Wind Dancer: Difference between revisions
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
There, she finally began to become part of a group, and the group that would become the [[New Mutants]] squad formed around her. One of her first friendships was with the mutant [[Wallflower (comics)|Wallflower]], who did not want any roommates because of her power of pheromones altering people's feelings towards her. Sofia insisted that her wind abilities would make sure no pheromones reach her and thus, any emotions would truly be her own. Sofia enjoys her life at Xavier's, even being voted "Most Outgoing" in the school's year book. |
There, she finally began to become part of a group, and the group that would become the [[New Mutants]] squad formed around her. One of her first friendships was with the mutant [[Wallflower (comics)|Wallflower]], who did not want any roommates because of her power of pheromones altering people's feelings towards her. Sofia insisted that her wind abilities would make sure no pheromones reach her and thus, any emotions would truly be her own. Sofia enjoys her life at Xavier's, even being voted "Most Outgoing" in the school's year book. |
||
When [[Prodigy (comics)|Prodigy]] rejected the role of leadership, Sofía took it, but became isolated and irritable when she proved unsuited to the task. Her command decisions weakened further when [[Wither (comics)|Kevin Ford]] was arrested, and she briefly sided with the [[Hellions (comics)|Hellions]] to break him free. After the New Mutants fought the Hellions over the incident, Prodigy talked her into letting Kevin go, and she talked him into leading the team. He was reluctant, but agreed to be co-leader with Sofía, to better mesh their strengths. |
When [[Prodigy (comics)|Prodigy]] rejected the role of leadership, Sofía took it, but became isolated and irritable when she proved unsuited to the task. Her command decisions weakened further when [[Wither (comics)|Kevin Ford]] was arrested, and she briefly sided with the [[Hellions (comics)|Hellions]] to break him free. After the New Mutants fought the Hellions over the incident, Prodigy talked her into letting Kevin go, and she talked him into leading the team. He was reluctant, but agreed to be co-leader with Sofía, to better mesh their strengths.<ref>''New X-Men: Academy X'' #6</ref> |
||
Thereafter, Sofía's temper eased again until the school dance, where she caught Laurie manipulating Prodigy to make her ex-boyfriend [[Elixir (comics)|Elixir]] jealous.<ref>''New X-Men: Academy X'' #14</ref> Alarmed by the rapid disintegration of the squad, she found herself kissing [[Hellion (comics)|Hellion]], to whom she'd reluctantly been drawn since her arrival at the Institute, and he pushed her to end the in-fighting since she was the one who saw the good in everyone - even him. She tried to do so by forcing everyone to get together for a camp-out on the X-Mansion grounds. While bickering and even fist fighting broke out, Sofia was able to eventually reconcile her teammates.<ref>''New X-Men: Yearbook Special''</ref> |
Thereafter, Sofía's temper eased again until the school dance, where she caught Laurie manipulating Prodigy to make her ex-boyfriend [[Elixir (comics)|Elixir]] jealous.<ref>''New X-Men: Academy X'' #14</ref> Alarmed by the rapid disintegration of the squad, she found herself kissing [[Hellion (comics)|Hellion]], to whom she'd reluctantly been drawn since her arrival at the Institute, and he pushed her to end the in-fighting since she was the one who saw the good in everyone - even him. She tried to do so by forcing everyone to get together for a camp-out on the X-Mansion grounds. While bickering and even fist fighting broke out, Sofia was able to eventually reconcile her teammates.<ref>''New X-Men: Yearbook Special''</ref> |
||
Revision as of 23:49, 23 February 2008
| Sofía Mantega | |
|---|---|
| File:Sofianw2.jpg Wind Dancer in New Warriors v.4 #2; Art by Paco Medina | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New Mutants vol. 2 #1. |
| Created by | Nunzio DeFilippis Christina Weir Keron Grant |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Sofía Mantega Barrett |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | New Warriors Xavier Institute New Mutants |
| Notable aliases | Wind Dancer |
| Abilities | Formerly: Air and wind manipulation, Flight, Long distance eaves dropping |
Sofía Mantega formerly known as Wind Dancer is a fictional character, a former mutant in the Marvel Universe, one of the student body in the Xavier Institute, and a member of the New Mutants squad therein. Her first appearance was in New Mutants vol. 2 #1 and was the first of the main cast to be introduced . At the beginning of New Mutants vol. 2, she is 16 years old.
