Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)

Magma
Name	Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla
Current Alias	Magma
Aliases	Allison Crestmere
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	X-Men, New Mutants Formerly , X-Treme Sanctions Executive, X-Corporation L.A.; Hellions, Paragons
Relatives	Lucius Antonius Aquilla (adopted father), Hercules (lFotheregendary ancestor), Selene (alleged grandmother)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Female
Height	5′6″ (1.68 m)
Weight	131 lbs (59.42 kg) (59 kg)
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Blond
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Mutant
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Nova Roma
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	Nova Roman
Occupation	None, Student, adventurer
Base of Operations	Base of operations unknown Formerly Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod
First	New Mutants #8 (June, 1983)
First	New Mutants #8 (June, 1983)

History

Amara Aquilla

Magma hailed from the fictional country of Nova Roma (New Rome), a colony of the Roman Republic reportedly founded shortly after the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The colony was hidden in modern Brazil and was ruled until recently by the immortal mutant sorceress Selene. Amara was the daughter of Lucius Antonius Aquilla. He was presumably a member of the historical gens Antonia which claimed descent from Anton, son of Hercules.

A faction of the city’s Inca population attempted to transform the republic into an imperial state and a dark cult following the Black Priestess was regularly sacrificing young girls in a pit of fire in some caves beneath Nova Roma. Senator Aquilla was the leader of the opposition to this faction. Fearing for his daughters safety, he sent his daughter Amara to live in the jungles outside Nova Roma, disguised as an Indian. Later, the senator discovered that the Black Priestess was actually the immortal mutant Selene, wife of Senator Marcus Domitius Gallio, the leader of the Imperial faction.

Amara remained in hiding for years until she was captured by the New Mutants, who were on an expedition in the Amazon jungle. They learned of her disguise, but then both Amara and the New Mutants were captured by soldiers of Nova Roma and imprisoned. Now held prisoner by Selene, Amara was to be sacrificed. Selene used her mutant powers to drain Amara's life energy into her own body. The New Mutant named Mirage attacked Selene. This distraction caused Selene to release Amara from her control, but Selene knocked Amara into the pit of lava.

Somehow, rather than harming Amara, her immersion in the lava awakened her latent mutant powers. Together, Amara, with her new-found powers, and the New Mutants defeated Selene and helped thwart Senator Gallio's attempt to kill Senator Aquilla and seize power. Amara was instructed to go to the United States with the New Mutants and there learn about modern civilization. Amara did so reluctantly and became a member of the New Mutants under the code-name Magma.

At first Magma experienced culture shock, however she soon got a handle of modern civilization, including such things as computers and electricity. She also made quick progress in the use of her powers, being able to melt tunnels into the ground with the walls cooling down in mere seconds.

At a Hellfire Club event, Magma recognized her grandmother, "many times removed" in a statue depicting the ancient lunar deity Selene. Selene approached her to claim having been both the model for the statue and the ancestor in question. Magma refused to believe her claim.

Magma with Moonstar.

Amara later left the New Mutants and joined the Hellions, and then returned to South America with the Hellion member called Empath, who she had romantic feelings for. Amara sensed something was different about her homeland and its people but could not discern what was worrying her.

Later, all of the remaining members of the Hellions were killed by Trevor Fitzroy. Warpath, joined by Firestar and Cannonball, who were all once members of the Hellions, went to South America to tell Amara and Empath of the death of their former teammates. While there, they discovered that Amara and all the people of this city had been living a lie. The city had not been founded by ancient Roman settlers. Instead, it was populated by the kidnapped and mind-wiped victims of Selene. She had created the city as a testament to the times she loved most and desperately wanted to relive. With Selene gone from the area, the spell had started to fade. Empath had tried to prolong the scenario as, for the first time in his life, he was happy. The people of Nova Roma started to regain their memories and Amara was told that her real name was Allison Crestmere and that she was a mutant of British descent.

Later still, both Magma and Empath were kidnapped by the mutant twins Fenris, a plot that was part of an elaborate and deadly game organized by the villainous Gamesmaster. They were rescued by the team X-Force (formerly, the New Mutants). Afterwards, Magma decided to leave Empath and her friends to search for her family in England.

