IKA

Real Name: Ika

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Crystalium) human

Occupation: Part time sorceress of Order

Group Membership: Forces of Order

Affiliations: Forces of Order, Alpha Flight (Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen), Puck (Eugene Milton Judd), Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)), Bekk, Crystar, Kalibar, Koth, Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Ogeode, Amanda Sefton, Shen, Stalax, Dr. Strange (Stephan Strange), Warbow

Enemies: Lavour, Malachon, Moltar, Zardeth

Known Relatives: Ogeode (father), Shen (mother

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Galax and surrounding countryside, Ogeode’s house, Council of Order

First Appearance: Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1 (May 1983) (pin-up); Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2 (July 1983) (in continuity)

Powers/Abilities: Ika, being the offspring of Ogeode, was a semi-competent magic user in her own right. After her transformation into crystal, her body was infused with mystical energy, although this has a limited impact on her previous mystical abilities. She no longer needed to eat, sleep, or breathe. She showed no signs of enhanced strength, although it was possible that hers was augmented like Crystar. She was impervious to the effects of flame and magma. Her body was much harder than normal, even by crystal standards, and as such even magma blades broke against her skin.

History: (Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2 (fb) - BTS) – Ika, being the only offspring of Ogeode and Shen, had an unusual childhood. While her mother was off fighting, she would try to learn at the feet of her father, often with disastrous results. Ogeode treated her more like a lab rat than a child, often turning her into various objects and creatures. Her one friend during this was the young priest Bekk, but his attitude towards was more patronizing than anything else. Despite this, she left with him after the Chaos War and lived in his dwelling inside Galax. She seemingly had little to no contact with her mother during this time.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2 (fb) - BTS) – During her adolescence, she came into contact with Amanda Sefton through unrevealed means. The meeting was not a pleasant one, leaving Amanda with a low opinion of Ika (see comments).

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2) – Living in Ogeode’s home, she was surprised when Crystar arrived and took her to meet the rest of his forces. She was already acquainted with Captain Warbow, having attended to him after he was wounded by Zardeth. Crystar, thinking his quest had been for an object of some kind, was surprised to learn about the reason for the wizard’s orders. Ika too was shocked at the reason for her being taken away. The reason (Ogeode needed to turn someone else into crystal and pay attention this time in order to heal the wounded Stalax) was less than convincing, but with enough browbeating Ika agreed to step into the Prism Crystal. Her body underwent a startling change, but as the mystic energies swirled around her, Crystar touched her, leading the two of them to vanish in a flash of light.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#3) – Landing in the home of Dr. Strange, Ika was overwhelmed by her experiences and vented some of her frustrations with her father. She held her own as Crystar and the arriving captains battled the Magma men that had followed them.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#4) – Rejoining her father, she begged him to act as Crystar’s forces (and herself) were banished from the city of Galax.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#5) – Despite her services to banish the Forces of Chaos being rejected, Ika (along with Stalax) snuck away during the conference between Crystar and Moltar and attempted the spell. Perhaps due to her age or inexperience, the result was the Forces of Chaos’s headquaters, instead of being banished, were brought within throwing distance of the Royal Palace. Ika’s spell was found out before too long, leaving the young woman in a great deal of trouble.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#6) – Due to the confusion of the misplaced Earthman Nightcrawler, Ika was captured by Moltar’s forces and prepped to be a sacrifice to Chaos (whom Zardeth believed to have sent Nightcrawler to them). She was rescued by the combined forces of the displaced X-Man and the arriving Crystar’s forces. Before misplaced mutant returned to Earth, Ika gave him both a kiss and a small crystal trinket to remember his trip (see comments)

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#7) – Like the rest of Crytar’s forces, Ika sailed with them to the Council of Order. The meeting with her mother was cool, but her reunion with Bekk was even colder.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#8) – As Crystar took a day of mourning, Ika attempted to mend some fences with her old friend Bekk, but the priest’s arrogance and cruel words almost cost him his life, as Shen had to be talked out of killing him upon seeing Ika in tears. Ika grew closer to Warbow during this time.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#9) – As her father argued before the Council, Ika talked with Bekk, but was quickly offended by the priest’s arrogant dismissal of her father and friends. Standing up for herself, she rebuffed his apologies and stormed off. When Zardeth and Malachon, disguised as Feldspar and officials from Galax, arrived, Ika was among the Council’s defenders. She easily held her own in the battle, and it was both her prowess and fearlessness that impressed Bekk enough to plead Ogeode to transform him into crystal. She showed her mother’s heritage as she easily assumed command and worked alongside Crystar to repel the invaders and held the wounded (see comments).

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#10) – While Bekk spoke of ending the Chaos-Order War, Ika hung back in the crowd and snidely pointed out the war was caused by Council (see comments). As Crystar’s forces sailed back to Galax and later engaged Moltar’s forces, Ika proved to be more capable at fighting than the boastful Bekk. She mourned with Warbow when told of Koth’s supposed death.

(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#11) – Returning to the palace, Ika stood by her friends as Crystar confronted his uncle. As the scene grew tenser inside, Ika traded words with Brekk. After taking his dressing down of her friends and her choices in life, Ika stood up for herself and told Bekk where he could put his opinions. The pair left with bad blood between them. As the Crystal forces, along with the displaced Alpha Flight, attacked Moltar’s forces, Ika found Bekk lying mortally wounded on the battlefield. She expressed her regrets at both their actions as he died, and Warbow comforted her as the fighting raged on around them. When the battle was over and Crystar’s forces won, Ika stood on the sidelines with Warbow at her side.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, John Romita, Jr., and Jim Shooter. Concept expanded on by Mary Jo Duffy and Ricardo Villamonte.

Amanda refers to Ika as a “hussy”, but it is unclear if she was kidding or not.

Stalax was nearly on his deathbed due a glancing blow from a magma weapon, yet Ika could take both a punch to the neck (from a much larger Magma Man) and a direct knife attack to the chest and not even suffer a scratch. Let’s chalk that up to her mystic heritage making her body tougher than the others and leave it at that.

Issue #4 was a bedtime story told by Kalibar to his children, so the events within and how they transpired is suspect.

Come to think of it, we never did learn how the war started, did we?

Extra special thanks to Madison Carter for clarifying this question- yes, Crystar and all related characters are in fact Marvel owned and created. You might remember these guys from the Remco toy line, but the toys were a tie-in to the comic and not vice versa.

Profile by David Lawrence

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ika has no known connections to:

• Ilga, Conan character @ Savage Sword of Conan#34
• Ike, Cottonmouth agent @ Power Man#19
• Any character with a name beginning in I or any magic user made out of crystal

images:
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1, back cover (main image)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2, p15, pan3 (head shot)