Real Name: Unrevealed;
possibly Hasu (Japanese for the the lotus flower and plant)
Identity/Class: Human
(late 19th Century to modern era, including, 1900-1929, 1930-1945 (active during World War
II), 1946-1959, and the "pre-modern era"
(1960 - Fantastic Four's original space flight), presumably not a
mutant, but naturally possessing some psychic abilities (perhaps
low-level magic-user);
Japanese citizen; alleged US citizen as Lotus Newmark;
possible citizen of Siancong
Occupation: Would-be world conqueror;
former professional
criminal, mob leader, drug dealer, Axis agent, curio shop
owner;
at least posed as a real estate agent
Group Membership: Former leader of
own criminal network (consisting of most of organized crime in Los
Angeles)
formerly the Super-Axis (Agent
Axis/formerly Hiroyuki Kanegawa, Aldo Malvagio & Berthold Volker; Baron
Blood/John Falsworth, Master Man/Willie Lohmer, Scarlet
Scarab/Abdul Faoul, Teutonic
Knight/Franz Gerhardt, U-Man/Meranno, Warrior Woman/Julia Frieda Koenig Lohmer; I don't believe she was shown to have worked with Brain Drain/Werner Schmidt or Skyshark/Elias Scheigal)
Affiliations: Armed
Response, Demon Soldiers, Troy Donahue, Wong Daochu and his friends, Jacques DuQuesne of 1947, Li Fong, Gamma-Burn (Ethel Gaxton), Goliath (Eric Josten), Hana/Blossom, Trevor Madsden, Miguel, Monsieur Khruul of 1947, Phoenix Triads, Poison
Memories, Rampage (Stuart Clarke),
Recession
Raiders, Saburo, Samaru, Neal Saroyan, Auggie
Slater, Splice,
Carlo Strange (aka Doctor Strange) the Tong, Xiong, Andrew,
Charles, Flaco, Freddie, Gordo, numerous monsters created with the aid
of Carlo Strang; unidentified Los Angeles councilman
formerly her "samurai" guards, Reynaldo
Cortizar, It the Living Colossus, Bob O'Bryan, Prince
Charming, Quyen, Sol Sterling,
the Stone
Perfs, Suwan, Tolliver
(Tyler Dayspring), Yellow Claw (Plan Chu/Master Plan/Golden Claw);
formerly Jacques DuQuesne (aka Swordsman), French
loyalist families in Siancong-the-nation, Lapchu, Li Fong and his
instructors, Monsieur Khruul of the Sin-Cong's "Second War of Liberation" (presumably this one?), the Sens royal line in Siancong-the-nation, Siancong-the-being;
possibly Buddha;
possibly at last formerly Black Talon (Samuel David Barone), Man-Ape,
Mephisto
Enemies: Aarkus
the Vision, Ace (Ace Spencer), Aero (Lei Ling), All-Winners
Squad (Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Miss America/Madeline Joyce, Namor the
Sub-Mariner, Toro/Thomas Raymond, at least), Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Hercules/Alcaeus, Iron Man/Tony Stark), Angkor (Thommanom), Beast (Hank McCoy), Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Captain America (Steve Rogers; also as Nomad), Captain America (James
Barnes), Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), Andrew Chord, Wong Tan Chu, CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), Diane
Cummings,
the Crazy Eight (Auteur, Argus/Visionary, Attractive Lad, Snap, Glamour
Girl, Dreamer, Buff, Stat), Wong Tan Chu, Doctor Strange (Stephen
Strange), Enchantress (Amora), Falcon (Samuel Wilson), Gigantos,
Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Human
Torch (Johnny Storm), Invaders (Bucky/James Barnes, Captain
America/Steve Rogers, Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Miss America/Madeline
Joyce, Spitfire/Jacqueline Falsworth, Sub-Mariner/Namor McKenzie,
Toro/Thomas Raymond, Union Jack/Brian Falsworth, Whizzer/Bob Frank), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Monsieur Khruul's nephew circa the 1960s-1970s (son of Khruul-1947), Kid
Commandos (Bucky/James Barnes, Golden Girl/Gwenny Lou Sabuki,
Human Top/Davy Mitchell, Toro/Thomas Raymond), Melinda May, "Texas" Jack
Muldoon, Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), Powderkeg (Frank Skorina), Prince
Charming, Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), Kevin Schumer, Siancong-the-being, Sol Sterling, the Stone
Perfs, Storm
(Ororo Munroe), Terminizer,
Thing (Ben Grimm), Thor Odinson, Threadneedle, Titanic Three (Crimson Dynamo/Alex
Nevsky, Radioactive Man/Chen Lu, Titanium Man/Boris Bullski), Tolliver,
the United States of America (its people, military and government),
Warbird (Shi'ar-Jabari hybrid), Wonder Man (Simon Williams), the Young Allies (Bucky/James
Barnes, Washington Carver "Whitewash" Jones, Patrick "Knuckles" O'Toole,
Henry "Tubby" Tinkelbaum, Toro/Thomas Raymond, Geoffrey "Jeff"
Vandergill);
presumably Bosede and his Jabari warriors
possibly Black Talon;
indirectly Agents of Atlas (Brawn/Amadeus Cho, Silk/Cindy Moon, Wave/Pearl
Pangan, Jimmy Woo), Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Captain
Marvel/Carol Danvers, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Thor Odinson,
Valkyrie/Jane Foster), Georges Batroc, Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman/Sue Richards,
Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards), Nick Fury, Hulk (Bruce Banner), Dakota North, Alain Racine (later le Peregrine), Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov), Andrew Renard, Craig Simpson, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), George Tarleton (later MODOK), Union (Bulldog, Choir/Ruth, Union
Jack/Joe Chapman), Wakandan Design Group (Zarala), Winterguard (Crimson Dynamo/Dmitri Bukharin, Red
Widow, Ursa Major/Mikhail Ursus, Vanguard/Nikolai Krylenko), Winter Soldier (James Barnes), X-Men (Cyclops/Scott
Summers, Jean Grey, Synch/Everett Thomas, Wolverine/Laura Kinney) as
well as Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Known Relatives: Unidentified husband (scion of the Sen line, intermingled with the French; presumably deceased);
unidentified father (presumably deceased; Lotus previously identified him as Jerome Newmark, but that is presumably part of the false history she used as Lotus Newmark), unidentified mother (deceased);
"Hana/Blossom" (daughter), Nia
Noble
(daughter), unidentified son by husband from the Sen line (deceased),
unidentified son by a high-placed friend of Wong Daochu (deceased)
Admiral Peter Noble (the Fin, son-in-law);
Aliases: Hasu (Japanese for the lotus flower and plant), Lotus, Lotus
Newmark; "Great One" (from servants)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly a village and castle in the western hills of Sin-Cong, Siancong, southeast Asia;
formerly various
Lotus Realtors bases in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Hollywood, San Francisco, and
Sunland, California, USA;
possibly formerly Hong Kong, China;
formerly the House of Lotus, in the Chinatown
section of Manhattan, New York, USA, circa 1942;
formerly San Francisco, California, USA, circa the early 20th Century;
formerly the home of Li Fong;
formerly an unidentified home in Japan;
born at an unidentified location in Japan
First Appearance:
(Lady Lotus) Invaders I#37 (February, 1979);
(Lotus Newmark) Avengers
Spotlight#30 (March, 1990)
|
Powers/Abilities:
Lotus can hypnotize others via direct eye contact; she can maintain
this control over vast distances, project mental images into her
crystal ball, cast mental illusions and has limited powers of
precognition. She can communicate telepathically, and she has proven able to compel others to travel to across an intercontinental distance (such as the Atlantic Ocean). At her
natural powers' height, she can cause fatal brain damage in a victim,
perhaps via rupturing cerebral blood vessels. Over 125 years-old,
Lotus' powers enable her to retain the youthful vitality and appearance
of a woman perhaps 20-25% of her age. Exposure to lotus flowers heightens her powers; she
frequently bathes for an hour in a pool of lotus petals to increase
her abilities. She claims her mental discipline has also retarded her
body's aging process. Enhanced by
the dragonsbloom, she could repel and wipe or alter the memories of a
large number of antagonists, drive groups of people insane, project
dark energy blasts, form a dome to surround the entire nation of
Siancong (contacting the dome could cause rapid and spreading tissue
death), transform wounded and enemy prisoners into her zombie-like
Demon Soldiers, who would fight for her tirelessly, unthinkingly and
brutally. Lotus is a shrewd businesswoman and a deadly warrior. She is well educated and is extensively trained in the martial arts. Though she is not superhuman, she is exceedingly swift, able to strike with sufficient force to drive her fingertips through an adult male's ribcage. Lotus is willing to do whatever she needs to get a job done. She can separate her mind and emotions from her body, allowing her to use the arts carnal to manipulate others. She does not particularly care for loyalty or trust; the quality she prizes most in herself and others is reliability. While possessing the Celestials' power
gem, Lotus' mental powers were enhanced, she could fly, create force
fields, generate blasts of electricity and summon earthquakes.
