Cloud 9 (comics)

Cloud 9 (Abigail "Abby" Boylen^[1]) is a fictional teenage comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe.

Publication history

Cloud 9 was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, and first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1 (June 2007).

Cloud 9 was one of the feature characters in the 2011 six-issue limited series Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt.

Fictional character biography

Abby first demonstrated her powers while flying on the cloud in Evanston, Illinois. She was spotted by the Initiative program and was recruited into it by War Machine, who told Abby that if she wanted to keep on flying, she needed a license. Once at the base, Abby was discovered to actually be a very shy girl and self-conscious about her body, comparing it to the other girls' bodies there who she felt looked like they came right out of Vogue magazine. During a uniform exchange, Abby accidentally slipped into the boys' showers and was found by fellow new hero MVP. He took a liking to Abby and watched her train. However, when the training with another new hero, Armory, went wrong, MVP was shot by one of Armory's blasts while he was trying to protect Abby from harm. Armory was grounded from superhero-ing and expelled out of the base.^[2] Abby is one of the cadets sent on an emergency mission to protect the President from an assassination attempt by HYDRA. It is revealed that she is the top marksman among the Initiative cadets, and she shoots down a HYDRA fighter with a pulse rifle. She becomes distressed when she realizes the Hydra pilot actually perished in the explosion. Her drill instructor, Gauntlet makes sure to drive this point home.^[3] Later in a fight with the Warbound, she intentionally tries to kill her opponent Elloe Kaifi. She is talked out of her actions.^[4]

She has stated that she has no intention of superhuman heroics. As she puts it, "I'm only here because I want to fly. Man, this blows."

During the "Killed In Action" story arc, Abby learns that the Initiative had secretly made clones of MVP, and that one of them, who dubs himself KIA, has gone on a rampage. She and a group of fellow Initiative members travel to the Van Patrick home, attempting to convince the first MVP clone to download his memories into a device that will transmit them into KIA's brain, essentially reprogramming KIA, but possibly leaving the first clone mindless. Cloud 9 manages to distract KIA by playing on the latent memories of the original MVP, and kissing him, allowing her to fill his lungs with her vapor. The MVP clone, rather than wipe his own mind, instead places the helmet on KIA, leaving him an empty shell. Abby and the clone decide to start things over, with Abby acknowledging that the clone is not the MVP she knew.

When Cloud 9 completed her Initiative training, she was assigned to Freedom Force, the Montana team. She is then seen in action alongside Challenger, Think Tank, Equinox, and Spinner.^[5] When Equinox is revealed to be a Skrull infiltrator, it is Cloud 9 who kills Equinox.^[6]

Initiative instructor Tigra expresses concerns about Cloud 9 having developed an outwardly cold attitude towards killing in the line of duty after graduating to active service. Believing that Cloud 9 is merely bottling up her emotions rather than dealing with them, Tigra worries about the psychological trauma that may result if Cloud 9 is forced to confront those feelings.^[7]

During the Dark Reign storyline, Norman Osborn orders Freedom Force to attack the Heavy Hitters after they secede from the Initiative. Cloud 9 is ordered to assassinate Night Thrasher but she misses on purpose.^[8] Even though she claims that she genuinely missed, Taskmaster sees through her lie and places her on probation.^[9] She joins Hardball in battling the demon Nightmare after he took over Trauma. Nightmare has Abby plagued by visions of undead with bullet wounds to the head. She fights them off and yells at Trauma to fight off his possession. Trauma hears her but Nightmare knocks her out.^[10] Following the events of the Siege storyline, Cloud 9 comes to the assistance of a depowered Komodo in capturing Baron Von Blitzschlag.^[11]

Following Steve Rogers replacing Norman Osborn, he offers her the opportunity to become a trainer at Avengers Academy, but declines when Steve tells her that it is optional and that the Superhuman Registration Act was abolished. She tears up her superhero registration card, and removes her costume as she flies away, now that she can do anything she wants.^[12]

During the Fear Itself storyline, Cloud 9 refuses to attend a meeting held by Prodigy regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth.^[13] However, when Thor Girl is apprehended and accosted by men outside her holding cell, Cloud 9 arrives to rescue her and subdues the men.^[14]

Cloud 9 later appears amongst the heroes on Jeremy Briggs' side.^[15]

Powers and abilities

Abigail has the ability to create an unidentified cloud-like gas form on which she, and others, can fly. She can also use this gas in an offensive manner, by filling an opponent's lungs with it.^[16]

Cloud 9 has a rating of below class 50. However, Abigail is one of the better marksmen in the Initiative with War Machine stating she had the highest cadet score on the shooting range.^[17]

References

External links

• Cloud 9 at Marvel Wiki