Monica Rappaccini
Encyclopedia
Monica Rappaccini is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics
universe. She first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #7 (2005), created by Fred Van Lente
and Leonard Kirk
. The character is depicted as the "Supreme Scientist" of the supervillain organization A.I.M.
.
While enrolled as a biochemistry student at the University of Padua
, Monica Rappaccini went to New Mexico
's Desert State University to study and shared a brief relationship with Bruce Banner, a physics student who would later become the Hulk
. The ruthless Monica used their relationship to exploit Banner's radiation expertise for her own research. Upon attaining her doctorate, Monica quickly became a world-renowned innovator of anti-toxins and antidotes for various environmental poisons and nearly won the Nobel Prize
.
(A.I.M.), where she had a brief relationship with fellow agent George Tarleton (later MODOK
). Now making poisons instead of curing them, Monica's expertise with toxins allowed her to rise quickly through A.I.M.'s ranks. She implanted her own daughter and several other newborn children of A.I.M. members with memetic antibodies and released them into the world as A.I.M. waker agents with no knowledge of their heritage, programmed to travel instinctively to the nearest A.I.M. biohaven when their antibodies activated at age 16. Monica's daughter was raised in Vermont
as Carmilla Black by undercover A.I.M. agents.
and orchestrating attacks on capitalism, such as the dioxin-based gas attack on Hong Kong
. When the A.I.M. Scientist Supreme was slain by his own renegade creation, M.O.D.O.K., Monica became head of the splinter faction of A.I.M. that remained independent from M.O.D.O.K.'s control. Following M.O.D.O.K.'s numerous defeats, Monica's splinter group absorbed more cells into a sizable rival faction, and she was made Scientist Supreme of this "true" A.I.M. As A.I.M. leader, Monica rarely did field work, preferring to act through agents and proxies.
When she recently led an A.I.M. attack on the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, it was thwarted by her estranged 19-year old daughter, who had since joined forces with S.H.I.E.L.D.
and became the costumed Scorpion. Rappaccini eluded capture and soon attempted to harness the malfunctioning Uni-Power, but her plans were thwarted by Scorpion and several heroes who bonded with the Uni-Power.
Her A.I.M. faction was involved in an A.I.M. civil war that drew in Ms Marvel and S.H.I.E.L.D.
, following Ms Marvel's thwarting of a plan to turn M.O.D.O.K. into a bomb, Rappaccini reunited the organisation under her control.
robot (which is impersonating the Chameleon). She attempted to prevent M.O.D.O.K. from obtaining the Hypernova weapon and erasing all life on Earth. She has a stated aim to stop A.I.M. creating "inventions that turn around and try to destroy us". In the end, M.O.D.O.K. had gained the Hypernova and Monica gave him a billion dollars in exchange for it - which had been M.O.D.O.K.'s plan all along, as he'd worked out the Hypernova would grow unstable and explode. A.I.M.'s base was destroyed in the explosion and M.O.D.O.K. believes Monica is dead.
short distances. She keeps many different devices at hand, varying upon situation and opponent; when facing a captured Hank Pym, she admitted that she kept one-hundred and fifty-seven methods of containing him on hand.
reality-warped Earth
into a mutant-dominated society, Monica worked alongside Scorpion and the Hulk to overthrow Governor Exodus' fascist mutant government in Australia
. When the Hulk became Australia's new leader, Monica's secret plan to create a cybernetic army to overthrow Earth's mutant rulers was exposed. Denying any knowledge of the army, Monica promised to restore the cyborgs' humanity. When this warped reality was undone, a disoriented Monica found herself stranded in Australia alongside Bruce Banner. Evading Scorpion's attempt to arrest her, Monica returned to A.I.M.
, Monica created the Uni-Alias, an artificial variant of Captain Universe
's Uni-Power. Decades later Monica's granddaughter Varina Goddard, a Senior Scientist in the future A.I.M., used the Uni-Alias as a power source for the Death's Head robot in her attempt to assassinate the United Nations Secretary General.
's 1844 story “Rappaccini's Daughter
”, the title character Beatrice Rappaccini is suffused with poison by her botanist father's scientific experiments. The story is set in Padua, Italy, where Marvel's Monica Rappuccini attended college.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe. She first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #7 (2005), created by Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
and Leonard Kirk
Leonard Kirk
Leonard Kirk is an American-born comic book artist living in Canada. He has worked on such properties as Supergirl, JSA, Star Trek, Batman, and Witchblade...
. The character is depicted as the "Supreme Scientist" of the supervillain organization A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
.
Fictional character biography
Monica's first invention was an electric knife to help her mother slice ham; she never got over losing the science fair to a tomato sauce spouting volcano model.While enrolled as a biochemistry student at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
, Monica Rappaccini went to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
's Desert State University to study and shared a brief relationship with Bruce Banner, a physics student who would later become the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. The ruthless Monica used their relationship to exploit Banner's radiation expertise for her own research. Upon attaining her doctorate, Monica quickly became a world-renowned innovator of anti-toxins and antidotes for various environmental poisons and nearly won the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
.
Joining A.I.M.