Weight: 135 lbs. Eyes: Brown (sometimes green, possibly via contact lenses or other means; green as Lotus Newmark); brown in Invaders and The Marvels. Hair: Black |
History:
|
. (Invaders I#39 (fb) / The Marvels#6 (fb)) - The woman who would become Lotus was born in Japan... (The Marvels#6 (fb)) - ...in the days before the 19th Century became the 20th. She was born with powers of the mind, like her mother before her, and her mother trained her, showing her how the black lotus flower could increase her power, let her mind reach further, even stopping her from aging if she chose.(Invaders I#39 (fb)) - Supplementing her meditation with the power of the sacred lotus, she arduously trained herself in the recitation of magic phrases and the performance of mystic finger signs. | . |
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. She felt her parents' pride in her as she developed her gifts, and she felt her mother's deep well of love as she promised to always keep her close and protect her. |
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The young woman felt her father's sorrow when he sold her to repay gambling debts, although that sorrow did not stop him; "I was, after all, just a girl, however talented." Her new guardian, Li Fong, was ambitious with an eye for talent. He had her trained in body and in mind. In time, at night, he taught her other skills; "I was a woman then, and women have their uses." |
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"It was a pleasure to kill <Li Fong> once I had reached adulthood and my full power. To show him what a woman could do." Having tired of Japan after all the time as a man's plaything, she wanted more. Seeking freedom, she traveled to San Francisco in the USA; however, the thoughts she heard around her were even uglier than what she had heard in Japan, and their view of women little better. (Invaders I#39 (fb) / The Marvels#6 (fb)) - After the USA declared war on Japan in 1941, Lotus used her powers to avoid being sent to an internment camp as the Americans rounded up local people of Japanese ancestry. |
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(Invaders I#41 (fb) - BTS) - Lady Lotus captured a number of men from Chinatown and hypnotized them to serve as her samurai guard. She also hypnotized Chinese women to serve as her maids. (Invaders I#37) - As U-Man was about to attempt an attack upon the Sub-Mariner's flagship, he was suddenly compelled away by the mental powers of Lady Lotus, who commanded him to come to her lair. (Invaders I#38) - When U-Man arrived at the House of Lotus, Lady Lotus sent three of her samurai guards to test his strength, and she was impressed with the ease with which he dispatched them. U-Man tried to fight back against her, but he was powerless against her mental abilities. She showed him an image of the Kid Commandos and told him she was interested in their team member Golden Girl. Using her powers, she ascertained Japanese saboteurs would make an attempt at Santa Monica Pier which would fail because of the Kid Commandos. She sent U-Man to capture Golden Girl after they had beaten the saboteurs. (Invaders I#39) - Lady Lotus had U-Man
bring Golden Girl to a warehouse, where Golden Girl was treated with
utmost respect, and offered tea as Lady Lotus recounted her story to
her. She attempted to appeal to their common Japanese ancestry, but
Golden Girl was unshaken in her commitment to America, despite what
she and her father had suffered. Lady Lotus tried to take over her
mind, but she was instead blinded by one of Golden Girl's energy blasts. As U-Man
and Lady Lotus' soldiers attempted to capture her, the Invaders and
other Kid Commandos arrived, and Lady Lotus fled with U-Man. Meanwhile, Lady Lotus had some of her agents in England revive the Nazi vampire Baron Blood. | . |
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(Invaders I#40) - After Baron Blood revived, Lady Lotus directed him to the House of Lotus to join her forces. Her men provided him with a plane for transportation. After bathing in lotus petals and scented water, Lady Lotus confronted Baron Blood and U-Man, and demonstrated to Baron Blood she could control him as effectively as Dracula could. She provided Blood with a coffin and soil from England for him to rest in, and a new costume to replace his tattered garment. She then sent Baron Blood to help smuggle Master Man and Warrior Woman into America. Despite the interference of the Invaders, Baron Blood was successful. (Invaders I#41) - With the four costumed Axis agents assembled, Lady Lotus declared they would join forces as the Super-Axis. Warrior Woman and Master Man refused to obey a Japanese woman, but Lady Lotus drove them into compliance with hypnotic illusions. When the Human Torch arrived at the House of Lotus, wondering if there was a connection to Lady Lotus, she greeted him and took control of him with hypnosis, offering her love to him, and playing on his feelings of rejection over Spitfire being attracted to Captain America. As she kissed the Torch, she thought, "Banzai!" Lady Lotus sent the Super-Axis and Human
Torch to destroy Chicago's railroad center to hamper American
supplies, and directed them mentally from a distance. After the Torch
nearly killed Miss America and the Whizzer, Captain America was able
to help him regain his senses. Angered at how Lotus had played with his
emotions, the Torch attacked the House of Lotus solo. She sent her
samurai to fight him, but he released a bright flash of light and
broke her spell over them. Lady Lotus escaped during the melee. With the Super-Axis' defeat, Lady Lotus retreated into Chinatown. Days later, she chanced to encounter the Yellow Claw and his young niece Suwan in the rain. She was taken aback, thinking the Claw was only a legend. The Claw told her that he admired her ambition, but advised her that she had struck prematurely. The Claw promised he would conquer the United States, even if took him another decade.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#1 (fb)) - In 1943, Lady Lotus hypnotized a mob of zoot suit-clad men into rioting at the Paramount Theater, but the Young Allies intervened and Toro broke the hypnotic spell with a flash of light, just as the Torch had done. (Captain America: Forever Allies#2 (fb)) - While Lady Lotus fumed over how the Young Allies had disrupted her plans, her servant Samaru presented her with a gem recently discovered on a Pacific island (where it had been hidden by the Deviant warlord Kro); Lotus instantly realized the gem could enhance her psychic powers. Desiring revenge on the Young Allies, Lotus caught up to them on the lots of Democracy Pictures and hypnotized a cadre of actors dressed as Nazis to attack the Allies; after hypnotizing Toro, Lotus forced him to capture his teammates. (Captain America: Forever Allies#3 (fb)) - Lady Lotus used her gem to enthrall the remaining Young Allies, after which she ordered them to pilot a pair of aircraft in an attempted assault on US military installations. However, Washington "Whitewash" Jones shook off her hypnotic spell and freed Toro by using a flare gun; Toro then released the other Young Allies from Lotus' control. (Captain America: Forever Allies#4 (fb)) - The Young Allies returned to battle Lady Lotus and during the fight, her gem began to cause an earthquake; Toro blasted the gem with fire, knocking it down a crevice opened by the earthquake where it vanished from sight. Lotus and Samaru fled, but Lotus hoped to eventually retrieve the gem. |
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(All-New Invaders#4 (fb) - BTS) - <July,
1944> The Super-Axis (Agent Axis, Lady Lotus, Master Man,
Scarlet Scarab, Warrior Woman, U-Man) defeated and captured the
Invaders (Bucky, Captain America, Human Torch, Spitfire, Toro, Union
Jack) at the coast of Crete and watched Namor flee. (All-New Invaders#4 (fb)) - The Super-Axis had the Invaders at their feet and were going to kill them, but Namor returned with an army of sea monsters, including Gigantos to defeat them. (Invaders III#3 (fb) - BTS) - U-Man later had his revenge upon Lady Lotus for making him her slave by raping her. She gave birth to his daughter, Nia, who later married the Fin. |
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(The Marvels#1 (fb)) <1947> - In the Sin Cong province of French Indochina, tattered and virtually powerless, Lotus fled from the All-Winners Squad (notably the Human Torch, Miss America, Namor and Toro (as seen in the sky above; Bucky/Fred Davis, Captain America/Jeff Mace, Whizzer/Bob Frank may or may not have also been involved, but limited to ground activity). Lotus rushed into a meeting amongst Wong Daochu (who sought revolution), gunrunner Jacques DuQuesne (who sought wealth) and gangster Monsieur Khruul (who followed the path of power), begging them to hide her. Khruul initially dismissed her, but when she noted that she was being pursued by powerful men, which proved to be the All-Winners Squad, and told them they would be rewarded, Khruul suggested that if she was someone that the American wanted, perhaps there was value to her. He advised her that this better be worth their while, and Lotus introduced herself, assuring him that it would be worth their while. "You will see. You and the world."
She warned DuQuesne of dangers,
of those who would seek to cheat him and of the prices he could charge.
