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Darkstar (comics)
Encyclopedia
- For the DC Comics characters, see DarkstarsDarkstarsThe first Darkstars were a group of fictional intergalactic policemen that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. They were introduced in Darkstars #1 , and were created by Michael Jan Friedman and Mike Collins. The series lasted a total of 39 issues, ending with issue #38 , with an issue...
.
Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna) is a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
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...
, a mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
superheroine in the 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...
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...
. She has been a member of various super-teams in her career, including X-Corporation
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation is a fictional institution from the X-Men comic book series by Marvel Comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughout the world due to the increasing number of mutants....
and Champions of Los Angeles
Champions (comics)
The Champions are a team of superheroes that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in The Champions #1 The Champions are a team of superheroes that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in The Champions #1 The Champions are a...
.
Fictional character biography
Laynia Petrovna and her twin brother Nikolai were born in MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union, and is now the capital of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. When she grew up, she became a special operative of the Soviet government.
Champions
Darkstar was first seen as part of a SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
super-team recruited to bring Natasha Romanoff (the Black Widow) back to the USSR. She turned sides and joined the Champions as a guest member, remaining with the team until its disbanding.
While with the Champions, she and Bobby Drake, the former X-Man
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
known as Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, were close to entering into a romantic relationship, but Laynia only liked Iceman as a friend, not as a love-interest. She quit the Champions and returned to Russia, leaving behind a devastated Iceman.
In Russia's employ
Darkstar became a member of the Soviet Super-SoldiersSoviet Super-Soldiers
The Soviet Super-Soldiers are a fictional super team in the Marvel Comics universe.-History:The Soviet Super-Soldiers were a superteam that was brought together by the Soviet government of Russia to be the counterpart of American teams like the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Professor Phobos founded...
with her brother, Vanguard, and the fifth Crimson Dynamo
Dmitri Bukharin
Dmitri Bukharin, also known as the Crimson Dynamo and Airstrike, is a fictional character in the .He first appeared in Iron Man #109 , created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Carmine Infantino...
. The Soviet Super-Soldiers battled Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and Jack of Hearts
Jack of Hearts
Jack of Hearts is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Jack of Hearts first appeared in the black & white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 , and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and illustrator Keith Giffen...
on the moon. The Super-Soldiers wound up helping the heroes in battling renegade Rigellians
Rigellians (Marvel Comics)
The Rigellians, also known as the Colonizers of Rigel, are a scientifically and technologically advanced alien race in the fictional Marvel Comics Universe, devoted towards amassing an empire via colonization. They are native to Rigel-3 the third planet orbiting the star Rigel in the Milky Way Galaxy...
led by Commander Arcturus.
Later, Darkstar and Vanguard were sent along with new Soviet Super-Soldier Ursa Major
Ursa Major (comics)
Ursa Major is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics universe, and a former member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers...
by the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
to defeat Sergei the Presence
Presence (Marvel Comics)
Sergei Krylov is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:As a younger man, Sergei was a Russian nuclear physicist born in Minsk, U.S.S.R...
. They fought Sergei and the second Red Guardian
Starlight (comics)
Starlight is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. Created by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema, she first appeared in Defenders # 35 .-Fictional character biography:Tania Belinsky was born in Leningrad, in the former Soviet Union...
, but then Darkstar and Vanguard learned that Sergei was their father, and that Professor Phobos
Professor Phobos
Professor Phobos is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Professor Phobos first appeared in Incredible Hulk #258-259 , and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema...
had exploited the Super-Soldiers. Darkstar aided in freeing Sergei and Starlight, and defeating Phobos.
Later on, she was a key player in the Contest of Champions, in which she represented Russia as part of the international superhero contest.
The Soviet Super-Soldiers were then sent by the Soviet government to Khystym to battle the Gremlin
Gremlin (comics)
Gremlin is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.Although initially an adversary of the Hulk — his father having been the first villain the Hulk ever encountered — Gremlin was killed in battle with Iron Man during the Armor Wars.-Fictional character biography:Kondrati...
. They fought the Spaceknights
Spaceknights
Spaceknights is a name used by at least three distinct groups of characters in the fictional . The better known group is a core concept of the 1980s comic book Rom Spaceknight, while the other two are far more recent creations and not much is yet known about them.-Galador's Spaceknights:The...
