Cerebra's Files
Shapandar, Karima
Full Name: Karima ShapandarAffiliation: X-Men
Previous Affiliations: Operation: Zero Tolerance, Bombay Police Force
Alternate-X Versions: None
Codename Etymology: None
Powers & History: None (human). However, Karima was one of the unfortunate people transformed into a Prime Sentinel by Bastion's Operation: Zero Tolerance. As a result, Karima possesses cybernetic and nano-tech implants that give her superhuman strength, resistance, and reflexes, flight, regenerative capabilities, holographic imaging, and numerous other weapons housed within her body including rail guns, plasma knives, finger blades, and electrostatic poles. Outwardly, however, she has looked completely human (until recently), as her weapons all extended from inside her limbs and torso.
Karima used to be just an ordinary human working for the Indian police force. She was later assigned to work with Neal Shaara (Thunderbird III) when he was investigating the disappearance of his brother. During this time, a small romance began to bloom between the two, but before anything could come from it, they were kidnapped by Bastion’s forces. Neal’s brother had already been turned into an Omega Sentinel by the villain and planned to do the same to the couple, but Neal’s mutant powers manifested at that time. His brother managed to overcome his programming long enough to help them escape, and died in the process, but that was not the end. Karima had been put through the transformation process to become an Omega Prime, and with Neal’s powers manifesting, her programming was activated, and she warned him to run before she killed him.
Months later, Karima was somehow captured by a group of former Genoshan Magistrates, who were flying her, along with Shola Inkesi, back to their home island, ostensibly to use her against the mutants who remained in that country. Their flight was shot down by pirates, and Professor X and Magneto, sensing people in trouble, rushed to see what had landed in the ocean. Diving down to Karima's stasis capsule, the two mutants discovered Karima's nature, but pooled their powers to re-program her to ignore her Sentinel directives and regain her old human mind.
After returning to the shore, Karima joined Xavier's unofficial Genoshan "council" and defended his group from the pirates and from Rastus and the Sugar Man.
| Under the rule of the House of M, Karima was one of a test program of cyborg humans who were intended to lead Magneto's corps of Sentinels. A so-called "Omega-class" Sentinel, Karima was tasked with arresting the British Royal Family (Captain Britain, Queen Meggan and Princess Elisabeth Braddock) for treason against Magneto. When Brian fought back, Karima changed her assignment to termination. She successfully fought off other defenders from the Captain Britain Corps and then had the Sentinels channel all their energy to her, blasting it at Elisabeth and her aide, Rachel Grey. Unfortunately, the women were both telekinetic and shielded themselves from the blast, causing it to backfire and vaporize Karima. |
Following M-Day, Karima tuned into a low-level telepathic distress call and tracked it to the Fordyce Clinic, where she was captured and partially disassembled. Months later the X-Men rescued her and Lady Mastermind, bringing Karima back to the Institute where Beast partially repaired her. However, her arms remained outwardly metallic, and her head was shaved with white strips in various places (perhaps bandages). Soon after, though, her internal repair functions returned her hair and body to pretty much her old self, though she still had some facial bandages.
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