
-- Magma src

Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla hailed from the country of Nova Roma (New Rome), a colony of the Roman Empire reportedly founded shortly after the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The colony was hidden in modern Brazil and was ruled until recently by the immortal mutant sorceress Selene. Amara was the daughter of Lucius Antonius Aquilla, a prominent senator.


New Mutants

Amara remained in hiding for years until she was captured by the New Mutants, who were on an expedition in the Amazon jungle. They learned of her disguise, but then both Amara and the New Mutants were captured by soldiers of Nova Roma and imprisoned. Now held prisoner by Selene, Amara was to be sacrificed. Selene used her mutant powers to drain Amara's life energy into her own body. The New Mutant, Mirage, attacked Selene. This distraction caused Selene to release Amara from her control, but Selene knocked Amara into a pit of lava. Somehow, rather than harming Amara, her immersion in the lava awakened her latent mutant powers. Together, Amara, with her new-found powers, and the New Mutants defeated Selene and helped thwart Senator Gallio's attempt to kill Senator Aquilla and seize power. Amara was instructed to go to the United States with the New Mutants and there learn about modern civilization.[7]

Amara did so, reluctantly, and became a member of the New Mutants, under the code-name Magma. In the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the New Mutants were tutored, by Professor X, and trained in the use of their powers, in the Danger Room. At first, Magma experienced culture shock, however, she soon got a handle of modern civilization, including such things as computers and electricity. Amara also made quick progress in the use of her powers, being able to melt tunnels into the ground with the walls cooling down in mere seconds.[8]

As a form of payback, Empath turned Amara and Sunspot over to the Gladiators where they are forced to battle for entertainment by a former New Mutant, Karma.[9]

Later, Amora the Enchantress kidnapped the New Mutants to Asgard. While attempting to escape, Magik used her teleportation discs and the Enchantress' magic affected the destination and the New Mutants were separated through time and space. Amara ended-up in Svartalfheim and was seduced and transformed into a fairy by the Dark Elves. After the New Mutants defeated Amora, the X-Men arrived to assist them in rescuing Storm and Amara was restored to her natural state. After their adventure in Asgard, the New Mutants found themselves under the guidance of a new teacher, Magneto.[10][11]


While at a Hellfire Club event, Magma was told by Selene that Selene had killed her mother and, later, recognized her grandmother, many times removed, in a statue depicting the ancient Moon Goddess, Selene. Selene approached her to claim having been both the model for the statue and the ancestor in question, stating that their lives, heritage, and destiny were bound far more closely than she ever dreamed. Magma refused to believe her claim and Selene smashed the statue, stating it was a forgery.[2] Upon returning home, Amara received a letter from her father, stating that she had learned enough from the outside world and it was time to return home and marry.[5]

Mirage accidentally revealed that Amara's heart's desire was the Hellion, Empath. Mortified, Amara left to her room and fantasized life among the Hellions, at the Massachusetts Academy again. After hearing of an animal creature that was being mistreated after capture, the New Mutants abducted Bird Brain in a contest with the Hellions, where Amara and Empath revealed their mutual attraction to each other, and, after returning home victorious, Amara decided to return to the Massachusetts Academy. Amara later left the New Mutants and joined the Hellions, stating that she was sent to learn about civilization and she wished to learn from the Hellions now.[12]

Return to Nova Roma

While living with the Hellions, Amara was ordered by her father to return home to her arranged marriage and Emma suggested she comply. Emma also ordered Empath to accompany Amara. Amara, then, returned to South America with Empath. On the plane ride there, they experienced bad weather and their plane crashed. Amara and Manuel de la Rocha lived in the jungles for a time together, where they grew closer and even kissed, before Amara's father rescued them. Amara sensed something was different about her homeland and its people but could not discern what was worrying her.[13]

While awaiting her arranged marriage, Amara was captured by the High Evolutionary's Purifiers, who deemed her a threat, to be de-powered. The New Mutants arrived and rescued Amara and, after Magneto, the White Queen, and the Hellfire Club showed, the children hid and over-heard Magneto state that the Purifiers had almost foiled their plan for Amara. After the New Mutants teleported Amara back to the Xavier School, she asked to be sent back to Nova Roma with her father and Empath, to deal with her problems head-on.[14]


Later still, both Magma and Empath were kidnapped by the mutant twins Fenris, a plot that was part of an elaborate and deadly game organized by the villainous Gamesmaster. They were rescued by the team X-Force (formerly, the New Mutants). Afterward, Magma decided to leave Empath and her friends to search for her family in England.

New Hellions




Young X-Men Vol 1 2 Textless

Magma with Moonstar

X-Treme X-Men

A few weeks later, students Josh Foley and Julian Keller found out about Allison and decided to wake her up with Josh's healing abilities. Magma awoke and let out a powerful blast that nearly demolished the entire wing, then ran away.[16] She joined up with the X-Treme X-Men team in California and reunited with her old friend Cannonball, then ran into Sunspot and Empath as well. Magma no longer thought of herself as Allison and was instead completely back to her Amara persona. How and why this change occurred, and which identity was the true one, is unknown; though it is assumed her first identity was the real one. Amara helped the X-Men fight and temporarily defeat Elias Bogan and his telepath, though she reduced the LA X-Corporation headquarters to slag while doing it.


