SUPERIA

Real Name: Dr. Deidre Wentworth (may be an alias)

Identity/Class: Human mutate, technology user

Occupation: Would-be World Conqueror; Professor at Glasser Institute of Contemporary Psycho-physiology (possibly a front)

Group Membership: Former leader of the Femizons

Affiliations: Served by her lieutenants (Blackbird (formerly Jackdaw), Iron Maiden (Melina Vostakoff), Moonstone (Karla Sofen), Nightshade, Snapdragon (Sheoke Sanada));
formerly served by Snapdragon (Rachel Leighton);
empowered and trained Free Spirit;
Baroness (Heike Zemo, would-be ally), Dr. Kincaid; Thundra (idol);

Enemies: Adaptoids, AIM, Baron Zemo (Helmut), Baroness, Alessandro Brannex (Super-Adaptoid), BAD Girls inc (Asp (Cleo Nefertiti), Black Mamba, Diamondback (Rachel Leighton), Captain America, MODAM, Paladin, Red Skull,

Known Relatives: Thundra (alleged descendent)

Aliases: Dr. Deidre Wentworth (possibly her real name)

Base of Operations: formerly Femizonia Island; Glasser Institute?

First Appearance: Captain America I#387 (BTS, July, 1991), Captain America I#390 (late August, 1991)

Powers: Superia is extremely intelligent and extensively educated, having mastered the disciplines of genetics, physics, biochemistry, metallurgy, architecture, and technology. She is 6'6" tall and has superhuman strength (enhanced human), and likely enhanced human endurance, agility, speed, etc. She has mastered many forms of combat. She can project energy blasts able to be used for concussive force or as destructive energy able to blow a six inch hole through a person. It is uncertain which, if any, of her abilities are within her, and which are part of her costume. She uses a hover-platform to fly.
She has developed several pieces of advanced technology. She created the time-probe, allowing her to snare inanimate objects from other time periods and bring them to her. The Feminization Process can allegedly transform men into women. She designed much of the technology at Femizonia Island, including the hermetically sealed barrier and the Sterility Seeds. Her dampening discs could neutralize the power source of AIM's adaptoids (the Cosmic Cube's energy), and possibly other power sources as well. She developed an anti-serum to counteract the Super-Soldier Serum breakdown that occurred in Captain America and the Red Skull.
In addition, she typically surrounds herself with a number of women warriors, some of whom are superhuman or technology users.

Height: 6'6"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

History: Superia has undergone extensive education, and events in her life have guided her towards a disdain for men, a belief in the inherent superiority of women, and the desire for women to rule the Earth. She has undergone some derivation of the strength-augmentation process.

(Captain America I#391(fb)) - Superia invented the time-probe, with which she acquired a history text from the 23rd century in the alternate future of Earth-Femizonia. This gave her definitive proof of the existence of Femizonia, which would be the leading nation state of the entire world. Femizonia covered most of North America, it was governed by women, and men served only as slaves. According to the history texts from Femizonia, something occurred in the 1990s, the Outbreak, which directly led to the founding of Femizonia. Her investigations also led her to believe that she herself was the direct ancestor of Thundra, greatest of the Femizons.

Superia set out to bring about the potential future of Femizonia, a world ruled by women. She set up a base on what would become Femizonia Island. Her plan involved using missiles launched into the upper atmosphere that would then explode and emit special microbiological weapons of Superia's creation--Sterility Seeds. This would sterilize all of the women of the world. Meanwhile, Superia began to gather what she felt to be the best and the brightest women in the world (or at least those that would be interested in her plan) , all under thirty and physically fit, and bring them to Superia Island. Superia Island would be encased within a hermetically sealed dome, making the women within the dome humanity's most precious and vital resource. Her plan would lead to the nations of the world capitulating to her every demand, in order that the human race would survive. This in turn would give Superia control of the destiny of the human race, and make her ruler of the world.

(Captain America I#387-389 - BTS, 390-392) - "The Superia Strategem"-After nearly a decade of work, Superia recruited Nightshade to assist her in adding to the technology of Superia Island. She recruited Blackbird, MODAM (on lease from AIM), and Moonstone to act as her operatives. She had gathered over 10, 500 civilian women. Superia sent her operatives to gather the super-villain women of the world to her side. Included with at least some of the invitations were large sums of cash, as much as $100, 000. Approximately 50 super-villain women were brought aboard the luxury cruiseliner, the S. S. Superia, en route to Superia Island. After the super-women reached Superia Island, Superia introduced herself and revealed a portion of her plans to initiate the creation of Femizonia. Captain America and Paladin had traced Diamondback to the S. S. Superia and had been captured. Superia subjected them to the feminization treatment, hoping that once they had come over to the other side, they would see the light.
The Asp and Black Mamba rebelled against Superia's plans, and they freed Captain America and Paladin. Captain America eventually confronted Superia, who challenged Captain America to single combat to determine who was...superior. After a short, inconclusive battle, Cap deflected one of Superia's blasts into the air, where it struck and damaged the Island's dome. Although Superia's missiles had already been launched, she was forced to flee to remotely deactivate the bombs, or everyone inside the dome would be sterilized as well. Cap, Paladin, and their female allies left aboard the Avengers quinjet which arrived shortly afterwards. Meanwhile Quasar located Superia's missiles and transported them to Uranus (still funny no matter how old I get), where they would do no harm. The majority of the super-villainesses apparently went their separate ways.