Rom and Starshine, but later allied with them against the Dire Wraith
Dire Wraith
The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species published by Marvel Comics. The Dire Wraiths first appeared in Rom #1 , and were created by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Spaceknight....
s. The Super-Soldiers wound up befriending the Gremlin instead of fighting him.
Later, the Soviet Super-Soldiers agreed to help bring Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
to justice. They fought the 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...
, but turned against the Crimson Dynamo when it turned out that he had been manipulating events.
The former Soviet Super-Soldiers Darkstar, Vanguard, and Ursa Major eventually defected to the United States seeking political asylum. They arrived at Avengers Island
Hydro-Base
Hydro-Base is a fictional base in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Sub-Mariner #61, created by Steve Gerber, Bill Everett, and Win Mortimer .-Fictional history:...
, asking for Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
's help. They were beaten nearly to death by the Supreme Soviets
Supreme Soviets
-Fictional team history:The Supreme Soviets is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Universe. This team of costumed champions operated under the supervision of the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
, who had disguised themselves as members of the Avengers. The comatose subconscious minds of the Super-Soldiers formed a "Great Beast" that followed the Supreme Soviets back to the USSR and tried to kill them. Captain America persuaded the "Great Beast" to stand down, and the three heroes later regained consciousness and began to recover from their injuries.
The Soviet Super-Soldiers were eventually captured and returned to the Soviet Union. They were rescued by a man known as Blind Faith
Blind Faith (comics)
Blind Faith is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor Annual #1....
, and his team called the Exiles (not to be confused with the reality-hopping team the Exiles
Exiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
), whom she joined.
Later, when the Supreme Soviets (who had changed their name to People's Protectorate) was rechristened the Winter Guard
Winter Guard
The Winter Guard is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe.The Winter Guard are noted for being "Russia's answer to the Avengers",.. Several members of the group formerly belonged to the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the People's Protectorate and the Supreme Soviets...
, Darkstar was recruited back into the team. After that team also disbanded, Darkstar and Vanguard teamed with a Russian mutant team and later joined forces with their father, the Presence
Presence (Marvel Comics)
Sergei Krylov is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:As a younger man, Sergei was a Russian nuclear physicist born in Minsk, U.S.S.R...
.
Death
Later, it is revealed that Darkstar joined the ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
branch of X-Corporation
X-Corporation
The X-Corporation is a fictional institution from the X-Men comic book series by Marvel Comics. This organization was created to ensure the protection of mutant rights throughout the world due to the increasing number of mutants....
, in which she was possessed by Weapon XII
Huntsman (comics)
Huntsman, also known as Weapon XII, is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe and enemy of the X-Men. Huntsman first appeared in New X-Men #128 and was created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey.-Fictional character biography:...
, a creation of the Weapon Plus Project
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during his run in New X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of supersoldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a Mutant-Human war...
, and was subsequently killed by Fantomex
Fantomex
Fantomex is a fictional superhero associated with the X-Men in titles published by Marvel Comics. Fantomex first appeared in New X-Men #128 and was created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey....
. A funeral was held in her honor at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
in Paris, where she was buried.
During the Dark Reign
Dark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
storyline, Darkstar is among the dead characters seen in Erebus when Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
travels to the Underworld.
Darkstar is temporarily resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene
Selene (comics)
Selene Gallio is a fictional character, a comic book supervillainess from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a mutant, and an enemy of the X-Men often associated with the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.-Publication history:...
's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard
Eli Bard
Eli Bard is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Purifiers and an enemy of the X-Men.-Fictional character biography:...
, she takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia
Utopia (comics)
"Utopia" is a 2009 comic book crossover story arc written by Matt Fraction and published by Marvel Comics, starring the X-Men and the Dark Avengers...
.
New Darkstars
A new, red-haired Darkstar first appeared as a member of the Winter GuardWinter Guard
The Winter Guard is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe.The Winter Guard are noted for being "Russia's answer to the Avengers",.. Several members of the group formerly belonged to the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the People's Protectorate and the Supreme Soviets...
in Hulk #1. Her name was revealed to be Sasha Roerich.