She guided Khruul to triumph after triumph, and she gave strength to
Daochu's words, allowing him to amass a following. |
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She guided her allies -- supporters of the Sens', the old royal line;
French loyalist families, including the DuQuesnes; Khruul; and their
followers -- to take refuge in the western hills, where she sheltered
the, making sure the fighting would not touch them; and they grew the
dragonsbloom in great quantities.
Seeking to learn the dragonsbloom's secrets and the histories of
Sin-Cong, Lotus had her agent Quyen gather representatives the oldest
families, learning that none of them had been there for more than a
century. Exploring further into the hills, she found the same history,
and she discovered an ancient temple, which seemed to call to her. During the Vietnam War, while communist rule dominated, the French and the old royals still held sway in Lotus' refuge. |
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Without her husband's knowledge, she had another son with a high-placed friend of Daochu's.
(The
Marvels#6 (fb)) -
At last, Lotus was able to return to the unidentified temple in the
hills to plumb once more the mysteries of the dragonsbloom. Whether she
was too tired or she was just trying to watch too many pots, Lotus
missed one: The aging Daochu. His son. Khruul's nephew. (is that the
three different people seen in the image, or is this the son of Daochu,
who is Khruul's nephew), who considered that Lotus took them for
granted and thought to use them. Nonetheless, they harvested the dark lotus and planted more of it, distilling its essence into powders that affected the mind for good or ill, and serums that transformed animals into monstrous beings. Needing someone with expertise in such fields, they recruited Carlo Strang, a brilliant student who had been disgraced in the West for his wild theories and ethical violations who had the potential they needed. Strang soon perfected a drug stronger than
heroin and available only to them, which Strang felt could make Lotus a
virtual queen. (The Marvels#6 (fb) - BTS) - The Vietnam War ended and the Americans were driven out. (The
Marvels#6 (fb)) -
Wong Tan Chu (son of Wong Daochu) and the Khruul led an army into the
temple, denouncing Lotus and her people as traitors and intending to
arrest them as seize everything for themselves. Although now more
dependent on the lotus, Lotus was able to wield it in wider ways, and
she wiped the memories of Wong and Khruul while driving the soldiers
mad. (The
Marvels#6 (fb) - BTS) - However, too many people now knew of Lotus and
the dragonsbloom, and they wanted it. The titular government of
Sin-Cong came for them. The Sen family called for France's help, and
France came, although they wanted whatever Lotus' village had had as
well (or at least to deny it to the Chinese). The French invited in the
Americans, and it was war. And with this, various super heroes,
villains and adventurers came in as well.
While Lotus felt that something had been hiding from her all along,
Hana discovered a set of stairs and an immense set of doors that had
apparently not been before. |
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(The Marvels#8 (fb) - BTS) - Having heard rumors of one of the Flora Colossi (this Groot) having his physical form destroyed on Earth, an unidentified Shi'ar commander led a scout team to Earth, landing in Wakanda, Africa. They formed an alliance with a dissident group of the Jabari tribe, and the psi-sensitive Bosede, apparently the commander and one of the Jabari, fell in love and had a daughter. (The Marvels#1 (fb) - BTS) <17 years before the main story> - Early in the "Second War of Liberation," U.S troops discovered an immense and monstrous skull, and the following day they led the visiting Reed Richards and Ben Grimm to see it. (The Marvels#3 (fb) - BTS) <17
years before the
main story> - In the Free State of Sin-Cong, Andrew Renard of "The
Company" (presumably the CIA) arranged a meeting with various US (and
perhaps other international) officials that included consultant Reed
Richards (and his ally Ben Grimm), as well as Alain Racine (and his
attache' and driver, Georges Batroc),
George Tarleton (and his driver, Sgt. Craig Simpson). They discussed
the potential power behind the throne as well as the discovery of the
monster skull and potentially other monsters, and the apparent
involvement of Dr. Carlo Strang and potential extraterrestrial sitings.
Renard stated that they wanted the secrets that the Chinese sought and
that if they could not have them, they did not want anyone else getting
their hands on them. The Shi'ar/Jabari alliance (including the young Shi'ar-Jabari hybrid girl) monitored the region and observed the presence of Deviants, Winter Soldier and Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov) monitored the Shi'ar; ultimately, the group chose not to reveal their presence. Richards, Grimm and Renard's group subsequently discovered the base of Strang's operations, and when Strang discovered them, the Winter Soldier shot one of Strang's soldiers, granting Grimm and his associates a chance to fight back. The Deviants subsequently invaded the base to get a sample, and Richards escaped with a pair of samples, one of which was taken by Renard and given to a person appearing to be the Mad Thinker, while Reed kept the other for himself after which he departed with Grimm. Nick Fury subsequently arrived in Sin-Cong. (The
Marvels#8 (fb) - BTS) - The Shi'ar commander and her forces eventually
departed Earth. Bosede subsequently departed, seeking to find the secrets for
which the Shi'ar had been searching and hoping that finding them might
bring his daughter's mother back to them. (The
Marvels#10 (fb) - BTS) - Bosede and his group of Jabari eventually accessed the realm from which the dragonsbloom
originated (presumably via Lotus' temple), and he perished there under
unrevealed circumstances. (The
Marvels#9 (fb)) - The French and Americans worked out of the same
village in which Lotus and Strang developed the dragonsbloom into drugs
an serums. When Xiong advised Lotus that they were following Strang's
notes but were still not ready, she reminded him that she was not a
patient woman. (The
Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - Having tested serums far north, in frozen
American waters, Lotus dispatched some of the monsters to lure the
Chinese and Russians along false trails.
Faced with overwhelming force, the Russians sent agents such as Crimson
Dynamo, Titanium Man and the Unicorn to aid the forces they supported,
driving troops loyal to Lotus before them. In response, the Americans,
French, British. Germans & Canadians swarmed Sin-Cong's hills,
building supply depots, air bases and more. (The
Marvels#9 (fb)) - A young Khruul noted his concerns that the conflict
came too close to them, but Lotus assured him that it was necessary for
now. (The Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - Returning to the USA to gather funds and equipment, Strang encountered difficulties and attempted to steal what he needed. He ran afoul of Iron Man, who mistook his last name for Strange but nonetheless forced him to flee. (The
Marvels#9 (fb)) - Considering Strang to have been weak and ineffectual
but nonetheless useful, Lotus considered that perhaps when Strang had
returned he would be more compliant.
Lotus insisted that they must keep the war away and move their creature
creches until her research was done, but Lapchu (the grand-nephew of
Wong Daochu?), Khruul and presumably another Duquesne or similar French
ally) argued that she had sought the power for generations and that
perhaps new eyes and ways were called for. Doubting the allegiance of her inner circle (and considering that their long-term exposure to her mental powers was weakening their susceptibility), Lotus happily met with her sons, while her daughter, Hana, watched from outside. |
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Lotus' son by the royalist noted that families were concerned with the
American coalition and considered an alliance with Latveria or Genosha;
her son by the military agreed that such an alliance might bring
further delay, but also noted that he had capitalized on her feints to
the north, leading his superiors to conclude that the provinces there
were the true threat.
Lotus considered von Doom to be too smart to be deceived for long but
that Genosha was more decadent, and so she advised her royalist son to
have the families reach out to them. She assured them that together they
would be victorious and bring the world to the knees. (The
Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - Extended delays and the feeling of lack of
progress led to escalations, and the super-heroic Avengers arrived in
Sin-Cong as well. There energies of the dragonsbloom distorted the
perception of Hawkeye and others, making them think and feel that they
were in a different era. (The
Marvels#9 (fb)) - The dragonsbloom grew ever stronger, affecting not
just Lotus and her allies but the whole nation. Lotus wondered why she
had not been able to sense it when Hana could, and Hana considered that
perhaps it had been too dangerous for her to sense.
Passing through the immense doors, Lotus found even greater power in
the shadows within, enabling her to take the wounded and enemy
prisoners and transform them into her zombie-like demon soldiers, which
would fight for her tirelessly, unthinkingly and brutally.
Eventually, a group of heroes, including Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell),
Iron Man, Nomad, the Scarlet Witch and the Thing, and a number of
soldiers, found one of Lotus' creches, slaying or subduing the monsters
and putting Lotus and her men at their mercy. Lotus recognized Nomad as
her old enemy Captain America, and she mockingly told the heroes that
they had achieved no true victory as their superiors supporting a free
Sin-Cong fought for her. (The Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus was released, and Nick Fury advised the heroes that their goal was not to destroy Lotus' operations but rather to take charge of it and allow American forces to learn to control it. (The
Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Lotus broke with the Royalists. (The Marvels#9 (fb)) - The Sin-Cong became a two-fronted war, with the Americans trying to hold off the Russians while also fighting Lotus and her forces, who sought to dislodge the royalists. Notably, Lotus used a group of monsters to battle a contingent of Avengers, including Captain America, Hercules & Iron Man, as well as American troops. |
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(The Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - At Lotus' instruction, her sons guided their allies toward peace talks in Madripoor.
