Origin
Maris Morlak, a nuclear physicist, Jerome Hamilton, a medical biologist, Carlo Zota, an electronics technician, and Wladyslav Shinski, a geneticist, were four scientists grouped together to improve the world. They formed the Enclave and built themselves a citadel of science called the Beehive, where they could develop technology to control the world.
Their initial creation was Him, a genetically-perfect being, intended to be the first of an army of supermen, and father of a new race. But Him resisted their control and ruined the Beehive, escaping Earth and leaving Hamilton dead in the aftermath. The remaining three rebuilt and began again. This time they tricked Doctor Strange to help control their new creation, Paragon, by surgically altering its neurological structure. While Paragon was still developing, it became aware of the scientists’ plans and overrode their controls. Paragon angrily broke free, battled the Hulk (whom Strange had secretly brought along as backup), and destroyed the Beehive, before placing itself into a cocoon to restore itself and meditate.
Creation
Kismet first appeared as Paragon in the Incredible Hulk Annual #6 in 1977, and was created by Len Wein, David Kraft and Herb Trimpe. As Her/Kismet, she appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #61 in March 1980.
Major Story Arcs
Paragon
While in the cocoon, Paragon was in contact with the Enclave’s computers. Learning of the earlier creation of Him, it decided that as two unique beings, they had a destiny to mate and create a perfect race, and so adapted itself into a female form, taking the name ‘Her.’ The cocoon somehow makes its way into New York City harbor and is fished out of the water by dockworkers, hatching out a golden-skinned, blonde-haired woman in a red bathing suit.
Her seeks out Him, going first to Alicia Masters who had briefly known it, but she comes into conflict with Thing. Moondragon becomes aware of Her and seeks her out, revealing that Him had evolved into Adam Warlock and died at the hands of Thanos. Undaunted by this news, Her decides to try to revive Warlock with her cosmic power. Accompanied by Alicia, Thing, Moondragon, and Starhawk/Aleta, Her travels to find Adam’s burial site on Counter-Earth. The group discover Counter-Earth to be missing and so resurrect its creator the High Evolutionary. Finally, on Counter-Earth, Her resurrects Warlock, only to find out that he has no soul, as it is trapped in the stolen Soul Gem. Her re-buries Adam. When Thing tries to console Her, she is overwhelmed by her newfound emotions and flees.
Uâsrâpria
Her went on a search for enlightenment, while in search she found the ravaged planet of Uâsrâpria which was in chaos by its technological boom that destroyed its environment and had been conquered by Uâsrâpr a mutant and the Consortium, an intergalactic business conglomerate.
Her empowered Uâsrâpr and helped the natives reconstruct the planet and given the name JâRidia Starduster (she whose trail dusts hope). When the Consortium found their profits dwindling, they sent out agents to fix their problem and were able to overpower Her so she fled back to Earth in search for help, but made sure that the Consortium followed. Near Earth, they attacked her and she crashed somewhere in Toronto. As the battle raged on a teleporter named Quwrlln teleported Her, Alpha Flight, and the Avengers to seek their aid in defending their world against Galactus. The Quwrlln moved their planet into another dimension so that they could defeat Galactus. In this other dimension, the laws of physics were altered. The Qurllns were unwilling to kill Galactus but didnât want to leave him stranded on their planet with no recourse but to devour it. They decided to offer to teleport him to a planet that was powering the Consortiumâs mother ship and in return, he would spare their planet. Now that the Consortium was crippled, the Uâsrâpria was freed and able to continue in peace.
Struck by the selflessness of the human race that aided her, Her decided to stay on Earth. After a while, she discovered a newly resurrected Adam Warlock with a restored soul and tried to make advances on Him. However, he rebuffed her attempts since he had his hands full with the menace of the Infinity Gauntlet.
Her stayed in New York defending it from Eonâs expanding corps and Edifice Rex. She soon started to realize that she and Warlock would make horrible parents as they possessed identical genetic material so she decided to search for a perfect mate in humanity. She created six genetic material pods that would draw the best of her and her mate. She attached these pods to Wonder man, Hyperion, Hercules, Doc Samson, Ikaris, and Gilgamesh. When Quasar opposed her she placed a pod on him forcefully and was attacked by Moondragon. Meanwhile, the Avengers destroyed the pods of the others but when they tried to destroy the last pod Quasar stopped them and instead talked her into removing the pods on good terms, telling her that her desire for parenting was not her own desire but a desire from her creators. She then removed the pod and was told to go and find her place in life but decided to remain close to him as a companion and observing his humanity.
