America Chavez made her first appearance in Vengeance #1, published in September 2011. She was created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta as part of a new Teen Brigade. Casey envisioned her as a powerful, take-charge character with a mysterious past, a modern homage to powerhouse heroes of the past but with a distinct, contemporary edge. Her design, featuring a patriotic motif of stars and stripes on denim, immediately stood out. However, it was her reintroduction in the critically acclaimed Young Avengers (Vol. 2) in 2013 by writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie that catapulted her to fan-favorite status. Gillen and McKelvie fleshed out her personality, solidifying her as a brash, loyal, and fiercely independent hero. This series explored her origins in the Utopian Parallel and established her key relationships, particularly her close friendship with Kate Bishop. Since then, America has starred in her own solo series, including America (2017) by Gabby Rivera and America Chavez: Made in the USA (2021) by Kalinda Vazquez, the latter of which controversially retconned her established origin. She has become a staple in team books, serving on high-profile teams like the Ultimates and A-Force, cementing her place as a major player in the modern Marvel Universe. Her introduction to a global audience came with her live-action debut in the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The origin of America Chavez is one of the most debated and altered backstories in modern comics, with a stark contrast between her established comic lore, a major subsequent retcon, and her streamlined MCU introduction.
America's origin has two distinct, conflicting versions in the primary comics continuity. Original Origin: The Utopian Parallel For most of her publication history, America was believed to be from the Utopian Parallel, a perfect reality existing outside the conventional time and space of the Multiverse. This dimension was created by the Demiurge, a sentient life force that would one day be embodied by her Young Avengers teammate, Wiccan. The Utopian Parallel was a world populated entirely by women, watched over by the ambient magical presence of the Demiurge. America was raised by her two mothers, Amalia and Elena Chavez. When she was six years old, the Utopian Parallel was threatened with collapse. Her mothers, both brilliant scientists and leaders, sacrificed themselves to repair the dimensional fabric, scattering their atoms across the Multiverse to save their home. Traumatized and believing her home world was destroyed, a young America fled. She punched a star-shaped portal into the Multiverse, beginning a long journey across different realities. She eventually adopted the moniker “Miss America” in honor of her mothers and their sacrifice, vowing to use her powers to be a hero and prove she could handle anything. This origin established her as a unique, non-human entity with a tragic but noble backstory. Retconned Origin: Made in the USA The 2021 miniseries America Chavez: Made in the USA dramatically rewrote this history. This new origin revealed that America was not from an alternate dimension but was, in fact, a human born on Earth-616. Her mothers, Amalia and Elena, were brilliant doctors who took their two daughters, America and Catalina, to a private, isolated island facility called the Utopian Parallel to find a cure for Edges Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder afflicting the girls. The facility's billionaire owner, Mr. Gales, was secretly experimenting on the children there, including America, hoping to use their unique genetics to grant his own child powers. These experiments activated America's latent powers, connecting her to the multiversal energies of the Demiurge. A tragic accident occurred during an escape attempt, leading to the apparent death of her mothers. In her grief and confusion, America's powers fully manifested. She tore open a portal and fled, repressing the traumatic memories of the island. Her mind created the fantasy of the Utopian Parallel dimension as a coping mechanism to process the loss of her parents and the horrors she endured. This retcon grounded her as a human mutate, but was met with a mixed-to-negative reception from many longtime fans who preferred her original, more fantastical origin.
The MCU, in its adaptation for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, largely adheres to a streamlined version of America's original comic book origin, completely ignoring the Made in the USA retcon. In this continuity, America (portrayed by Xochitl Gomez) and her mothers genuinely hail from the Utopian Parallel, a lush and vibrant separate reality. From a young age, she possessed the unique and uncontrollable ability to punch open star-shaped portals to other universes, a power no one else had. Her powers were triggered by moments of intense fear. When she was a child, a bee frightened her, causing her to accidentally open her first portal. The portal began pulling in her mothers, Amalia and Elena. Unable to control it, she watched in horror as they were whisked away into the vast Multiverse. Orphaned and alone, America was left to fend for herself, uncontrollably jumping from universe to universe for years, having visited 72 different realities by the time she meets Doctor Strange. She is relentlessly hunted by demons and monsters sent by a powerful entity seeking to steal her power for themselves. This entity is revealed to be the Scarlet Witch of Earth-616, who desires America's power to travel the Multiverse and find a reality where she can be with her children, Billy and Tommy. This backstory provides a clear, emotionally resonant motivation for her character arc in the film: learning to trust others and, ultimately, to control the power that she believes cost her everything. By the film's conclusion, she has gained control and begins training in the mystic arts at Kamar-Taj.