However, the talks were interrupted by a conflict between America
forces -- including Captain Marvel, the Human Torch, Iron Man and Thor
-- and Russian and Chinese forces -- including the Crimson Dynamo,
Radioactive Man and Titanium Man. Forty-two of those present were
slain, including both of Lotus' sons. (The
Marvels#9 (fb)) - Briefly despondent, Lotus swiftly turned to rage and
fury, and she headed down to the doors below the temple, casting aside
Hana when she asked her to rest and think. Throwing wide open the
doors, Lotus drew the dark power and cast it beyond her, flooding the
country from hills to the coast, border to border, at which point she
struck at battlefields, cities, friends & foes alike. (The
Marvels#9 (fb) - BTS) - The Americans, Chinese and Russians evacuated
perhaps thousands, but as the power receded, those affected grew
confused and forgot what they had been doing. Records were erased.
Those present knew that there had been a war, but the only other thing
they could remember was that they did not want to come back. They left
Sin-Cong to its people and its politics to their natural course. The great doors beneath the ancient temple slammed shut. (The Marvels#9 (fb)) - Apparently addled by her experiences, Lotus vowed to gain revenge on her sons, returning to the USA and poisoning the Americans with drugs and taking money from their love of vice. Her daughter, Hana, took her to bed to rest. |
(The Marvels#1 (fb) - BTS) <7 years before the main story> - Over the Chukchi Sea, near Point Hope, Alaska, Thor and Iron Man subdued a dragon, presumably escaped from Sin-Cong...or not..
(Avengers Spotlight#30 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus established a drug-selling crime network in California, working out of a front company known as Lotus Realtors in Beverly Hills.
(Avengers Spotlight#34 (fb) - BTS) - As the trade of cocaine derivatives continued to decline, Lotus positioned her organization to dominate the West Coast market for synthetic recreational substances (presumably using the product she had developed under the guidance of Carlo Strang).
(Avengers Spotlight#33) - A doctor lost his license after performing a few unnecessary surgeries to cover a gambling debt to Lotus, who kept him on retainer for medical services.
She worked with a street gang known as the Stone Perfs.
(Avengers Spotlight#30) - Lotus criticized (and
scratched) Stone Perfs member Slice after he drew attention to them
by leaving their neighborhood and going to Hollywood to get revenge
on the Blanks gang. As the Stone Perfs had encountered Hawkeye,
Lotus told him they would repair the situation by further attracting
the Avengers attention so they would focus on the Stone Perfs to the
exclusion of all else. The Stone Perfs then ambushed Hawkeye, nearly
killing him.
Three weeks later, a recovered Hawkeye in a redesigned costume began arresting Stone Perfs members.
(Avengers Spotlight#31) - Lotus sent her lawyer Auggie Slater to bail Stone Perfs member Prince out of jail. Allegedly impressed by the way he had stood up to Hawkeye, she saw him as someone she could use to her advantage. Lotus sent Prince and Reynaldo Cortizar to ambush Hawkeye. Prince fled the scene after Hawkeye stunned Cortizar, however, Cortizar nearly succeeded in killing Hawkeye before being slain himself by the Terminizer.
(Avengers Spotlight#32) - Lotus criticized Prince for failing to take out Hawkeye himself, and then she easily overpowered him and stabbed her fingers into his abdominal muscles, punishing him for his failure and attitude, and warning him she could have just as easily have killed him.
(Avengers Spotlight#33) - Lotus' unlicensed doctor treated Prince's wound, after which Auggie took him for a makeover. As the Terminizer continued to execute Stone Perfs, Lotus decided the group had become a liability. She instructed Prince to help her kill his former gang members.
(Avengers Spotlight#34) - Prince led the Stone Perfs to a meeting in the Korman Quarry in the Mojave Desert. Lotus' agents dropped firebombs into the Quarry, killing all of the other members, after which Prince left evidence to frame the Terminizer for the murders. Lotus gave Prince a physical reward to help him get over the trauma from killing his former friends. She then had Slater tell Prince she wanted him to run her synthetic narcotics projects.
(Avengers Spotlight#36) - Lotus took Prince to her mansion in Beverly Hills, showing him her father's fingers and telling him of her past. The next day, Prince got into trouble with Hawkeye and fled, stealing Hawkeye's skycycle and crashing it at Lotus' mansion. Furious, Lotus slashed open his face and told him if he was not gone in the next 30 seconds then she would report he had died in the crash (meaning she would have killed him then and there).
(Wonder Man II#21 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus found Andrew when he was a washed-up shell of a man. She taught him about survival, about turning the world's cruelties into one's own strength, and she made him her second-in-command.
(Nomad II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus made an alliance with Tolliver which went sour; both sides lost a great deal and there were bad feelings between the two as a result.
(Wonder Man II#1 - BTS / #17 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus had part in sending Goliath (Josten) on a rampage as part of her preparation of the population for the need for Armed Response.
(Wonder Man II#3 - BTS / #17 (fb) - BTS ) - Lotus had part in sending Gamma-Burn on a rampage as part of her preparation of the population for the need for Armed Response.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#2 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to recover the gem she lost in 1943, Lotus made overtures to controlling Global Studios, formerly Democracy Pictures.
(Wonder Man II#2 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus began working as a film producer. She and her men sought to take over a studio in which Helen Eve worked.
(Wonder Man II#2 - BTS) - The Enchantress, a.k.a. Helen Eve, took control of Wonder Man and sent him to destroy expensive mechanical dinosaurs on Lotus' set, intending to cause increases in Lotus' insurance rates, causing her film to be put on the shelf and leaving her vulnerable to the Enchantress.
(Wonder Man II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Unaware Wonder Man had attacked her set under the control of the Enchantress, Lotus assumed he was aware of her criminal activities (perhaps due to his connection to Hawkeye), and she plotted against him.
(Wonder Man II#4) - Lotus and Andrew arranged a fake meeting with Wonder Man via his agent, Neal Saroyan. She then sent Splice to ambush and kill Wonder Man, though he was defeated. She decided not to immediately spring Splice from the authorities, but rather to allow him to stew for awhile while she looked into other alternatives.
(Wonder Man II#10 (fb) - BTS) - Andrew told Saroyan Lotus' organization had been innocent dupes of the Maggia and they were not responsible for his attack.
(Wonder Man II#6) - After Wonder Man and the Beast defeated Rampage, Lotus had Andrew arrange his bail, defense, and employment, though she instructed Andrew to be sure to keep her name out of it.
(Wonder Man II#10 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus' agents bailed out Splice from prison.
(Wonder Man II#10) - Lotus' men trailed Wonder Man, reporting as he approached a Cambodian Buddhist temple. Lotus was suspicious Wonder Man knew she was connected to the Hong Kong Phoenix Triad which ran a Vietnamese gang in the same neighborhood. With Splice still out of action, she ordered the activation of Armed Response. To make it appear Armed Response was necessary, she first sent Flaco and Gordo to use rocket launchers to attack Beverly Hills. She also sent a squad to question the monks Wonder Man had visited, but they were incinerated by Angkor.
(Wonder Man II#11) - Lotus' agents reported the battle between Wonder Man and Angkor, annoying Lotus, who wished all apocalyptic paranoia to be focused on her supposed gang attacks in Beverly Hills. She hoped Angkor might slay Wonder Man, ridding her of her rival, and she would then send in Armed Response against him.
(Nomad II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus sent her agent Troy Donahue to Las Vegas to take part in the "Dead Man's Hand," the dividing up of the empire of the recently toppled Kingpin.
(Nomad II#4 - BTS) - Donahue attended the meeting, but ran into trouble from Bushwacker, Deadpool, and Nomad--it was Deadpool (sent by Tolliver to slay Lotus' agent) who killed him.
(Wonder Man II#13) - Frustrated by the Beverly Hills attacks not making as big an impact as she had intended, Lotus had Andrew send out another group for more assaults.
(Wonder Man II#16) - Lotus' agents assaulted Beverly Hills. Meanwhile she romanced movie producer Sol Sterling in exchange for his financial backing of Armed Response. She then flirted with her agents, after which she had them execute Sterling to prevent him from using his knowledge of her true activities against him. Armed Response prepared to fly in to put an end to the attackers, but Wonder Man arrived first, beating the attackers savagely.
(Wonder Man II#17 (fb) - BTS) - Armed Response stopped a series of Lotus' agents assaults on Beverly Hills.
