 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Layla Miller | |
|---|---|
 Layla Miller. Panel fromX-Factor #208 Art by Emanuela Lupacchino. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | House of M #4 (Sept. 2005) |
| Created by | Brian Michael Bendis Olivier Coipel |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Layla Rose Miller-Madrox |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | X-Factor Investigations Summers Rebellion |
| Partnerships | Doctor Doom Ruby Summers |
| Notable aliases | Butterfly,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Layla Madrox |
| Abilities |
|
Layla Rose Miller, also known asButterfly,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. She first appeared inHouse of M #4 (Sept. 2005), and was created byBrian Michael Bendis andOlivier Coipel.[8]Peter David later developed the character, placing Layla at the center of the ensemble of mutant private detectives in his titleX-Factor.
Layla Miller is first seen as a young mutant girl who lives inHell's Kitchen inNew York City. When she wakes up one morning, she findseverything has changed and she is one of a small number of unaffected characters.[9] Layla was instrumental in bringing down the "House of M" by using her ability to restore the memories of superheroes who rebelled and helped restore reality.Doctor Strange suggested that theScarlet Witch had created Layla as afailsafe to help the heroes in case something went wrong.[10]
Contrary to Doctor Strange’s account of her origin, Layla’s life prior to the events ofHouse of M has been depicted as that of a young mutant residing in an orphanage, where she was subjected to teasing and bullying by other children. However, it was later revealed that Layla had fabricated much of her purported experiences at the orphanage in order to secure her place within X-Factor Investigations.[11] The extent of what truly occurred remains unknown. When questioned, Layla has asserted that she understands the nature of how she “knows things.” She further claims that divulging this knowledge would result in her being struck down and killed instantly.[11] but since she has proven to be capable of manipulation, the veracity of her contention is in doubt.
After Layla joins X-Factor Investigations, she helps the other team members in various, indirect ways. When an operative of Singularity Investigations tries to murderRictor, Layla electrocutes him. She then sends his body back to Singularity Investigations with a note that says "stay out ofMutant Town."[12] After being taken back to an abusive orphanage,Jamie Madrox makes an arrangement that allows her to return at X-Factor where she would be safe. WhenCyclops arrives to informSiryn that her father,Banshee, has died, he pretends not to recognize Layla.[13]
Layla has taken steps to deal with Singularity Investigations, a rival investigations firm. When X-Factor have their final showdown with Singularity Investigations, she helps uncover the fact thatGuido had been brainwashed by them at some point in his past while rescuing a client.[14] Jamie organizes all X-Factor members to seeDoc Samson for psychiatric evaluations; they play chess and she reveals she is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good and that even she is expendable.[15]
During theSuperhero Civil War,Quicksilver makes repeated attempts to enter X-Factor Investigations Headquarters. Each time, he is thwarted by Layla, whom Quicksilver comes to consider his nemesis.[16]
When the rest of the team are discussing their stance in the war, they eventually begin to talk aboutM-Day. Later it is revealed that she knew the truth about why and how it happened, leaving the other members distrustful of her.[17]
When theInhumans come looking for Quicksilver, Layla advises him thatBlack Bolt is not going to kill him during the confrontation and that he should take a small trip to the future to see the outcome of what happens to them. She and Jamie go to the meeting where she reveals to Jamie that she tried to kill Pietro but could not because he escaped and that his actions are meant to happen.[18]
A group made up of ex-mutants by the name of X-Cell, who believe the government has depowered mutants, hides in Mutant Town. When Siryn and Monet return fromFrance, they bring an ex-mutant named Nicole, which shocks Layla because she did not know of her arrival. Layla visits Quicksilver, who had restored most of X-Cell's powers. She reveals toCallisto andMarrow that it was he and Wanda Maximoff who caused the Decimation; the government did not depower them, and Pietro has lied. After a failed attempt on Layla's life, Nicole is tripped by Layla and falls in front of a train, which destroys her, revealing she was actually a robot.[19]
