Origin and History
Dragoness (Tamara Kurtz) was a mutant due to her parents’ exposure to the radioactivity of Hiroshima. A member of the Mutant Liberation Front through several of its incarnations, Dragoness and her teammates’ terrorist actions were often opposed by Cable‘s militant group, X-Force.
Creation
Dragoness was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld in 1990 and first appeared in New Mutants # 93.
Major Story Arcs
When Operation: Zero Tolerance became a problem for all mutants, the arrogant mutant ended up teaming up with X-Force to oppose the government program.
Decimation
Dragoness is one of the few mutants to remain their powers after M-Day, an event where the Scarlet Witch magically removed the powers of 90-98% of the mutant population.
Utopia
Kurtz is next seen running from H.A.M.M.E.R. soldiers after a riot between humans and mutants over Proposition X. She tries to help an injured Toad to safety with Xavier Institute student Trance, but the group is cornered and beaten.
X-Men Disassembled
When MLF reformed, Dragoness also rejoined the team. They battled the young X-Men and later the new X-Men team formed by Cyclops and Wolverine.
Powers and Abilities
Dragoness is a mutant with the ability to generate bio-electric blasts which appear as pyrotechnic flames.
She is able to fly thanks to artificial wings that she wears on her suit coupled with a jetpack powered by her electrical generation. During the House of M altered reality, her wings are organic in nature and are able to be replicated Mimic, who can literally mimic nearby mutant’s powers. Due to this circumstance, it can be assumed Dragoness once had actual wings and they were once destroyed hence why she uses mechanical wings to help her fly.
Status
Tamara Kurtz
- Relatives: Unnamed mother and father
- Citizenship: Madripoorian
- Place of Birth: Possibly Hiroshima, Japan
- Marital Status: Single
- Occupation: Terrorist
- Education: Unknown
Alternate Realities
Age of Apocalypse (Earth-295)
Dragoness was shown in the distopian time-line know as the Age of Apocalypse, but was very different. She was a member of the Reavers in the employ of Apocalypse. In this reality the Reavers are a group of human traitors that were enhanced through use of the Techno-Organic Virus. Once infected, it allowed them to merge with any cybernetic or mechanical component or organic for that matter. Dragoness was a member of the Reavers, but was called Vultura instead. Its not revealed if she had mutant powers in this reality but they were not displayed in this reality.
Vultura was a kamikaze-esq fighter on the team. She took many risks while in battle. It would be one this risks that prove fatal for her. Weapon X ( Wolverine) and Carol Danvers ( Ms. Marvel) had attempted to escape an attack from the Reavers in a plane. Vultura would attempt to stop them and would be torn to shreds by Weapon X. Later Carol Danvers would be infected with the virus and Vultura’s parts would be grafted onto Danvers.
House Of M
Dragoness can be seen in Magneto’s army in this reality.
Other Media
Games
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Dragoness is part of the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance in the role of a villian as a recurring boss.
Her bio says: Tamara Kurtz is a citizen of the island nation of Madripoor. Her parents were exposed to the radioactive fallout of Hiroshima, causing her to be born a mutant. Her bio-electric flame projection powers and mechanical wings have made her a key member of the terrorist Mutant Liberation Front.