(Wonder Man II#17) - Lotus (with her involvement kept secret) used Armed Response as a protection racket, advertising its services for a price to prevent attacks similar to what had been going on in Beverly Hills. She then sent both Rampage and Splice to end Wonder Man's perceived threat to her activities; Wonder Man fought them off. Armed Response slew several of Lotus' agents to prevent their revealing her involvement in the other attacks.
(Wonder Man II#18) - Lotus listened to her agent Andrew's advice not to send Rampage after Wonder Man to prevent others from connecting Rampage's armor to Armed Response. Lotus instead made plans to involve him in a film they were making out of town in order to keep him from interfering with her activities. She then made the offer, via Neal Saroyan, for him to star in his dream role: MacBeth. Meanwhile, Armed Response continued to advertise its services, earning support across the city of Los Angeles.
(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 (fb) - BTS) - Lotus was employed by Trevor Madsden to kidnap Andrew Chord so Madsden could use him to leverage Dwayne Taylor into backing him in his attempted takeover of the Taylor Foundation.
(Night Thrasher: Four Control#1 - BTS) - Lotus sent the gang known as the Poison Memories to kidnap Chord.
(Night Thrasher: Four Control#2) - Night Thrasher confronted Lotus, overpowering her. Lotus confirmed his suspicions of who had arranged the kidnapping in order to prevent further fighting which would damage her valuable possessions.
(Wonder Man II#19) - The Crazy Eight spied on Armed Response, learning they were actually just a protection racket, information which they caught on film. They were caught in the act by Armed Response, but narrowly managed to escape. They passed the tape on to Beverly Fairfax, a news anchorperson. After the news was aired, Lotus romanced Splice and then sent him to take out the Crazy Eight.
(Wonder Man II#20 - BTS) - Rampage and Splice assaulted the Crazy Eight, a group of people mutated by and affiliated with Wonder Man.
(Wonder Man II#21) - As Lotus acted as
dominatrix to a powerful L.A. councilman, Andrew
interrupted, telling her Wonder Man was foiling Splice
and Rampage's efforts against Crazy Eight. Not wanting
Wonder Man to ruin her plot, she instructed Andrew to
send in Armed Response to assist Splice and Rampage.
Wonder Man defeated the first two and intimidated
Armed Response into backing down by threatening to
kill them all.
Lotus responded to this defeat by
instructing Andrew to take the blame for Armed
Response and all related activities.
(Wonder Man II#24) (see comments) -
After another one of Lotus' sets was demolished by
Wonder Man (in battle with demons of Mephisto), she
contacted Mephisto, organizing a new Masters of Evil
(Black Talon, Goliath, Man-Ape) to oppose Wonder Man
and his temporary allies, Blackheart
and the Grim Reaper.
(Wonder Man II#25) (see comments) - Lotus sat atop Mephisto's lap as he teleported Wonder Man and the Beast to Hell. She revealed her involvement in a number of his recent struggles, including Goliath, Rampage, Angkor, and Armed Response. However, when Blackheart and the Grim Reaper arrived alongside an army of demons, Mephisto casually gave Lotus to the Black Talon as a sacrifice to gain the power to help against the invading demons. The Black Talon ripped out her throat, seemingly killing her.
(Avengers Two: Wonder Man & Beast#3 (fb)) - Lotus contacted Bob O'Bryan, allegedly to work on a new film, but she used the contact to put him under her spell. Via weeks of concentration, she helped him to reform It the Living Colossus, whom she intended to use as muscle for her extortion ring.
(Avengers Two: Wonder Man & Beast#1) - Two months later, Lotus was notified when Wonder Man and the Beast arrived in Los Angeles, and she made plans to use Bob O'Bryan and It to deal with him.
(Avengers Two: Wonder Man & Beast#2) - Bob O'Bryan spied on Wonder Man for Lotus, after which she deployed Armed Response against Wonder Man and the Beast. The two defeated their attackers and later ran into Lotus at a literacy benefit (she had planned to tail him after the charity and then send It after him). Wonder Man was shocked to see her as he had seen her die, but she feigned ignorance (though she was surprised to hear him announce her past crimes). She signaled O'Bryan to reform It and direct it to attack Wonder Man.
(Avengers Two: Wonder Man & Beast#3) - After It stunned Wonder Man and the Beast, Lotus had Bob make It take the two of them and flee. Wonder Man and the Beast pursued them; while Wonder Man battled It, the Beast confronted Lotus, who tried to hypnotize him. Trained against mind-control by Xavier, the Beast easily resisted her mental assault and took her out with a nerve pinch. Bob regained his own mind and ceased It's attack, and Lotus was blindfolded and taken away by the police. She denied knowledge of the Black Talon or the events he had seen in Hell, but she vowed to see him dead (permanently!) for exposing her covert empire.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#1
(fb) - BTS) - Lotus was incarcerated at the Rocky
Mountain Federal Penitentiary in Colorado with
special dampening technology used to dull her
psychic powers; but when a fellow inmate was about
to be released from prison, Lotus removed the
dampener, placed it on the other inmate,
hypnotized the inmate to believe she was Lotus
Newmark, then used her hypnotic powers to pass as
the released inmate, allowing her to walk out of
the prison.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#1)
- Lotus attended the funeral of Washington
"Whitewash" Jones, unaware the mourners included
James Barnes, whom she had fought as Bucky, and
who was now Captain America. Barnes recognized her
and began an investigation. While Lotus gloated
from her Hollywood base over outliving Jones,
Barnes discovered the deception in the Colorado
prison.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#2) - Lotus' workers at Global Studios finally unearthed her lost gem. However, Captain America had ascertained her location and fought her; evading the Captain, Lotus boarded an airplane bound for the Pacific island where the gem was first discovered.
(Captain America: Forever Allies#3) - With the aid of Saburo, grandson of Samaru, Lotus found the temple where the gem had been unearthed, unaware Captain America was still following her. After examining the hieroglyphs on the walls of the temple, Lotus was attacked by Captain America, but she again fought him off with the gem's power, attempting to bury him alive inside the temple. Returning to her airplane, Lotus set a course for the City of the Space Gods in the Andes.
(Captain America: Forever
Allies#4) - Lotus and Saburo landed in the City
of the Space Gods, but noticed Captain America
pursuing them aboard a jet; with the gem's
power, Lotus took the jet apart then imprisoned
Captain America within a force field. When the
Captain queried how Lotus had remained so young
over the decades, she claimed "Vitality is a
gift of my own mental enlightenment!" Lotus
seemingly placed the Captain under her mental
control and entered the City of the Space Gods
to find the twin to her gem.
Lotus used the Captain as her minion to avoid boobytraps and bring the matching gem to her, but the Captain had only feigned compliance and instead destroyed the second gem. With the gem's destruction, Lotus' own gem took flight and placed itself in the setting where its twin had formerly resided. Boobytraps began to destroy the building, but the Captain placed an improved psionic headband on Lotus' head, then carried her to safety. Outside, Lotus found the Falcon, Black Widow and "Texas Jack" Muldoon had arrived to help the Captain arrest her; Muldoon promised to see that Lotus would face an international tribunal for her crimes.
(The
Marvels#8 (fb) - BTS) - The Jabari-Shi'ar hybrid girl, now a young
adult, used the psi-sensitive abilities she had inherited from her
father, following his trail.
In southeast Asia, she lost her way a
dozen times or more, as if her father's journeys were being hidden from
her. One day, over Cambodia, she recalled a long-forgotten memory of
her parents. Traveling through several countries, she eventually sensed
her father again as she approached Siancong.
(The
Marvels#1 - BTS) - The Punisher broke up a drug deal in Little Sin-Cong
directed by Donnie Khruul, with a stray bullet shattering a black egg
(or something), causing a massive explosion as Kshoom tour guide Kevin
Schumer passed nearby.
Elsewhere?, Ace and Threadneedle discussed the current crisis, considering those who were involved and that they may have to step in in some fashion.
(The
Marvels#2 - BTS) - Kevin's uncle, the Tinkerer, directed him to
investigate the site of the explosion, where he encountered the Black
Cat, who stole a box containing a pair of eggs, which she believed to
be gems.
Elsewhere?, Ace and Threadneedle monitored the other strands of those fated to be involved in this crisis.
(The
Marvels#8 (fb) - BTS) - Before the Shi'ar-Jabari hybrid girl could enter Siancong...
(The
Marvels#2 - BTS / Marvels#1 (fb) - BTS) - After Aero had subdued Powderkeg in Thoat Nin,
Siancong, while Melinda May observed, Lotus began to form her mystic
field around Siancong.
(The
Marvels#4 (fb) - BTS) - Those present at the sites where the dome
formed were apparently instantly slain, leaving behind only skeletons. 
(The
Marvels#4 - BTS) - Aeros used her wind powers to flew those she could to escape the dome, and she was observed by Shi'ar-Jabari hybrid girl.