Recognizing the many environmental and political failings of Western Civilization, Monica decided it was too corrupt to exist. She joined a series of terrorist organizations - first the pan-European leftist group Black Orchestra, then Advanced Idea MechanicsAdvanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
(A.I.M.), where she had a brief relationship with fellow agent George Tarleton (later MODOK
MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
). Now making poisons instead of curing them, Monica's expertise with toxins allowed her to rise quickly through A.I.M.'s ranks. She implanted her own daughter and several other newborn children of A.I.M. members with memetic antibodies and released them into the world as A.I.M. waker agents with no knowledge of their heritage, programmed to travel instinctively to the nearest A.I.M. biohaven when their antibodies activated at age 16. Monica's daughter was raised in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
as Carmilla Black by undercover A.I.M. agents.
Becoming Scientist Supreme
Monica went underground for nearly two decades, studying potential power sources as the sentient Uni-PowerCaptain Universe
Captain Universe is a disembodied superhero in Marvel Comics' universe who was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, and first appeared in Micronauts vol. 1 #8. It is the guardian and protector of Eternity...
and orchestrating attacks on capitalism, such as the dioxin-based gas attack on Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. When the A.I.M. Scientist Supreme was slain by his own renegade creation, M.O.D.O.K., Monica became head of the splinter faction of A.I.M. that remained independent from M.O.D.O.K.'s control. Following M.O.D.O.K.'s numerous defeats, Monica's splinter group absorbed more cells into a sizable rival faction, and she was made Scientist Supreme of this "true" A.I.M. As A.I.M. leader, Monica rarely did field work, preferring to act through agents and proxies.
When she recently led an A.I.M. attack on the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, it was thwarted by her estranged 19-year old daughter, who had since joined forces with S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
and became the costumed Scorpion. Rappaccini eluded capture and soon attempted to harness the malfunctioning Uni-Power, but her plans were thwarted by Scorpion and several heroes who bonded with the Uni-Power.
Her A.I.M. faction was involved in an A.I.M. civil war that drew in Ms Marvel and S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, following Ms Marvel's thwarting of a plan to turn M.O.D.O.K. into a bomb, Rappaccini reunited the organisation under her control.
M.O.D.O.K.'s 11
Monica infiltrated MODOK's supervillain gang with A.I.M.'s new Ultra-AdaptoidSuper-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
robot (which is impersonating the Chameleon). She attempted to prevent M.O.D.O.K. from obtaining the Hypernova weapon and erasing all life on Earth. She has a stated aim to stop A.I.M. creating "inventions that turn around and try to destroy us". In the end, M.O.D.O.K. had gained the Hypernova and Monica gave him a billion dollars in exchange for it - which had been M.O.D.O.K.'s plan all along, as he'd worked out the Hypernova would grow unstable and explode. A.I.M.'s base was destroyed in the explosion and M.O.D.O.K. believes Monica is dead.
Dark Reign
Later it is revealed she survived and comes into conflict with Mockingbird and Ronin. She also hires Deadpool to retrieve a batch of baby M.O.D.O.C.'s, enhanced to warp reality from H.A.M.M.E.R. headquarters.Earth-Charnel
After a failed attempt to persuade Hank Pym to join A.I.M., Monica and her followers were stranded on Earth-Charnel when the Wasp deactivated her facility's dimensional screen.Powers and abilities
A biochemical genius, Monica is one of the world's foremost authorities on organic toxins. Her inventions include the enhanced lymphatic system of the A.I.M. waker agents that granted them total immunity to all biological, chemical and radiological weapons; memetic antibodies, synthetic microbes that attack the human psyche and trigger pre-coded memories and impulses; hallucinogenic drugs that deliver programmed hallucinations before being absorbed into the system; and many innovative weapons of mass destruction, from gas attacks to nanobacteria bombs. Rappaccini's A.I.M. uniform belt contains a phasing device that allows her to teleportTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
short distances. She keeps many different devices at hand, varying upon situation and opponent; when facing a captured Hank Pym, she admitted that she kept one-hundred and fifty-seven methods of containing him on hand.
House of M
When the mutant Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
reality-warped Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
into a mutant-dominated society, Monica worked alongside Scorpion and the Hulk to overthrow Governor Exodus' fascist mutant government in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. When the Hulk became Australia's new leader, Monica's secret plan to create a cybernetic army to overthrow Earth's mutant rulers was exposed. Denying any knowledge of the army, Monica promised to restore the cyborgs' humanity. When this warped reality was undone, a disoriented Monica found herself stranded in Australia alongside Bruce Banner. Evading Scorpion's attempt to arrest her, Monica returned to A.I.M.
Death's Head 3.0 (Earth-6216)
In the alternate future timeline in Death's Head 3.0Death's Head
Death's Head is a fictional comic book character, a robotic bounty hunter appearing in the books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Simon Furman and artist Geoff Senior for the company's Marvel UK imprint...
, Monica created the Uni-Alias, an artificial variant of Captain Universe
Captain Universe
Captain Universe is a disembodied superhero in Marvel Comics' universe who was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, and first appeared in Micronauts vol. 1 #8. It is the guardian and protector of Eternity...
's Uni-Power. Decades later Monica's granddaughter Varina Goddard, a Senior Scientist in the future A.I.M., used the Uni-Alias as a power source for the Death's Head robot in her attempt to assassinate the United Nations Secretary General.
See also
In Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
's 1844 story “Rappaccini's Daughter
Rappaccini's Daughter
"Rappaccini's Daughter" is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844 concerning a medical researcher in medieval Padua. It was published in the collection Mosses from an Old Manse.-Plot summary:...
”, the title character Beatrice Rappaccini is suffused with poison by her botanist father's scientific experiments. The story is set in Padua, Italy, where Marvel's Monica Rappuccini attended college.