Early Life[]

Isca was one of the many ancient mutants who lived on the island of Okkara. The younger sister of Genesis, Isca spent her childhood playing games on the shores of her homeland. As a child, Isca lagged behind the other kids, but soon enough found herself unbeatable. This was the manifestation of her mutant gifts, which made her unable to lose.^[1]

Genesis eventually married Apocalypse, a mutant warrior from a distant land. To celebrate the birth of her sister’s children, Isca forged the Scarab, a mighty sword in four parts, and gifted it to her brother-in-law. The Scarab was seen as a symbol of the Genesis line of Okkara.^[3]

Isca's peaceful life was disrupted by the invasion of the Amenthi Daemons, who split the island in half and spilled from the depths, threatening to overrun the entire Earth. Isca fought alongside her fellow mutants, her powers granting her victory in every battle.^[1] Eventually however, it became clear that the Okkarans could not win. Compelled by her powers, Isca defected and joined the side of Amenth. In a desperate bid to save the Earth, the Okkarans sealed away the demon-infested half of Okkara, trapping the entire mutant population on what would be known as Arakko. Apocalypse would remain on Earth alone, tasked with preparing the world for the demons' inevitable return.^[4]

Now fighting against her people, Isca took Tarn the Uncaring, a mutant-daemon hybrid and founder of the Vile Schools, as her lover.^[1]

The Arakkii mutants would wage unending war against the demons for millennia. Eventually, Annihilation ordered Isca to send a message to her sister; that she could save Arakko if she defeated the dark god in a duel to the death. The offer was a trap; Genesis won the duel, but realized that she would be condemned to take up the Golden Helm of Annihilation and merge with the dark god, leading to Arakko's final defeat and its subjugation under Amenth. This allowed Isca to reunite with her family and their people, as they all now fought for Annihilation and Amenth.^[5]

As the Amenthi secured their control over the rebellious Arakkii mutants, Tarn and his Vile Schools were charged with rooting out dissent, imprisoning and breaking the wills of those who refused to submit to Annihilation. Isca aided her lover in his endeavors, earning her the hatred of her people.^[1]

The Battle of Swords[]

With Arakko secured, Annihilation set its sights on the other half of Okkara; Krakoa, where the mutants of Earth, led in part by Isca's brother-in-law Apocalypse, had created a new mutant nation. When an Amenthi invasion force was intercepted by a Krakoan expedition, prompting the intervention of Saturnyne, the Omniversal Majestrix of Otherworld, a tournament was arranged, with the Krakoans and Arakkii fighting each other with the fate of Earth in the balance. Isca was one of the champions chosen by Saturnyne's prophecy to fight for Arakko.^[6]

After an introductory banquet^[7] Isca was set to fight Captain Britain. Isca was declared the winner when Betsy's sword and body shattered into pieces.^[8] Following that, Isca alongside her fellow swordbearers took part in various other challenges all of which she won.^[9] However, Krakoa managed to close the gap, and won the final tie-breaking challenge, which caused Annihilation to summon all of her army to conquer Krakoa once and for all. Although victory seemed assured, the Krakoan swordbearers were soon joined by the reformed X-Men, Captain Britain Corps, and the Vescora, turning the tide against Amenth. Isca's powers compelled her to defect to Krakoa's side.^[10]

Planet Arakko[]

Following the tournament, Isca was sent through the External Gate along with the rest of her people and the island of Arakko to Earth. With her sister remaining behind in Amenth, Isca claimed her seat on the Great Ring of Arakko, the ruling council of the island. She was greeted on Arakko by Magneto & Professor X with the gift of a Krakoan flower to symbolize the unity of their two nations. After a brief discussion of how both islands were run, by whom, and the fact that humans still exist, she deemed them children running a children's government. She explained that thousands upon thousands of years of war in Amenth has hardened the Arakkii and shaped them into true warriors. She rejected their ways of peace, but promised to discuss their offer of unity with her fellow members of the Great Ring. Until then, Isca warned them to stay on their sheltered island with their flowers.^[11]

During the Hellfire Gala, Isca provided three omega level mutants to give aid to Magneto so he could terraform Mars for Arakko. Once the planet was made suitable for people to live on, Isca alongside the rest of Arakko, using the External Gate, moved to Mars.^[12]

