MYSTERIA
Real Name: Winters (first name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Petty thief
Group Membership: Superia's
Femizons (Superia
[leader]; Anaconda/Blanche
Sitznski, Arclight/Philippa
Sontag, Battleaxe/Anita
Ehren, Blackbird/Heather
O'Gara,
Black Lotus,
Bloodlust/Beatta
Dubiel, Bombshell/Wendy
Conrad, Chimera, Dansen
Macabre, Dragoness/Tamara Kurtz, Dragonfly/Veronica
Dultry, Elektra (?), Ferocia,
Frenzy/Joanna
Cargill, Gladiatrix/Robin
Braxton, Golddigger/Angela
Golden, Gypsy
Moth/Sybil Dvorak, Ice
Princess, Impala,
Ion/Voletta
Todd, Iron
Maiden/Melina Vostokovna, Karisma/Mary
Brown, Knockout/Elizabeth
Rawson, Mindblast/Daniella
Forte, MODAM/Olinka Barankova, Moonstone/Karla Sofen, Nightshade/Tilda
Johnson, Pink
Pearl/Pearl Gross, Poundcakes/Marian
Pouncy, Princess
Python/Zelda DuBois, Quicksand,
Screaming Mimi/Melissa Gold, Snapdragon/Sheoke
Sanada,
Steel Wind/Ruriko
Tsumura, Titania/Mary MacPherran, Vapor/Ann Darnell, Vertigo
(Savage Land Mutates), Water
Witch, Whiplash/Leeann
Foreman, Whiteout,
Wrangler,
Yellowjacket/Rita DeMara)
Affiliations: None (other than the Femizons)
Enemies: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Paladin;
indirectly Asp
(Cleo Nefertiti), Black
Mamba (Tanya Sealy), Diamondback (Rachel Leighton) (resisted
Superia)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Las Vegas, USA
First Appearance: Captain America I#387 (early
July, 1991) (out of costume, unnamed); Captain America I#389 (early
August, 1991) (in costume)
Powers/Abilities: Mysteria is small-time thief with
reasonable stealth skills, but she relies on technical equipment to
augment such capabilities. At will, she can release a thick smoky mist
that obscures people's vision, controlling it from a radius of about 6"
out to approximately 15'. Mysteria can increase the density of the mist
so that it restricts breathing in those caught within it. She is
protected by a full-face mask. Mysteria is armed with wand-like
Mist-Sticks that can trigger a powerful electric charge and cause
temporary motor paralysis on contact; she relies on these in
close-quarters combat (which she generally avoids).
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Blond
History:
(U.S.Agent I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Mysteria was a petty criminal
in Las Vegas using fog generators in her crimes, but generally harmed no
one (see comments).
(Captain America I#386/2, 387-392) - Genetic mastermind
Superia sought to establish Femizonia, a world ruled by women, and set
up a base on an island. Superia began to gather what she felt to be the
best and brightest (as well as the most powerful) women in the world (or
at least those that would be interested in her plan) and brought them to
Femizonia Island--this included Mysteria.
(Captain America I#387,388) - Out of costume, Mysteria
enjoyed the start of the voyage onboard the S.S. Superia on the
way to the island, including the small kerfuffles between passengers.
(Captain America I#389) - Sitting in a small swirl of
self-generated mist, Mysteria attended the Pageant of Power, where the
women displayed their powers and/or skills, but they were alerted by
Ferocia to the sudden arrival of Captain America and Paladin.
(Captain America I#390) - Mysteria held back while the
projectile-wielding women attacked Captain America and Paladin, followed
by the powerhouse hitters. The heroic pair were overpowered and the ship
arrived at Femizonia Island.
(Captain America I#391) - Superia addressed all the women,
who had since disembarked, and revealed her plans to conquer the world.
Meanwhile, Captain America and Paladin escaped, and confronted Superia.
(Captain America I#392) - Superia summoned Mysteria, Arclight, Bombshell, and Wrangler. Mysteria tried to ambush Captain America, disorienting him with her mist, but he threw Wrangler at her instead, whom she inadvertently knocked out with her Mist-Sticks. The remaining three female villains advanced on Cap, but Mysteria's mist reduced visibility for all, although apparently not Mysteria, as she advanced the closest to the hero. Captain America did a hard sweep of his shield and knocked out Mysteria; he removed her inert body from the mist and the more dangerous fists of the other two villains, who were also quickly defeated. Superia's plans were stopped and she escaped. The Avengers arrived, but failed to find the cloaked Femizonia (and hence the women as well).
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Rik Levins, Danny Bulanadi.
She wasn't shown with her mask off, but there are scenes
of many of the S.S. Superia's passengers in casual wear,
including bikinis, but it's difficult/impossible to identify most of
them. As it is, Mysteria could even be wearing a wig as part of her
costume disguise.
Vagabond
(Priscilla Lyons) pretended to be Lisa Winters, the alleged sister of
Mysteria in the U.S.Agent mini-series, as her cover story in her Scourge
persona. She provides Mysteria's background, so can it be trusted? I'd
say yes and as such, it's a possibility that Mysteria may have been a
victim of the Scourge
program... pum spak!
In case you didn't catch
it, her weapons--"Mist-Sticks" --is a play on word on "Mystics"!
---Snood
Some additional comments on Mysteria provided by Cary:
As she had blonde hair, and used special fx [sic] worthy of Quentin Beck (alias Mysterio), I'll say it was actually Judith Klemmer working undercover for SHIELD. And, that she really IS the daughter of the same temperamental fx artist who, once upon a time, almost framed himself into prison with one of his tantrums.
P.S.--Mysteria's clumsiness might've been subconscious. Not too long ago, Daredevil volunteered to be temporarily brainwashed for a real deep-cover SHIELD mission to Paris. Judith Klemmer might've had to undergo similar hypnotic preparation for spying on Superia (It would be just like Nick Fury to call such a process "Preparation H."). But even so, she still recognized Cap on an instinctive level and acted uncoordinated, accordingly. Well, that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it! Yours truly: Carycomix@aol.com
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS :
Mysteria has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Captain America I#392, p2, pan5 (main image)
Captain America I#392 p10, pan1 (headshot, with Mist-Sticks)
Appearances:
Captain America I#387-392 (early July - late September, 1991) - Mark
Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
U.S.Agent I#1 (June, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), M. C. Wyman
(pencils), Keith Williams (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
First posted: 06/18/2025 - Happy
Birthday, Mark Gruenwald!
Last updated: 06/18/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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