Petra (Marvel)

Petra is a female comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

Petra Kristinson was the first of her family to be born in the United States. Her mother, father and brother emigrated from Denmark while her mother was pregnant with Petra. They lived the typical American life in the suburbs of New York City for most of Petra's childhood. Shortly after her thirteenth birthday, Petra's family was killed by a rockslide while on a camping trip. Unknowingly, Petra used her mutant powers of earth manipulation to avoid getting hurt. After spending weeks in Child Protective Services, Petra was sent to live in New Jersey in a foster home. She was placed in a home that had five other children that were forced to share the same bedroom. Her foster mother was old and uncaring, and her foster father was too caring, trying to hold and touch Petra all the time. One day on an outing to Central Park, Petra's foster father tried to touch her but sank knee-deep into the ground. It was then that Petra realized that she was a mutant, and she ran away. She found a cave and hid there for days crying, knowing that with her abilities she could have either killed or saved her family. She camped in Central Park for a couple years, using her power to manipulate rock caves into shelters to avoid being arrested and sent to juvenile detention centers. When she was sixteen, she discovered another useful aspect of her ability: she could turn coal into diamonds by concentrating hard enough. For a year, she used this aspect of her power to make diamonds of varying size to sell to pawn shops so she could buy food and survive. One day, however, a pawn shop employee said he was going to call the owner of the store, but he really called the police. Running to her rock shelter, the police found Petra before she could hide, and took her into custody after a brief battle.

When the team first deployed onto Krakoa, Petra demonstrated her control over the earth by raising a massive stone platform to carry her teammates safely across unstable terrain. Later, she manipulated the ground to collapse beneath one of the island’s attacking creatures, crushing it beneath rock and soil. During the fight, she continued to redirect stone and earth to shield her allies, constructing temporary walls and barriers that held back Krakoa’s thrashing vegetation. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #3) Petra expanded her role in the battle by directly engaging the living island’s defenses. She caused the earth to erupt in jagged spires, impaling Krakoa’s plant-like tendrils that sought to ensnare the team. When her teammate Darwin was trapped, Petra carved a passage through collapsing stone and pulled him to safety. She also used her powers to open fissures, splitting the battlefield to give her teammates breathing space against the relentless onslaught. Despite her efforts, Krakoa overwhelmed the group, and Petra was fatally injured during the chaos. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #4)

When she awoke, a female guard informed her that she was being released into the custody of a woman, later revealed to be Dr. Moira MacTaggert, who was there to help Petra. This at first frightened Petra because she had never known anyone to try to help her because of her abilities, only hurt her. Dr MacTaggert went about trying to help Petra further hone her skills at her Muir Island Research Center. (X-Men Deadly Genesis v1 #4) Petra was soon joined by other teenage mutants in training. Before long, Moira’s long-time friend, Professor Charles Xavier, arrived with dire news. His own class of mutant teenagers, the X-Men, who had been fighting crime and evil mutants for over a year, had been captured by their latest enemy, the mutated island Krakoa. Xavier needed Moira’s students for a rescue mission and she reluctantly agreed after the professor explained that he could telepathically bestow Petra and her friends with the knowledge of several months of training exercises. Unfortunately, the four newly drafted X-Men were still not prepared to face a foe like Krakoa, who slowly drained them of their energies the longer they stayed on the island. Petra specifically had a hard time, as she found parts of the semi-sentient island’s landmass beyond her control. The four mutants managed to free Cyclops, enabling him to escape the island and eventually return with a second rescue team. However, when Petra and the others tried to rescue the remaining X-Men, Krakoa attacked them with a creature that spew fire and lava on them. Upon being incinerated, Petra made the ground swallow herself and her friends. Her last act before succumbing to her injuries was to create a small underground cavern, enabling two of her friends to survive – even though it would be years before they were found. (X-Men Deadly Genesis v1 #6)

House of X

After the establishment of Krakoa, Mutants from around the Earth gathered to the living island that was to be their new homeland. Charles Xavier also established the Resurrection Protocols that allowed the return of many Mutants that had previously been killed. Among them was Petra who peacefully resided on Krakoa alongside her resurrected team mates. (X-Men v5 #8)

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Petra was depicted as a young woman with fair skin, shoulder-length auburn hair, and often wearing a sleeveless orange-red top paired with dark trousers and boots. Her costume was practical, designed for rugged missions, and her striking hair color gave her a distinctive look among her teammates. Her overall presentation was one of a grounded but resilient figure, fitting for a mutant whose powers were rooted in the control of the earth. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #3)

