Isabel Kane (Earth-616)

Early Life[]

Isabel "Izzy" Kane grew up on a farm on Iowa. After her mother died and her grandfather, the WWII hero Captain Terror, became ill, Izzy returned from school in Colorado where she had been studying astronomy to help out on the farm, to her grandfather's displeasure since he wanted her to fulfil her dreams.

One day, Izzy found the Exospex of a Smasher on her farm. The Exospex spoke to her and beckoned her to put them on, giving her access to the Smasher's powers. Izzy travelled to Chandilar where she became a Subguardian of the Imperial Guard. After returning home, Izzy found her grandfather dying. He told her to become a hero and gave her a business card he had received from his friend Captain America.^[3]

Avengers[]

Captain America recruited her as part of the new, expanded Avengers team.^[4] Izzy was called on her first mission after the core Avengers team was defeated on Mars by Ex Nihilo, Abyss, and Aleph.^[5] Izzy fought Nihilo's forces alongside her fellow Avengers, and he eventually submitted to them after being ordered to by Captain Universe.^[6][3] Izzy later worked with the team to battle "Blackveil".^[7]

Imperial Guard[]

Later, she received an Imperial Alert from the Guard and took a team of Avengers to aid them. When the Guard's resident Superguardian Smasher perished, Izzy was promoted as the new Superguardian by the Majestor.^[8]

Return to Earth[]

The Avengers tried to rescue the Canadian super team Omega Flight who got lost in a Garden Origin Site.^[9] They then encountered Superia who was working with A.I.M.^[10] They then battled the Builders, Gardeners, Alephs, and the Curators.^[11]

Infinity[]

During the Builder War, Smasher was one of the numerous Avengers recruited into battling the Builders with the help of numerous intergalactic empires.^[12] During this mission she fell in love and started dating fellow Avenger Sam Guthrie.^[13]

Messenger[]

When the source of several mysterious seismic events was revealed to be A.I.M. Island, Smasher went to investigate along with Cannonball and Sunspot. When they arrived to the location, they were captured.^[14][15] Izzy was chosen by the Scientist Supreme to become his Messenger for the secret of the universe, that "Everything dies."^[16][17][18]

When the Next Avengers from an alternate future helped S.H.I.E.L.D., they used a device named "Sigkill" to erase of all A.I.M.'s data.^[19] A strike team then attacked the Island as its defences quickly dropped. Isabel was slowly liberated from A.I.M.'s influence and became Smasher once more.^[20]

Time Runs Out[]

Due to the distractions her heroic career caused, Izzy became pregnant with Cannonball's child. As soon as she discovered this, she was called to return to Chandilar, the Shi'ar homeworld, with the Imperial Guard. Cannonball decided to follow her to the Imperial Guard's ship, with the help of the Starjammer, unwilling to let go of Izzy. After saving their ship from enemy forces, Izzy confessed to Sam that she was pregnant.^[21] Months after moving to Chandilar, the baby was supergestated, and in less than 8 months was already born,^[2] and he was named Josiah. Once again on Earth, Izzy presented the baby to her father.^[22]

All-New, All Different[]

Once the universe was destroyed,^[23] it ultimately came back.^[24] The Shi'ar and the Imperial Guard were brought back as a byproduct of the universal renewal,^[25] with no memories of the universe's temporary demise, like the rest of the inhabitants of the universe.^[26]

Smasher was dispatched along with fellow Imperial Guard members Mentor and Oracle to investigate the rebirth of the planet Archeopia after it was destroyed by the world devourer Galactus. Smasher used her penta-vision to check for any anomalies but came up with nothing. However, Mentor began to process the vast amounts of information from the environment and in conjunction with Oracle's telepathy determined that Galactus underwent another cosmic metamorphosis which caused the planet to be brought back to life. Smasher and the others went back to the Br'ynath to transmit this information back to Gladiator.^[25]

Izzy does not possess any innate powers and relies on the Exospex to grant her the use of superhuman powers.

• Exospex: These special goggles are advanced Shi'ar technology which enable their user to download additional superhuman powers, but only one at a time.
  • Penta-Vision The goggles provide X-Ray vision which allows the user to see through solid matter. The goggles also provide can use telescopic vision, in combination with penta-vision if desired. Also has microscopic vision.
    • Energy Projection: The Exospex can fire energy vaporizing beams which can repel physical and energy-based attacks.^[27]
    • Telepathy: The Exospex also grant their user a form of telepathy.^[27]
  • Superhuman Strength: The user has superhuman levels of strength when wearing the goggles. She can download additional strength to the point where she can lift more than 100 tons.^[27]
  • Superhuman Speed: Even when not travelling for extended distances, the wearer can move and react at high speeds.
  • Superhuman Durability: While wearing the Exospex the user is capable of withstanding tremendous amounts of punishment. She can download additional super-resistance to whitstand conditions in hyper-space.^[27] She can withstand high caliber bullets with ease. She can also withstand rockets, torpedoes; however the user does receive some damage.
  • Self-Contained Life-Support System & Environmental Protection: The Exospex protect the user from the vacuum of space, providing its own life support, and is shielded against radiation.^[27]
  • Flight: Anti-gravity devices grant the user the ability to fly.^[27]
  • Interstellar Travel: The user has the ability to reach lightspeed and travel into hyperspace.^[27]
• Flight Patches: The Smasher suit has anti-gravity "flight patches" that enabled the wearer to fly. Flight patches are standard issue for Imperial Guardsmen who lack the power of flight.

• Originally, Smasher's name was given as "Isabel Dare," but in the collected edition which featured her first appearance in Avengers (Vol. 5) #5, they corrected her surname to "Kane." According to editor Tom Brevoort, this change was made on purpose, and even stated that "Dare was a mistake in the first place," as the character was intended to be Dan Kane's granddaughter since the beginning.^[28]