History
Early Life[]
Born in Minsk, Belarus, Laynia Petrovna, the daughter of renowned nuclear physicist Dr. Sergei Krylov and his wife Marya Krylova was inadvertently exposed to radiation during an experiment, triggering her latent mutant abilities. Following her mother's tragic death in childbirth, Laynia's survival remained concealed from her father, as both she and her twin brother Nikolai Krylenko were taken into custody by the Soviet state. Raised under state care, their burgeoning superhuman capabilities caught the attention of Professor Piotr Phobos, who supervised their training at a government-operated school for Russian mutants.[1]
Champions of Los Angeles[]
She became a part of a Soviet super team recruited to bring the Black Widow back to the USSR.[5] Instead, she switched sides and joined the Black Widow's then-current team, the Champions of Los Angeles, remaining with the team until it disbanded.[6] While a member of the Champions, she and Bobby Drake, the former X-Man known as Iceman, came close to entering into a romantic relationship, but Laynia liked Iceman as a friend, and not as a love interest.[7] Darkstar and the Champions were honored at UCLA for their role in freeing the U.S. from Doctor Doom's control. Amid tight security, they learn Bruce Banner is nearby, potentially endangering the President. The Angel confronted the Hulk, who struggled with his memory. Iceman and Ghost Rider join the fray, followed by Darkstar teleporting Black Widow and Hercules. Despite their efforts, the Hulk, burdened by a car, defends himself. Eventually, he gently places the car down and revealed he was rushing Jennifer Walters, his cousin, to the hospital for a burst appendix. Feeling remorse, the Champions apologized and let him on his way.[8]
Darkstar and the team worked with Iron Man to track down M.O.D.O.K.. Iron Man was attacked by Guardian robots before realizing it was an energy relay station causing a blackout on the East Coast. Unable to warn Darkstar and the Champions, M.O.D.O.K. faced Ghost Rider until Black Widow intervened. They split into teams to investigate AIM bases. Black Widow's team was captured, Iceman's team encountered AIM agents and sea creatures, and Iron Man faced a setup with Stryke. They regrouped, rescued Darkstar, and confronted M.O.D.O.K. at the AIM base. M.O.D.O.K. summoned Once-Humans, but the Champions defeated them. Iron Man overloaded with energy, broke free, and seemingly destroyed M.O.D.O.K.. Darkstar was hospitalized for treatment.[9]
Darkstar quit the Champions and returned to Russia, leaving behind a devastated Iceman.[10]
Soviet Super-Soldiers[]
Darkstar joined forces with the renowned Soviet Super-Soldiers, embarking on a path of heroism alongside her over-protective twin brother, Vanguard, and the formidable Crimson Dynamo. Their alliance forged a formidable team, ready to defend the interests of the Soviet Union and beyond. One of their most notable missions catapulted them into an interstellar showdown on the Blue Area of the moon, where they clashed with none other than Iron Man and Jack of Hearts.[11] However, what began as a confrontation soon morphed into an unexpected alliance when they found themselves united against a common foe. Renegade Rigellians, under the command of the formidable Commander Arcturus Rann, posed a grave threat to Earth. In the face of this extraterrestrial menace, Darkstar and her comrades demonstrated their valor and resourcefulness, standing shoulder to shoulder with their erstwhile adversaries to repel the Rigellian incursion. Through courage, cunning, and cooperation, they emerged victorious, solidifying their place not just as defenders of the Soviet Union, but as heroes of the world.[12]
Darkstar, Vanguard, alongside the formidable bear-like mutant Ursa Major, found themselves dispatched by the KGB on a mission of paramount importance: to take down the enigmatic Presence.[1] Little did they anticipate the revelations that awaited them. Amidst the battle, the siblings discovered a startling truth - Sergei, was their long-lost father. Darkstar and her allies unraveled a sinister plot orchestrated by none other than Professor Phobos, whose manipulation had ensnared not only the Super-Soldiers but threatened to destabilize the very fabric of their mission. Undeterred by the weight of revelation, Darkstar battled on. Guided by her unwavering sense of justice, she played a pivotal role in liberating Sergei and Tania Belinsky's Red Guardian from Phobos' plans. In a climactic showdown, Darkstar used her Darkforce powers to vanquish Phobos, ensuring that justice prevailed and the legacy of the Super-Soldiers remained untarnished.[13]
