced by Alexandra Carter.
• In the cartoon Wolverine and the X-Men, Amara (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) appears in the episode "Thieves Gambit", as a teenage girl whose powers flare out of control. She is chased by the MRD, as part of Senator Kelly's plan to have a scene of "a mutant putting the public in danger". Wolverine places a power dampening collar created by Forge around her to save her. She later returns it to him as she boards an aircraft sent to pick her up.^[42]

Video games

• In the video game X-Men Legends, Magma (portrayed by Cree Summer) is the main protagonist of the game. She is a new inductee in Xavier's school in the game's storyline and is depicted as an American girl under the name Alison Crestmere. She was first seen being dragged away by a soldier working for the Genetic Research and Security Organization when Mystique and Blob of the Brotherhood of Mutants arrived to claim her. She was saved by Wolverine and Cyclops and taken to the X-Mansion where she quickly became a student. Later in the game, Professor Xavier offered her (and she accepted) a spot as the newest member of the X-Men team. It was later revealed on Asteroid M by Mystique that she was their backup plan to power the Gravitron should the Brotherhood fail to rescue Magneto. While not initially usable in missions, she becomes a prominent member of the team and a vital key to victory.

References

External links

• Magma (Amara Aquilla) at the Marvel Universe wiki
• UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on Magma