File:SECINVXMEN004.jpg

Magma as an X-Men during the Skrull Invasion

Alison was not seen again until her appearance in King Bedlam's new Hellions. He called her a "British exile," so it seemed that she did not rebuild her old life as planned. How she came to join him is unknown. However, when King Bedlam unleashed the Armageddon Man on the U.S., Magma did not leave with him, and helped X-Force shut down a nuclear reactor and stop the Armageddon Man.

Magma later turned up among a group of mutants captured and crucified on the front lawn of Xavier’s mansion by the Church of Humanity. Magma was among the few victims saved from certain death by quick transfusion of Archangel's new healing-factor-laced blood. However, Magma remained in a coma for a time.

A few weeks later, students Josh Foley and Julian Keller found out about Amara and decided to wake her up with Josh's healing abilities. Magma awoke and let out a power blast that nearly demolished the entire wing, then ran away. She joined up with the "X-Treme" X-Men team in California and reunited with her old friend Cannonball, then ran into Sunspot and Empath as well. Magma no longer thought of herself as Allison and was instead completely back to her Amara persona. How and why this change occurred, and which identity was the true one, is unknown. Amara helped the X-Men fight and temporarily defeat Elias Bogan and his telepath, though she reduced the LA X-Corporation headquarters to slag while doing it.

While vacationing in Guadeloupe, she found a new boyfriend. Antonio Argent was a mutant with almost the same powers as Magma. While on a date in the magma of a volcano, the "House of M consequence" took his mutant powers away. He combusted in the twinkling of an eye. His death temporarily drove her insane causing her to make the volcano erupt and attack a nearby town. She was later apprehended by Empath and brought to the Xavier Institute where she shared a tent with Skids and Outlaw. She was also being manipulated emotionally by the mutant Johnny Dee who was infatuated with her. Because of previous experience with being emotionally controlled, she incorrectly blamed Empath who denied her accusations.

Attributes

Power Grid

Powers

Magma Manipulation

Geokinesis: can psionically control the movement of the tectonic plates within the Earth's crust within limited areas, probably no less than a radius of a few city blocks. Within this area she can create small or large earthquakes by psionically affecting the Earth's crust.

Pyrokinesis: can create flames and project blasts of heat that do not contain any molten rock. However, she apparently prefers to fire magma blasts rather than simple heat blasts, perhaps because the magma blasts have a solid impact that can knock down a target. The highest level of heat that Magma can generate is not yet known, but it is believed that she can reach at least 850° Fahrenheit or higher.

Magma Manipulation: can psionically cause magma, or molten rock, from far beneath Earth's surface to rise to and break through the surface, forming miniature volcanoes. can also telekinetically project fiery blasts of magma at targets. Apparently she does so by turning nearby rock molten and then telekinetically hurling it at her target.

• Magma Form: When using her powers Magma's body shines with intense light and gives off tremendous heat. Her hair seems ablaze with fiery light. Neither her own heat nor heat from any other known source can burn or otherwise harm Magma. Although Magma has triggered small earth tremors without taking on her glowing form, she has never been seen to use her power to fire lava blasts while in her ordinary human appearance. Magma is not blinded by the light she gives off in her shining form.

Magma's power to create small or large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions is linked to her emotions. She could unintentionally create major earthquakes and large-scale volcanic activity by losing control of her temper and becoming unusually angry.

Abilities

Magma is a skilled swords woman due to her training in Nova Roma. Extensive knowledge of ancient Roman culture. Also is Granted the ability to heal simultaneously when touched by some heat substance.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Magma's costume and clothing are made from unstable molecules so that they will not be harmed by the tremendous heat she generates.

Notes

• Magma can trigger small earth tremors when in her human form, but can only generate heat or flame or telekinetically hurl molten rock when she is in her glowing form. Magma's powers depend on her maintaining contact with the Earth or whichever planet she is on, or at least with a floor that is part of a structure in contact with the ground. Magma's powers are linked to her emotions; hence, by losing her temper she can temporarily lose control of her powers.

See Also

• 249 appearance(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 12 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 23 minor appearance(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 17 mention(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 206 image(s) of Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 10 quotation(s) by or about Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 1 victim(s) killed by Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)
• 1 item(s) used/owned by Amara Aquilla (Earth-616)

Links and References

• UncannyXmen.net, Spotlight feature on Magma
• Marvel Universe Appendix 3
• Marvel Universe Appendix 2