Llyra

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Llyra


Llyra's first appearance.

Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Sub-Mariner #32 (December, 1970)
Created by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema
Characteristics
Alter ego Llyra Morris
Species Lemurian Mutant
Affiliations Ghaur; Set
Notable aliases "The Lady Dorma"
Abilities Fully amphibious physiology suited for high water pressure; Super strength, high speed swimming, control of sea creatures, limited shape/color shifting

Llyra is a Marvel Comics super-villainess. She was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Sub-Mariner #32 (December, 1970).

Llyra was the daughter of Llyron, a member of the water-breathing Homo mermani who dwell in Lemuria, and Rhonda Morris, a surface woman who inherited her father's oceanarium in Hawaii. Llyron was taken captive by men in the employ of Morris who were looking for marine specimens to exhibit. Rhonda Morris fell in love with the sea-man, and despite the fact that neither could live in the other's environment unaided for very long, they soon were married. Llyron decided not to return to Lemuria and helped his wife find exotic fish for her oceanarium. He perished a few months after they were wed, saving his wife from a shark. Morris bore a daughter she named Llyra. The infant was capable of breathing air as well as water, and would later demonstrate certain other mutant powers, notably the ability to alter the greenish coloration of her skin and hair to resemble her Caucasian mother's. As Llyra grew into adolescence, she developed multiple identity disorder, and began to believe that when she changed her skin to pink, she was another person, her imaginary twin sister Laurie. Reaching adulthood, Llyra journeyed to her father's land of Lemuria, and through elaborate machinations and the use of her other mutant power to telepathically control marine animals, she usurped the throne from its benevolent ruler, King Karthon. Several days after her coup, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner of Atlantis, a friend of Karthon's, voyaged to Lemuria to seek an alliance against the surface people's ocean pollution. Finding Karthon in chains, Namor engaged Llyra in battle. Llyra dispatched some of the most formidable creatures of the deep at Namor, but Namor prevailed. Llyra was caught in a rockslide caused by a sperm whale under her command and was severely injured. Karthon was freed and regained the throne.

Namor returned Llyra's body to her mother for burial, but Lucille Morris discovered that her daughter was only in a coma. Using special technology acquired from an undisclosed source, Morris resuscitated Llyra. Llyra then journed to Lemuria to recruit mercenaries to accompany her to Atlantis where she could wreak vengeance upon Namor. Llyra and her men kidnapped the Lady Dorma, Namor's bride-to-be, and brought her to the oceanarium owned by her mother. Llyra then used her chameleon powers to disguise herself as Dorma. As soon as the wedding ceremony was over, Llyra revealed herself, claiming that she was now Namor's wife not Dorma. However, according to Atlantean law, even though the real Dorma was not present, it was still Dorma who was now Namor's wife. When she learned her ploy failed, Llyra fled Atlantis. Namor tracked her to her mother's oceanarium. Witnessing his approach, Llyra smashed the water-filled cylinder holding Dorma, and by the time Namor reached her, Dorma had suffocated.

Llyra escaped and soon allied herself with Namor's enemy, Tiger Shark, and his assistant Gerard Lymondo. The three of them awakened the ocean-dwelling creature Krago to vanquish Namor and kidnapped Namor's human father, Leonard MacKenzie. In the course of battle with Namor, Tiger Shark split MacKenzie's skull with a lead pipe, and he and Llyra fled. Llyra abandoned the Shark to ally herself with Namor's cousin Byrrah. The two of them kidnapped Namor's kinsman Namorita to use as a hostage against Namer. In her scuffle with Namor, Llyra slipped into an oil spring on the ocean bottom and apparently drowned. In an as yet unrevealed manner, she survived. After lying low for a time, Llyra freed the surface criminals, the Wizard, Sandman, and Trapster, to help her carry out her latest plot on Namor's life. This plot, whereby Namor was supposed to be driven insane by the acquisition of Spider-Man's spider-sense, failed and Namor took Llyra back to Atlantis to stand trial.

Llyra was later broken out of prison by Ghaur, and played a role in the Atlantis Attacks arc. At the end of these events, she seemingly vanished, possibly teleported away. She later reappeared, wishing to bear Namor's son as a plot to win the Atlantean throne. Unable to do so, she did the next best thing and slept with Leon McKenzie, the fully human grandson of Namor's father, Leonard McKenzie. Although neither McKenzie ever set on the throne of Atlantis, due to their bylaws the product of the union, the artificially aged Llyron, nevertheless was a legitimate heir and temporarily took the throne before Namor regained it.

Llyra's current whereabouts and activities are unknown.