Nations
-- including China, USA -- and various beings -- including
Darkstar, Dr. Doom, Gorilla Man (Ken Hale), Namor, a Red Guardian
(possibly Vanguard/Nikoli Krylenko) and Jimmy Woo -- reacted to the
dome covering Siancong.
(The
Marvels#4) - Manifesting as a giant energy form extending from the
dome, Lotus asked if she had everyone's attention before introducing
herself as Lotus and noting that this was a demonstration of the power
of the new Siancong.
She continued that for too long, all of the world
had treated Siancong as a toy, warring, subjugating and/or exploiting
her people and her treasures. "Those
days are over. See our power now. Fear us, for a change. We cast off
your toke and claim our destiny. We guard ourselves, protect
ourselves...and we will punish those who transgress against us. As we
will demonstrate very soon."
Touching the dome, Aero's hand began to wither.
(The
Marvels#4 - BTS) -
A molten (lava?) monster subsequently appeared in Manhattan, pursuing
Kevin Schumer, who was saved by Spider-Man and the Black Cat. A second
monster subsequently appeared and merged with the first, and Captain
America and Iron Man joined the fight before Dr. Strange banished it to
the region of the Mindless Ones within the Dark Dimension.
As the
heroes discussed matters and Reed Richards sent the Human Torch to
provide some specific data, Ace arrived and insisted that Spider-Man
would not accompany the group but that Schumer and the Black Cat would.
Following a meeting with the Quiet Council, Storm departed Krakoa to investigate Siancong.
(The
Marvels#5 - BTS) - Using a tight cocoon of swirling winds to protect
her arm, Aero was joined by the Shi'ar Jabari girl, who would call herself Warbird, whose mind Threadneedle apparently
influenced to travel to meet with the other heroes gathering to
investigate the dome.
After Strange and Spider-Man vouched for Ace, the others agreed to his
recommendations; the otherwise reluctant Black Cat agreed upon learning
that monsters had trashed her apartment and taken the eggs she had
recently claimed.
In Ottawa, Istanbul and Madrid, the rest of the Fantastic Four, the Winter Guard and members of the Agent of Atlas battled monsters from Siancong.
Aboard a Wakandan sky yacht, Stark communicated with Dakota North
regarding her limited discoveries regarding Carlo and Carla Strang,
after which Warbird arrived with Aero and insisted that she was
accompanying them to Siancong. With great effort, Dr. Strange purged
the dark energy from Aero and restored her damaged arm.
Having gained a sample of the dome's energies, Strange facilitated the means for a single person through the dome; however, affected by the darkness he had absorbed in the process, Strange excused himself from the rest of the mission. After Storm arrived, Captain America contacted Namor, who sent the group a magical device he had been given to contact Aarkus the Vision. With that, Storm, Iron Man and Captain America traveled to the realm of smoke and met with Aarkus.
(The
Marvels#6) - Sensing those gathering against her, notably Captain
America, Lotus awakened and cried out, leading her daughter, whom she
called Hana/Blossom, to check on her and bring some calming tea. Lotus
considered that her true name was not Lotus: "In
this region, they used to say evil beings hovered over the Earth,
looking for souls to take...and true names attract them. So I am not
Lotus, and yet I am. I have been Lotus for so long, so many decades. It
weighs on me..." At which point, she recalled her history...
(The
Marvels#7) - After Aarkus joined their quest and traveled to Earth,
Iron Man designed a smoke grenade that could be carried by the one
traveling to Siancong, Aarkus and Captain America convinced Iron Man
agree to add Warbird to their group.
(The
Marvels#1 (ff)) <10 days ahead of the main
story and two days after Iron Man designed the first smoke grenade>
- Aided by Zarala of the Wakandan Design Group and Earth's
Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Strange, Captain America penetrated
the field surrounding Siancong, which sealed up immediately after he
had accessed it, blocking even communication with him.
(The Marvels#1 (ff) / The Marvels#7) <10 days ahead of the main story> - After Cap fought his way past zombie-looking troops at the temple known only as "the Hollow Place," Lotus confronted him, flanked by armed guards. Captain America then released eight spheres through which Aarkus transported himself and their allies -- Aero (Lei Ling), Black Cat (Felicia Harding), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Kevin Schumer, Storm (Ororo Munroe) & Warbird-- to his side.
(The
Marvels#7) - Captain America urged Lotus that they could talk things
through without resorting to violence, but Lotus countered that "his
kind" had resorted to nothing but violence against hers for centuries,
and she ordered her her monsters and demon soldiers (reanimated dead)
to attack.
As the heroes battled Lotus' forces, Powderkeg and Melinda heard and
traveled toward the sounds of the conflict.
Lotus' powers were divided by maintaining the dome around Siancong, and
the heroes effectively battled her forces under Captain America's
instruction. However, Warbird disobeyed Captain America's instruction
to guard their backs and instead swooped down and tackled Lotus,
demanding to know where her father was.
(The Marvels#8) - Warbird's attack left the team's flank unprotected, and they swiftly fell before the monsters and demon soldiers, while Lotus summoned a bolt of dark magic from the dome to strike down Warbird.
(The
Marvels#8 - BTS) - Threadneedle and Ace were surprised, as they had manipulated things so the heroes would win.
(The
Marvels#8 (fb) - BTS) - Captain America, Iron Man and Warbird were held
in some sort of energy restraints binding their feet and hands; Black
Cat and Schumer in metal cages; and Aarkus, Aero, the Human Torch and
Storm were contained within stasis tanks.
(The
Marvels#8) - Lotus mocked the heroes, accusing the Americans of trying
to the trample the Asians and treat their lands as they wished and to
consider a woman's place to be humble and to be dismissed; she
rhetorically asked if they still felt that way.
She considered using
the heroes as demon soldiers, then asked Strang if they might be
subjugated to the dragonsbloom or even used in the teratogenesis
process. Strange was intrigued, and he noted that while it may take a
little work, there were enough of them so that if they lost a few of
them in the testing process that it should not matter much. 
Lotus gave
Strang a free hand to work beyond instructing him to save the "one who
fancies himself an American propaganda symbol" for last; she added that
he would make an interesting public statement and that they had a
history, as well.
(The
Marvels#8 - BTS) - After
Warbird related her history, Powderkeg blew a hole in the wall in the
chamber holding the heroes, and he and Melinda May freed the heroes.
Warbird sensed her father's trail heading down stairs deeper into the
temple, and after Aarkus confirmed that the area warranted
investigation, Captain America led the heroes down the stairs.
(The
Marvels#8) - Sensing the heroes activities, Lotus led her monsters and
demon soldiers down the stairs.
(The
Marvels#9) - As the heroes battled her monsters and demon soldiers,
Lotus decried them as fools and ordered her servants to prevent them
from opening the doors.
(The Marvels#8) - As the others held off Lotus' forces, the Black Cat determined how to unlock the massive doors, which flew open with a burst of bright energy.
(The
Marvels#9) - Hana considered that while Lotus said that what she did
was for her people and for women, she wondered if that were really
true.
(The Marvels#12 (fb) - BTS) - Having deal with Lotus' monsters, a number of heroes -- including m embers of the Agents of Atlas (Brawn/Amadeus Cho, Silk/Cindy Moon, Wave/Pearl Pangan, Jimmy Woo), Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Thor Odinson, Valkyrie/Jane Foster), Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman/Sue Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards), Union (Bulldog, Choir/Ruth, Union Jack/Joe Chapman), Winterguard (Crimson Dynamo/Dmitri Bukharin, Red Widow, Ursa Major, Vanguard/Nikolai Krylenko), X-Men (Cyclops/Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Synch/Everett Thomas, Wolverine/Laura Kinney) as well as Spider-Man.-- gathered in a fleet of Wakanda sky-carriers outside the dome outside of Siancong
(The
Marvels#10) - After the doors pulled the heroes through and then
slammed shut again, Lotus futilely commanded them to open. When Hana
offered her some calming tea, Lotus cursed her as a fool, noting that
she needed to know what was happening beyond the doors.
(The
Marvels#10 - BTS) - In the realm they had accessed, Warbird found her
father's remains. Encountering reanimated skeletons that may have slain
her father, Warbird's fury caused her to unleash a powerful sonic blast
that shattered the skeletons.
Ace subsequently appeared and led the group to Threadneedle.
(The
Marvels#11 - BTS) - Threadneedle, via his comic book, revealed to the
heroes, etc. the history of Shan-K'ang/Siancong (the Mother Nature-like
spirit of her world), her people and the Kaaragga. Most notably, it related how Shan-K'ang
had eventually fled into the space between worlds, arriving on Earth in
Southeast Asia, re-creating herself as the nation of Sin-Cong in the
fashion of the surrounding nations, attracting people to come live
there and borrowing other nations' histories, all to prevent the Kaaragga from finding her and this world.
