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Maria Pym

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(Redirected from Olinka Barankova)
Not to be confused with Modem, Modum, Sodam, or Sodam Yat.
Maria Pym
Maria as MODAM, battling Quasar in Quasar #9
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoMaria Trovaya Pym
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Notable aliases
  • SODAM
  • MODAM
  • Maria Pym
  • Olinka Barankova
Abilities
  • Superhuman intelligence
  • Various psionic abilities
  • Telepathy
  • Powered exo-skeleton

Maria Trovaya Pym is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, depicted as the first wife of Hank Pym and the mother of Nadia van Dyne. After being initially held captive by the Red Room and killed, she is resurrected by A.I.M. and mutated into a being nearly identical in appearance to M.O.D.O.K. called S.O.D.A.M. (and later M.O.D.A.M.).

Publication history

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Maria Trovaya Pym debuted in Tales to Astonish #44 (plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by H. E. Huntley, and drawn by Jack Kirby, June 1963) as the deceased wife of Henry "Hank" Pym whom his future partner and second wife Janet "The Wasp" van Dyne resembles.[1] She first appeared in The West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #36 as an agent of A.I.M., created by Steve Englehart and Al Milgrom, in Solo Avengers #16 as SODAM, created by Tom DeFalco with Milgrom, and Quasar #9 as MODAM, created by Mark Gruenwald and Mike Manle. A younger Maria Trovaya appears in flashbacks throughout The Unstoppable Wasp, starring the character's daughter Nadia and created by Mark Waid and Alan Davis, in a recurring capacity.

Fictional character biography

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Maria Trovaya is the daughter of Janos Trovaya, a Hungarian geneticist and former political prisoner. Upon meeting Hank Pym, Maria fell in love with him and the pair married, returning to Maria's native Hungary for their honeymoon, during which she inspires his interest in ants.[2]

Kidnapping, pregnancy, and death

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While in Hungary, Maria is kidnapped by communist agents and presumed dead while her father dies in a laboratory explosion. Swearing revenge, Hank goes on a rampage throughout Hungary and is eventually imprisoned for assault.[2] Unbeknownst to Hank, Maria survived, was imprisoned in the Red Room, and eventually had a daughter, Nadia van Dyne. Nadia was raised to become a potential Black Widow and later became the second Wasp.[2][3][4][5]

Resurrection and mutation into MODAM

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After resurrecting Maria, A.I.M. mutated her into a large-headed creature similar to MODOK before sending her to Hank Pym at the headquarters of the West Coast Avengers.[6] Pym took her in, seeking to cure her condition, but she stole files from him and returned to A.I.M.. There, she was further mutated into a being nearly identical in appearance to MODOK called SODAM (Specialized Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers). In this new form, she opposed Hawkeye and Pym, who identified what was left of Maria within her as dead.[7] Her code name was later changed to MODAM (Mental Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers). Her first assignment as MODAM was acquiring Quasar's quantum bands.[8] MODAM later appeared as a member of Superia's Femizons.[9]

Omega Red believed that MODAM was not Maria Trovaya, but Olinka Barankova, a woman who had once betrayed the mercenary. However, MODAM herself stated that "A.I.M. personnel files are routinely falsified" while revealing that she is the real Maria Trovaya.[10] Maria subsequently disappears when A.I.M. sends her in to attempt to fix a breach in reality caused by the Cosmic Cube,[11] with her body chassis later being found and put on display by in HYDRA headquarters by the Red Skull.[12]

Powers and abilities

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As MODAM, Maria possesses superhuman intelligence and the ability to manipulate psionic energy for a number of effects, including concussive energy blasts, force field generation, and telepathy. However, she is physically weak and dependent on her mechanical exoskeleton for physical support and movement.

References

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  1. ^ Wells, John (2015). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960–64. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-1605490458.
  2. ^ a b c Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963)
  3. ^ Free Comic Book Day 2016 Civil War II (July 2016)
  4. ^ The Unstoppable Wasp #8 (Aug. 2017)
  5. ^ All-New, All-Different Avengers #9 (July 2016)
  6. ^ The West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #36 (Sept. 1988)
  7. ^ Solo Avengers #14–16 (Jan.–March 1989)
  8. ^ Quasar #9 (April 1990)
  9. ^ Captain America #387–392 (July–Sept. 1991)
  10. ^ Iron Man #296 (Sept. 1993)
  11. ^ Captain America #440 (June 1995)
  12. ^ Captain America vol. 3 #3 (March 1998)
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