Powers: Pele possesses the conventional powers of the Hawaiian Gods which includes superhuman strength (Class 25) and endurance. She also has mystical powers to control fire and magma (molten rock) and to generate great heat. She can also change form to appear as a beautiful woman, an old woman or a fire spirit. She can also grow in size at will.
Weaknesses: For a long time, she was reduced in power because her heart was stolen and hidden from her.
Bio: Pele was one of the mortal daughters of the gods Tame and Haumea who once lived on earth. Both she and her sister Namaka competed for the rights to become gods; a feud acerbated by Pele who seduced her sister's lover. The two fought for many years with their fight creating the Hawaiian Islands from molten rock from deep within the earth. Pele was killed, but her father restored her to life as a goddess. In revenge, Namaka placed spells preventing Pele from retrieving her mortal heart hidden on the island of Kilauea. The spells required warriors of noble heart to retrieve it.
In recent years, Pele impersonated Risque of X-Force in order to have the mutant heroes retrieve the heart for her. Namaka, however, used the Lava Men to slow her down, but X-Force defeated the Lava Men and returned the heart to Pele who returned to the realm of the Hawaiian Gods.
#71 - 'The Pacific Overlords, Part Two: Pax Demonicus' #73 - 'The Pacific Overlords, Part Four: Demonica Rising' #74 - 'The Pacific Overlords, Part Five: Operation Overlords'