The Kaaragga subsequently charged at the gathered heroes, who fled, during which time Siancong
contacted Aarkus and the women, agreeing to open the doors to let them
through in return for two promises: To not let the Kaaragga
through to their world, and to find a way to free her from the land
within which she had become trapped, without any further harm coming to
innocents. The heroes agreed and were soon returned to Lotus' castle.
(The
Marvels#11) - Lotus was shocked and subsequently fled with Hana
(cursing her as an old fool) as the ground and temple shook as Siancong
arose from the ground, asking for help.
(The
Marvels#12) - Siancong began to reabsorb her power, disintegrating the
dome Lotus had created. As Storm, Aero and Aarkus calmed Siancong,
assuring her that the doors were closed and that she was among friends,
Lotus considered -- to Hana's dismay -- that the power she had been
seeking all of these long decades was here in the open and it would be
all hers.
Soon after, however, Lotus realized that the being Siancong was
withdrawing all of her power from the land back into herself, and the
land began to contract as well.
  (The
Marvels#12) - Refusing
to stand for this, Lotus attacked the Siancong being, insisting that
the being's power was hers by right of birth, mastery and conquest, and
that the being Siancong was her slave. As Lotus forged the power into
chains around Siancong, her daughter exhorted her to remember that she
had fought against those that would enslave nations and women.
Casually striking Hana down, Lotus began to drain Siancong's power, and
Aarkus appreciated that Lotus and Siancong's powers were too
intertwined, such that if they harmed one, the other may be killed. However, Kevin Schumer then struck Lotus with a sedative via a quill-launcher from the Porcupine's armor that he obtained, diffusing that situation. (The
Marvels#12 - BTS) - Threadneedle
subsequently appeared before the being Siancong, explaining to her that
she could leave behind a little of her power for the Marvels to
safeguard, which would allow the land and the people within it to
survive...and to let her true self flow through the power here instead
of being warped by others. Siancong did so, forming energy bubbles to
protect the people until the heroes could get to them. Threadneedle
then took Siancong away to rest and heal, and the nations' tremors
slowed, softened and stopped. Tony Stark designed a containment facility for the power geyser left behind by Siancong-the-being to ensure that the gateway at its core stayed closed. Dr. Strange placed runes and sigils into the walls and perimeter to protect it from mystic attack. An international task force was set to study the site, with the Siancong government to be consulted on every level, and a portion of any profit from scientific discoveries was to go to a fund to defray resettlement costs. |
Comments: Lady Lotus created by Don Glut, Alan
Kupperberg, Rick Hoberg and Chic Stone;
Lotus Newmark created by
Steve Gerber, Al Milgrom, and Don Heck.
(Avengers Spotlight#36 (fb) / Wonder Man II#16 (fb)) -
Lotus grew up in Los Angeles, California, but when she was six, her
father moved their family to Hong Kong, hoping to ascend a rung in the
ladder as a jobber of imported goods, such as gray market textiles. Her
father did well for the first years, not concerned with the ethical
implications of working with sweatshops, etc. One day, a runaway taxicab
rushed toward Lotus' family, and her father grabbed her hand to get her
to safety before going back for her mother. However, her mother twisted
her ankle, and her father couldn't get to her in time; both Lotus and
her father watched her die.
Lotus' father never recovered
from the trauma. He spent every day at his wife's grave, begging her
forgiveness while he stopped talking to Lotus. Her father began drinking
heavily and ran up heavy gambling debts. Eventually, Li Fong approached
him demanding payment; as punishment for his delinquency, Fong demanded
Jerome either surrender two of his own fingers or his own daughter.
Jerome kept his fingers and surrendered Lotus to Fong.
--Per Lotus' memories in The Marvels,
Lotus did not grow up in LA nor move to Hong Kong, and her parents'
names are not likely to be what was revealed in Avengers Spotlight.
However, her father could still have
worked as a jobber of imported goods. Her father could still have
grabbed her hand to save her. He could have begged at his wife's grave,
drank heavily and racked up heavy gambling debts. He could have refused
to have cut off two of his fingers to keep his daughter.
According to Wonder Man II#16, it was actually Li Fong (or his agents)
who killed Lotus' mother. The origins aren't really contradictory, but
they do seem to be slightly different. In the Wonder Man origin, Li
Fong was more abusive to her. Lotus certainly is prone to lie to serve
her own ends, so it's not clear whether all information she revealed is
100% true, and which information about Li Fong is closest to the
truth...or if anything from the Avengers Spotlight and Wonder Man
origins not covered in The Marvels#6 is accurate or not.
(Invaders I#39 (fb)) -
Supplementing her meditation with the power of the sacred lotus, she
arduously trained herself in the recitation of magic phrases and the
performance of mystic finger signs.
--Presumably she learned these skills from her mother and/or Li Fong's teachers.
(Invaders I#39 (fb) / Avengers Spotlight#36 (fb)) - Fong's
agents trained Lotus in academics and the martial arts. Demonstrating
psychic talents, Lotus developed her abilities through constant
meditation, and supplemented her powers with the sacred lotus. When she
became older, Li Fong demanded...favors from her. Lotus (who quickly
learned to separate her mind from her body) did not mind this treatment,
as there was genuine affection between them; she felt as if he'd given
her much more than he had taken.
--It is unclear whether there was
ever any genuine affection with Li Fong, or whether that was part of
the false information Lotus Newmark told the Stone Perfs' Prince.
(Invaders I#39 (fb) / Avengers Spotlight#36 (fb)) - On her 21st birthday, Lotus brought her to the three secrets: the body, mind and the voice of Buddha, and she became one with Buddha.
--Did she become one with Buddha
while studying under Li Fong's people, or after that. I'm not sure that
killing Li Fong is something that someone who was one with Buddha would
do...
(Avengers Spotlight#36 (fb)) - Li Fong complemented her on her progress and
skills, granted her her freedom, and offered to give her a parting gift.
She requested her father's address, and she tracked him down to Los
Angeles, where she cut off two of his fingers and held his fingers in
front of his face for a minute. She then drove her bare hand through his
chest and into his heart, killing him.
--We don't know if Lotus sought out and slew her father or whether she just moved on with her life.
Lady Lotus was not fully identified as Nia Noble's mother in the New
Invaders series; this information was confirmed in the Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age 2004. --Michael Hoskin
Invaders#2 (November, 2004) has Nia say (in
response to a "Have we met?) "No, but you knew my parents. I'm
certain you remember Lady L--" (and then Thin Man cuts her off).
Given that Lady Lark is exceeding unlikely (as a
native of Earth-712, home of the Squadron Supreme) and Lady
Luftwaffe hadn't been created yet, seems pretty convincing evidence,
especially given the notation in the following issue, where Nia
calls U-Man father, and U-Man counters "One moment of brutal
pleasure inflicted upon your mother does not make me your father..."
Not spelled out, but pretty strongly implied, I'd
say.--Snood
Allan Jacobsen told me he intended as much, but the
series didn't last long enough for him to get into Nia's origins
(likewise the reference to "the children" which was never explained;
he told me there was a story behind it).--Michael Hoskin
Lady Lotus was apparently inspired by Fah Lo Suee and Terry and the Pirates villain the Dragon Lady, the two great archetypes of scheming Asian femme fatales. Additionally, in Captain America: Forever Allies her minion Samaru seems to be a masculine corruption of Sax Rohmer's femme fatale Sumuru.
The story arc in Wonder Man
II#22-25 had a couple errors in it, including the appearance of the
ghost of Martha Williams (Wonder Man's mother), who was still alive
at the time of the story. Because of this, and that Wonder Man
didn't remember his mom still being alive in those stories, the
information contained therein has been called into question. It's
possible the Lotus seen in Wonder Man II#24-25 was just an illusion
of Mephisto or Blackheart, or someone else, for uncertain purposes.
It is also possible it was the true Lotus, mentally enslaved by one
of the above, and it is also possible it was the true Lotus with her
true alliances actually revealed. Lotus was legitimately surprised
when Wonder Man revealed he knew about her involvement with Armed
Response, but what that means is uncertain. It is possible she was
indeed slain by the Black Talon, but subsequently resurrected by any
of a number of beings.
My impression from reading Avengers Two: Wonder
Man & Beast#1-3 is it was not actually the true Lotus in Wonder
Man II#24 & 25, but nothing was definitively confirmed or clarified.
I may well have missed an appearance or two in Wonder
Man. Let me know, and I'll add them, thanks.
The chronological placement of the Nomad and Night Thrasher issues
is based on the information on the Marvel Chronology Project.
