Superia

Origin

Superia's true background is uncertain. What is known is that her scientific work led her to send a time-probe into the 23rd century. When it returned, it brought back a book detailing a future nation state called Femizonia, ruled by women where men are in a subordinate, inferior role.

Through her research she discovered that she was an ancestor of Thundra - ruler and warrior of the Femizons. Superia made it her goal to bring about the future she had learned of.

Creation

Superia made her first appearance in Captain America #390 in August 1991 and was created by Mark Gruenwald and Rik Levins.

Major Story Arcs

The Superia Stratagem

Superia first appeared when she assembled an army of like-minded females called the Femizons to travel to an island they called Femizonia. From there they would launch biologically weaponized missiles that would sterilize the rest of the world's women, making their own reproductive capabilities a supremely valuable bargaining chip. Superia and the Femizons could then take over the world by threatening nations with reproductive extinction.

Captain America tracked the ship carrying the Femizons to their island as he was searching for Diamondback (his girlfriend at the time). Together with Paladin, Cap forced Superia to destroy the missiles as they launched when he damaged the protective dome over the island.

Superia's next scheme involved a smaller group of Femizons ( Blackbird, Iron Maiden, and Snapdragon) who worked as her bodyguards. This time she planned to kill the CEO of AIM, Alessandro Brannex, during a weapons expo on Boca Caliente (AIM's island) and seize AIM's tech for herself. Superia's assassination attempt failed as Brannex was in fact an adaptoid, and he set MODAM to attack her.

Captain America was at the island with Diamondback in pursuit of Snapdragon seeking revenge for Snapdragon's attack on Diamondback during the Femizonia incident. Cap rescued Superia from MODAM's clutches, but after falling in the water she appeared ungrateful to him and swam to shore herself. During the battle on the island, Diamondback killed Snapdragon.

Free Spirit

Later, posing as Dr. Deidre Wentworth at Hayden College, Superia granted a young student, Cathy Webster, superhuman physical abilities through a combination of physical training and mental conditioning with subliminal audio tapes, making her the patriotic superheroine Free Spirit. However, Cathy turned on Superia when she found out that she was also being subliminally influenced to hate men and obey Superia. Superia had already fled and was hiding out at Castle Zemo in Mexico with Baroness Zemo. At the same time, Free Spirit and Captain America and Diamondback tracked her down there to confront her. Captain America was on the trail of some missing children.

He was also becoming paralyzed due to a side-effect of the super-soldier serum that gave him his powers. Diamondback chanced upon Superia, finding that she had been imprisoned by Baroness and Helmut Zemo for conspiring against Helmut. Superia bargained with Diamondback for her release. She knew that Diamondback had killed Snapdragon and manipulated her into taking the place of Snapdragon on Superia's team, going as far as to offer to develop a cure for Cap's degenerating condition. Diamondback knocked out Free Spirit and helped Superia escape.

Separately, Superia (with Diamondback, now as Snapdragon) and Captain America attacked AIM's Boca Caliente Island again to obtain the new Cosmic Cube that was in development there. Cap wanted to prevent the Cube from causing harm, Superia sought to use it for herself and get revenge on AIM. When he collapsed from his weakness, Superia offered Cap some of the cure she had developed which temporarily cured him. The threesome halted again when Cap became paralyzed, and Superia attempted to bargain with him.

In exchange for a reward she would give him a full dose, but Cap refused and swatted the syringe away. Ironically this was immediately stolen and used by the Red Skull who was suffering from a similar deterioration and had also showed up on Boca Caliente in pursuit of the Cosmic Cube. In the aftermath, as the Cube went out of control, Red Skull appeared to shoot and kill Superia in an attempt at preventing her from making the cure again.

Attempt to change the past

In the instant between life and death, Superia projected her mind back in time, into the brain of her younger self gifting the younger Deidre with knowledge of what was to happen. With that insight she joined Advanced Idea Mechanics, A.I.M.'s resources allowing her to create a time probe. She used this time probe in an attempt to erase Captain America from history.

Her attempts created an alternate reality where she joined the Avengers, as a "hero" called Broad-Stripe, which eventually led to her an an extremely political version of the team, policing and effectively ruling the country. Her attempts were ultimately thwarted by Captain America, Bucky Barnes, U.S. Agent, American Dream and Commander A.

Versus the New Avengers

Sometime later, Superia takes charge of a group of HAMMER agents. In the process of setting up equipment and a base of operations the New Avengers attack. Furious that they have discovered her scheme despite the utmost secrecy, Superia flattens the heroes with a powerful energy blast of unknown origin. Later, she shows up at Victoria Hand's apartment and violently confronts her, believing she was set up. Victoria points out that it was Superia's own HAMMER agents who openly contacted her, forcing her to give them up to the New Avengers.

When Superia tries to make a getaway by boat, again the New Avengers are sent to stop her. They force her to give up the combined Infinity/Super Soldier Serum she had been working on and take her into custody. Superia is angry that Hand betrayed her again. When at prison she sees a note slipped under her prison door with a Goblin symbol on it.

Powers and Abilities

Superia is a scientific genius, but also appears to possess superhuman strength and concussive blasts from her fists. She claims to have martial arts skills as well.

Other Media

Games

Marvel: War of Heroes

Superia Hand appears in several cards in the mobile card game Marvel: War of Heroes. Her cards are:

• [Head Femizon] Superia