History
Nanya was a Russian orphan mutant girl taken to the camp known as Province 13, where many other mutant children were contained, shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union. Once the government changed, however, the camp was forgotten about, but never officially decommissioned. As such, a detachment of Russian Army soldiers remained there, and in time its commanding officer, General Sergei, came to resent both his position and his charges.
Nanya's prospects for a useful mutation to the General appeared dim, as he was repeatedly told she had failed all her psionic tests. Nevertheless, she had powers, and when the most powerful and dangerous of the Province's children, Nikolas, escaped and went on a rampage, Wolverine of the X-Men was among the victims of his death touch. Wolverine was taken back to Province 13 to study the effects of Nikolas' powers on him. His teammate, Nightcrawler, followed him, and in his infiltration of the base he met Nanya, who revealed her powers to him.
A melee ensued between the Russian army, the X-Men, Nikolas, and Omega Red, who had been authorized by the Russian government to bring in Nikolas by any means necessary, and in the chaos Nanya attempted to lead the captive children to safety, but was captured by Omega Red, and then by Sergei. The X-Man Colossus rescued Nanya from Sergei, who committed suicide.
In the end, Nikolas was euthanized by his mother, Ariana, and the old woman thereafter adopted Nanya as her own.