In personality, Petra was brave and practical, often displaying a calm determination even when under pressure. She bonded quickly with Darwin, forming a strong camaraderie that showcased her loyalty and protective nature. Though her life was cut short, her willingness to sacrifice herself for a teammate illustrated her selflessness and commitment to others. She carried herself with quiet strength, less flamboyant than some mutants but no less heroic. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #6)

Powers and abilities

Petra was a female human Mutant a member of Homo superior said to be the next stage in human evolution. As a Mutant, Petra was born with a genetic mutation marked by the presence of the X-Gene, which typically activated during puberty or under conditions of stress or trauma. This mutation distinguished her biologically and physiologically from baseline humans, granting her access to powers far beyond normal human capabilities. As is common with Mutants, Petra’s abilities manifested without the need for external enhancements or scientific intervention, identifying her as a naturally evolved superhuman. (X-Men Deadly Genesis v1 #1)

In powers, Petra was a mutant with geokinetic abilities, allowing her to control and manipulate earth and stone. She could raise platforms of rock, collapse terrain, open fissures, and create protective barriers of earth. Her offensive applications included generating stone spires and crushing opponents with falling rock. Her powers were versatile in both offense and defense, and though her time was brief, she demonstrated remarkable potential as a geokinetic mutant. (X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #4)

Petra was a "terrakinetic" or "geo-morph" having the ability to psychokinetically manipulate, control, levitate and reshape the classic element of earth—sand, stone, rock, lava, and/or dirt—and could even transform the consistency of earth and rock, such as turning a lump of coal into a diamond. She also could use this power to cause minor earthquakes and create shapes out of solid rock.

Notes

• Petra was created by Ed Brubaker and Trevor Hairsine where she made her first appearance in X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1 #1 (January, 2006).
• The X-Men: Messiah Complex - Mutant Files v1 #1 (2007) gave her full name as Petra Kristinson.

Alternate Versions

• In Ultimates 2 #9 (2006), a possible alternate version of the character appeared named Petra Laskov appeared in the Ultimate Marvel reality that was designated as Earth-1616 in the Multiverse. This version was a female mutant of Syrian descent that initially appears as the supervillainess named the Insect Queen, and later became a superheroine called the Red Wasp. As Insect Queen, she has Swarm esque powers to control insects (although she is fully corporeal), with features of grey skin and horns similar to Margali Szardos. Insect Queen is one of the members of the supervillain Liberators group that invades the United States to kill many in order to put a stop to perceived American aggression. During a showdown with the Ultimates, Insect Queen is apparently killed after being stomped by a giant-sized Wasp. However, the character is later rebuilt as the human-looking Red Wasp, a modified variation of the late Wasp. As Red Wasp, Petra serves as a member of the Avengers led by Nick Fury and Gregory Stark. The character's past is also revealed: Petra was the wife of Georgian activist Nikolai Laskov, and the couple together had a child. Unfortunately, the couple's child is held at gunpoint, forcing Petra to kill her husband to save her own child. She does so, only for Petra's child to be killed anyway, and then Petra was raped by thugs. When the Avengers fight the Red Skull, Red Wasp was almost tormented until Captain America and Hawkeye saves the team. Afterwards, Petra disguised as a nurse shot her family's executioner in the head in a hospital. Petra continues to serve with the Avengers. When the Avengers fight Vampire X, Petra confides with ex-teammate Perun that's also added to the Avengers.

In other media

Television

• In Wolverine and the X-Men, a seeming adaptation of the character was made into Christy Nord in the animated television series who was voiced by actor Kari Wahlgren. This version was the daughter of kinetic energy absorbing mutant Christopher Nord. Like Petra, she has the mutant ability to manipulate the earth and stone. In the episode "Past Discretions", she was seen in flashbacks living with Christopher on a farm near the Canadian border at the age of 6, when her father became Team X's target. Wolverine was sent to capture Nord, only to realize this could make Christy an orphan. Ten years later, Wolverine reappears to which Christy attacks him for apparently being responsible for her being an orphan. However, Christy realizes that Wolverine had saved her and Sabretooth was responsible for her father's apparent demise. In the episode "Stolen Lives", Christy gets abducted by Maverick for Dr. Abraham Cornelius and Professor Thorton, however, she is rescued by Wolverine and Mystique. With Emma Frost's help, Christy reunites with her father.

Appearances

• X-Men: Deadly Genesis v1: (2006)
• X-Men v5:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry

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