Andromeda (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Andromeda Attumasen is a fictional character
that appears in various comic book
series published by Marvel Comics
. The character is a member of Homo mermanus
, the race that occupies the Atlantis
of Marvel's shared universe
, known as the Marvel Universe
.
of Atlantis by his Lady Gelva. She was raised by her father as a boy, trained in the arts of hunting and war and she exceeded any other male except for her father in these skills. Despite her skills, she was considered unworthy of being his successor, because she was a woman. Andromeda left her father's kingdom and went to the underwater kingdom of Namor the Sub-Mariner. Namor gave her a position in his army and even awarded her with the rank of Major
for her bravery, but again she was denied any further career advancement because of her sex.
Andromeda, inspired by Namor's tales, moved to the surface world, where she used a serum to give herself a human appearance and the ability to breathe out of water. She took the name Andrea McPhee and posed as a surface woman. When she was revealed as an Atlantean, she quickly abandoned her charade and became a member of the Defenders
, joining them against Hotspur
.
She was with the Defenders, christened the "New Defenders," for only a short time, revealing only portions of her background to them. With them, she traveled to outer space and battled the second Star-Thief. She fought Manslaughter
as he menaced the team, and then aided the Defenders and the Interloper
in battle against fellow Defender Moondragon
, and the Dragon of the Moon
who was possessing Moondragon. Andromeda sacrificed her life force, joining with Manslaughter, the Valkyrie, and the Interloper to drive the Dragon of the Moon from the Earth, and her body was turned to stone.
The Dragon would later return, this time without a body. To stop the Dragon of the Moon, Doctor Strange
cast a spell which returned the souls of the Defenders fallen in the battle against the Dragon to the bodies of several recently deceased humans, changing them into duplicates of the Defenders. Andromeda's soul entered the body of Genevieve Cross and these Defenders now called themselves the Dragon Circle. Together the Dragon Circle banished the Dragon from Earth and Andromeda returned to the oceans.
Andromeda played an important part in the 1989 Atlantis Attacks
crossover. Andromeda led a rebellion to stop her father Attuma from invading the surface world, but she bested by Attuma in personal combat. She was kidnapped unconscious by the Deviant
priest Ghaur
as one of his "Seven Brides of Set
." Under Ghaur's domination, she accompanied She-Hulk
to acquire a piece of Set's life force. In the end the Brides of Set gained their freedom thanks to the Fantastic Four
and Avengers
.
Andromeda joined her forces with those of Namor. She was part of the short-lived Deep Six, a group of underwater heroes. During this time her mind and that of Genevieve Cross would repeatedly exchange control and even turn her body into a copy of Genevieve's. Andromeda sacrificed her own mind to save Namor's soul, leaving Genevieve in control of Andromeda's body. Months later, either Genevieve in Andromeda's body or a restored Andromeda herself assisted Namor and the Defenders against Attuma's own Deep Six. Andromeda was last seen as an ally of Namor, living in Atlantis.
, but her strength and speed are far greater than that of any ordinary Homo mermanus, though not as great as that of her father or Namor. She is adapted to live underwater, having gills that allow her to breathe underwater, she can swim at high speeds and her body is resistant against the pressure and the cold of the deep oceans. Her specially developed vision allows her to see clearly in the murky depths of the ocean.
She can survive only for 10 minutes out of water, unless she uses a special serum that gives her the ability to breathe air. Her stamina, agility, and reflexes are reduced when out of the water.
She has been trained as an Atlantean warrior, and is very skilled in the arts of hunting and war, wielding a trident as her weapon of choice. She carries a short sword and an 8" dagger as additional weaponry.
Andromeda also has extensive knowledge of biochemistry.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in various comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character is a member of Homo mermanus
Homo mermanus
Homo mermanus is a fictional race of gilled aquatic humanoids that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. This race is best known as the people who live in the Atlantis of Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
, the race that occupies the Atlantis
Atlantis (Marvel Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It is based on the mythical island of Atlantis first mentioned in Plato's initial dialogue the Timaeus, written circa 360 BC. In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis was a small continent with many human settlements...
of Marvel's shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, known as the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Fictional character biography
A member of the Homo mermanus race, Andromeda is the first born daughter of AttumaAttuma
Attuma is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is the nemesis of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes he is the prophesied conqueror of the Atlantean Empire...
of Atlantis by his Lady Gelva. She was raised by her father as a boy, trained in the arts of hunting and war and she exceeded any other male except for her father in these skills. Despite her skills, she was considered unworthy of being his successor, because she was a woman. Andromeda left her father's kingdom and went to the underwater kingdom of Namor the Sub-Mariner. Namor gave her a position in his army and even awarded her with the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
for her bravery, but again she was denied any further career advancement because of her sex.