Lady Lotus is seen demonstrating her ability to
communicate with others telepathically starting in Invaders I#37
(2/79) with U-Man (on page 30 panel 6) and in every issue after
with Baron Blood (Invaders I#40 (5/79) page 3), the Super Axis
& Human Torch (Invaders I#41 (9/79) page 11 panel 5; with
U-Man, page 14 panel 1; with Baron Blood, page 16 panels 1 &
2; with Master Man, page 17 panels 1 & 2, page 24 panel 6,
page 25 panel 1; with Super Axis). Plus in Invaders I#41 (9/79)
she told Master Man & Warrior Woman that she used her psychic
power to compel both of them to cross the very Atlantic Ocean
(page 7 panel 1).
--Gammatotem
Lotus Newmark received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update#2 (2007).
Profile by Snood and Prime Eternal. Lotus Newmark and Lady Lotus profiles combined and subsequent additions by SnoodCLARIFICATIONS:
Lady Lotus/Lotus Newmark has no known connection to:
Lady Lotus hypnotized a number of Chinese people (at least three) to don samurai armor and serve as her personal guard at the House of Lotus. When she dispatched them against the Human Torch, he removed her spell with a sudden flash of light. Each samurai wore a suit of armor and wielded a katana. The only "samurai" identified by name was Wing. --Invaders I#38 (40, 41
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images: (without ads)
Captain America: Forever Allies#4, p12, pan4 (Main Image - Lotus, holding power gem)
Captain America: Forever Allies#2, p19, pan4 (Headshot - Lotus)
Invaders I#37, p17, pan1-2 (Lady Lotus, summoning U-Man)
Invaders I#39, pg.7, panel 1-2 (young Lotus, developing her powers)
Invaders I#38, p9, pan3-5 (Lady Lotus' "samurai" guards confront and defeated by U-Man);
pg. 10, panel 1 (fullish; blue dress)
Invaders I#40, pg. 6, pan5 (Lady Lotus, bathing in lotus petals)
Avengers Spotlight#32, p9, pan1 (Lotus Newmark)
Avengers Spotlight#32, p9, pan3 (Lotus Newmark)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update, p38 (Lotus Newmark)
Captain America: Forever Allies#4, p12, pan3 (Lotus, using power gem on Captain America)
All-New Invaders#4, story pg.1, panel 1 (upper, with Super-Axis);;
pg. 2, panel 1 (full; tiny);
The Marvels#1, pg. 2, panel 1 (1947; fleeing from All-Winners Squad);
pg. 13, panel 1 (modern; warrior/leader garb);
#4, pg. 5, panel 3-4 (immense form manifesting from dome; full-ish and face);
#6, pg. 3, panel 1 (mother training young "Lotus");
panel 2 (as young girl, with black lotus in background);
panel 3 (parents bring her to Sin-Cong);
panel 4 (mother holding daughter);
pg. 4, panel 3 (book training);
panel 4-5 (combat training);
panel 6 (night education with Li Fong);
pg. 5, panel 1 (slaying Li Fong);
panel 3 (living in San Francisco);
pg. 6 (Lady Lotus, full, with heroic foes in background);
panel 3 (with ancient gem);
pg. 8 (seated surrounded by dragonsbloom);
pg. 9, panel 1 (drawing on power of dragonsbloom);
pg. 12, panel 5 (horseback);
pg. 15, panel 1 (with husband);
panel 2 (with children);
pg. 21 (sketches)------------------------------------------>
#7, pg. 13, panel 2 (flanked by "demon soldiers" and monsters);
pg. 16, panel 1-2 (calling on dark magic to strike like lightning);
#9, pg. 6, panel 1 (urging military action);
panel 5 (greeting sons);
pg. 11, panel 1 (surrendered to Avengers);
pg. 12, panel 3 (Lotus leading monsters against Avengers);
pg. 16, panel 5 (calling on dark power);
pg. 17, panel 1 (unleashing dark power);
#12, story pg. 6, panel 5 (she won't stand for it);
pg. 7, panel 1 (flying high with energy);
panel 3 (assaulting Siancong-the-being);
pg. 8, panel 2 (draining power from Siancong);
panel 4-5 (struck by quill, falling)
Appearances:
Invaders I#38 (March, 1979) - Don Glut (writer), Alan Kupperberg, Don Heck (artists), Chic Stone (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Invaders I#39-40 (April-May, 1979) - Don Glut (writer), Alan Kupperberg (artist), Chic Stone (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Invaders I#41 (September, 1979) - Don Glut (writer), Alan Kupperberg (artist), Chic Stone (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Avengers
Spotlight#30-31 (March-April, 1990) - Steve Gerber (writer), Al Milgrom
(pencils), Don Heck, (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#32 (May, 1990) - Steve Gerber (writer), Al Milgrom
(pencils), Hajek Satter Lee (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#33-34 (June-July, 1990) - Steve Gerber (writer), Al
Milgrom (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#36 (September, 1990) - Steve Gerber (writer), Al Milgrom (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Wonder Man II#2 (October, 1991) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#4 (December, 1991) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Jan Harps (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#6 (February 1992) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Jan Harps (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#10 (June 1992) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#11 (July 1992) - Gerard Jones (writer), Mike Parobeck (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Nomad II#4 (August, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Pat Olliffe (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Glenn Herdling (editor)
Wonder Man II#13 (September, 1992) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Night Thrasher: Four Control#1 (October, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils/inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Night Thrasher: Four Control#2 (November, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils/inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
Wonder Man II#16 (December, 1992 - January, 1993) - Gerard Jones
(writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Fabian Nicieza
(editor)
Wonder Man II#18 (February, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Tim Hamilton (pencils), Brad Vancata (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#19 (March, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#20 (April, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Tim Hamilton (pencils), Brad Vancata (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#21 (May, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Tim Hamilton (pencils), Ian Akin (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#24 (August, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#25 (September, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff
Johnson, Fred Reyes & Fred Haynes (pencils), Jon Holdredge, Ron
Boyd, John Lowe, Mark McKenna, Jim Amash, Keith Aiken, Andrew Pepoy
& Dan Panosian (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Avengers Two: Wonder Man & Beast#1-3 (May - July, 2000) - Roger
Stern (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Captain America: Forever Allies#1-4 (October, 2010-January, 2011) -
Roger Stern (writer), Nick Dragotta, Marco Santucci (artists), Patrick
Piazzalunga (inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
All-New Invaders#4 (June, 2014) - James Robinson (writer), Steve Pugh (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
The Marvels#1-3 (June-August, 2021) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith (associate
editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Marvels#4 (October, 2021) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith (associate
editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Marvels#5 (November, 2021) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Alanna Smith & Annalise Bissa (associate
editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Marvels#6 (January, 2022) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Annalise Bissa (associate
editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Marvels#7-11 (March-July, 2022) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Annalise Bissa (associate
editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Marvels#12 (September, 2022) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Yildiray
Cinar (artist), featuring art designs by Alex Ross, Martin Biro (assistant editor), Annalise Bissa (associate
editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 09/04/2004
Last updated: 03/15/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to http://www.g-mart.com/ for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
.
However, her mother was eventually killed by a speeding automobile, and
her death progressively devastated her father. 
(The
Marvels#6 (fb)) - Lotus burned with anger, intent on punishing the brutality done to the Japanese-Americans, and she became Lady Lotus.
(Invaders I#39 (fb)) - Lotus
opened up a curio shop in Manhattan's Chinatown called "The House of
Lotus." With her powers of hypnosis, she convinced her customers she was
actually Chinese. Angered at how her people were being treated by the
Americans, she vowed to destroy the United States, and allied with the
Axis Powers. 
(The
Marvels#6 (fb)) - Finding her powers spent, Lady Lotus was guided
to escape by an aide. She subsequently returned to Sin-Cong.
(The
Marvels#6 (fb)) - Able to handle ambitious men, Lotus had them bring
her the dragonsbloom lotus to restore her power, which allowed her to
sense their thoughts. They considered her no threat as she was 
(The
Marvels#6 (fb)) - While
those in Indochina revolted against the French and other landowning
families, Lotus used the dragonsbloom, sending its power out through
the air, and she first heard whispers from beneath the flowers' roots. 
Appreciating that the situation
was delicate, Lotus used her power judiciously as well as her power as
a woman. She married a young scion of the Sen line, now long
intermingled with the French, with whom she had a son. 
(The
Marvels#6 (fb) - BTS) - As Lotus' allies extended their influence, Wong
became part of the eastern regime while Khruul became undisputed master
of Sin-Cong's underworld.
Having retreated to the temple valley, which had stayed secret, Lotus
became furious with her forces' lack of success. She met with her sons,
telling them that they must calm things down, allowing others to think
they ran the country as long as they pulled the others' strings.