Fictional character biography
Early life
Sofía was born and lived most of her life in Caracas, Venezuela. While under the care of her uncle, Sofia's mother was killed in a riot in town. Busy playing with the winds and her younger cousin, the news came to her uncle first, who watched the pair in the distance. Unfortunately, Sofia's mutant ability brought her the news of her mother's death as well as her uncle's refusal to take care of her. Shortly after her mother's funeral, she is sent to her father, who had been previously unaware of her existence. The head of a major supermarket chain located in the United States, Walter Barrett is an occupied businessman without the time nor the interest for a daughter.
Despite her enthusiasm in the reunion, he quickly sets three ground rules - she would learn English before school started, she would get good grades, and she would not use her mutant power. In return, he ensured her she would want for nothing.
Xavier Institute
Three weeks later, she joined a local school, but had difficulty fitting in. By her birthday in May, despite her best efforts, she still had no friends at the school, and her father didn't even know it 'was' her birthday (unlike his butler Derek, the only person who had any time for her). After hearing someone say that no one liked her behind her back after lying that they were busy, she finally snapped. Going to one of her father's stores, she let loose a hurricane inside it, completely wrecking it before collapsing into a fetal position, where the police found her and arrested her.
Her father visited her in jail. Asking her why she'd done it, she weakly replied that it was to see whether he'd notice, and that she'd made sure no one was hurt. Intending to leave her in prison for 48 hours before dropping the charges, and planning on a second paternity test to make sure he was not her father before sending her back to Venezuela, he was confronted by Danielle Moonstar. Having seen what Sofía had done on the news, she "persuaded" him to release Sofía into her custody so that she could take her to the Xavier Institute, then talked Sofía herself into going. After saying goodbye to Derek, they went onward to Xavier's.[1]
The New Mutants
There, she finally began to become part of a group, and the group that would become the New Mutants squad formed around her. One of her first friendships was with the mutant Wallflower, who did not want any roommates because of her power of pheromones altering people's feelings towards her. Sofia insisted that her wind abilities would make sure no pheromones reach her and thus, any emotions would truly be her own. Sofia enjoys her life at Xavier's, even being voted "Most Outgoing" in the school's year book.
When Prodigy rejected the role of leadership, Sofía took it, but became isolated and irritable when she proved unsuited to the task. Her command decisions weakened further when Kevin Ford was arrested, and she briefly sided with the Hellions to break him free. After the New Mutants fought the Hellions over the incident, Prodigy talked her into letting Kevin go, and she talked him into leading the team. He was reluctant, but agreed to be co-leader with Sofía, to better mesh their strengths.[2]
Thereafter, Sofía's temper eased again until the school dance, where she caught Laurie manipulating Prodigy to make her ex-boyfriend Elixir jealous.[3] Alarmed by the rapid disintegration of the squad, she found herself kissing Hellion, to whom she'd reluctantly been drawn since her arrival at the Institute, and he pushed her to end the in-fighting since she was the one who saw the good in everyone - even him. She tried to do so by forcing everyone to get together for a camp-out on the X-Mansion grounds. While bickering and even fist fighting broke out, Sofia was able to eventually reconcile her teammates.[4]
Depowered
Sofia lost her powers along with 90% of the mutant population when the Scarlet Witch produced a reality-bending spell in an attempt to solve the human/mutant problem.[5]
Along with most of the depowered students, she moved out of the mansion and was to return to Venezuela with her father's former man-servant, Derek. She left the school abruptly without giving Julian notice after she catches him callously denouncing Prodigy after he had lost his powers.[6] Luckily, she was not one of the many students to have been killed by an attack from William Stryker and his Purifiers.