Following orders from the Soviet government, the Soviet Super-Soldiers were deployed to Khystym to confront the Gremlin. Initially engaging in conflict with the Space Knights Rom and Starshine, they soon unite forces against the common threat posed by the Dire Wraiths. Surprisingly, the Super-Soldiers forge dan unexpected bond with the Gremlin, opting for friendship over confrontation.[14][15] Later during the Wraith invasion, they faced opposition from Darkstar and the Soviet Super-Soldiers, New Defenders, Avengers, X-Men and Wraith Hunter-Rangers. Rom breaks free from a stasis spell and, after aiding in the skirmish, joins forces with Forge in space.[16]
Following this, the Soviet Super-Soldiers pledge to aid in apprehending Magneto, aiming to bring him to justice for his crimes. In their pursuit, they clash with the Avengers, only to later turn against the Crimson Dynamo upon uncovering his manipulation of events.[17]
Darkstar, Vanguard, and Ursa Major defected to the United States, seeking political asylum. Arriving at Avengers Island, seeking Captain America's assistance. However, they are viciously attacked by the Supreme Soviets, masquerading as Avengers, leaving them gravely injured. In a remarkable turn, the comatose subconscious minds of the Super-Soldiers amalgamate into a formidable entity dubbed the "Great Beast," pursuing the Supreme Soviets to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics with lethal intent. Captain America's diplomatic prowess proves invaluable as he negotiates with the Great Beast, ultimately persuading it to stand down. As a result, the three injured Super-Soldiers recover, thanks to Captain America's intervention.[18]
In the US, Darkstar encounters her former teammate, Black Widow, in a televised reunion. The Presence, sees this and sends Starlight, his consort, to capture them. Starlight battles Darkstar and Black Widow, who ultimately defeat her and free her from the Presence's control. Starlight returned to the Presence alone, hoping her love will change him while also yearning for his respect.[19]
Siberforce[]
Darkstar and the defected Soviet Super-Soldiers are apprehended by the Supreme Soviets and forcibly returned to the Soviet Union. However, their fortunes take a turn when Blind Faith and the Exiles, the Russian mutant underground come to their rescue, liberating them from captivity. Following their revival and salvation by Blind Faith, they are introduced to Siberforce, Blind Faith's team. Impressed by their valor and inspired by Blind Faith's leadership, Darkstar opts to join Siberforce, embarking on a new chapter of her journey.[20]
Darkstar and Blind Faith undertake an investigation into the murders perpetrated by the Soul Skinner. Amidst their inquiry, they became targets themselves but are subsequently rescued by the X-Men. The X-Men's mission intersects with theirs as they seek to locate the abducted Magik.[21]
Vanguard's Death[]
Following Vanguard's death during the Starbrand mission overseen by Quasar, Darkstar and the Presence hatched a plan to exact vengeance by eliminating Quasar. Unbeknownst to them, Quasar permits them to believe they've succeeded while secretly departing Earth.[22][23]
Winter Guard[]
Later, when the People's Protectorate was rechristened the Winter Guard, Darkstar was recruited into the team. Darkstar and the team encountered Iron Man on his hunt to find the Mandarin. He encountered them mid battle as they were taking on a group of mercenaries. He explained that the Mandarin was responsible for the attacked and asked the them to aid him, but they refused to abandon Russia.[24] Later the Avengers came to Russia to aid them in battling Dragon of Heaven. They battled the Mandarin's forces and attempted to enter the Dragon of Heaven, Vostok tried to use his powers to control the vessel, only be taken over by the dragon instead. But Iron Man was able to destroy the Dragon of Heaven.[25]