Isca continued to tend to the business of the Great Ring, often clashing with the new regent of Arakko, Storm. When Magneto challenged Tarn the Uncaring for his seat in the Great Ring, Magneto's former student Sunspot tricked Isca into wagering against Tarn. Her power to never lose sealed Tarn's fate, allowing Magneto to kill him. Furious that Sunspot had used her to doom Tarn, Isca snapped his neck.^[13]

Judgment Day[]

When the Eternals, led by Druig, declared war on mutantkind, they dispatched Uranos, one of the mightiest members of their race, to deal with Arakko. Once again compelled by her powers, the arrival of Uranos prompted Isca to switch sides, beheading Idyll, a fellow member of the Great Ring.^[14]

Realizing the danger she posed, Krakoan mutant Nightcrawler removed her from the action, depositing her in the ocean where Sobunar of the Depths might keep her tied up fighting the creatures under his command.^[14]

Despite all the odds, the Great Ring managed to defeat Uranos and his arsenal of death. With the battle concluded, the Great Ring confronted a defiant Isca. In order to defuse the situation, the Fisher King, head of the hidden section of the Great Ring known as the Table of Night, challenged Isca to a contest of understanding, with the winner being the one who truly understood the meaning of loss. Though Isca had never lost since the manifestation of her mutant powers, the challenge granted her an understanding of loss. Realizing her mistakes and that she did not belong among the Arakki, she renounced her place on the Great Ring and left Arakko, warning the others not to follow her.^[1]

Civil War[]

When Isca's sister Genesis returned to Arakko, wielding the staff of Annihilation, civil war soon followed, as Arakko split between those loyal to Genesis and the corrupting influence of the staff, and those loyal to Storm and the other members of the Great Ring who fought to preserve the new Arakko.^[15]

Isca remained neutral, claiming the mountains of Olympus Mons and Tharsis Montes as her domain, killing any who intruded upon her solitude, no matter their allegiance.^[16]

Isca is exceedingly self-confident, no doubt due to the fact that she knows she will always win. Her long life and inability to lose has made her jaded, sharp and cruel. Like most other Arakkii mutants, she is a hardened warrior who respects power and strength above all other things. She appears to have a playful side however, as she indulged Magik and Cable's request to demonstrate her powers by participating in a string of silly games and challenges. Because she must change allegiances to always be on the winning side, Isca is not trusted by others.^[17]

Isca is an omega-level mutant with the following power:^[10]

• Inability to Lose: Isca has the power to always win, no matter what.^[5][18] This includes both individual one-on-one contests, votes, wagers and larger battles where she is a member of a team or army. In contests of skill, her powers may give her the talents she needs to win, or she may win through improbable circumstances. In larger battles or wars, her power has compelled her to defect from the losing side and join the winning side, so she could personally win at the expense of her compatriots.^[8][9][10]
  • Limited Tychokinesis: In contests of chance, probability is manipulated in Isca's favor.^[18]
  • Limited Shapeshifting: Isca's power to always win also affects her body, seemingly altering her appearance slightly in order to help her fit in. When she joined Annihilation's demonic army her body became covered in occult symbols,^[5] and when allying with the X-Men her skin and hair changed to gold, aligning with the heroic imagery of the X-Men.^[10]
  • Immunity to Power Negation: Isca's mutant weapon cannot be shut off.^[13]
• Advanced Longevity: Having been alive for over 10,000 years, Isca is extremely long lived.^[1]

• Various abilities: Because of her power, Isca is capable of surpassing anyone's skills.^[18]

• Victory in Death: Isca admits that her ability does not grant her immunity from death. Her ability is to win no matter the cost, even if it means victory in death.^[19]
• Unfavorable Victory: Since victory is not always a desirable outcome, Isca's abilities can be manipulated against her will, as seen when Sunspot tricked her into a bet where her winning would be favorable to him, but undesired by Isca.^[13]

• Isca's Armor: Isca the Unbeaten wears orange armor with a circular symbol.^[5]

• Mercy^[6]

• Isca, along with all the Swordbearers introduced during "X of Swords," was initially envisioned by Jonathan Hickman and designed by Pepe Larraz.^[20][21]
• When she was a member of the Great Ring of Arakko, Isca abstained from voting on the Great Ring because her mutant weapon will always cause her to win thus swaying the votes of others.^[2][17]