Origin
Carmilla was raised in an American small town by adoptive parents who were, unknown to Black, AIM agents. While attending her prom, Black’s powers manifested, killing her boyfriend and turning her hair green. She fled the small town, afraid of repercussions, and lived on the streets for several years. Eventually, she learned that her adoptive parents had been brutally murdered, and returned to the small town where she had been raised. There, she was attacked by agents of AIM, but rescued by agents of SHIELD, one of whom, Derek Khanata, explained what had happened to her parents, and revealed the identity of her true mother- Monica Rappaccini.
She was sent to Madripoor, indicated by a birth certificate to be her original birthplace. There, she went to an orphanage that refused to release her records, and rescued several orphans. While rescuing the girls, she was hit with what would have been a lethal dose of poison. She survived this, but was knocked out and placed in a building which was then set on fire. She escaped the building, despite sustaining supposedly lethal injuries – this time through smoke inhalation. Soon after escaping, she was accosted by two separate S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were after her mother, and hoped that Monica might have contacted her daughter. When she was contacted by Monica, Black lost contact with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and awoke in an AIM facility, where the AIM agents told her that the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been responsible for her parents’ deaths. They attempted to sway her to their side, and Black agreed to carry out a mission for them, despite remaining loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.. She was unable to prevent herself from causing the deaths of several hundred people, though she herself was protected from the mustard gas fumes she was forced to use. She was located by her friend, Troy, and rescued by Khanata after firefight between S.H.I.E.L.D. and AIM. Agreeing to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. to take down AIM, Black became S.H.I.E.L.D.’s personal superhero, taking the name Scorpion.
Creation
Carmilla Black was created by Fred van Lente and Leonard Kirk and first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #7 (2005).
Major Story Arcs
Captain Universe
Black was sent to New York to locate the Uni-Power before it could be located by AIM. She and Khanata waited at the location where the Captain Universe power was last active, inhabiting the body of Daredevil. They and the AIM agents, who were in the area for the same reason, were interrupted by a group of children. The AIM agents nearly killed the children, but were stopped by X-23, who became empowered as Captain Universe. She began to fight the AIM agents, and was joined by Black, who helped X-23 defeat the AIM Commandos. Black then joined Laura, who was searching for a hidden base, in the hopes of capturing Captain Universe. She was then convinced by X-23 to let Captain Universe escape, and returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. with a captured AIM scientist.
Civil War
During the Civil War event, Black remained loyal to SHIELD and the pro- Registration side. She registered herself, and acted to infiltrate the anti-Registration forces. During the event, she was attacked by Mac Gargan, the previous Scorpion and contemporary Venom, who wanted to protect his trademark as part of a prospective movie deal. She defeated him after absorbing some webbing, creating a neo-symbiote that disintegrated after she defeated him. She later appeared at Camp Hammond, receiving training as part of The Initiative.
World War Hulk
Black was sent by SHIELD to kill the Hulk using a specially designed poison created by a combination of a thallium poison and her own stinger. However, the poison failed to kill him. She later fought alongside the Hulk, along with Amadeus Cho, Hercules, Namor and Archangel, as part of the Renegades. Following the events of World War Hulk, she attacked an armoured S.H.I.E.L.D. transport truck that supposedly contained the Hulk, hoping to obtain DNA from Banner, whom she believed might be her biological father. She failed, and the truck she attacked actually was a decoy.
Dark Reign
Black, now the lover of Hardball, was the co-leader of a HYDRA training facility in Madripoor. Hardball was targeted by the Shadow Initiative, and in the course of this confrontation, Hardball was revealed to have been forced to join HYDRA, and Black was revealed to have been a double agent, working for an unspecified third party who was implied to be Nick Fury. She gave Hardball one last kiss, stealthily stealing HYDRA’s SPIN Tech and fleeing the camp before she could be apprehended by the Shadow Initiative or HAMMER.
The Gauntlet
Having left S.H.I.E.L.D., Black acquired a new costume that was reminiscent of the original Scorpion’s, and began working as a superhuman mercenary. She accepted a job from the family of Kraven the Hunter, which involved stealing the original Scorpion’s costume from The Hood, who intended to give the costume to the first low-level villain to impress him. While pursuing her objective, she encountered Spider-Man, who had been attracted to the area by the small-time criminals who were competing in gladiator-style fights in order to acquire the costume. Black injected Spider-Man with SPIN Tech, which caused him to lose his powers. She made an attempt for the costume, but was captured and beaten by The Hood. Rescued by Spider-Man, who was barely able to overcome the effects of the SPIN Tech, she joined the hero in capturing the low-level criminals. She escaped with the costume, and gave it to the Kravenoffs.
Powers and Abilities
Black possesses a unique body chemistry that produces a number of superhuman traits due to being genetically engineered. Firstly, she has a hyperactive lymphatic system that renders her effectively immune to all toxic or poisonous chemicals and gases, up to and including nuclear radiation. Her lymphatic system secretes chemicals that neutralize blood-borne toxins and nerve agents; her sweat glands secrete chemicals that neutralize blistering and caustic agents; her cilia are extremely absorbent, reducing the chances for irritants to reach her lungs; her cell nuclei deflect radiation. She is also immune to most diseases, specially designed poisons, and mind-controlling agents. Secondly, her body chemistry keeps her in peak physical condition. Thirdly, she is able to absorb most poisons, which are apparently stored in her left axillary node, located in her left armpit. This node is swollen, and seems to release the poisons via an unknown mechanism that leads from the node to her hand. She refers to the node and accompanying release system as her “stinger”.
She has a S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued gauntlet which she wears on her left arm, and can be controlled by her mind. It can shift from the size of a watch to a carapace-like construct that stretches from her wrist to her elbow. The gauntlet contains S.H.I.E.L.D. technology, including a GPS device, a camera, a communication device, and has the primary purpose of aiding her in controlling the use of her stinger. She also wore a bodysuit that was capable of deflecting physical attacks, including knives and bullets. Following the events of Dark Reign, she acquired a costume reminiscent of the original Scorpion’s, which contained a tail that is capable of injecting people with SPIN Tech, rendering their superpowers useless for approximately half an hour. The nanites are described in dialogue as being produced by her body, which implies that her tail, unlike the original Scorpion’s, may be semi-organic or an actual biological limb. Her new costume also has razor-sharp claws.
She is also a competent acrobat, skilled hand-to-hand fighter, and an adept thief. She has received training from both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA.
Alternate Versions
House of M
In the House of M alternate reality, Black goes by her birth name, Thanasee Rappaccini, but still uses the Scorpion monicker. She was never adopted, but instead was raised by her mother, with whom she has a good relationship. She is an agent of AIM, and was responsible for recruiting the Hulk to help overthrow the Australian government that was being lead by Exodus.