Originally a pawn for the Kingpin of Crime, the deaf Cheyenne-Latin American Maya Lopez becomes a crusader, using her photographic reflexes to combat criminals.
Origin
Maya Lopez grows up with her Cheyenne father William “Crazy Horse” Lincoln after her Latina mother Ms. Lopez deserts their family. Originally thought to be learning-disabled, once her teachers notice her ability to duplicate musical performances, they come to realize she is in fact deaf.
At age nine, Maya’s gangster father works with his partner in crime, Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, who eventually kills him. Fisk becomes her guardian. Hoping to one day use her talents, Fisk subtly manipulates her into learning fighting skills as well as the performance arts, which she excels in both. She remains dedicated to Fisk as her father figure.
Duplicates Observed Action
Echo can duplicate any physical action that she sees, ranging from musical performance and ballet to martial arts and weapon usage. She's able to mimic the fighting styles of others much stronger than herself. She's a highly talented pianist, music composer, artist, ballet dancer, boxer, martial artist, and markswoman. In combat, she sometimes wields conventional pistols, guns that fire poisonous flechettes, a billy club, and shuriken (throwing stars).
Enemies to Allies and Vice Versa
The relationship Maya shares with Kingpin is complicated, and it begins after her father’s murder when she was an impressionable and grieving child. Once he becomes her guardian, Kingpin lies to her about the circumstances of her father’s death, blaming Daredevil for the deed. She grows up to become his loyal operative and defends him from the horned hero of Hell’s Kitchen. Once she discovers the truth, that it was Kingpin himself that murdered her father, she turns on him.
While working for Kingpin, she meets Matt Murdock (before making the connection that he is Daredevil) resulting in a shared mutual attraction. She studies Daredevil’s moves and attacks him on multiple occasions. Once she discovers who is behind the mask, she comes to realize his innocence in her father’s murder. Maya also fights alongside the mutant Logan/James Howlett, AKA Wolverine, on more than one occasion.
Maya later assists the Avengers in investigating the ninja clan known as the Hand. Maya encounters a Skrull in disguise as Elektra Nachios, AKA Elektra, who leads the Hand. The Skrull-Elektra kills and resurrects her in an attempt to brainwash her into working for them. After Luke Cage’s outlaw Avengers save her from the Hand, she joins their team and engages in a romantic relationship with Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, but it eventually comes to an end.
She also teams up with Marc Spector, AKA Moon Knight, and they share a romance. Together, they battle Count Luchino Nefaria, AKA Count Nefaria; however, Echo perishes in the conflict, but is later revived.
Echo’s Story
At 29, Kingpin sent her to visit attorney Matt Murdock, who was investigating Fisk’s illegal activities; believing Fisk above reproach, Maya sought to defend his reputation. Murdock’s super-senses detected Maya’s sincerity, and the two became attracted to one another. Fisk subsequently claimed that it was Daredevil who had murdered her father. Vowing revenge, Maya studied a videotaped battle between Daredevil and Bullseye, training until she could duplicate both men’s moves. Following a date with Murdock, Maya attacked Daredevil. After a prolonged battle, Maya gained the advantage and was prepared to shoot Daredevil, but the presence of several children stayed her hand.
Later, when the Kingpin was erroneously reported dead, Maya presumed Daredevil responsible and again attacked him. However, during the course of their battle, she recognized a wound on Daredevil’s face which corresponded with one on Murdock. Recognizing that Daredevil was innocent, she realized Fisk had killed her father. Enraged, she confronted Fisk and shot him point blank in the face. Greatly disturbed, Maya fled the United States and traveled the world, hoping to restructure her psyche.
Returning to New York, Maya learned Daredevil had become involved with Milla Donovan. A confrontation with the recovered Kingpin proved equally unsatisfying, so, with the help of her father’s friend, the Chief, she underwent a vision quest to calm her troubled spirit. Following an encounter with the mutant Logan/James Howlett, AKA Wolverine, she made peace with her past and returned to performance art.
Months later, Maya, at Daredevil’s request, used the new identity Ronin to assist the Avengers against the Hand in Japan. Investigating further, she was killed and resurrected by Elektra and the Hand, and subsequently drugged in order to brainwash her into their service. Luke Cage’s Avengers faction rescued her with Danny Rand, AKA Iron Fist, as well as Dr. Stephen Strange, AKA Doctor Strange who helps to purge the drug from her system. They then discovered that Elektra was actually a Skrull in disguise. Ceding the Ronin identity to Hawkeye, Maya then joined Cage’s Avengers as Echo, residing at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
When Bruce Banner, AKA Hulk’s Warbound invaded the Sanctum, Maya fought alongside her New Avengers teammates Ronin and Iron Fist but experienced defeat. They were imprisoned but eventually released after the final battle between Hulk and Robert Reynolds, AKA Sentry.
When the demonic Fear Lord D’Spayre acquired the Cosmic Cube, and preyed on sadness and fear of the Avengers, the only person resistant to his voice was Maya thanks to her deafness, which allowed the team to triumph over the villain.
Maya ran into Daredevil on a rooftop, but sensed that it wasn’t him, and arming herself, she demanded to know who they were. The imposter transforms into Maya revealing themselves a Skrull, and as soon as she attacked, they shot an optic blast at her, knocking her off the roof, but an escape staircase cushioned her fall. A battle between them followed as Maya tried to find out what they wanted; they didn’t reveal anything. Luckily, Wolverine attacked them from behind, and in trying to defend themselves from the Skrull, the Skrull-Elektra teleported away. She later met up with Barton, and after flirting, they kissed embarking on a relationship.
While undercover as a stripper, Maya encountered Moon Knight, who interrupted a meeting, forcing her to reveal her identity to save him. Moon Knight invited her to find the new Kingpin of Los Angeles, and discovering a shared mutual attraction. Once they discovered that Count Nefaria was the new Kingpin, they started to destroy his rule, but end up going head to head with the villain. During the battle, Nefaria killed Maya with his optic blast, and Moon Knight fell into a berserker rage. Maya later resurfaced when Ulysses Klaw, AKA Klaw, tried to take over New York City by infecting its citizens, and teamed up with Daredevil once more. They stopped Klaw and helped the infected, reversing its effects.
When Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel, reached out about a female Badoon settlement on the planet Geunee needing help from an old swamp god terrorizing their village, Maya answered the call. Once they arrived to Geunee, Carol transformed into Loki Laufeyson, AKA Loki, the Asgardian god of mischief! She was left to fight on her own just as she came across local Badoon Dara Ko Eke who possessed psychic powers. Offering to show Maya her future, she placed her hands alongside Maya's temples causing her to fall to the ground, seeing only fire. Dara Ko informed her that their god made them fight for entertainment; once introduced to the god Saarl the Slaughterer, Maya attacked him with a spear, and once she had the upper hand, she left him for the Badoon to deal with, not wanting to add to the violence.
When the Phoenix Force tapped Maya for its Contest of Champions to determine its next host, she faced Namor the Sub-Mariner in battle. Though she lost and seemingly perished, the Phoenix resurrected her, choosing Maya as its host and fulfilling the vision that Dara Ko foresaw. With the Phoenix Force surging within her, she gathered all the pieces of it from the other Contestants and fully embodied it. Former Phoenix host and X-Man Jean Grey-Summers reached out to her, recommending she share the power so that she wouldn’t lose touch with her humanity. An echo of all the fire and life before her, a thunderbird of old and of tomorrow, Maya Lopez is reborn as the Phoenix.