Andromeda, inspired by Namor's tales, moved to the surface world, where she used a serum to give herself a human appearance and the ability to breathe out of water. She took the name Andrea McPhee and posed as a surface woman. When she was revealed as an Atlantean, she quickly abandoned her charade and became a member of the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, joining them against Hotspur
Hotspur (comics)
The Hotspur was a British boys' paper published by D. C. Thomson & Co. It was launched on 2 September 1933 as a story paper, the last of the 'Big Five'...
.
She was with the Defenders, christened the "New Defenders," for only a short time, revealing only portions of her background to them. With them, she traveled to outer space and battled the second Star-Thief. She fought Manslaughter
Manslaughter (comics)
Manslaughter is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Manslaughter is a mutant or mutate supervillain, a killer and assassin by trade and a psychopath by nature. He was assigned by a drug czar to assassinate the Defenders. He invaded their Rocky Mountain...
as he menaced the team, and then aided the Defenders and the Interloper
Interloper (comics)
The Interloper is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Eternals.-Publication history:The Interloper first appeared in Defenders #147 , and was created by Peter B. Gillis and Don Perlin....
in battle against fellow Defender Moondragon
Moondragon
Moondragon is a fictional character in Marvel Comics Universe. A vastly powerful telepath, master martial artist, minor telekinetic, and highly skilled geneticist, Moondragon's most notable characteristics are her shaved head, superiority complex, and gruelling elite excellence in virtually every...
, and the Dragon of the Moon
Dragon of the Moon
The Dragon of the Moon is a fictional character, a malevolent entity appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. It has been a foe of both the Defenders and the Eternals.-Publication history:...
who was possessing Moondragon. Andromeda sacrificed her life force, joining with Manslaughter, the Valkyrie, and the Interloper to drive the Dragon of the Moon from the Earth, and her body was turned to stone.
The Dragon would later return, this time without a body. To stop the Dragon of the Moon, Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
cast a spell which returned the souls of the Defenders fallen in the battle against the Dragon to the bodies of several recently deceased humans, changing them into duplicates of the Defenders. Andromeda's soul entered the body of Genevieve Cross and these Defenders now called themselves the Dragon Circle. Together the Dragon Circle banished the Dragon from Earth and Andromeda returned to the oceans.
Andromeda played an important part in the 1989 Atlantis Attacks
Atlantis Attacks
Atlantis Attacks was a comic book super-hero crossover storyline which ran through most of the summer annuals published by Marvel Comics in 1989....
crossover. Andromeda led a rebellion to stop her father Attuma from invading the surface world, but she bested by Attuma in personal combat. She was kidnapped unconscious by the Deviant
Deviant (comics)
The Deviants are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics' universe. They are an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth instigated by the alien Celestials, and wage war against their counterparts, the Eternals...
priest Ghaur
Ghaur
Ghaur is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Created by Peter B. Gillis and Sal Buscema, he first appeared in Eternals vol. 2, #2 .In the Marvel Universe, he is the head of the Deviant race's priesthood.-Fictional character biography:...
as one of his "Seven Brides of Set
Set (Serpent God)
Set is the name of a fictional demon-god within the continuities of Conan the Barbarian and Marvel Universe.He is apparently an amalgam of the name of the Egyptian god Set and the appearance and characteristics of the Egyptian monster Apep and the Greek mythological figure the Lernaean Hydra. This...
." Under Ghaur's domination, she accompanied She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
to acquire a piece of Set's life force. In the end the Brides of Set gained their freedom thanks to the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
.
Andromeda joined her forces with those of Namor. She was part of the short-lived Deep Six, a group of underwater heroes. During this time her mind and that of Genevieve Cross would repeatedly exchange control and even turn her body into a copy of Genevieve's. Andromeda sacrificed her own mind to save Namor's soul, leaving Genevieve in control of Andromeda's body. Months later, either Genevieve in Andromeda's body or a restored Andromeda herself assisted Namor and the Defenders against Attuma's own Deep Six. Andromeda was last seen as an ally of Namor, living in Atlantis.
Powers and abilities
Andromeda has all the powers inherent to the Homo mermanusHomo mermanus
Homo mermanus is a fictional race of gilled aquatic humanoids that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. This race is best known as the people who live in the Atlantis of Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
, but her strength and speed are far greater than that of any ordinary Homo mermanus, though not as great as that of her father or Namor. She is adapted to live underwater, having gills that allow her to breathe underwater, she can swim at high speeds and her body is resistant against the pressure and the cold of the deep oceans. Her specially developed vision allows her to see clearly in the murky depths of the ocean.
She can survive only for 10 minutes out of water, unless she uses a special serum that gives her the ability to breathe air. Her stamina, agility, and reflexes are reduced when out of the water.
She has been trained as an Atlantean warrior, and is very skilled in the arts of hunting and war, wielding a trident as her weapon of choice. She carries a short sword and an 8" dagger as additional weaponry.
Andromeda also has extensive knowledge of biochemistry.