Biography - page 1
In her home reality, the so-called Ultimate universe, Nomi Blume was one of a number of mutant children living in the tunnels under Manhattan's Lower east side. Due to actions of this world's Magneto, anti-mutant sentiment was at a fever pitch and most of the mutant race's leaders had perished. [Ultimatum event]
Executive order 3144 was enacted, allowing for mutants to be shot on sight if they refused to hand themselves into authorities. Far more troubling was the reinstatement of the Sentinel program. Even worse, anti-mutant leader William Stryker co-opted the program and transferred his consciousness into the machines and besieged the southwestern states of America. Eventually, the United States government, seeing no alternative, ceded control of those states to the sentinels.
Given the climate, Nomi's fellow Morlocks allied with the surviving X-Men for protection. Initially, Nomi was very taken by the slightly older Kitty Pryde but she became disappointed in her over time. When the United States announced to the public their decision to abandon the southwest states to the Sentinels, Kitty told the Morlock children it would be okay. Nomi confronted Kitty later that evening, telling her she knew she had lied and now recognized that Kitty was just a child like her. That night, Kitty would make the decision to the lead the remaining X-Men into war against the Sentinels and try to free the southwest states. She was going to leave the children without a guardian but their ally the Human Torch volunteered. Nomi spoke to Kitty before she left, saying she wanted to join them in the fight. Kitty, however, discouraged her. She told Nomi to find her in a few years and that she could tell Nomi was a was a natural leader. The two girls hugged goodbye and Kitty left. Both would be radically changed when they next met. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #13]
The Morlocks were quickly discovered by anti-mutant forces after the X-Men left. The Human Torch pleaded with the enemy for mercy, as they were attacking the children but Nomi wanted to fight. What exactly happened is unclear. Kitty would later phone the Morlocks from the road and would claim that the Human Torch was taken away but that she had assumed control of the children. Nomi did not seem particularly upset by the Torch's capture, reiterating that “he wasn't even a mutant.” [Ultimate Comics X-Men #14]
Against all odds, Kitty Pryde did lead the X-Men and indeed the remnants of the mutant race to victory in the southwest states, destroying the Sentinels and becoming a kind of folk hero for many in her race. In the aftermath, a truce was negotiated by the new president of the United States, Captain America, in which he offered mutants two options: either take a “cure” or live on a reservation in Utah. Kitty, as de facto leader of the species at this point, accepted the Captain's offer, leaving this choice open to each mutant to decide personally. Nomi soon arrived to the reservation alone and said nothing about the fate of the other children. Further, she was not only disappointed but angry with Kitty. Nomi had been hardened by recent events and she confronted Kitty about the deal she cut with the government, feeling that Kitty had effectively given them the ability to wipe out the mutant race by allowing them to promote the cure. Nomi used her increasing powers to hold Kitty in place, preventing her phasing ability. Dangling a piece of shrapnel against her skull. Nomi said that she wanted to start a war but knew it was unwinnable. Perhaps the best thing she could do for mutantkind was to end the threat of Kitty herself. As she was doing this, the two young women were interrupted by Rogue and Nomi backed off. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #18.1]
When the remaining mutants arrived at the barren landscape that was “Reservation X,” Nomi forced a leadership vote, believing she was better equipped to lead their race in this difficult time and that Kitty's leadership had already failed them. While she did receive some support, she was outvoted by the majority. She and her supporters did take over a section of the reservation for themselves. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #19] Things escalated between Nomi and Kitty quite quickly. She had one of her supporters steal a gun from Kitty's trailer. In the middle of the night, she levitated the gun over Kitty's head and that of her lover Jimmy Hudson, wanting Kitty to know that she was not “untouchable,” despite her ability to phase. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #20]
Some of the mutants in the reservation under Kitty's instruction began using their powers in unison and created a sentient seed. The seed was designed to grow in any climate, under any circumstances and it was theorized it could end world hunger. Kitty saw an opportunity and offered it to the humans free of charge as a peace offering. Nomi's faction was disgusted. Discussing the matter with her group, Thunderbird and Psylocke, she was clear that she did not want to kill Kitty but she did want to discredit her and saw her as a threat. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #21]
The introduction of the sentient seed caused international outrage, with serious concerns about the economic challenges it would cause. A black ops team from an undisclosed source was sent to attack the reservation but it was repelled by Kitty, Jimmy and their ally Ironman. In the aftermath of the attack, Kitty called the remaining mutants together and made a plea using Nomi's earlier “assassination” attempt as an example of how they were too divided in light of the challenges facing them. During Kitty's speech, the greenhouse storing was the seeds was destroyed in an explosion. Afterward, Nomi's faction left Kitty's “Utopia,” feeling that Kitty's attempts to curry favor from the humans was bringing trouble to their door and that they would start their own mutant nation. Some of her faction also (correctly) speculated that Kitty had set the explosive herself. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #22]
In the weeks that followed, Utopia blossomed. Kitty's ruse had given the sentient seed time to spread across the surrounding area, making a bona fide jungle paradise. Mach Two's team remained within Utopia's borders, living in secret. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #24]
Meanwhile, Mach Two had dissent within her ranks, she wasn't particularly liked. Thunderbird was really following Psylocke and the others were merely siding with Mach Two because they liked Kitty even less than her. Mach Two was annoyed when she found out that some of group had met up with Kitty's lover Jimmy and agreed that, in the event of an attack, they would team up with the “Utopians” to defend their borders. In retaliation, she ordered Psylocke to attack them telepathically. Speaking to Thunderbird later on, she explained her motivations came from her belief that the humans would never give them peace and that Kitty's methods and intentions were misguided.
