Pieces Of A Whole
Over the years, S.H.I.E.L.D. collected shards of various Cosmic Cubes including the one that the Red Skull had created for himself that Captain America smashed with his mighty shield during one of their many battles. One day, those pieces joined together and formed a new being called Kobik. Thanks to her fractured nature, she took on the mentality of a four-year-old girl. Kobik was overseen by Dr. Erik Selvig, but she also figured out how to appear to the only other person she knew and trusted from her previous incarnation: the Red Skull. The Nazi manipulated this new being in a variety of ways that are still felt in the Marvel Universe to this day.
Phenomenal Cosmic Powers
As a living Cosmic Cube, Kobik has the potential to create absolutely anything out of nothing. However, given her unique formation -- created from the combination of many Cube fragments -- her psyche developed into that of a four-year-old girl. As such, her naiveté has lead to an unfortunate alliance with he Red Skull who manipulated her into believing Hydra was an altruistic organization. When the Skull discovered that Kobik could rewrite a person's entire history, he hatched a plan to manipulate her into bringing down Captain America.
Part of the Nazi's plan involved secretly presenting the idea for the Pleasant Hill prison to Maria Hill. She approved the concept of a jail for super criminals that utilized Kobik's reality-altering abilities to turn them into the best versions of themselves and set them up to live in a small town. This was all a set-up to get the aged Steve Rogers close to Kobik so that she could not only return his youth to him, but also completely rewrite his history, making him a deep cover Hydra agent.
After breaking free from the Red Skull and S.H.I.E.L.D., she used her powers to help her Thunderbolts teammates...mostly. For every time she would help out on a mission or unstick the real Fixer from time, she would also accidentally rip Moonstone's power source out of her chest which almost killed her. She was not able to stop herself from being shattered by one of Dr. Selivig's machine, but she did retain her mind inside one of the pieces along with the real version of Steve Rogers who she brought out to defeat the Hydra-loving fake.
Play Mates
Upon materializing in a S.H.I.E.L.D. lab, Kobik was placed under the care of Dr. Erik Selvig who came to see her as his own daughter. However, Kobik also sought someone familiar and appeared to the one being she had spent the most time with during her time as a Cosmic Cube: the Red Skull. He could not use her powers directly, but did begin indoctrinating her in the ways of Hydra. When she managed to rewrite Selvig's entire past so that he was also a devotee of the organization, the Skull began devising a plan that would change the way the world looked at Captain America forever. When Kobik introduced the Skull to the now-loyal Selvig, the Nazi -- who had Professor X's brain in his own head at the time -- implanted an idea in the doctor to pitch the idea for a Kobik-enabled prison to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill.
Though she was trying to do the right thing, all of the villains that had their lives recreated came to hate the powerful little girl. At that point, she also rewrote Steve Rogers' entire life, creating the man who would take over the United States as Hydra's Supreme Leader. She also made a friend in Bucky Barnes, who saved he after the Pleasant Hill fiasco. She left with him and asked to bring along some of her friends -- Atlas, Moonstone, Mach-X and Fixer -- thus a new version of the Thunderbolts was born.
Kobik was soon shattered once again, by Selvig who wanted to keep her safe from the evil Captain America facsimile. Her consciousness remained inside one of the shards along with a copy of the real Steve Rogers that she had made. When Bucky figured out a way to reconstitute the Cube, she came out and undid all of the changes Hydra Cap had made. She also brought the real Captain America with her so that he could set things right.
Uncanny Origins
Upon bursting into existence in a SHIELD lab, Director Maria Hill placed her under the care of Dr. Erik Selvig. Secrertly, though, she appeared to Red Skull, who she had fond memories of from her time as a Cosmic Cube. During her first visit, she instantly returned Sin's face to its normal state, which clued the Skull into who he was dealing with. Realizing he could not physically take control of this new Cube, he began indoctrinating her in the ways of Hydra. The Nazi eventually developed a plan to manipulate Kobik and S.H.I.E.L.D. into ultimately crushing Captain America's image to those most important to him, which began with him implanting the idea of the Pleasant Hill jail in Hill who moved forward, using Kobik to alter super criminals' very lives.
It's unclear exactly how long Kobik had been around before her existence became well-known. When a time-traveler simply mentioned the name, "Kobik," though, mind-controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. guards executed him. Her existence was glimpsed by Andrew Forson, the Scientist Supreme of A.I.M., during a test of time-related technologies, but that was just for a moment.
Rumors of S.H.I.E.L.D. using Cosmic Cube fragments to potentially alter reality began making the rounds when a hacker going by The Whisperer -- actually Rick Jones -- began releasing classified documents. The concept, dubbed Project Kobik, was publicly denied by Maria Hill, but was very much a reality. Hill used the child to turn the small town of Pleasant Hill into a prison where super criminals were kept after having their lives rewritten by the living Cube. Dr. Selvig did his best to offer Kobik something of a normal life. Even as she was used to change criminals' minds, she still enjoyed her time in Pleasant Hill and especially liked bowling.
However, Hill had no idea that the entire plan had been laid out by Red Skull as a way to get at his longtime enemy, Captain America. Though it may have seemed to Hill and company like everything had gone to plan, they were unknowingly working from the Skull's playbook, which included Baron Zemo discovering the truth and leading a rebellion inside the prison for everyone to regain their true natures.
During this time, Sam Wilson had taken over as Captain America when Rogers had been physically progressed to his actual age and alleviated of his Super Soldier Serum. Sam, Steve and Bucky Barnes all arrived at Pleasant Hill to investigate separately. While Wilson and Barnes began to get a handle of the situation, Crossbones found Rogers and began beating him mercilessly. Just as the villain was about to kill the Sentinel of Liberty, Kobik returned him to his true fighting form!
