Crystal (comics)

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Crystal
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #45 (December, 1965)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In story information
Alter ego	Crystalia Amaquelin Maximoff
Team affiliations	Inhumans Fantastic Four Avengers
Notable aliases	briefly mistaken for the goddess Ixchel
Abilities	Fire manipulation Air manipulation Earth manipulation Water manipulation

Crystal is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. She is a member of the Inhumans and a younger sister of Medusa.

Crystal possesses the power to manipulate the classic four elements. Originally, she was a girlfriend of the Human Torch, then the girlfriend of the Avenger The Sentry. She later married Quicksilver. They have a daughter, Luna, who is granddaughter of the villain known as Magneto. Crystal had an affair during her marriage, though she claimed to still love Quicksilver. Currently their marriage has been annulled and Quicksilver is forbidden to see Luna.

Contents 1 Fictional character biography 2 Powers and abilities 3 Other versions 3.1 Ultimate Crystal 4 Appearances in other media 4.1 Fantastic Four (90's animated series) 4.2 Video games 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Fictional character biography

Crystal is the daughter of Inhumans Quelin and Ambur, and lived in Attilan with the other Inhumans, until the Inhuman Royal Family was forced out of the Great Refuge by Maximus.^[1] Her first encounters with the outside world were via the Fantastic Four. She encountered the Human Torch, and brought him to the Inhumans' secret New York base. She left New York with her family members to escape the Seeker, but became trapped inside Maximus' "negative zone" barrier dome around the Great Refuge.^[2] She fell in love with the Human Torch, although their romance was blocked by a literal barrier, around the Inhuman's city. The Inhumans were eventually freed from the "negative zone" barrier, and left the Great Refuge along with the Royal Family to visit the outside world. She brought Triton to rescue Mister Fantastic from the real Negative Zone and aided the Fantastic Four in battle against Blastaar.^[3]

Crystal would later leave the city for a brief career with the Fantastic Four. Soon after joining, she battled the Wizard, and helped defeat Maximus.^[4] She also fought Doctor Doom alongside the Fantastic Four.^[5] She was temporarily blinded by the Mole Man, but helped the Fantastic Four defeat him.^[6] She was abducted by Medusa and reunited with the Torch in Atillan. She revealed how she had used her powers to save Black Bolt's life, and then rejoined the Fantastic Four.^[7] She fell under the mental control of Diablo, but soon regained her free will and returned to the Great Refuge.^[8]

It was later revealed how she had rescued a dying Quicksilver. She chose Quicksilver over the Torch as the man she loved.^[9] Not long after that, she married Quicksilver.^[10] She later gave birth to their daughter, Luna, and accompanied the Inhumans when Atillan was relocated to Earth's Moon.^[11] During the time when the Inhumans lived on the Moon, Crystal defied the power structure of her society and fled with many Inhumans to an isolated part of Earth. They were there to help Medusa, their queen, give birth in secret. Crystal used her powers to eliminate the pollution from a wide area around their hideout, a mistake which led to even worse consequences.

Quicksilver and Crystal have had a rocky marriage. Pietro has always had a quick temper and Crystal had once had an affair with a real estate agent named Norman Webster. She and the Human Torch still had feelings for each other during his supposed marriage to Alicia Masters (later revealed to be a Skrull named Lyja merely pretending to be Alicia). She also developed feelings for Dane Whitman, the Black Knight but nothing physical came from it. These reasons have caused them to separate several times, egged on by Maximus the Mad taking credit for Pietro's descent into madness. One such reconciliation attempt occurred in a small town, in a rented cabin, where Crystal had to urge Quicksilver to 'go slow'. Unfortunately, even this was affected by outside forces.

At one point, Crystal summoned the Avengers to help battle the Brethren.^[12] Soon after, she joined the Avengers as a provisional member.^[13] Shortly after that, she became a full Avengers member.^[14] During Crystal's time with the Avengers, Magneto's Acolytes kidnapped her daughter, causing great damage to the mansion. Luna ended up in Genosha under the control of the Acolytes. The Avengers teamed up with the X-Men and managed to recover her safely.

