Andromeda (Marvel Comics)

Publication history

Andromeda was introduced in The Defenders #143 (March 1985) and added to the titular supergroup's lineup a few issues later. Writer Peter B. Gillis later revealed, "My long-term plan was to populate The Defenders with my own crew of characters, characters who nonetheless had ties to interesting parts of the Marvel Universe. Andromeda, while not the Sub-Mariner, gave me a connection to Atlantis." However, Andromeda would be the last character Gillis added to The Defenders, since shortly after her debut he was told that the series was being cancelled.

Fictional character biography

A member of the Homo mermanus race, Andromeda is the illegitimate daughter of Attuma of Atlantis by a woman named Lady Gelva. He did not know of her existence until she confronted him and told him he was her father. Andromeda was raised in Atlantean society and trained in the arts of hunting and war and she exceeded any other male except for her father in these skills. Despite her skills, she was considered unworthy of promotion in the Atlantean military because she is a woman even though she was highly decorated.

Andromeda later appears as a member of Namor's Defenders of the Deep, Namor's own super-team assembled to impose his will on the surface world's presence in the oceans.

Powers and abilities

As a member of the Homo Mermanus race, Andromeda can breathe underwater, and has more durable skin which allows her to survive in great depths. She is also able to move freely underwater. However, without special aid she will die in the open air. To counteract this, Andromeda uses a serum that allows her people to survive up to 12 hours out of the water, and in addition, provides her with the skin color of a surface-dweller.

Without her serum, Andromeda loses her vitality the longer she spends out of the water, and would eventually die if she was out of water for long enough. Andromeda is proficient in many weapons but prefers the Atlantean trident. She is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and as a military leader. She is superhumanly strong and can lift around 4 tons in the air, and at least 14 tons underwater.

Notes

• Genevieve Cross is called Genevieve Cass in the Dragon Circle entry in the Handbook of the Marvel Universe '89 edition.

References

References

1. DeAngelo, Daniel. (July 2013). "The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players: A History of the Defenders". [[TwoMorrows Publishing]].
2. Dunkin, Jamie. (2022-08-04). "10 superheroes Leslie Grace could play after 'Batgirl' cancelation".
3. Harn, Darby. (2022-07-24). "10 Things Only Marvel Comics Fans Know About Attuma".
4. Webber, Tim. (2018-10-12). "The Defenders Of The Deep: Who Are Marvel's New Underwater Avengers?".
5. ''Iron Man'' Annual #10. Marvel Comics.
6. ''The Defenders'' #149. Marvel Comics.
7. ''Avengers'' vol. 8 #9. Marvel Comics.