As she revealed during a counseling session, she was genetically modeled to resemble the previous Darkstar. After being again altered by The Presence, her body betrayed itself - and she was transformed into a multi-tentacled Darkforce beast. She was killed by Red Guardian
Red Guardian
The Red Guardian is the name of several comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equivalent of Captain America; since the fall of the Soviet Union, the name is no longer officially used, though at least two people have...
.
With Sasha's death, Reena Stanicoff took over the role. Reena was killed during an attack on Winter Guard headquarters by a Dire Wraith
Dire Wraith
The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species published by Marvel Comics. The Dire Wraiths first appeared in Rom #1 , and were created by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Spaceknight....
, who then began to assume her form. Although the Winter Guard fought off the attack, Reena's death was subsequently covered up by the Government.
Laynia Reborn
The Dire Wraith who assumed Reena's form was on the verge of killing all the Winter Guard when it was suddenly overwhelmed and taken over by darkforce energy. To the astonishment of all present, the original Darkstar - Laynia Petrovna - seized control of the creature and resurrected herself. Having brought herself back to life, she reunited with her brother Vanguard and has since returned to active duty alongside both her brother and Ursa Major. She was next seen fighting Hyperion.Powers and abilities
Darkstar is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
who can psionically access the extra-dimensional energy of the Darkforce
Darkforce
-Description:It is a powerful, extra-dimensional energy that can be manipulated in slightly different ways by a handful of beings that are attuned to it. There are slight yet inconclusive hints that it may be a corruptive influence of some kind and perhaps even sentient...
dimension, which grants her a number of superhuman abilities. She is connected to the Darkforce
Darkforce
-Description:It is a powerful, extra-dimensional energy that can be manipulated in slightly different ways by a handful of beings that are attuned to it. There are slight yet inconclusive hints that it may be a corruptive influence of some kind and perhaps even sentient...
dimension by means of her consciousness being split between her physical body and a Darkforce representation of same, both symbiotically linked. Darkstar can thus utilize the Darkforce for various purposes. She can cause Darkforce to behave like either matter or energy. Most often she projected it as simple mentally-controlled solid objects possessing the density of steel such as pincers, rings, columns, and spheres, or as beams of concussive force. If Darkstar is rendered unconscious any Darkforce constructs of her making immediately dissipate. Darkstar can teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
herself and up to three others by opening a portal into the Darkforce dimension and travelling through it. The maximum distance she can teleport has never been revealed. Because crossing the Darkforce dimension disoriented her sense of direction, and the light of Earth blinded her for several seconds upon reemergence, traveling in this manner was risky.
Darkstar can levitate herself and fly at subsonic speeds by generating a virtually invisible portal into the Darkforce
Darkforce
-Description:It is a powerful, extra-dimensional energy that can be manipulated in slightly different ways by a handful of beings that are attuned to it. There are slight yet inconclusive hints that it may be a corruptive influence of some kind and perhaps even sentient...
dimension along the contours of her body without passing through it, then balancing the attractive force of the dimension against that of the Earth's gravity. The upper limits of her powers are still unknown.
Darkstar is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by the KGB, and from the Black Widow. She is fluent in both Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
While the original Darkstar's costume was designed by the Soviet government and was made of a synthetic stretch fabric insulated against the cold, the other two Darkstars had costumes which were composed of Darkforce material.
Other
- On Earth 3740, the native timeline of Heather HudsonHeather Hudson (Exiles)Heather Hudson is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics for their series called Exiles.-Fictional character biography:A counterpart of sorts both to Vindicator and to Walter Langkowski, the Exiles member Heather Hudson was a Sasquatch from an alternate universe. This Sasquatch was a black...
of the dimension-jumping ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
, the Soviet Union still exists. Darkstar is part of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.
- An alternate version of Darkstar was shown in yet another universe. She was a member of the Republican Guard, Russia's superhuman team, alongside Crimson Dynamo, Omega Red, Gremlin, and the Titanium Man.
Television
Darkstar guest-starred in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)
X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episode Red Dawn. She's initially the mutant enforcer for a group of Russian generals seeking to reestablish the Soviet Union with the aid of Omega Red
Omega Red
Omega Red is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #4 , and was created by Jim Lee...
. After witnessing the crimes committed by Omega Red, Darkstar rebels against the generals and sides with the X-Men and Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
. Curiously, Darkstar did not have her Darkforce powers here and instead manipulated energy as offensive blasts and force screens. She retained her power of flight, however.