Karma (comics)

Karma (comics)

Karma (Xi'an Coy Manh) is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.

Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities. The origin of the character relates to the Vietnam War, as she and her family were among the boat people fleeing the country shortly after the advent of Communism and in the wake of violence. Her Vietnamese origin contributes to two of her main traits—her Catholicism and her mastery of the French language, both of which stem from France's strong historical influence in Vietnam. Karma, in fact, speaks English with a French accent rather than a Vietnamese one.

Karma was one of the five founding members of the New Mutants, along with Cannonball, Mirage, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane. Being several years older than the others, and the de facto mother of her siblings from a young age, she was the most mature member of the team. Karma is significant as one of the first major lesbian characters in a mainstream comic book.