Around this time, she is also offered a place amongNick Fury'sSecret Warriors byDaisy Johnson but declines, claiming the mutants will need her more.[20]
Layla goes with one of Jamie's dupes to investigate an alternate future caused by the birth of the mutant messiah.[21] While there, they discover that the mutants are living ininternment camps.[22] While in an internment camp, the mutant scanners alternate between detecting Layla as a mutant and detecting Layla as human.[23] They learn from a child version ofBishop that the mutant messiah had caused this world. Layla then proceeds to kill the dupe to send the information back to the original Jamie, leaving her alone and stranded in the future.[24]
Despite being trapped in an alternate future, Layla is still seen interacting with Jamie as a figment of his imagination. This figment serves as "stuff [Jamie] knows deep down", appearing in moments of self-realization, such as when Jamie admitted to himself that he knows about Siryn's pregnancy.[25]
It is implied in Layla's final words in the story—'but not the right stuff' (in response to Jamie's 'I'm Jamie. I know stuff.')—as well as her eight days in a trance in the Layla Miller one-shot (after which she whispers the same lines she says to Jamie, 'One of us, One of us') that this 'figment' of Jamie's imagination is actually Layla contacting Jamie to give him some guidance.[volume & issue needed]
Layla eventually escapes the camp and helps a new mutant called Linqon. After revealing to some people an operation calledOperation Purity, which involves every citizen being tested for mutant genes, she goes to Atlantic City and meets up with Cyclops and his daughterRuby. Together with Ruby, she initiates theSummers Rebellion. Layla is last seen stating that, while she is unsure of the future, she is confident in her ability to "know stuff."[26]
Layla eventually returns to the past, though she is considerably older than when she had departed. Assuming the guise of a nun, she begins working alongside John Maddox, a duplicate of Jamie Madrox who had chosen to live a domestic life with his family. Upon arriving at John’s church, Layla encounters Jamie at the moment he is attempting to take his own life. She intervenes, prevents the act, and discloses her true identity, leaving Jamie visibly shocked.[27] She reveals herself to be a holographic projection and takes Jamie into the alternate future.[28] When Layla and Jamie return to the future, Jamie meets Ruby, who berates Layla for traveling back in time when warned not to. The group is then attacked by Sentinels.[29]
After Layla and Jamie argue about how they never came for one another, the two finally give into their emotions and share a kiss. Jamie is awkward about starting a relationship with Layla, feeling she is still a child, though Layla tells him she never really was.[30]
Later, Layla, Jamie and Ruby go find an old, frailDoctor Doom, requesting his help with time travel.[31] Doom reveals he has met Layla before and informs the trio aboutDoomlocks. They are then attacked by Sentinels and saved byTrevor Fitzroy.[32] They bring the frail Doom back to their stronghold in Atlantic City where she gets into an argument with Cyclops about bringing him with them and Trevor Fitzroy's future.[33] Taking Doom to an old lab, he creates a Doomlock and turns on them, bringing forth Cortex, the rogueMadrox dupe. Cortex kills Trevor, and Ruby asks Layla if she can bring him back. Layla reveals that her ability isn't to "know stuff" but to bring back the dead. There are consequences to bringing back a human: the cost of their soul, conscience and morality.[34]
Following the conclusion of the battle, Layla explains the nature of her powers to Jamie. The two are then displaced in time by a Doomlock device: Jamie is returned to X-Factor, while Layla is transported to a point in time prior to her involvement with X-Factor Investigations. She arrives at the orphanage where she had lived before M-Day and, after conversing with her younger self, initiates the chain of events that will eventually lead to her joining X-Factor. Layla accomplishes this by transferring her accumulated knowledge into her younger counterpart’s mind, an act that causes her to lose consciousness and grants the younger Layla the ability to “know things.” Upon recovering, Layla departs, reflecting on the consequences of her actions. She cryptically tells her younger self that although she understands why Doctor Doom sent her further into the past, Jamie will only come to realize the reason “in a couple of years.”[34] apparently indicating that much time has elapsed since the current X-Factor series began (since Layla has only been "knowing stuff" since after the "House of M" event; prior to this, her ability was to awaken lost memories).[volume & issue needed]
Following the disappearance of theInvisible Woman, it is revealed Layla has been living with Dr. Doom in an advisory capacity for a year, awaiting to cross paths with X-Factor while they search for Susan Richards.[35]
During the events ofSecond Coming,Bastion assignsBolivar Trask and his Mutant Response Division to target and kill every member of X-Factor Investigations. Arriving at Dublin Airport, Layla andShatterstar have come to the aid of Theresa Cassidy, who is now going by the codename Banshee. During the confrontation, Layla uses technology acquired from Dr. Doom to combat the MRD soldiers and point Monet in the right direction to help turn the tide of the battle.[36]
After Monet's encounter withBaron Mordo, Layla has an almost violent encounter with Monet who doesn't trust her since finding out about her partnership with Dr. Doom. After Monet faints from exhaustion, she informs Guido that Wolfsbane has returned and joins the rest of X-Factor on a trip to Las Vegas.[37]
When Guido receives a fatal shot while protectingJ. Jonah Jameson, the doctors pronounce him dead. But upon their return to the room, he is seen alive with Layla hiding in the closet, suggesting she resurrected Guido. Layla speaks to Guido in the hospital and begins to cry. She cryptically tells Guido she'll find a way to get his soul back. Madrox has figured out that Layla has brought Guido (Strong Guy) back from death at the cost of his soul.[38]
Shatterstar and Layla have a cryptic conversation about what happened between them during their time together at Doctor Doom's castle in Latveria. Shatterstar asks her if she has ever thought about what happened between them. She replies that she has, but she learned not to give in to her impulses, and he should do the same.[39]
During a confrontation with Bloodbath, he stops the fight and tells the team that he can steal souls, but makes the team think why he couldn't take Strong Guy's. After being questioned by her teammates, Layla tells the X-Factor team the truth about reviving Strong Guy at the cost of his soul, before chanting a spell that sends Bloodbath to hell.[40] She is later sitting in the morgue for days isolating herself from her teammates. Banshee (Siryn) is talking withWolverine in the background about her behavior. Banshee attempts to console Layla, and Layla tells her to remove her hand or it will end up like Jamie (Madrox). Wolverine talks with her. It turns out that Layla has night terrors from her ordeal being stuck in the future, but they are down to once a week. She has also kept Jamie in a cooler of dry ice, and had a third year med student make repairs on the cadaver. Layla also states she doesn't know what she is waiting for. With the exception of Banshee, none of her teammates are talking to her for what she did to Guido. Wolverine questions how Layla didn't see Madrox's death coming. There is a flashback (flash-forward since it takes place 80 years in an alternate future) that shows Layla writing in a journal that described the outcome if Guido was left dead. She thought she could just ignore it but by reviving Guido it was Jamie who paid the price. Layla tells Wolverine that the reason she is even cryptically telling him this is because like him, she knows in her heart she really is alone in the crowd just like Wolverine.[41] After Jamie is brought back from the dead, an ecstatic Layla states that she knew Jamie would be back and that she's wasted too much time and gives into her feelings for him. She proceeds to warm up Jamie from his frozen state by having sex with him. After their tryst, Layla admits to Jamie that she did revive Guido (Strong Guy) and doesn't want to keep any more secrets from him. She proceeds to tell him about the changes in X-Factor Investigations during his time away.[42] Monet (M) becomes enraged after seeing Madrox alive, thinking that Layla was responsible for his resurrection. She slams Layla into a brick wall, then flies off with her into the New York skyline. Madrox tells Terry (Banshee/Siryn) to fly after them, but Terry says that if Monet really wanted to hurt her, she would have done it right there. Monet drops her off at the Empire State building and scares the tourists away so she and Layla can have words. Monet says to Layla that she always knows what's going on. Layla states that this is not the case, and she didn't resurrect Jamie (Madrox). She uses the telescope as an example of her not knowing every event as the events get closer and then blackout. Layla then tells Monet that Guido was supposed to have died and not Jamie. She states she wanted to change fate so Monet wouldn't blame herself for Guido's death, which would have resulted in her going through a year-long depression. She wanted to spare Monet, who according to Layla will eventually become her best friend the pain. After hearing all this, Monet leaves Layla so that she could have some space and collect her thoughts.[43]
Layla also has a hand in being responsible for Terry becoming a true Banshee deity, and leaving the team. Before she could admit to Madrox that she was part of the reason that Terry left X-Factor investigations, Havok steps in and takes the blame.Polaris states that she knew that he covered for her. Havok admits that he wants Layla to be happy. Madrox and Layla later on go to the kitchen for ice cream and Madrox asks Layla if they want to get married. She responds: "Okay".[44] They elope in Las Vegas, but the honeymoon is cut short due to the wedding priest being murdered the same night.[45]
After the events of the "Hell on Earth War" storyline, she and Jamie retire to his family farm where they have a child together. Some time later, Jamie goes to Muir Island to investigate theTerrigen Mists and is killed by the M-Pox. Soon afterwards, a different Jamie appears to take care of her and Davey. After a while, Logan reappears, asking her advice on what to do with Cyclops and the missing X-Men. She also encourages the new Jamie to help Cyclops.[46]
Layla has the mutant power to resurrect someone from death, at the cost of their soul. They retain their memories but experience a lack of empathy upon resurrection that is similar tosociopathy. Although this was first hinted at in the conclusion ofX-Factor's initial story arc when Layla brought a butterfly back to life,[11] it was not fully expanded upon and explained until much later when Layla resurrectedTrevor Fitzroy, knowing full well the murderous villain he would become due to her actions.[34]
Layla's most notable ability is to "know stuff": Layla has extensive knowledge of past and future events, an effect which enables Layla to see paths of causality to their ultimate conclusion and allows her to alter certain events from occurring (referred to as "causality" inSecret Warriors #1). Initially, the reason for Layla "knowing stuff" was not explained and presented as a form ofprecognition. Layla herself, when questioned, would also remain evasive. Layla's knowledge is later revealed to be the result of her older self (time-displaced and aged due to the events ofX-Men: Messiah Complex) visiting herself as a child prior to the events ofX-Factor vol. 3 #1 and uploading all her knowledge and memories into her younger self's brain.[34] The sheer volume of knowledge was too much for a normal brain to take, and thus resulted in several gaps and blind spots (not knowing thatStrong Guy was brainwashed, that Josef Huber's companion Nicole was a robot, or the machinations ofDamian Tryp, for example). Layla's foreknowledge is also heavily dependent on what her future self experienced and read from her younger self's journals, and thus she does not know what effects straying from this source might have (as in the case of Madrox's death).[47]
Layla has above normal scientific knowledge and advanced weaponry due to her partnership with and tutelage under Dr. Doom.[48] One such device that Layla now regularly employs is a power gauntlet capable of various effects such as force fields,[49] giant saws,[50] and energy blasts.[51] Additionally, her time with Dr. Doom has imparted on her a basic knowledge of magic and mysticism, and Layla has been shown to be capable of performing exorcisms and the working of basic spells.[52]
DuringHouse of M, Layla was immune to the memory alteration created by the Scarlet Witch and thus was aware that reality had been altered. Layla also had the ability to "awaken" heroes and allow them to remember their lives before the reality warp. This ability was also distinct enough thatRogue was able to absorb and use it similar to other superhuman abilities. Layla has not exhibited any of these abilities since theHouse of M storyline.
Writer Peter David addressed this disparity with Layla's powers in the letter column ofX-Factor vol. 3 #231: "Layla... We've seen her powers spelled out more in the past few issues than any other time in the past. I wouldn't get too hung up on HoM (House of M) if I were you since she's very different from what she was."
InUltimate Mystery, Dr. Layla Miller is a member of theRoxxon Brain Trust. Nothing else is known about her except that she "knows stuff".[53] She is in the middle of a meeting when she is made aware that Alex Summers is in the Roxxon building. It's shown she specializes in acquiring resources for Roxxon.[54] She is also responsible for giving powers toCloak and Dagger.
| Founders | |
|---|---|
| Government Team | |
| X-Factor Investigations | |
| Serval | |
| Supporting | |
| Enemies | |
| Publications | |