The Black Death took control of Darkstar's mind. When the X-Men embarked on a trip to Moscow they to encountered Darkstar, ensnared in mind control. A swift intervention by Jean Grey liberated Darkstar from her mind controlled state. Greatful Darkstar and the them teleport to Rebirth Island, the site of her recent assault. As the X-Men and Darkstar scope out the facility, but was attacked by Mandroids, Black Death revealed himself, disclosing his scheme to lure Beast to his lab for assistance curing the lethal toxins ravaging his body. Manipulating the minds of the X-Men, Black Death coercesed Beast into compliance. While Beast labored on the cure, he established a psychic connection with Jean, aiding her in breaking free from her mind control. Rapidly freeing her friends, Darkstar and the X-Men confront Black Death, allowing Beast to deploy his covertly crafted stun gun, neutralizing him and Darkstar took him into custody.[26]
Darkstar later using her powers, attempted to save the people in the town of Irkutsk when a mysterious sandstorm hit the town.[27] Darkstar and the team battle a group of mysterious aliens in the Smolensk.[28] It was revealed the invasions was caused by the Kree who had now become the Ruul. They teamed up with the Avengers and the other heroes of Earth to fight back.[29]
The Presence[]
Her father the Presence returned and planned to re-unite the Soviet Union by transforming its people into a race of zombie-like radioactive beings living under a communal mind. When the Winter Guard and the Avengers arrived he took control of their minds as well. His allies; Starlight, ultimately offered a surrender and used her own power to revive those who had been transformed and remanded herself and the Presence to Russian custody.[30]
X-Corporation[]
Darkstar eventually joined the X-Corporation office in Paris, France.[31] She perished while fighting creations of the Weapon Plus program in the Channel Tunnel between France and England. She was possessed by Weapon XII, and Fantomex was forced to kill her.[3] A funeral was held in her honor at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where she was buried.[32]
Necrosha[]
Darkstar, along with many other deceased mutants, was resurrected by Selene and Eli Bard with the Transmode Virus,[33] but was later returned to rest with Selene's defeat.[34]
Return[]
Following her death, a gem capable of reproducing her powers and imbued with a measure of her essence was used by the Russian government to imbue specially selected agents with the powers and alias of Darkstar. First among them was Sasha Roerich, who served briefly with the Winter Guard against the Lady Liberators,[35] Skrulls,[36] and the chaos waves created by Chthon[37] before sacrificing herself to destroy a mutated Igor Drenkov.[2] Her successor, Reena Stancioff was the first to experience flashes of Laynia's personality, and served with the Winter Guard against the Remont 6,[2] King Hyperion,[38] and invading Atlanteans led by Krang[39] before dying in battle with Fantasma and her Dire Wraith brood. After being killed by one of the Wraiths, the entity took the form of Laynia and took possession of the gem, allowing it to possess her powers. Attempting to unleash the Darkforce powers on the Winter Guard and their allies the Protectorate, the Wraith was overwhelmed by Laynia's personality, resulting in a seemingly reborn Laynia, allowing the Guard and Protectorate to rally and defeat Fantasma and her ally, the Presence; she proceeded to join the remaining members of the teams as they escaped the exploding base that had served as a Dire Wraith hive.[40]
Intelligencia[]
When she and the Winter Guard tried to capture the Intelligencia, the group used the Zero Cannon on them, sending the team to space, but they still survived.[41]
Global Threats[]
Darkstar and the team continued to defend Russia from global threats. Darkstar and the team was infected along with the rest of the world's heroes by nanotechnology created by the Descendants using the people as their very own sleep agent army. They along with the rest of the world by the Secret Avengers.[42] Later Darkstar and the Winter Guard battled alien creatures released on Earth by the Quiet Man. They fight in a coordinated effort with all the heroes of the world.[43] Darkstar and the guard face off against the Leviathon Tide an army of giant monsters in another globally coordinated effort.[44]
Champion Reunion[]
Darkstar later traveled to Los Angeles to have a reunion with her old champion friends. Together they attend a nightclub it is their that she learns that Iceman is now gay and she is very happy for her dear friend. However the festivities are cut short when they are attacked by Sentinels.[45] Donning their costumes uniting the old team in battle.They defeat the Sentinel threat with ease and continue on with their reunion partying the night away.[46]