After the events of House of M Crystal was reunited with her depowered husband, only for him to steal the Terrigen Mist from Attilan, in an attempt to use it to restore the depowered mutants. He also kidnapped Luna and exposed her to the mists, granting her various abilities. Luna had previously been baseline human, thought of by some as an affront to her mutant heritage.

During the events of Silent War, the Inhumans located Quicksilver. He allowed Black Bolt to beat him, in response to his betrayal. Their marriage has now been annulled.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Crystal possesses genetically superior Inhuman physiology, which has been enhanced and mutated by exposure to the Terrigen Mist. She has the ability to mentally manipulate the four basic elements of nature (as defined by the classical Greeks): fire, water, earth, and air. She does so by means of a psionic interaction with the substances on a molecular level. By controlling oxygen molecules she can cause fire to spontaneously ignite or she can douse any oxidizing flame by depriving it of oxygen. She can join hydrogen and oxygen molecules to create rain, summoning these molecules from a volume of atmosphere within a radius of approximately two miles. She can control the movement of water by manipulating surface tension, divining water from the ground and causing it to flow in designated directions. The observed maximum volume of water she can control is approximately 2,000 cubic feet (about 15,000 gallons). Thus, she cannot change the course of rivers or cause the sea to part. She can control the various substances that make up common bedrock (earth: iron, granite, shale, limestone, etc.), creating seismic tremors of up to 6.7 on the Richter scale (greater if tectonic plate fault lines are nearby) by causing a sudden shifting of the earth. The observed maximum volume she can affect at once is 1.8 x 10" cubic feet (approximately 1/800 of a cubic mile). She can also control oxygen atoms and oxygen-containing molecules to create atmospheric disturbances of various kinds. By intermingling air with earth she can cause a dust storm, air with water a typhoon, and air with fire a firestorm. She is able to create a wind of tornado intensity.

Limitations: Crystal can sustain a certain elemental phenomenon for approximately one hour before her mind begins to tire. She can also create any number of effects in succession for about forty-five minutes before mental fatigue impairs her performance.

Crystal also has the physiology of an average Inhuman, so all her bodily functions are higher than a normal human's. Inhumans are superior to humans in strength, reaction time, stamina, resistance to injury and speed. However, Inhumans' immune systems are weaker than that of an average human, and Crystal is unable to stand the pollution, such as smog, that normal humans can unless she takes a weekly dose of a serum created by Reed Richards and Henry Pym that immunizes her against these adverse effects.^[15]

Crystal's clothing, created by Inhuman scientists, is made of an unknown material that is resistant to heat, cold, and flame.

[edit] Other versions

[edit] Ultimate Crystal

Crystal appeared in the Ultimate Marvel Universe within the Ultimate Fantastic Four, Annual #1 story "Inhuman". In this story she is being forced to marry Black Bolt's brother, Maximus, whom she doesn't like. She flirts with Johnny Storm during the issue, but ultimately leaves with the other Inhumans when they go to their new city. She later appears in UFF #30 talking to Sue, who wants her to ask Black Bolt for help with a parasite that is eating Johnny that could kill everyone on Earth. Crystal replies that Black Bolt couldn't help, even if they were at risk, suggesting the Inhumans have moved to the Moon.

[edit] Appearances in other media

[edit] Fantastic Four (90's animated series)

Crystal, along with the other Inhumans, made their animated debut in the second season of the Fantastic Four animated series in the three-part "Inhumans Saga" episode, and after escaping the Negative Barrier, went on to become the girlfriend of the Human Torch. Crystal was voiced by Kathy Ireland.

[edit] Video games

Crystal is featured as an NPC in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Kim Mai Guest. She tells the heroes that Medusa went down to Earth to search for the Ultimate Nullifier. Gorgon mentions that Crystal will accompany him and Triton to fight Doctor Doom and get Medusa back while the heroes head to the Skrull Homeworld. She is presumably beaten by Doctor Doom along with Gorgon and Triton as she is not heard from for the rest of the game. There is special dialogue between her and Human Torch as well as the Invisible Woman.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Crystal on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki