| Loa | |
|---|---|
 Loa bySkottie Young | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The New Mutants (vol. 2) #11 (June 2004) |
| Created by | Michael Ryan (artist) Nunzio DeFilippis (writer) Christina Weir (writer) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Alani Ryan |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | Alpha Squadron training squad Defenders Xavier Institute X-Men in training Avengers Academy |
| Abilities |
|
Loa (Alani Ryan) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Amutant, Loa was a student at theXavier Institute. She made her debut inThe New Mutants vol. 2 #11.
Born inMaui, Hawaii of mixed Native Hawaiian and Caucasian ancestry, Alani Ryan quickly developed a talent for surfing. Her mutant powers activate after she and her father are attacked by the villain Great White and his pack of trained sharks. However, they are rescued byNamor. Alani's grandmother Alice Ryan is revealed to be a former acquaintance of Namor and a friend of his former lover Betty Dean. It is also revealed that her "tattooed" appearance is an aspect of her mutation.[1]
After arriving at theXavier Institute as a student, she adopts the codename Loa. Along with fellow studentsAnole,Rubbermaid, Kidogo,Network, andIndra, she is assigned toAlpha Squadron, a training squad advised byNorthstar.
After theDecimation, Loa is one of the 27 students to retain her powers. Loa, along with fellow studentsMercury andOnyxx, is tasked with keeping peace at the riots onTelegraph Hill after the mutanthate group Humanity Now marches fromSacramento to San Francisco to promote "Proposition X". The group's actions displease many citizens of San Francisco, mutant and non-mutant alike.[2]
During the attack ofSelene's undead force on Utopia, Alani was attacked by three reanimatedAcolytes:Fabian Cortez,Seamus Mellencamp, andMarco Delgado. She is saved byDeadpool, who repeatedly attacks the Acolytes, only for them to regenerate. As Mellencamp is about to kill Deadpool, Loa dives through Mellencamp, disintegrating him. Seeing that Mellencamp did not reform, Deadpool throws Loa at the remaining Acolytes, disintegrating them as well.[3]
Loa accompanies Emma Frost underwater to present Namor with data fromDoctor Nemesis about the Atlantean vampires, the Aqueos. During the trip, she reveals she would not only like to see New Atlantis for herself but she is well educated in Atlantean history, mythology and culture.[4]
During the final assault on the Aqueos city, Loa shows up with Logomancer as backup. They arrive with a spell that weakens the Aqueos but during the process an Aqueos breaks her diving helmet. A pendant she is wearing begins to glow, giving Loa the ability to breathe underwater. Loa then begins to proceed in destroying several of the Aqueos.[5]
Loa is killed during a mutant retaliation.[6] During the "Empyre" storyline, Loa is revealed to have been resurrected onKrakoa. She, Anole, andRockslide go to Arakko Point on Krakoa and meet with the High Summoner of Arrako, which is interrupted when aCotati fleet approaches Krakoa.[7] Loa and Mercury attempt to start a relationship, which ends up not working out.[8]
Loa possesses amolecular distortion power that allows her to move through solidmatter by disabling binding forces. This causes the matter to crumble, or break down around as she passes through it.[1] Despite having very little field experience, Loa has proven herself capable in battle, surviving the Purifiers assault on the Xavier Institute, defending herself against demons when sucked into Limbo, combating the reanimated dead during Necrosha alongside Deadpool, and holding her own againstSentinels.
Loa makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in theX-Men '97 episode "To Me, My X-Men".[14]
