Magma

Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla hailed from the country of Nova Roma (New Rome), a colony of the Roman Empire reportedly founded shortly after the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The colony was hidden in modern Brazil and was ruled until recently by the immortal mutant sorceress Selene. Amara was the daughter of Lucius Antonius Aquilla, a prominent senator.

A faction of the city’s Inca population attempted to transform the republic into an imperial state and a dark cult following the Black Priestess was regularly sacrificing young girls in a pit of fire in some caves beneath Nova Roma. Senator Aquilla was the leader of the opposition to this faction. Fearing for his daughters' safety, Senator Aquilla sent his daughter Amara to live in the jungles outside Nova Roma, disguised as an Indian. Later, the senator discovered that the Black Priestess was actually the immortal mutant Selene, wife of Senator Marcus Domitius Gallio, the leader of the Imperial faction.

Amara remained in hiding for years until she was captured by the New Mutants, who were on an expedition in the Amazon jungle. They learned of her disguise, but then both Amara and the New Mutants were captured by soldiers of Nova Roma and imprisoned. Now held prisoner by Selene, Amara was to be sacrificed. Selene used her mutant powers to drain Amara's life energy into her own body. The New Mutant, Mirage, attacked Selene. This distraction caused Selene to release Amara from her control, but Selene knocked Amara into a pit of lava. Somehow, rather than harming Amara, her immersion in the lava awakened her latent mutant powers. Together, Amara, with her new-found powers, and the New Mutants defeated Selene and helped thwart Senator Gallio's attempt to kill Senator Aquilla and seize power. Amara was instructed to go to the United States with the New Mutants and there learn about modern civilization.

Amara did so, reluctantly, and became a member of the New Mutants, under the code-name Magma. In the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the New Mutants were tutored, by Professor X, and trained in the use of their powers, in the Danger Room. At first, Magma experienced culture shock, however, she soon got a handle of modern civilization, including such things as computers and electricity. Amara also made quick progress in the use of her powers, being able to melt tunnels into the ground with the walls cooling down in mere seconds.

Magma later became a resident of the new mutant-only nation of Krakoa.