While vacationing in Guadeloupe, she found a new boyfriend. Antonio Argent was a mutant with almost the same powers as Magma. While on a date in the magma of a volcano, the Decimation took his mutant powers away. He incinerated in a blink of an eye. His death temporarily drove her insane causing her to make the volcano erupt and attack a nearby town.[17] She was later apprehended by Empath and brought to the Xavier Institute where she shared a tent with Skids and Outlaw.[18] She was also being manipulated emotionally by the mutant Johnny Dee who was infatuated with her. Because of previous experience with being emotionally controlled, she incorrectly blamed Empath who denied her accusations.

Secret Invasion X-Men Vol 1 4 Textless

Magma as an X-Man during the Skrull Invasion

New Mutants X-Men Squad

Magik later returned, stating that she was from the not too distant future and that the world and New Mutants would die without her intervention. Cyclops allowed Cannonball to reorganize the original New Mutants squad. Their first mission was to subdue a recently returned Legion. Eli Bard, a servant of Selene, tracked down the body of Doug Ramsey, with the aid of the reanimated Caliban, and reanimated him as well, with the aid of the Transmode virus. Alongside the resurrected Hellions, Cypher infiltrated Utopia and, while the Hellions went after Emma, he targeted Magma, as commanded by Selene. Amara was beaten into a coma by Doug and after a lengthy battle involving the New Mutants and the Hellions, Douglas was freed from Bard's control by Warlock wielding Magik's Soulsword and rejoined his former teammates. Amara was initially scared of the sight of Doug until he whispered a language he created just for her to understand in her ear and she hugged him.


After the attack from Bastion, the team took a vacation and Illyana sensed that Pixie had been captured. Illyana sent Warlock to warn the X-Men and the rest of the team battled the Inferno Babies. After being beaten, they were taken to Limbo. After surviving an attack in Limbo by demons and the Elder Gods, it was revealed that Illyana brought Legion back into the mainstream reality to use against the Elder Gods that General Ulysses and Project Purgatory were planning to unleash.

Fear Itself

Mephisto (Earth-616) Amara Aquilla (Earth-616) New Mutants Vol 3 30

With Mephisto.

Amara Aquilla (Earth-616) Mephisto (Earth-616) New Mutants Vol 3 30

With Mephisto.


Discovering that Dani was gone, the New Mutants sought the assistance of Magik and she explained to them what happened with Dani and told Cypher how he can bring the team to her. However, Doug made a mistake in a spell, and instead of Hel, he teleported the team into a Hell where they met Mephisto. Mephisto offered the New Mutants a deal, he will send them out of Hell, and even teleport them straight into the Hela's domain, in exchange for a date with Magma. Amara agreed, and Mephisto teleported the team to Hel where they almost immediately clashed with the Draumar. To frighten and defeat them, Hela showed the Draumar Nate's memories about his life and a world about which they knew nothing. After the Draumar gone, the team returned to Utopia.

A Date With The Devil

After rescuing Blink and returning to the New Mutants new home in San Francisco, Amara prepared for her date with Mephisto, her teammates begged her to reconsider the deal, especially Bobby, and find another way to pay off their debt, Dani even suggesting enlisting the help of Doctor Strange or Ghost Rider to deal with Mephisto but Amara refused.

Warlock created a tracker bracelet for Amara so that they knew where to find her in case something went amiss, however Mephisto, aware of the groups suspicion, quickly discarded the item stating it was too ostentatious. The date itself too place in Hell, with Mephisto and Amara sharing a meal in the third circle of hell overlooking a lake of lava with erupting volcanoes and music provided by many of history's great deceased artists.

Claiming the date to be too much Amara insisted to just be given a contract to sign to spare her friends and to be taken home so she could be done with the farce taking place. Mephisto insisted that the request for a date was genuine and that tricking the New Mutants of their souls after being transported to Hell would have been too easy and provide him with no enjoyment. He eventually managed to convince Amara to give him another chance after he told her that he just wanted to be treated like a normal person for once, a sentiment Amara explained the New Mutants shared and was their reason for moving to San Francisco.

Later on, the pair shared a date at a restaurant Amara unsuccessfully applied for a job at earlier. After the date, Mephisto returned Amara home and she admitted she had enjoyed herself once Mephisto stopped trying so hard, even leaving him with a goodnight kiss.

