The original Ronin is back in Marvel’s “Indigenous Voices” one-shot, just in time to be a part of the Asgardian God Loki’s plans for the future.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the story “Echo: Hitting Back” by Rebecca Roanhorse, Weshoyot Alvitre, and Lee Loughridge in Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1, available now.
Loki, the God of Mischief, is known for manipulating Earth’s heroes, particularly his brother Thor’s fellow Avengers, and in Marvel’s Voices he’s found a new target. He tricked Maya Lopez, the superhero known as Echo, into taking on a dangerous mission to another world, but when she succeeded his bemused reaction suggested that it was all just a test for a grander plan he has for her.
After taking down a group of street thugs, Maya was recruited by Carol Danvers to save a group of alien Badoon who had settled on the planet Geunee and were being terrorized by an angry swamp god. Carol told Maya the Badoon were pacifists, leaving her unprepared when one of the frightened villagers attacked her, believing her to be in league with Saarl the Slaughterer, the swamp god.
It was then that Carol changed form, revealing that it was really Loki masquerading as her. When a Badoon leader named Dara Ko Eke resolved the confusion, Echo focused on helping the villagers, although she also wanted to find out what Loki was up to. After welcoming her to the village, Dara offered to use her psychic abilities to look into Maya’s future but was frightened when all she could see was a vaguely violent image. After Maya defeated Saarl she left Geunee and as she did so, Loki discreetly watched. When she was already leaving and out of earshot he said “Your future won’t be easy, Maya Lopez…But I think you’re finally ready for what comes next.”
Her future might not be easy but Maya’s past has been more than difficult enough to prepare her for whatever’s coming her way, as she reflects on in the issue. Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, Maya first appeared in Daredevil #9 in 1999. Half-Cheyenne and half-Latina, Maya is notable for being one of the few major deaf characters in mainstream comics.
When her father was killed by the Kingpin he left a bloody handprint on her face and made a dying request that the Kingpin care for her, which he did. Maya has an ability described as photographic reflexes that allows her to copy the movements and skills of others, which allowed her to become a gifted martial artist. After being told by the Kingpin that Daredevil killed her father she set out to kill him, fashioning the costumed identity of Echo for herself, including making a handprint on her face with white paint to represent her father’s. Having fallen in love with Matt Murdock, she was shocked to learn that he and Daredevil were one and the same, after which he told her the truth about the Kingpin, who she then turned on. Maya shot Kingpin in the face, leaving him temporarily blind. Though they were not able to continue their romantic relationship, Matt and Maya remain close friends and allies.