Red Room assault on Wakanda[]
Darkstar found herself ensnared in a web of blackmail orchestrated by the Red Room, compelling her to safeguard her brother. Under duress, she assumed the guise of "Ms. Dolinskaya" and infiltrated Wakanda on a covert mission to steal their Vibranium-based technology. Leveraging the brainwashed Winter Soldier, she orchestrated a calculated assault, bypassing Wakanda's defenses with his teleportation abilities. Utilizing the intelligence gathered, Darkstar managed to elude capture by escaping through a portal, clutching the vital knowledge sought by her manipulative overlords, leaving the Winter Soldier detained in her wake.[47]
Winter Guard[]
Darkstar and the Winter Guard intercepted the Defenders of the Deep during an assault on Hydropolis in response to Namor's attack on Russian submarines in the Black Sea. The Avengers, already present, initially collaborated with the Winter Guard. However, infighting between Winter Guard members Perun and Chernobog led to She-Hulk intervening, sparking a clash between the Avengers and the Russian heroes. The confrontation halted when the Defenders fled, and the Red Widow compelled Crimson Dynamo to order a retreat for his team.[48] Darkstar and the Red Guardian confront the aging Dracula, the king of the Vampires, at the Russia-Ukraine border. Dracula pleads for asylum, asserting he's a refugee from his homeland.[49] They detain him in their facility and interrogate him about his motives. Iron Man arrives to question the Vampire King, inciting a prison riot. Darkstar and her team are compelled to quell the chaos. Once the situation is under control, they consider arresting Iron Man, but instead, Crimson Dynamo punches him in the stomach, and they depart to inspect the facility.[50] Much to her shock Dracula escaped with his minions and decided to settle in Chernobyl creating a new Vampire Nation.[51] Darkstar and the Winter Guard are compelled to intervene when citizens, wearing Project eScape Interface masks, start attacking people under the delusion that they're characters in a game.[52] In a stroke of relief, Iron Man manages to disable the signal, rendering the technology useless.[53] On a return from a mission the Winter Guard's butler controlled by Mephisto taunted Darkstar and her team mates. The Red Widow sliced his head off releasing he was a threat.[54] Darkstar and the team battled the Phoenix Force-empowered Avengers. The clash between Phoenix-empowered She-Hulk and Namor destroyed a portion of Moscow.[55] When the Avengers arrived to apprehend the Red Widow, Darkstar attempted to subdue Captain Marvel. However, Captain Marvel swiftly countered and effortlessly incapacitated her.[56]
Structure[]
In preparation for the upcoming vampire uprising, the Structure transformed Darkstar and other Darkforce users into portals which proceeded to cover the entire Earth. With sunlight blocked from reaching Earth, the vampires were free to spread worldwide and prey on the human population.[57]Attributes
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Powers
Darkforce Manipulation: Darkstar had the ability to tap into and manipulate an intense black form of extradimensional energy called the Darkforce. This energy, which appears to be related to the extradimensional black gas-like substance manipulated by Shroud and Cloak, possesses mass and form (whereas Cloak's and Shroud's does not). It may be that it is the same substance and that Darkstar simply knows how to manipulate it to greater effect than the other two. Her power seems analogous to that of Blackout.
- Darkforce Constructs: Darkstar could project the Darkforce into simple mentally controlled forms such as pincers, rings, columns, spheres, and so on. She could form objects with a maximum density of 175 pounds per cubic inch and resistance to concussive forces of up to 320 pounds per square inch (500 pounds of TNT at 20 feet). She can form objects with a maximum volume of approximately 750 cubic feet, sufficient to encompass ten human beings comfortably. These objects are solid and well defined while she consciously wills them to be. If she rendered unconscious, they dissipate. Darkstar can also project a beam of solid force, capable of impacting an object with sufficient power to rupture 3-inch solid hard carbon steel or tip over an average, loaded railroad boxcar (15 tons).
