America Chavez is one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful heroines, capable of crossing the Multiverse and surviving everything she comes across on her journey.
America Chavez isn’t a household known as a hero yet, despite her superhuman abilities and her presence in the Marvel Universe. All of that is about to change, as she’ll be making her MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in May 2022, and you can even catch a glimpse of her (played by Xochitl Gomez) in the recently released first trailer.
It’s unclear where America Chavez fits into the Multiverse of Madness, and there’s no obvious storyline connection between America and Doctor Strange. Given the movie’s title and the portions of the tale we’ve gotten, the solution is most likely related to America’s Multiversal powers.
So, who is America Chavez, and how did she come to be associated with Marvel’s Multiverse in comic books? All of the solutions may be found right here.
Who is America Chavez?
America Chavez was first established in Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta’s 2011 limited series Vengeance under the superhero identity Miss America, which was inspired by a Golden Age Marvel Comics hero. She was a member of a secret superhero organization dedicated to maintaining the balance of chaos and order, and she possessed incredible strength, speed, and flight.
America – now known simply as America Chavez – joins the Young Avengers shortly after her debut, when they reassemble following the events of The Children’s Crusade, in which they discovered and rescued the Scarlet Witch from Doctor Doom’s scheme to corrupt reality.
America’s origin is revealed as part of the Young Avengers. America hails from the domain of the mystical Earth spirit known as the Demiurge, a place called the Utopian Parallel that exists outside of time and the Multiverse, rather than Earth-616 (the fundamental Marvel universe, as detailed in the link).
The Utopian Parallel was invaded when America was six years old, and America’s moms gave their lives to fight the menace. America was tossed into the multiverse after absorbing some of the Demiurge’s magical essence, where she finally made her way to Earth and became a hero.
America has the powers of flight, super strength, and super speed, as well as the capacity to open portals to every place in the multiverse, thanks to her Multiversal nature and the Demiurge’s magical essence.
The origins of America were recently retconned in a narrative titled America Chavez: Her mothers were scientists seeking to treat a mystery sickness known as ‘Edges Syndrome’ that is ravaging America, according to the documentary Made in the USA. The so-called Utopian Parallel is actually an unique medical facility where America is experimented on, resulting in the development of her powers, according to this retcon of her origin, which leaves some big unanswered issues about how it matches up with established continuity.
These modifications haven’t been addressed since the series ended in August, so it’s unclear how or if they’ll play out in future America Chavez appearances.