Her prediction came true and, within hours, the United States army was outside the borders of Utopia, stating they were reclaiming the land in an attempt to confiscate the seed. Nomi agreed to meet with Jimmy under the council of Psylocke and agreed to defend the borders of Utopia. She went to the Utopians’ camp and publicly made peace with Kitty to legitimize the alliance [Ultimate Comics X-Men #25-26]
As the army forces assaulted Utopia, two other infiltrators were in psychic combat. Jean Grey of the nation of Tian had stolen into Utopia, hoping to undermine it, but she had discovered Psylocke own plan already in motion. Who or what exactly was “Psylocke” was never determined, only that she was an agent of “Mothervine” tasked with destroying the remaining mutants. She had been psychically manipulating everyone to this aim. Underestimating Jean Grey, “Psylocke” was killed. Without Psylocke's telepathic influence affecting the mutants and the army, the situation immediately deescalated. Nomi and Kitty's own feud also resolved and they hugged as they had done that night so long ago in the tunnels. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #27-28]
Mach Two, now part of Utopia in good standing, caught an agent of Jean Grey, Farbird, after he dumped military grade herbicide on region. Showing an even greater degree of power, she had pulled him from the sky at a great height. The message was clear: Jean Grey and the rival mutant nation Tian were declaring war. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #29]
Mach Two fought alongside her former rival Kitty in the subsequent wave, her powers being key in defeating it. In light of this new “war,” Kitty implemented new protocols, requiring all mutants to travel in pairs, with one combatant per duo. Nomi was partnered with Magma. Magma's took Nomi with her when she was using her geothermal powers to alter the environment of Utopia to increase their water supply. Nomi was extremely impressed by Magma's ingenuity and considered her the most powerful mutant she ever met. Baffled as to why Magma was not considered a combatant, Magma advised her that a mutant like her should not be a combatant but a deterrent, given her destructive capabilities.
Kitty had made the decision that, in light of Jean's personal vendetta against her, it was better for her people for her to step down. She advised her “war council,” which included Nomi, that she had abdicated and appointed Colossus. Nomi wanted another vote but was shut down. Colossus advised he was only taking on the position temporarily and would abdicate himself in four weeks or upon the conclusion of the conflict with Tian. After this, the mutants could vote for a new leader. Nomi took Colossus to the new ridges that Magma had created. Taking inspiration from Magma's earlier example, she had asked her to seed the mountain with metal deposits. Lacking Magma's pacifism, however, Nomi saw an opportunity to weaponize powerful mutants working in tandem. Nomi's idea was to combine her power with that of mutant telekinetic Shola Inkosi to form a long-range weapon, essentially a rail gun with a range of up to 24 miles. Thanks to Nomi's, they could now strike at Tian from their own home if they needed to. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #31]
As hostilities continued to escalate, Kitty ordered the strike on Tian using Nomi's weapon. While many residents of Tian were evacuated prior to the strike, Nomi's weapon did destroy the floating city, which fell into the ocean. [Ultimate Comics X-Men #33]
Nomi was part of a rescue team sent to the remains of the island to search for survivors. If she felt any guilt about her role in destroying the city, she didn't disclose it. The X-Men split into pairs with Nomi being partnered with Jimmy Hudson. While searching for survivors Nomi spotted the world devourer Galactus on the horizon and was terrified. As she did, Jimmy's enhanced senses picked up survivors, including the teleporting X-Man, Pixie. When the team managed to get her to regain consciousnesses, she had a similar reaction to Nomi and instinctively teleported as far away from Galactus as she could, her powers increased due to the presence of another survivor Amp.
Somehow, Pixie teleported the team into a pocket dimension, which held their own universe's world devourer, Gah Lak Tus, and the hero Captain Marvel (Rick Jones) In the Ultimate universe, Gah Lak Tus was a swarm of cybernetic droids. Using Amp to boost her powers, Mach Two destroyed countless of them but the X-Men were still overwhelmed. She also displayed a new ability to form metal objects into large disks capable of levitating her and a large group of people. In the scuffle, Pixie was terminally wounded, forcing Rogue to absorb her powers and partner with Amp to teleport them back to their world. Upon arriving, the figure of Galactus still loomed on the horizon. [Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men #1-3]