New Warriors
Yet for unknown reasons, Sofia moves to New York City, where she lives alone and works as a waitress. She feels directionless in her new "normal" life and has nightmares, which ominously feature none other than the Scarlet Witch, about the trauma of losing her powers. During the dream, Sofia enjoys the pleasures of winged flight. Around that time Sofia begins to receive strange messages from a group calling itself the New Warriors. The group sends a messenger whom Sofia recognizes as Barry, a young man she knew (and flirted with) from the restaurant she works in. Sofia is angry until Barry explains that he is a depowered mutant, and is actually her old friend from the Xavier Institute, Beak. (She did not recognize him because of his altered appearance post-M-Day.) Beak then transports Sofia into the secret base of the New Warriors, where she is introduced to Night Thrasher.[7] Sofia refuses Night Thrasher's offer. Before leaving, Night Thrasher gives Sofia an amulet which she later throws in an alley whereupon it explodes into a wall of webs. Immediately after the amulet detonates, fellow ex-mutant Jubilee demonstrates why she joined the Warriors and further tries to persuade Sofia into joining the group.[8]
She recently had another dream where she fought alongside both the X-Men and her former teammates against the Blob, which seemed to indicate a longing for her old friends, her former love interest Hellion, and a life of heroism.
Back In Action
Still refusing to join the team, Sofia returns to her job as a waitress. However, a battle between the New Warriors and a new Zodiac breaks out near the restaurant and Sofia helplessly witnesses Cancer kill the New Warrior Longstrike.[9]
With the Warriors fighting a losing battle and a little boy caught in the crossfire, Sofia charges unarmed towards Cancer providing enough distraction to give her friends the upper hand. While the super-powered individuals battle, Sofia tries to get the young boy to safety but is blasted from behind from an unknown energy blast. The battle ends and the unregistered heroes must flee for violating the Superhuman Registration Act. Nearby paramedics agree to take care of the fallen hero while the team escapes.
At the hospital, doctors determine Sofia is suffering from burns, a concussion, and various other problems from the attack. During a comatose state, Sofia dreams she is meeting her mother in Heaven and once again bears angel-like wings. While Sofia is overjoyed by the reunion, her dream ends when Sofia's heart monitor continues to show signs of life.
Sofia makes headlines for her heroic deeds during the battle, suffering serious injuries. Luckily, she is expected to fully recover and has only lost her hair due to surgery.[10] Her hair appears to have grown back somewhat according to the cover of the upcoming issue.
Upon her release from the hospital, Mantega reconsiders Night Thrasher's offer to join the team right as he is about to disband the group following the disastrous encounter with the Zodiac. However, the team of depowered mutants had found a sense of belonging with each other after losing a part of who they are following M-Day and wish to stay a team.
New Identity
Now as a member of the New Warriors, Sofia is in the process of deciding on a new identity and technologically granted superpowers. It is expected that Sofia will take the identity of Renaissance, a mysterious, not-yet-seen Warrior. She appears to have a gun and a brown jacket.
Other versions
House of M
Wind Dancer as a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee in the House of M reality. During the House of M crossover (which later led to Decimation), Wind Dancer was shown as a S.H.I.E.L.D trainee, in the Hellions Squad, under Dani Moonstar's supervision, and involved in a rather intimate relationship with Scion (Julian's counterpart).
In this reality, she battled control against Wallflower's pheromones that manipulated the New Mutant Leadership Institute's students into fighting with the S.H.I.E.L.D. trainees to the death.
After Wallflower was killed and her influence severed, the surviving young mutants teamed up to attack Emperor Sunfire, who headed Project: Genesis, a plan to mutate baseline humans.
Powers and abilities
Wind Dancer had the ability to control the movement of air, which included the ability to generate wind with intense force, lift and carry objects, fly and, more subtly, amplify small vibrations in the air - allowing her to hear faraway conversations.
In previews for New Warriors #9 Sofia is shown using a version of Doctor Octopus' technology as well as sporting a personal forcefield.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (January 2008) |
- Sofia was the first mutant introduced in the second New Mutants series.
- Sofia is a quick study in language, as she learned English within only 3 weeks. Whether she had studied the language before hand is still unknown (although English is commonly taught in many South American schools)
- She is an avid fan of dancing, and once took swing dancing lessons with teammate Icarus at Stevie Hunter's dance studio.
- Sofia has starred in three different titles bearing the adjective "new".
Bibliography
- New Mutants vol. 2 #1-13
- New X-Men: Academy X #1-24
- New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook
- House of M #8
- X-Men vol. 2 #165
- New Warriors vol 4 #1-present