Phyla-Vell

Phyla-Vell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She has gone by the names Quasar, Captain Marvel and Martyr. She was created byPeter David and Paul Azaceta in Captain Marvel (vol. 5) #16 (January 2004).

Her name is derived from the scientific classification phylum, one of the levels of organization (taxons) for classifying life. This is a reference to the fact that her brother Genis-Vell's name comes from genus, one of the other classifications for life forms.

After Genis-Vell, then known as Captain Marvel, previously destroyed and recreated the universe, the "new" version was subtly altered with Phyla-Vell's existence being one of the changes. It is revealed that she is the second artificially created offspring of Captain Mar-Vell who was created by her mother Elysius in the "new" universe because her first attempt (Genis-Vell) had been so successful. Initially her origin conflicted with previously established storylines, but this is resolved in Captain Marvel (vol. 4) #18 (February 2004).

She fights her brother Genis-Vell, who was insane at the time,[3] in the process helping to restore his sanity. She then tries to lay claim to the "Captain Marvel" title, though her brother refuses to give it up.[4] Phyla is next seen at the trial of Starfox.

The Captain Marvel (vol. 4) series heavily hinted that Phyla-Vell is a lesbian, and in #25 (September 2004) the character admits that she is attracted to Moondragon and invites her on a tour of the "spiral nebula near Renault VII". Before Moondragon can accept the two wander through a portal

Phyla later appeared during Annihilation where she had been visiting her father's grave with Moondragon when the pair were attacked by Thanos who ripped off Moondragon's ear and gave it to Phyla, telling her to go to Drax the Destroyer and how his actions would determine Moondragon's fate shortly before teleporting away with Moondragon. Drax has indicated he will not be stopping his pursuit of Thanos.

Phyla then goes with Nova and Star-Lord to lead a final battle against Annihilus, being saved at the last second by a massive energy wave caused by the just freed Galactus, which left only the three heroes and Annihilus as survivors. Ultimately in the battle, Phyla manages to steal away the quantum bands that Annihilus took from Quasar, weakening him and allowing Nova to finally bring an end to the Annihilation Wave. She is then seen re-united with Moondragon, and deciding it's up to her to become the new Quasar.

She was seen on the Kree fringe-world of Lamentis, helping with the rebuilding after the Annihilation Wave. Along with Moondragon, now her lover, they helped to defend a temple from raiders, wanting to teach that peace rather than violence was the way to go. They were attacked by a Kree Sentry, when the Phalanx took over the War-Net. Phyla was the first to discover that the Kree Empire was cut off from the rest of the galaxy - as well as being told, by what she assumes are the Q-Bands, that she needs to "Find the Deliverer. Find the Redeemer".

Phyla and Moondragon made their way across the galaxy, avoiding the Phalanx, including their Select, theSuper-Adaptoid, who had replicated her quantum bands. But when they are nearly overwhelmed by the Phalanx, Moondragon was forced to permanently change into the form of the Dragon of the Moon, the very demon she had been fighting all her life, to save themselves. They located the Kree "savior" on a Stone Age planet. Phyla managed to defeat the Adaptoid by taking advantage of its inability to imagine. She was nearly overcome by the corruption in the quantum bands when Wendell Vaughan appeared before her, sealing away Annihilus' influence. As she and Moondragon returned to the savior's cocoon, the spirit of the former Kree leader Supreme Intelligence revealed himself as the voice that guided her here. Together, they awoke Adam Warlock, so they could take the fight to the Phalanx. However, having been woken prematurely, Adam did not see the war with the Phalanx as his fight. But when the Phalanx come to capture him, he speeds them far away, to a sanctuary used by the High Evolutionary. The Evolutionary explains to them that Supreme Intelligence hired him to remake the Kree species but lost contact when the Annihilation War began. Phyla then figured that the person they were looking for is the Evolutionary himself, believing that he can create warriors similar to Adam to combat the Phalanx. Unfortunately, the sanctuary was attacked by the Phalanx leader Ultron, who killed Moondragon. Frantic, Phyla hoped that the Evolutionary would heal her but unfortunately, Moondragon's form was an enigma that the Evolutionary could not solve. Angry at the death of her lover, Phyla attempted to kill Ultron, only to use up the remaining quantum energy in her bands. The High Evolutionary caused the sun where the sanctuary was stationed by to go supernova, while Adam helped them to escape. As they made their way to Hala to retrieve the Kree warrior army, Phyla lamented the loss of Moondragon. She became even more pessimistic when she broke her quantum sword against a Phalanx drone. Adam chastised her for being selfish and said that she'd be disgracing her father.

When they arrive at the cloning base, they discover that the Evolutionary had collaborated with the Phalanx. He subdued Adam, so that Ultron could take over his body. Phyla was blasted away when she attempted to intervene.

When Ultron faced trouble with the arrival of the Technarch Warlock and Nova, Phyla had a vision of Moondragon, communicating towards her from the edge of death itself, informing her that the barrier isolating the Kree galaxy has weakened and her bands are filling with energy once again. Though Phyla desired Moondragon to return, her lover urged her to help their friends. Joining the battle, Phyla returned Adam's soul to his body, once the Technarch Warlock forced Ultron out of it. Unfortunately, Ultron created a massive body out of 15,000 Kree Sentries that Ronan the Accuser was intending to use to annihilate Hala. Adam empowered Phyla with the souls of the Kree to give her the power to destroy Ultron forever.

Phyla later joined Starlord's new Guardians of the Galaxy, a group dedicated to protecting the universe at all times.

Phyla later accompanied Drax in his search for Cammi. Consulting with a soothsayer, they were then informed that they can save Moondragon. They went toMentor, who apparently killed them. In Oblivion, they met Maelstrom and the Dragon of the Moon. Phyla made a deal with the latter to secure Heather's freedom. In exchange, she agreed to be the new avatar of Oblivion

Now calling herself Martyr, Phyla-Vell became a more abrasive and aggressive figure. When the Guardians attempted to negotiate with the Inhumans to stop the War of Kings, she ruined the attempt by taking Inhuman princess Crystal hostage instead; this led to battle between the Inhumans and the Guardians, which she continued to escalate. Eventually, the Inhumans tried to end the war by detonating a weapon that would shatter space itself, creating a multiversal Fault.

When Adam Warlock stopped the Fault's growth by using a redundant timeline, one where he became the villainous Magus, Phyla-Vell revealed that her deal with Oblivion was to kill "the Avatar of Life" and she would know what to do when the time came. Knowing he would now become Magus, she ran Adam through but this failed to stop his transformation. Several of the Guardians, then stranded in the year 3009, were then sent back in time to stop Magus' creation and Phyla was prevented from making her move. This time when Warlock was transformed, she engaged him in combat - but Magus magically teleported her own sword from her hands and slew her with it.

Actually a ploy by Magus, Phyla was revealed to be alive and in his custody on Sacrosanct where she helped release her other seemingly-deceased teammates, then ran off to confront Magus, leaving them behind. Coming to a cocoon she assumed to be Magus, the cocoon hatched before her, revealing a resurrected Thanos, who immediately slew her.