MOTHER OF PEARL

Real Name: Unknown
Aliases: None
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Terrorist
Citizenship: Unknown
Place of Birth: Unrevealed
Known Relatives: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Hydra, Pearl Sect
First Appearance: New Warriors (Vol. 1) #72
History: Mother of Pearl leads the Hydra Pearl Sect and had taken residence beneath the Crashpad before the New Warriors had made it their base.

Back when the Taylor Foundation was still operating with illegal organizations, the base that was now called the Crashpad, had originally been intended to be built for the Hydra organization. When the New Warriors claimed the base as theirs, Mother of Pearl and the rest of the Pearl Sect Hydra agents sealed a door down in the lower basement and decided that they would operate by spying on the New Warriors and gaining knowledge from observing them.

While working on the Crashpad, Carlton (Hindsight Lad) had come across the large door that had never been explored and got curious. Using his vast intellect, he was able to learn how to open the door – only to have it open with rows of Hydra agents pointing their guns at him. He was quickly pulled into the area and the door sealed yet again.

However, Hindsight Lad, realizing he’d been abducted by Hydra, used his knowledge of Hydra to recite several of their failures to them, repeatedly during his capture after he learned that Mother of Pearl planned on using some kind of brain altering contraption on the world. The Avengers came crashing into the Crashpad, expecting Hydra agents. Observing this, Mother of Pearl planned to use the device on the Avengers, but by this time Hindsight Lad had broken free, just as the Avengers were breaking down the secret door – and Hindsight Lad was able to turn the device on Mother of Pearl instead. She, and the rest of her Pearl Sect Hydra agents were then captured and arrested by the Avengers.

Height: 5’10”
Weight: 165 lbs
Eyes: Unknown
Hair: Unknown

Powers: None/Unknown.

Note: Corey of New Warriors Continuity Conundrum mentioned:

In New Warriors issue 72 by Evan Skolnick and Patrick Zircher, on the surface, it’s a fun romp with HYDRA. But beneath the surface, the issue criticized Marvel investor Ron Perelman and the then-upcoming Heroes Reborn event, which saw Marvel outsource 4 of its legacy titles to Image Comics. And it includes the brilliant bit of dialogue, “We’ve had to rob and lie too long to be felled by this,” a pun-tastic reference to one of the primary creators of the outsourced line of comics.

Evan Skolnick commented:

I love it when folks pick up on and celebrate my none-too-subdued messaging in this issue! I wasn’t on the Marvel editorial staff by this time… like many others, I had been laid off in the first of several rounds of downsizing that would wrack the Marvel offices. But I was a recent former staffer, and like many others, I was furious at the lack of respect being shown to Marvel editors and loyal creators in favor of those who had flipped Marvel the bird and gone off to create a direct competitor. “Heroes Reborn” was an egregious display of no confidence from “leadership”, and a massive hit to morale in the Marvel editorial offices and throughout the freelance community. In this issue I channeled my frustration and anger at the situation, and had a lot of fun doing it! Fun fact: the Mother of Pearl character was originally male and called “Pearl Man“. [Referencing Ron Perelman] Subtle, no? But editor Tom Brevoort decreed that we change him to Mother of Pearl, which is probably why this issue somehow didn’t get everyone involved fired.