However, this turned out to be part of the Red Skull's longterm plan. At that moment, he had Kobik rewrite Captain America’s history, making him a lifelong agent of Hydra who believed that the Axis had actually won World War II, but that the Allies got heir hands on a Cosmic Cube and changed all of existence so that they would win. Though he seemed like his normal self as he helped quell the fighting at Pleasant Hill, he was working on a secret plan that would put Hydra in control of the United States shortly after.
Once other heroes starting showing up in Pleasant Hill, Kobik incorporated members from both the Avengers Unity Squad and the All-New, All-Different Avengers into the town. After an unexpected heart to heart with Deadpool, Kobik agreed to give the Avengers their powers, weapons and suits back to help them stop the super-villain breakout.
Working for his old boss Baron Zemo, Fixer developed a device to contain Kobik. Kraven said he could catch her. To do so, he set up a tea party birthday party in the park to draw the young girl in. With some help from Fixer and Trapster, they managed to secure her and brought the containment field to Baron Zemo. Fixer turned Kobik back into a Cube as the heroes attacked. Protected by Graviton’s force field, the equipment needed more time to return the Cosmic Cube to its standard state. However, a blast from the new Quasar, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Avril Kincaid not only opened up the force field, but disrupted the Cube device, allowing Kobik to reemerge. Before disappearing, she threw Bucky through a nearby window. She then found him and he said he would protect her. She asked if she could bring along her friends — Moonstone, Fixer, Atlas and Mach-VII — and a new version of the Thunderbolts was born!
Kobik & The T-Bolts
The new Thunderbolts continued Bucky's previous mission of taking up Nick Fury's position as the "man on he wall," a person taking out global threats from all sides well before anyone else even knew about them. They set up shop in a secret New Mexico bunker. During one of their earlier missions, the team -- minus Kobik -- broke into a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility so that Fixer could delete any and all intel on the sentient Cube. As a thank-you, she used her powers to update their grubby, dilapidated headquarters into much nicer accommodations!
Though Bucky told her to stay back in the newly updated HQ, Kobik appeared while the team was on their way to investigate mysterious alien eggs. During the op, Moonstone and Bucky argued about the balance of power and leadership, which inspired Kobik to pull the Moonstone from Karla’s chest and take on her power. The girl returned it after Barnes made her realize that she nearly killed her friend. Reconstituted, Moonstone and the team then exterminated the monsters that came out of the cocoons only to be chastised by the Inhumans who thought they were their own people. These pods turned out to be Chitauri, though, and tied into Hydra Captain America's evil plans for world domination.
Back at the base, Moonstone talked to Fixer about taking control of Kobik, but the super-scientist instead wanted to kill the girl-Cube. Later, after S.H.I.E.L.D. went public with the T-Bolts’ actions and the Squadron Supreme attacked. To save her friends, Kobik transported the entire base to the North Pole.
During Civil War II, Bucky was briefly captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill interrogated him, wanting to know Kobik's whereabouts. During this time, the fake Steve Rogers had been trying to get in contact with Barnes, but Kobik had been blocking all attempts. While Barnes was gone, Kobik told Fixer that she got him out of the time loop he’d been stuck in for killing another version of himself during an earlier adventure. This brought the two teammates closer together. He quickly agreed to help get Barnes back and the team brought in their old compatriot Songbird who assisted in breaking into the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. Kobik assisted in the face off with the false Captain America and got the squad out of there when things got too hot.
Later, Baron Zemo, who had been working for HydraCap managed to sneak into the T-Bolts’ compound and used a device designed by Selvig to trap Kobik while a group of super villains distracted Winter Soldier outside. Songbird freed Kobik who was distraught to see Bucky beaten so badly by the villains. She disappeared with him, leaving the others to fend for themselves with Zemo.
Kobik then sent Bucky’s modern consciousness back in time to the history she had created for Captain America to make him a secret, life-long Hydra operative. Barnes attempted to convince her that the group was evil, but she would not hear it. After this episode and Kobik’s ensuing tantrum, she returned them both to the villain-invaded headquarters. She became so distraught that, when Fixer zapped her, she shattered into pieces. This proved to be part of Selvig's plan. Even though he had been working for the copycat Captain America, he still thought of her as a daughter and wanted to keep her away from the man who wanted to use her to change all of reality.
Shattered
Shortly after Kobik was shattered and her pieces scattered across the world, the fake Captain America revealed his Hydra affiliation and took over the United States while also trapping many of the most powerful heroes in space and several others in Manhattan. The remaining, called The Underground, did their best to resist the new world order, but found it hard to rally their efforts against the one hero they had always believed in. Some hope came in the form of a video from Rick Jones that included all of the information about Kobik and how the now-dead Red Skull had used her to create this fun house mirror version of the Sentinel of Liberty. This gave the heroes enough information to try and find the shards of the Cosmic Cube in an effort to bring back the real Captain America.
Pieces of Kobik's Cube wound up in places like Wakanda, the Savage Land, Atlantis and the new mutant nation of New Tian. Eventually, Hydra gained control of all but one of the shards. Kobik's essence existed inside of one of the fragments though, along with versions of Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes and even the Red Skull. Out in the real world, Barnes, Wilson and Ant-Man figured out a plan to turn over the final piece of Kobik's Cube to Hydra Cap. Lang shrunk Barnes down and sent him into the now-complete Cosmic Cube so he could pull Kobik and the still-living Steve Rogers out, which also removed the Cube from the villain's battle suit.
By that point, the Supreme Leader had used the mostly-together Cosmic Cube to rewrite reality so that Hydra had been in power since World War II. Kobik immediately returned everything back to normal and gave the real Rogers his Captain America gear which he used to defeat his evil clone. Since then, Kobik's flown under the radar, but will certainly bring her incredible power to the forefront again before long.
