Doctor Minerva

Doctor Minerva (Minn-Erva) is a character appearing in

Gemma Chan portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain Marvel (2019).

Publication history

Doctor Minerva first appeared in Captain Marvel #50 (May 1977), created by writer Scott Edelman and artist Al Milgrom. She was introduced as a rogue scientist who wanted to mate with Mar-Vell, to create a new breed of Kree.

She reappeared two decades later as a villain in the Quasar comic, where it was revealed that she and her lover At-lass had gained superpowers. They were also two of the villains in the Avengers storyline Operation: Galactic Storm. where they were in a team called Starforce. She resurfaced in the 2010s fighting both Spider-Man and Captain Marvel, in both comics it was shown she had gained powers to turn herself in a giant monster.^[4][5]

Doctor Minerva next appeared in the "Falling Star" storyarc of 2019's Captain Marvel.^[6] During the story, it is revealed that she had created the supervillain Star by combining human and Kree DNA in an attempt to create Kree super-soldiers.^[7]

Fictional character biography

Minn-Erva was born in Edelix, on the planet Kree-Lar. She became a

Doctor Minerva was a member of the Kree Starforce during the Kree/Shi'ar war.^[17][18]

During the "

Doctor Minerva returned to Earth during the "Civil War II" storyline. Carol Danvers, now acting as Captain Marvel and heading up Alpha Flight, engaged her in a brief battle in North Fork, California. Captain Marvel was unable to prevent her from unleashing a mutagenic virus on the inhabitants of North Fork, who were transformed into crustacean-like creatures. The attack had been predicted by the Inhuman named Ulysses Cain and was a key reason for Captain Marvel to support using his precognitive visions as a crime-fighting tool.^[21] Doctor Minerva escaped but was tracked to South Boston, where she was planning to spread an upgraded version of the virus through Captain Marvel's hometown.^[22] Captain Marvel, Alpha Flight and the Ultimates were able to stop her, though her genetic experiments allowed her to transform into a monstrous being. She was arrested and imprisoned by a friendly faction of the Kree.^[23]

Powers and abilities

Minn-Erva is a member of the alien Kree race, and was also mutagenically altered by the Kree Psyche-Magnetron, giving her superhuman strength and durability and the power of flight through the conscious manipulation of gravitons.^[24] The machine is capable of using "nega-energy" for various purposes, and was set to replicate the powers of Carol Danvers. She also possesses heightened intuitive faculties enabling her to guess correctly significantly higher than chance.

Minn-Erva is also a gifted geneticist, and is a graduate of the Kree Science Academy, Vartanos, Kree-Lar. She also has the ability to pilot various Kree starships, and the ability to operate high technology of the Kree. After the Infinity event wherein the Inhuman Black Bolt enacted a mass inhumanization of his latent people across the Earth, Dr. Minerva went about experimenting on herself using the metamorphic genetic tissue of Terrigenesis cocoons.^[19]

Now having advanced cloaking powers on top of vastly augmented physicality rivaling those of the new Captain Marvel even while in an unchanged state,^[23] coupled with extra abilities hearkened upon metamorphosis into a more monstrous form.^[19] Powers stemming to laser vision, sharpened claws and elongated teeth, razor wings bestowing increased flight speed.

Reception

Critical response

• Minn-Erva appears in the Guardians of the Galaxy episode "Gotta Get Outta This Place", voiced by Marion Ross.^[27] This version is the elderly warden and prison therapist of the Kree Monument of Justice.

Film

• Minn-Erva appears in
  Maria Rambeau
  .