(Captain America I#411-414) - Superia was left with a small group of allies, who now formed the core of the Femizons: herself, Blackbird, Iron Maiden, and Snapdragon. These four attended the AIM Weapons Expo on Boca Caliente, with the plan of taking over the Island, and using their profits to finance Superia's further plans of worldwide conquest. Superia met with Alessandro Brannex, the head of AIM, and blasted a hole through his chest. She was quickly subdued by MODAM, who retained her loyalty to AIM and refused to aid Superia. Brannex was revealed to be an adaptoid, and he recovered from the assault. Brannex directed MODAM to dispose of Superia.
Blackbird and Iron Maiden flew to help Superia, while Snapdragon was confronted by Diamondback, who had been toughened by recent experiences and sought revenge for her near drowning on the S. S. Superia. Diamondback killed Snapdragon, while MODAM blasted Blackbird into submission, leaving the Iron Maiden unable to stop MODAM as she took off with Superia. Captain America took a sky-sled from AIM and attacked MODAM, forcing her to drop Superia into the water. Captain America saved Superia from drowning (she had been bound in manacles), but she gave him no thanks, and swam to shore.

BTS-Superia recovered, but apparently dissolved the Femizons.

(Captain America I#431-433) - As Dr. Deidre Wentworth, Superia began a research project on a performance-enhancing technique using subliminal learning tapes. She sought young women for this project, and gained Cathy Webster as a volunteer. The process allegedly unleashed Webster's full potential and tore down the barriers that prevented her mind and body from achieving "holistic convergence." Wentworth guided Webster to form the costumed identity of Free Spirit, to speak out against sexist activities on campus. However, when Free Spirit got involved in a struggle at one of these events, the subliminal training pushed her to hate and want to hurt men. Webster overcame the "brainwashing" and sought out Wentworth for questioning, but she and her entire research facility were mysteriously gone.
Superia traveled to Malpaso, Mexico to meet with the Baroness at Castle Zemo, in an effort to convince her to join her alliance of empowered, like-minded females. However, their discussions were overheard by Helmut Zemo, who was infuriated at the betrayal of his beloved Baroness, and he gassed and imprisoned the two of them. The Baroness convinced Helmut that she had lied to Superia to learn her motives, and so he released her.
Meanwhile, a number of other costumed adventurers had converged on Castle Zemo. Captain America had come in investigation of the disappearance of a number of children, Diamondback had come following Captain America, and Free Spirit had followed Dr. Wentworth's trail. Diamondback happened across the still bound Superia, who revealed that she knew she had killed Snapdragon, and manipulated her into serving out the remainder of Snapdragon's contract with her. Superia convinced Diamonback by telling her that she could cure Captain America from the breakdown of the Super Soldier Serum that was currently debilitating him. Free Spirit attempted to stop Superia, but Diamondback clocked her from behind.

(Captain America I#439) - Superia claimed to have developed the cure she had predicted and offered it to Diamondback if she would serve as its test subject. Diamondback agreed, and Superia proclaimed the anti-serum a success.

(Captain America I#440, [Avengers I#387], Captain America I#441, Avengers I#388) - "Taking AIM"-As AIM was working on the development of a new Cosmic Cube, Captain America and several allies traveled to Boca Caliente to prevent the energy of the Cube from raging out of control. Superia, with Rachel (as the new Snapdragon), went to Boca Caliente as well, hoping to steal the power of the Cube for herself, gain revenge on AIM for her previous defeat, and to offer the cure to Captain America. When Captain America collapsed, paralyzed, from a total seize-up from his condition, Superia gave him a test dose of the serum, which temporarily restored his mobility.
Superia and Snapdragon continued to infiltrate the island, fighting their way through AIM's army of Adaptoids. They encountered Captain America after another episode of total paralysis and prepared to take him from the island, to flee the Cube's energies, which were becoming dangerously unstable. A power surge blew out the ground beneath them, and Superia offered Captain America a full dose of her anti-serum in exchange for a debt of honor to be named at a later date. Captain America, although almost paralyzed, rejected her offer, and knocked the syringe containing the anti-serum from her hands. It was caught by the Red Skull, who was also investigating the Cube's energies, and suffering from the same breakdown process as Cap. The Skull used the serum on himself, and then blasted Superia, apparently killing her, to prevent her from developing more serum that might be used to help Captain America.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald and Rik Levins.

For the record, in Savage Tales, the first appearance of the Femizons of the future, the catalyst that triggered the formation of Femizonia, was said to have taken place "at the end of last century." Since that story took place in the 23rd Century, "last century" should refer to the 22nd century (2100s) or possibly the 21st century (2000s). That means that Superia's plans were off by 100-200 years...which may be why her plot was foiled.

The OHotMU I#11 detailed the events that created the world of Femizonia, but named the date as the end of the 20th Century. The two sources are not mutually exclusive, and it is possible to integrate them. For more information, see the Femizons of Thundra.

A lot of people complained about the Superia Strategem, but I liked it. The Feminization Process was a little too campy for me, though. Holy ovaries, Batman!

1990s-topical

C'Mon! Who stays dead? No one in the Marvel Universe. Superia's out there, building a new army...

Superia has a full entry in OHotMU 2006 A-Z#11.

Clarifications: Superia's Femizons are to be distinguished from:

• The Femizons of Thundra, natives of an alternate future Earth, in 23rd century, @ Savage Tales I#1, Fantastic Four I#150
• Fem Force, a group of field agents for SHIELD I, @ Captain America I#144
• Fem-Force, a group of warriors controlled by the Mandrill, @ Defenders I#79
• Femme Fatales/font>-Bloodlust, Knockout, Mindblast, and Whiplash II, a team of mercenaries, all of whom were members of Superia's Femizons as well, @ Amazing Spider-Man I#340