Champions

Laynia Petrovna and her twin brother Nikolai Krylenko are born in Minsk. After growing up, she becomes a special operative, working for the Soviet government.

Darkstar is a member of a Soviet super-team recruited to bring Black Widow back to the USSR.^[5][6] However, she decides to switch sides and then fights alongside the Champions.^[7][8][9] She helps the Champions on a few more missions before returning to Russia.^[10]

Soviet Super-Soldiers

Darkstar becomes a member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers with her brother Vanguard (Nikolai Krylenko) and the Crimson Dynamo. The Soviet Super-Soldiers battle Iron Man and Jack of Hearts on the moon but wind up helping them against renegade Rigellians led by Commander Arcturus.^[11]

Later, Darkstar and Vanguard are sent along with new Soviet Super-Soldier Ursa Major by the KGB to defeat Presence. They learned that Sergei is their father and that Professor Phobos has exploited the Super-Soldiers. Darkstar helps free Sergei and Tania Belinsky's Red Guardian, and defeats Phobos.^[12]

The Soviet Super-Soldiers are then sent by the Soviet government to Khystym to battle the Gremlin. They fight the Space Knights Rom and Starshine, but later, ally with them against the Dire Wraiths. The Super-Soldiers befriend the Gremlin instead of fighting him.^[13]

Afterward, the Soviet Super-Soldiers agree to help bring Magneto to justice. They fight the Avengers but turned against the Crimson Dynamo when it is revealed that he had been manipulating events.^[14]

Darkstar, Vanguard, and Ursa Major defect to the United States seeking political asylum. They arrive at Avengers Island to ask for Captain America's help. They are beaten nearly to death by the Supreme Soviets, who had disguised themselves as members of the Avengers. The comatose subconscious minds of the Super-Soldiers form a "Great Beast" that follows the Supreme Soviets back to the USSR and tries to kill them. Captain America's negotiation skills were successful in convincing the Great Beast to back off, leading to the recovery of the three Super-Soldiers who had previously been injured and unconscious.^[15]

The Soviet Super-Soldiers are captured and returned to the Soviet Union. They are rescued by Blind Faith and the Exiles (not to be confused with the reality-hopping team the Exiles), whom Darkstar joins.^[16]

When the Supreme Soviets (who changed their name to People's Protectorate) are rechristened the Winter Guard, Darkstar was recruited back into the team.^[17] When the team disbanded, Darkstar and Vanguard joined the Russian mutant team Siberforce,^[16] and later joined forces with their father, the Presence.^{[volume & issue needed]}

When Vanguard dies on the Starbrand mission led by Quasar, Darkstar and the Presence decide to kill Quasar, who allows them to believe that they have succeeded while he had left Earth.^[18]

Death

Darkstar joins the Paris branch of X-Corporation in France, in which she is possessed by Weapon XII, a creation of the Weapon Plus Project, and subsequently killed by Fantomex.^[19] A funeral is held at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where she was buried.^[20] She is temporarily resurrected through the Transmode Virus to serve in Selene's army of deceased mutants during their assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.^[21]

New Darkstars

A new, red-haired Darkstar named Sasha Roerich who is genetically modeled to resemble Petrovna first appears as a member of the Winter Guard.^[22] After being altered again by The Presence, she is transformed into a multi-tentacled Darkforce beast, before being killed by Red Guardian.^[22]

With Sasha's death, Reena Stanicoff takes over the role.^[22] She is killed during an attack on Winter Guard headquarters by a Dire Wraith, who then assumes her form.^[23] Although the Winter Guard fends off the attack, her death is subsequently covered up by the government.

Laynia Reborn

The Dire Wraith who assumes Reena's form is eventually overwhelmed and taken over by Darkforce energy. Petrovna seizes control of the creature and resurrects herself.^[23] She reunites with her brother Vanguard and returns to active duty alongside her brother and Ursa Major.^{[volume & issue needed]} She fights Hyperion.^[24] She is later blasted into space with other members of the Winter Guard by the Intelligencia, but manages to survive.^[25]

Darkstar is present when the Winter Guard is reassembled.^[26]

In the 2017 Iceman series, Darkstar joins the other Champions at a reunion to remember Black Widow after her death during the Secret Empire series.^[27]

Critical reception

Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Darkstar a "role model" and "truly heroic."^[29] Bradley Prom of Screen Rant included Darkstar in their "10 Best Black Widow Comics Characters Not Yet In The MCU" list.^[30] Kara Hedash of The Mary Sue ranked Darkstar 5th in their "7 Female Superheroes Who Should Join Marvel’s Cinematic Universe" list.^[31] Sage Kortenber of CBR.com ranked Darkstar 5th in their "Black Widow: 10 Most Powerful Russians In Comics" list.^[32]

Civil War: House of M

Darkstar is seen as a member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[33]

Exiles

Different versions of Darkstar have been encountered by the Exiles:

• On Earth 3470, the native timeline of Heather Hudson of the dimension-jumping Exiles, the Soviet Union still exists. Darkstar is part of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[34]
• An alternate version of Darkstar is shown in yet another universe. She is a member of the Republican Guard, Russia's superhuman team, alongside Crimson Dynamo, Omega Red, Gremlin, and the Titanium Man.^[35]

Television

• Darkstar appears in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "Red Dawn".^[36] This version initially works as an enforcer for a group of Russian generals who seek to reestablish the Soviet Union until she learns of their work with Omega Red and works with the X-Men to stop them.
• Darkstar appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Secret Avengers", voiced by Laura Bailey.^[37] This version is a member of the Winter Guard.
• Darkstar appears in Marvel Future Avengers, voiced by Eri Saito in Japanese and Kari Wahlgren in English.^[38] This version is a member of the Winter Guard.

Video games

Darkstar appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.^[39][40]