The other New Mutants had stayed up waiting for her to make sure she was safe but she promised everything was fine and that she would give them details in the morning as she was exhausted. Unbeknownst to the others Mephisto was outside Amara's window and asked her whether he could call her again, to which she agreed.[19]

Mephisto's relationship with Magma collapsed after she uncovered his dealings with the dangerous Disir, which caused her to call off any chance of furthering their relationship, much to his displeasure.[20] She was later shown exploring romantic interest in Sunspot after repeatedly rejecting his advances.[20]

Fearless Defenders

Amara was later seen enjoying the all-female festivities at New Amazonia after being invited by Hippolyta in an attempt to rebuild her Amazon kingdom. She later fought and helped defeat the forces sent by Caroline le Fay that were sent to attack the island.[21]

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

Magma unexpectedly joined the latest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She participated in an attack on the United Nations[22] and later in the kidnapping of Mayor Bill de Blasio.[23] It was discovered by the X-Men that Magma had been brainwashed by the Brotherhood's leader Mesmero into joining the team and carrying out those attacks. Mesmermo's control was eventually lifted, allowing Magma to leave the Brotherhood.[24] She later rejoined the X-Men.[25]

X-Men Disassembled


Age of X-Man

Magma and the others were transported to another plane of existence by X-Man created in an attempt at a utopia where they and all other mutants would be at peace, altering their memories so they wouldn't resist.[27] Magma became the main stunt coordinator of all the movies that are filmed at Studio X, which mainly featured actors Nightcrawler and Meggan Puceanu.

Amara flirted with Kurt and asked him about going to the fan dinner, which annoyed Meggan because she liked him as well. Later at the dinner, Amara defended the Stepford Cuckoos, saying that the Studio wouldn't be running as smoothly if the girls weren't around, after a group were disgusted by how the sisters flaunted their familial relationship.[28]

While not observed, Magma was presumably returned to the real world when X-Man decided to release the mutants he forced to live in his plane of existence.[29]

House of X

Magma later became a resident of the new mutant-only nation of Krakoa.[30]

Power Grid [32]
Energy Projection
Fighting Skills
* Heightened durability when in contact with the earth


New Mutants Vol 3 8 Textless

Magma Manipulation

Geokinesis: Amara can psionically control the movement of tectonic plates within the Earth's crust. This ability is of relatively short range, probably no more than a radius of a few city blocks, but within this area she can create both small and large earthquakes.[4]

Geo-thermokinesis: She can cause magma, molten rock from deep within the earth, to rise and break through the surface, forming miniature volcanoes. She can also turn nearby rock molten and telekinetically project fiery blasts of magma at targets. Magma's power to create small or large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions is linked to her emotions.[4]

  • Magma Form: When using her powers, Magma's body shines with intense light and gives off tremendous heat. Her hair seems ablaze with fiery light, and neither her own heat nor heat from any other known source can harm her while in this form. She is also not blinded by the light that her magma form radiates.[4] Although she has triggered small earth tremors without taking on this glowing form, she has never been seen to use her lava blasts while in her ordinary human appearance.[31]

Pyrokinesis: Magma can create flames and project blasts of heat that do not contain any molten rock. However, she apparently prefers to shoot molten rock blasts rather than simple heat blasts, perhaps because the magma blasts have a solid concussive impact that can knock down a target. The highest level of heat that Magma can generate is not yet known, but it is believed that she can reach at least 850° Fahrenheit or higher.


Sword fighting: Magma is a skilled swordswoman due to her training in Nova Roma.
Extensive knowledge of Ancient Roman culture.
Healing: She is also granted the ability to heal simultaneously when touched by some heat substance.

Strength level





Magma's costume is made from unstable molecules so that it will not be harmed by the tremendous heat she generates.

  • Magma can trigger small earth tremors when in her human form, but can only generate heat or flame or telekinetically hurl molten rock when she is in her glowing form. Magma's powers depend on her maintaining contact with the Earth or whichever planet she is on, or at least with a floor that is part of a structure in contact with the ground. Magma's powers are linked to her emotions; hence, by losing her temper she can temporarily lose control of her powers.
  • Magma has been seen wearing glasses.
  • Aquilla seems to be a spelling variation of "aquila", Latin for "eagle". Aquila was also the name of the eagle-standard used as a symbol of the Roman legions.

Discover and Discuss


  1. 1.0 1.1 X-Treme X-Men #46
  2. 2.0 2.1 New Mutants #53
  3. New Mutants Vol 3 #6
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 New Mutants #12
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 New Mutants #56
  6. New Mutants #8-9
  7. New Mutants #8-11
  8. New Mutants #13
  9. New Mutants #29-34
  10. New Mutants Special Edition #1
  11. New Mutants #35
  12. New Mutants #56-57
  13. New Mutants #62
  14. New Mutants Annual #4
  15. New Warriors #31
  16. New Mutants Vol 2 #7
  17. X-Men: The 198 #1
  18. X-Men: The 198 #2
  19. New Mutants Vol 3 #37
  20. 20.0 20.1 New Mutants Vol 3 #50
  21. Fearless Defenders #11
  22. X-Men: Gold Vol 2 #1
  23. X-Men: Gold Vol 2 #2
  24. X-Men: Gold Vol 2 #3
  25. X-Men: Gold Vol 2 #4
  26. Uncanny X-Men Vol 5 #9-10
  27. Age of X-Man Alpha #1
  28. Age of X-Man: The Amazing Nightcrawler #1
  29. Age of X-Man Omega #1
  30. House of X #6
  31. New Mutants #16

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