- Portal Creation: Darkstar could also employ the Darkforce to teleport herself and up to three others. She did this in a manner similar to that of Cloak by entering into the Darkforce's dimension of origin, traversing a distance (which may or may not be the linear correspondent distance in this dimension), and reemerging in Earth's space. She has so far been able to travel a maximum distance of about .85 miles (4,480 feet) in this way. Because journeys through the darkforce dimension are so disorienting (crossing through the inter-dimensional portal disorients her sense of direction, and the light of the Earth dimension blinds her for several seconds upon reemergence) teleportation is a rather risky proposition. It also takes her several seconds to create a portal into the Darkforce dimension, preventing Darkstar from teleporting out of the way of such high-velocity danger as a bullet.
- Flight: Darkstar could utilize the attractive force of the Darkforce dimension to fly. By generating an invisible, intangible portal into the dimension in the contour of her body, she balanced its attractive force upon her against that of Earth's gravity without passing through the portal. In order to increase its counterbalance with gravity and wind resistance, she had to angle the portal more steeply as she accelerates so that the attractive force did not leave her center of gravity (and her moment of inertia) behind as it draws her along. She could fly at speeds up to 120 miles per hour, the maximum velocity at which she is still able to breath. She could not support the weight of anyone other than herself while in flight.
Abilities
Multilingual: Laynia is fluent in both her native Russian and English.
Skilled Combatant: Darkstar was trained in combat by the KGB and Black Widow.[58]See Also
- 105 appearance(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 15 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 8 minor appearance(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 8 mention(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 5 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 66 image(s) of Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Laynia Petrovna (Earth-616)
Links and References
- Laynia Petrovna on Marvel.com
- Laynia Petrovna on Wikipedia.org
- uncannyxmen.net Spotlight On... Darkstar
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Incredible Hulk #258
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hulk: Winter Guard #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New X-Men #130
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #21
- ↑ Champions #7
- ↑ Champions #10
- ↑ Champions #13
- ↑ Giant-Size Hulk (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ Iron Man Annual #4
- ↑ Champions #17
- ↑ Iron Man #109
- ↑ Iron Man #110–112
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #259
- ↑ Rom #45–46
- ↑ Rom #53
- ↑ Rom #65
- ↑ X-Men vs Avengers #1–3
- ↑ Captain America #352–353
- ↑ Marvel Comics Presents #70
- ↑ Soviet Super Soldiers #1
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #17–19
- ↑ Starblast #1–3
- ↑ Quasar #54–60
- ↑ Iron Man (Vol. 3) #9
- ↑ Iron Man (Vol. 3) #10
- ↑ X-Men Unlimited #28
- ↑ Thunderbolts #25
- ↑ Maximum Security #1
- ↑ Maximum Security #3
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 3) #42–44
- ↑ New X-Men #128–129
- ↑ New X-Men #131
- ↑ X-Necrosha #1
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #21–22
- ↑ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #34
- ↑ Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. #34
- ↑ Mighty Avengers #22
- ↑ Age of Heroes #3
- ↑ Darkstar and the Winter Guard #1
- ↑ Darkstar and the Winter Guard #3
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #676
- ↑ Secret Avengers #35
- ↑ Fantastic Four #643
- ↑ Monsters Unleashed (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ Iceman (Vol. 3) #6
- ↑ Iceman (Vol. 3) #7
- ↑ Rise of the Black Panther #3
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #10
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #14
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #15–16
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #17
- ↑ Tony Stark: Iron Man #8
- ↑ Tony Stark: Iron Man #10
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #32
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #46
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #47
- ↑ Blood Hunt #1
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #13
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 3