Origin
Irene Adler was born into a wealthy family in Salzburg, Austria in the 19th century. When her mutant power developed in adolescence, she was more skilled at predicting near-future events that concerned her direct environment, but her powers started to overwhelm her. Irene was flooded with visions of the near and far future and she spent over a year chronicling these visions, resulting in thirteen volumes of prophecies that extended to the early 21st century. Irene was then left physically blind.
Haunted by the disturbing images she had seen and not entirely understood, she sought help. It was then she first met Raven Darkholme, the mutant who would later be known as Mystique. At the time, Raven was working as a detective. Irene and Raven teamed up to not only unlock the meaning of Irene’s prophecies, but also prevent the most terrifying predictions from coming true.
The two women quickly became life-long friends and lovers. Together they were determined to change the world. Their combination of abilities enabled easy personal gain, but they realized that changing the future would be difficult and would require social engineering.
Creation
Destiney was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and first appeared in (Uncanny) X-Men issue 141 (1981). She was most likely inspired by Irene Adler of Sherlock Holmes fame.
Major Story Arcs
Going ‘Rogue’
At some point, Irene worked as an archivist for the Black Womb Project. She and Raven also lived together in Mississippi to raise their foster daughter, Rogue. Adopting the names Mystique and Destiny, the two women formed their own incarnation of Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants, a group of ideologically minded terrorists.
As part of the Brotherhood, Destiny almost successfully assassinated Senator Robert Kelly, but was stopped by a time-displaced Kitty Pryde. She was one of the most valued members of Mystique’s Brotherhood and participated in their various skirmishes. Notably, she also predicted Rogue’s defection to the X-Men.
Mystique eventually tired of being an outlaw and offered the Brotherhood’s services to the U.S. government in exchange for a full pardon for their crimes. This offer was accepted and the Brotherhood became Freedom Force, a government-sanctioned super team. On their first mission, Destiny, alongside Freedom Force, apprehended Magneto. Later missions included the arrest of the Avengers and the capture of the X-Men, who didn’t fail to see the irony of former criminals being sent to capture heroes. Destiny foresaw the death of the X-Men during the Fall of the Mutants, which came to pass as predicted.
Reavers and Death
During a clash with the cybernetic criminals known as the Reavers, Mystique left Destiny in the care of the mutant technosmith known as Forge. In order to protect Mystique, Destiny sent Forge to assist Freedom Force in defeating the Reavers. Destiny, however, knew the cost of this action – she had foreseen that it was going to result in her own death. She was confronted and killed by the telepathic mutant known as Legion, who was being controlled by the Shadow King, a powerful psychic. Mystique was emotionally destroyed by the loss of her longtime lover.
Having foreseen her own death, Destiny had left very precise instructions for Mystique. After Destiny was cremated, Mystique was to scatter her ashes at sea at an exact time and date. When she did, a gust of wind blew Destiny’s ashes back into Mystique’s face. Mystique smiled at the last joke played on her by her now deceased lover.
Destiny’s consciousness apparently lived on as part of Legion’s mind and after his death, both of their ghosts appeared in Limbo, where they worked with Margali Szardos to secretly protect the world. Mystique later protects a young mutant by the name of Trevor Chase. Trevor refers to her as Auntie Raven, and it is implied that he is Destiny’s grandson.
Necrosha
Recently, Selene resurrected Destiny using a modified version of the Transmode Virus. Selene demanded an audience with Destiny, asking what her future held. Destiny told Selene what she knew Selene wanted to hear and was promptly taken back to her holding cell. Through astral projection, she attempts to contact Rogue, but instead makes contact with Blindfold. Destiny saves the girl’s life from being crushed by rubble and then gives her information about Selene’s plans. Destiny also shares a yet-to-be-revealed secret, but regrets doing so after breaking contact, fearing that it was a grave mistake.
Later Blindfold asks if Destiny is her mother, and Destiny tells her not to touch her. Blindfold still does and is possessed by Proteus. After Rogue’s team defeated Proteus, Destiny was able to share a moment with her adoptive daughter, before leaving her. As she had only been resurrected through the virus, its effect wearing off meant that Destiny would have to die again. Refusing Rogue’s plea to stay with her, Destiny walked away, preferring to die alone and not inflict the image of her dying on her daughter.
Krakoa
Mystique campaigned on the Quiet Council for Destiny’s revival since the beginning of Krakoa’s founding, performing missions for the nation in hopes to earn that request. Eventually Mystique learned that Moira McTaggert advised Xavier to not revive her under any circumstance to protect the fact of Krakoa and mutantkind. They went to the extremes of erasing her data off Cerebro and confiscating her DNA from Mr. Sinister to destroy.
Powers and Abilities
Destiny had the power of precognition – she could see the future probabilities and then interpret them to best select or manipulate likely events. This also compensated for her physical blindness, as she could ‘see’ the environment around her. Destiny was more skilled at seeing the direct future – her predictions of far off events were less accurate, as there were more variables involved. She has also displayed the ability to project an astral form to communicate with others telepathically.
Destiny’s mutation also likely extended her lifespan greatly, as she was born in the 1800s.
Destiny carried a crossbow. Her aim was deadly, as she always knew where her target was about to move.
Alternate Versions
Earth 295: Age of Apocalypse
She had a major role in this reality because of her clairvoyance powers, she was the only mutant who was able to confirm Bishop´s story about an another timeline without the Apocalypse. Living in the secret land of Avalon (Antarctica), she escaped from Apocalyse´s tyranny and gave haven to a lot of mutants and humans alike. During these years she Adopted Doug Ramsey (Cypher) and used his powers to handle the languages of all refugees. Converting this land in an authentic paradise, Avalon was considered for most survivors as the promise land.
The last refugee that arrived to Avalon was Switchback, when she touched Destiny, her precognition powers showed her the final of Avalon.
Magneto sent Nightcrawler to find and convinced her to return to real world. At first she was reluctant of left her home. An apocalypse´s group known as the Pale Riders followed Nightcrawler and found Avalon, the Shadow King possessed minds of the residents and started to ignite everyone, despite X-Calibre managed to kill Shadow King the last controlled resident shot Destiny but her son intervened and saved her sacrificing him. With nothing more left in Avalon Destiny joined Nightcrawler so she could stopped the suffering that Apocalypse was doing.
At the end, she entered the M’Kraan Crystal because she no longer had a counterpart in 616.
Millennial Visions
Destiny is a member of The Brotherhood here.
Television
X-Men : Evolution
Destiny is a young adult in this series. Irene Adler is a friend to Mystique and had took care of Rogue, however, she was not a member of the Brotherhood. She foresees Rogue manifesting her powers which warns Mystique about the consequences that comes after. Her visions also showed her that Rogue and Mystique would soon play major roles in defeating Apocalypse. After some seasons, this vision was brought to reality as Mystique became Apocalypse’s horseman and Rogue used her powers to absorb Leech’s and turn off Apocalypse’s machinery to stop him from his plan.
Video Games
X-Men Legends 2 : Rise Of Apocalypse
Destiny appears as a former member of the Brotherhood who has since relocated to The Savage Land. Destiny has seen many terrible visions, including Apocalypse attacking and destroying the Earth. She also foresees that Beast will die and that Angel will betray the X-Men.
Trivia
Destiny and Mystique were originally intended to be Nightcrawler’s biological parents, with Mystique assuming a male form to impregnate Destiny.