While the core concept of a dimension-hopping brawler remains consistent, the specifics of America's powers and her personality show significant differences between the comics and the MCU.
The comic version of America is a seasoned and incredibly powerful hero, often depicted as one of the strongest members on any team she joins. Powers and Abilities:
Personality: America Chavez is defined by her unshakeable confidence and brash attitude. She is fiercely independent, loyal to a fault, and has a strong sense of justice. Having spent years surviving on her own across the Multiverse, she is self-reliant and often reluctant to show vulnerability. She is quick with a sarcastic quip and prefers to solve problems with her fists. Beneath this tough exterior, however, lies the deep trauma of losing her mothers and a profound desire for family and belonging, which she finds with teams like the Young Avengers. She is a natural leader who inspires loyalty, even if her methods are sometimes reckless.
The MCU's America is at the very beginning of her journey, with her powers and personality reflecting her status as a young, inexperienced hero-in-the-making. Powers and Abilities:
Personality: The MCU presents a much younger and more vulnerable America. She is not the confident brawler from the comics but a scared teenager who has been on the run her entire life. Her primary motivation is survival and the desperate hope of one day finding her parents. She is initially distrustful of others due to her experiences but gradually learns to rely on Doctor Strange and Wong. Her defining characteristic is her resilience. Despite immense fear and trauma, she maintains a core of hope and determination. Her journey is about overcoming her fear to embrace her power and her potential as a hero.
America has been a member of numerous high-profile teams, reflecting her status as a versatile and powerful hero.
This is the definitive storyline for America Chavez. Recruited by Kid Loki, she joins a new incarnation of the Young Avengers alongside Kate Bishop, Wiccan, Hulkling, and Noh-Varr. The series establishes her core personality: tough, protective, and no-nonsense. Her multiversal origins are central to the plot as the team battles Mother, an interdimensional parasite that preys on their deepest insecurities. This story cemented her friendship with Kate Bishop, explored the nature of the Demiurge, and positioned America as a powerhouse fan-favorite.
This series saw America graduate to the “major leagues” of the Marvel Universe. As a member of the Ultimates, she worked to solve cosmic problems, most notably their mission to “fix” Galactus, transforming him from the Devourer of Worlds into the Lifebringer. The series heavily utilized her dimension-hopping powers and Hyper-Cosmic Awareness, making her an indispensable member of the team. It showcased her immense power and her ability to hold her own alongside Marvel's most brilliant and powerful heroes.
This five-issue miniseries is arguably her most controversial storyline. It delves deep into her past, but in doing so, retcons her entire origin story. The narrative reveals that the Utopian Parallel was a constructed memory and that she was a human child experimented on at a medical facility. The story introduces her sister, Catalina, as an antagonist and forces America to confront a past she had completely suppressed. While it aimed to add new layers to her character, the radical changes to her established canon were met with significant criticism from a vocal portion of the fanbase.
This film marks America's grand debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She is the central MacGuffin of the plot, the living key to the Multiverse whose power is coveted by the Scarlet Witch. Her arc is a classic coming-of-age story set against a multiversal horror backdrop. She begins as a frightened child, unable to control her abilities and haunted by the loss of her parents. Over the course of the film, mentored by Doctor Strange, she learns to overcome her fear, trust her own power, and ultimately becomes the hero who saves the day. The film establishes her MCU origin and sets her up for a future as a key player in the franchise's multiversal narrative.