Operation: Galactic Storm
Her worked with Quasar, battling Binary and Super Skrull and even defending the Earth in Operation: Galactic Storm. She then accompanied Quasar to the homeworld of the Kree, Hala where she was moved by its recent devastation and fought to free the souls from the evil Soul Eater. She accompanied the alien Mourners to the planet Scadam to fight the invading Black Fleet but did not want to seek combat. When she realized it was her Kismet (fate) to stay on the sidelines, she adopted the name Kismet and slowly watched the destruction from the fleet. Seeking the energies aiding the Black Fleet she returned to Earth where they originated from Quasarâs girlfriend Kayla Ballantine who bore the Star Brand of the Extra-Multiverse. When she questioned her Kayla battled Kismet and ruptured her cells, forcing her into a regenerative cocoon which Quasar stored in Project Pegasus.
When Wladyslav Shinski suffered a stroke, the remaining members of the Enclave stole the cocoon from Pegasus and removed Kismet from it and placed Shinski in it so he could recover. They also took some of her genetic material which was stolen by Frank, an A.I.M Adaptoid spy who was stalking the group. The Adaptoid injected itself with the sample, granting it Kismetâs powers, but the recuperating Shinski injected the Adaptoid with a genetic weapon designed to kill Kismet, killing it instead. Grateful that Shinski saved her but angry that they developed a weapon to kill her, Kismet wove three pods for them so that they could be healed by their wounds from the battle.
After a few months, an energy blast from space disrupts the cocoon and the Enclave members hatched from their cocoons with Kismet’s powers and they begin to go around trying to cure the world’s ills but end up doing more harm than good. Kismet convinces them to leave Earth until they could control their powers and went in search of the energy blast that occurred and discovered Khatvlis, an alien life form that harvested the flotsam of destroyed systems and created new matrices for life. The Enclave ended up disrupting the matrix and became absorbed by it until Kismet and Silver Surfer merged their life essences with that of the Khatylis to give life to the matrix as well as freeing the Enclave.
The Enclave lose their powers and returned to Earth. Shinski and Morlak share the identity of Crucible and enslave Kismet under the name Ayesha and use her to battle against the Fantastic Four. Ayesha develops mind control powers but is defeated and banished when a black hole grenade transports her and Shinski into another dimension. Shinski and Kismet (back to her self) later return to Earth where she has since fought against the Heart of the Infinite thatâs powered by Thanos.
Appearance and Attributes
Height: 6 ft 6 in
Weight: 390 lbs
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: White
Skin: Gold
Powers and Abilities
Kismet is a being created by genetically altering her composition with cosmic energy. She has a host of natural abilities, including superhuman strength, able to lift approximately 70 tons. Kismet can also tap and manipulate ambient cosmic energy for a variety of effects, and enhance her physical attributes. She can survive in the vacuum of space and does not require food, drink, oxygen, or rest. She can channel her energy into a non-radioactive concussive force, fly at Mach 10 speeds, possesses limited telepathic abilities, and understands any language.
When wounded (a rarity, as cosmic energy augments her life force to such a degree that she is beyond conventional harm), she creates a cosmic cocoon that will regenerate her body.
Alternate Realities
Earth X
In Earth X, Mar-vell is reincarnated as an offspring of Adam Warlock and Kismet.
Fantastic Four: The End
She was known as Ayesha has taken over Captain Marvel mantle in the future
Earth-691 (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Stakar was born to the superheroes Quasar and Kismet in the Guardians of the Galaxy alternate timeline around the year 2002. There he is stolen by Eonâs evil child Era and raised by aliens. Kismet goes to a monastery for hundreds of years where she vows not to use her powers. An adult Stakar returns to find his mother and together they go to Quasarâs grave. They learn that Quasar was purposely sent to his death and Eon himself had been entrapped and they both dedicate themselves to hunting down Era in vengeance.
In Other Media
Film
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Ayesha appears as one of the villains in the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie, portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki. The character is not referred to as Kismet.
Games
Marvel Avengers Academy
Ayasha debuts in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 event as a villain.
Merchandise
- Funko released a figure of Ayesha for the Pint Size Heroes line
- Diamond released an Ayesha Minimate.
- Ayesha appears in the “Ayesha’s Revenge” Lego kit.