Ayo (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Do-Gooder

Full Name

Ayo

Alias(es)

None

Origin

Captain America: Civil War

Occupation

General of the Dora Milaje

Powers / Skills

Leadership
Master Tactician
Spear Mastery
Master Martial Artist
Multilingualism

Hobby

Protecting Wakanda.

Goals

Protect Wakanda from threats.
Help Black Panther defeat Erik Killmonger.
Apprehend Helmut Zemo.
Protect Wakanda from the Talokanil (all succeeded).

Family

Ala (grandmother)
Assata (cousin)

Enemies

Erik Killmonger †
W'Kabi
Black Order
Corvus Glaive †
U.S. Agent (briefly)
Battlestar † (briefly)
Baron Helmut Zemo
Namor (formerly)
Attuma (formerly)
Namora (formerly)
Talokanil (formerly)

Type of Hero

Loyal Amazon

“	Move. Or you will be moved.	„
	~ Ayo to Black Widow.

“	The Dora Milaje have jurisdiction wherever the Dora Milaje find themselves to be.	„
	~ Ayo to John Walker.

General Ayo is a recurring character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She is the second-in-command of the Dora Milaje, being led by Okoye to protect Wakanda from threats and be the bodyguard of the king. After the death of T'Chaka, his son T'Challa becomes king, and Ayo helps the Dora Milaje battle against his cousin Erik Killmonger, and Thanos's army. After the heroes saved Earth from the Mad Titan, Ayo learned that T'Chaka's killer, Helmut Zemo, had escaped and became determined to find him. With the assistance of Bucky, she succeeded in apprehending Zemo and returning him to prison. Following T'Challa's passing, Ayo continued her protect Wakanda from the Talokanil, and was appointed general after Queen Ramonda removed Okoye from her position.

She is portrayed by Florence Kasumba.

Biography[]

Background[]

Not much is known about Ayo's past, but she presumably was born in Wakanda and was trained to become a capable warrior for the Dora Milaje. Ayo managed to become the second-in-command of the Dora Milaje under the leadership of Okoye, and was tasked with protecting Wakanda and its monarchs, King T'Chaka and Queen Ramonda. According to Ayo's conversation with Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, King T'Chaka chose her specifically from other Dora Milaje.

Captain America: Civil War[]

Ayo traveled to Vienna to attend T'Chaka ratifying the Sokovia Accords, but the king was killed by Helmut Zemo in an effort to incriminate the Winter Soldier for his crimes. After T'Chaka's death, Ayo was tasked with escorting T'Challa to his car after the Winter Soldier escaped from custody with the assistance of Captain America. When Natasha Romanoff attempted to speak with T'Challa, Ayo told the agent to move, or she will personally move her. She was stopped by T'Challa, who decided to get help from Natasha so they could apprehend the Winter Soldier.

Black Panther[]

When T'Challa and Okoye returned from saving Nakia, Ayo was tasked by the general to take her to the River Province so she could be ready for the ceremony. She attended the ceremony and witnessed T'Challa battle M'Baku, whom challenged the prince for the throne, and congratulated T'Challa for becoming king and defeating M'Baku. When Erik Killmonger entered Wakanda with the corpse of Ulysses Klaue, he revealed that he was the son of N'Jobu, the brother to T'Chaka and challenged T'Challa for the right of the throne. Ayo witnessed the duel between the two, and asked Okoye if anything could be done when Killmonger was battling T'Challa.

After the death of Zuri and T'Challa being thrown over the falls, Ayo was forced to submit to the traditions and serve Killmonger as the king of Wakanda. She sat beside Erik who was on the throne, and Killmonger ordered his servants to gather all of the vibranium there so they could prepare to ship them across the world. T'Challa returned and Ayo rebelled against Killmonger and the Border Tribe, and the Dora Milaje were assisted by the Jabari Tribe.

The Border Tribe were forced to surrender, and T'Challa succeeded in defeating his cousin, thus stopping his tyranny. After the battle, Ayo attended the delegation to the United Nations with T'Challa, Nakia, and Okoye, where she heard the king reveal Wakanda to the rest of the world. After T'Challa defeated Killmonger, Ayo assisted Shuri in curing the Winter Soldier from his brainwashing, and helped him go through the process.

Avengers: Infinity War[]

When the Avengers arrived to Wakanda to receive help from T'Challa to stop Thanos and his army, Ayo was tasked with protecting Shuri while she was working from removing the time stone from Vision's head. When Corvus Glaive attacked the Dora Milaje, Ayo was knocked unconscious alongside Shuri, and Glaive started to fight Vision for the infinity stone. It's unknown whatever Ayo was one of many who were erased from existence by Thanos, but it's possible she survived and continued to serve the Dora Milaje.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier[]

When Ayo learned that Helmut Zemo was broken out of prison, she was tasked with finding him and presumably have him return into confinement. She then traveled to Latvia, where she left a trail of Kimoyo beads for Bucky to find, and confronted him, asking where Zemo was. Ayo made a deal with Bucky that he had eight hours until she and the Dora Milaje would find and apprehend Zemo personally. Once the eight hours were up, Ayo and the Dora Milaje arrived to apprehend Zemo, but battled federal opatives John Walker and Lemar Hoskins. Zemo escaped during the fight, and Ayo expressed her disappoinment in Bucky since her and Zuri helped him break free of his brainwashing.

After defeating Walker, Ayo and the Dora Milaje left to find Zemo, and eventually learned from Barnes that Helmut traveled to Sokovia. The Dora Milaje then arrested Zemo and sent him to the Raft, but Ayo spoke with Bucky that he should stay clear from Wakanda for a while for his actions. Before she left, Bucky asked for a favor for the Wakandan Design Group to create new wings and a new suit for Sam, who had decided to accept the mantle of Captain America.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever[]

Following T'Challa passing from an unknown illness, Ayo continued her service by stopping mercenaries from obtaining vibranium, and appearing at the United Nations to show that Wakanda wasn't to be threatened. However, the country was infiltrated by Namor, leading to Queen Ramonda to send Okoye to help Shrui find a scientist that the Talokanil was searching for. The general failed in her mission as Shuri was captured, leading to Ramonda to remove Okoye from her position and appoint Ayo as general. While preventing Okoye from leaving, Wakanda was attacked by the Talokanil, whom flooded the country and fought against each tribes. During the battle, Ramonda sacrificed herself to save Riri Williams, putting Shuri as the heir of the throne.

The surviving Wakandas relocated to Gorilla City for the time being, and Ayo witnessed the arrival of Shuri, whom managed to re-create the Heart-Shaped Herb to become the new Black Panther. The Dora Milaje then participated in the battle against the Talokanil alongside the Midnight Angels, which ended with Shuri and Namor making a truce to end the war. After the war, Shuri decided to leave Wakanda, making M'Baku become next in line as king.