Loa (comics)

Loa
Loa by Skottie Young
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	New X-Men: Academy X #5
Created by	Michael Ryan
In-story information
Alter ego	Alani Ryan
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Alpha Squadron training squad Defenders Xavier Institute X-Men-In-Training Avengers Academy
Abilities	Ability to "swim" through solid matter causing it to crumble afterwards Underwater adaptation via Atlantean pendant

Loa (Alani Ryan) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A mutant, Loa is a student at the Xavier Institute. She made her debut in New X-Men: Academy X #5.

Born in Maui, Hawaii, Alani Ryan quickly developed a talent for surfing. One day whilst surfing, she and her father wind up in the middle of an ambush by the villain Great White and a pack of trained sharks as he lays claim to the area. Alani's mutant ability is activated in this heated situation and she uses her ability to kill some of the sharks and save her father. In the nick of time, Namor arrives and saves the day by defeating Great White. Following the battle, Alani's grandmother Alice Ryan is revealed to be a former acquaintance of Namor's from the 1940s and a close friend of Namor's former lover Betty Dean.

After arriving at the Xavier Institute as a student, she adopts the codename Loa (named for a type of worm that moves the same way she does when she uses her powers), and along with fellow students Anole, Rubbermaid, Kidogo, Network, and Indra, is assigned to Alpha Squadron, the training squad advised by former Alpha Flight member Northstar. When Northstar is apparently killed by Wolverine, advising duties for Alpha Squadron are taken over by Karma. Of her classes at the Institute, she dislikes chemistry the most and is voted "Most Laid Back" in the New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook Special (2005).

After the Decimation, Alani was one of the 27 students to retain her powers. She was also one of the students Emma Frost placed in the fateful all-out brawl that would determine who would become the new X-Men trainees, but lost. Before the fight, she was seen threatening to "crumble" Anole's tongue if he touched her with it. Despite this, Loa is close friends with Anole, as well as Rockslide.

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