LUMINOUS

BIOGRAPHY

Luminous claims to be a creation of the High Evolutionary using the DNA of the Avengers, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. She first encountered the Avengers when Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver had traveled to Counter Earth seeking answers to their origins. The twins were pursued by a squad of Avengers who were concerned for their well-being when they had disappeared for over a week. The High Evolutionary was in control of Counter Earth, an exact replica of Earth which existed parallel to earth on the other side of the sun. The High Evolutionary was using the planet as a science experiment, growing various lifeforms only to destroy them when he considered them imperfect. Luminous’ role in this society was as his enforcer, who quelled and murdered any dissenters of this new world's society. It was to that end, that the High Evolutionary dispatched Luminous to find her apparent “siblings” when they had trespassed on Counter Earth.

[Note: Interestingly, Luminous is the second assistant of the High Evolutionary to claim a biological connection to a member of the “House of M.” The first alleged sibling to one of Magneto's alleged children was Savage Land priestess, Zaladane, who said she was Polaris' sister. During Zaladane's time as the High Evolutionary's assistant, she also wore a blue and white, scantily-clad outfit. She was later killed by Magneto and has not reappeared.]

The Maximoff twins had been found by another of the High Evolutionary's creations: his “son,” the Low Evolutionary. The Low Evolutionary led a resistance movement that consisted of survivors of the High Evolutionary's various purges. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver had become aware that these survivors were being tracked in some way and, hoping to stem the tide, they set off to take the fight of the High Evolutionary himself. When they reached his citadel, they found their enemy's new tracker was a member of the Avengers, Sabretooth, who was being controlled by the High Evolutionary's New Men. The twins quickly took out the New Men present but were shocked when Luminous revealed herself, mocking them for being “old” and “grosser” than she expected. The cocky Quicksilver underestimated Luminous and was knocked out, as she was actually faster than him. The Scarlet Witch then attempted to take on Luminous herself but was shocked when Luminous possessed greater control over chaos magic than she did herself. Soon, both of the twins were incapacitated. Luminous told the New Men to continue their tracking of the Low Evolutionary and his “city of filth,” while she brought the Maximoff's to meet their supposed creator.

After delivering the Maximoff twins to the High Evolutionary and voicing her disgust of them enroute, Luminous joined the New Men in sacking the Low Evolutionary's hideout. Luminous displayed no empathy during the massacre and was confronted by the Low Evolutionary and his supporters. The two barbed philosophically back and forth briefly but there was no getting through to Luminous. Fortunately, her overconfidence got the better of her and she was attacked from behind by Sabretooth, who had broken free of his brainwashing. When Luminous came to, she was furious with Sabretooth and used her powers to increase his age beyond the capacity of his healing factor to counteract. She was stopped by the High Evolutionary, who appeared on the scene and ordered her to return to the purge. Shortly thereafter, the Maximoff twins (along with Rogue) also arrived, all three having freed themselves from imprisonment The tide started to turn against Luminous and the High Evolutionary's other forces. Doctor Voodoo had summoned the souls of the High Evolutionary's victims who attacked him. While this occurred, Luminous took another shot at the Scarlet Witch. Using her combination of super-speed and chaos magic, she easily bested the witch. As the Scarlet Witch was dying, Luminous continued to verbally berate her for losing her children and for being a “true failure,” among other personal attacks. As before, Luminous’ arrogance proved her undoing, as the Vision snuck up from behind and phased his fist into Luminous’ skull, incapacitating her and saving his ex-wife. The High Evolutionary continued to battle the Avengers but was summarily defeated by a combination of Doctor Voodoo and Quicksilver. Once again conscious, Luminous opened a portal, flew behind and grabbed her creator before fleeing through the portal. [Uncanny Avengers (2nd series) #1-5]

Luminous resurfaced again in the company of the High Evolutionary. Following the successful terraforming of Mars by Omega class mutants, the High Evolutionary journeyed to the planet now dubbed Arakko to congratulate the mutant race on their great achievement. He was met by a group of X-Men upon arrival. The High Evolutionary had Luminous explain that each of their starships contained something called a “Nihility Sphere,” which he was offering as a gift. The sphere held a virus that would render all humankind sterile within a generation and eliminate the mutants’ “human” problem. Rogue reacted violently to this “gift” and immediately engaged the High Evolutionary. Luminous questioned if the other X-Men agreed with Rogue, only to be delivered their answer with a sucker punch by Polaris, the “sometimes” half-sister of his former sparring partners, the Maximoff twins. Luminous did get the advantage on Polaris later due to her super-speed but was taken out by another X-Man, Synch, who had mimicked her powers. While she was unconscious, the High Evolutionary agreed to a detente with the X-Men for a drop of Synch's blood. While Luminous flew away with the High Evolutionary, Polaris and Rogue taunted her with the information that the High Evolutionary had built in a “kill switch” for her powers and she was effectively defenseless at his discretion, something they had discovered while she was unconscious. Luminous looked startled by the revelation. Ultimately, if this new information alters their relationship with her father going forward remains to be seen. [X-Men (6th series) #3]