Contributed by Mike McDermott

Cindy Shears was born with a DNA variance that is very similar to, but distinct from, the mutant X-gene and which caused her to manifest superhuman strength as a child. As a pre-teen she was strong enough that she could lift a car over her head, with one hand. Her parents brought her to Dr. Kavita Rao, who offered to detain Cindy in her facility until she could synthesize a ‘cure’ for her. Cindy soon escaped from the facility, and never saw her parents again, resenting them for abandoning her when she wasn’t what they wanted in a daughter. Over the years Cindy would repeatedly revisit Rao to destroy her labs when the opportunity arose, costing the anti-mutant scientist years of research.

To support herself Cindy would sometimes work legitimate jobs, but also became the costumed villain Rhinoceress and hired out her services as a henchwoman. As Rhinoceress only had two rules: Number one, she refused to work with Nazis or cops. Number two, her bright pink rhino costume was nonnegotiable.

Rhinoceress was recruited by Squid Kid into his new Sinister Six. Her Sinister Six teammate Mysteriant (aka Qaari Beck) runs the Invisible Light gay club, and has hired her to be a bouncer and bartender at the club.

Cindy has clashed with the heroes of the Avengers Academy on multiple occasions as Rhinoceress, and has also socialized with them at the club, even offering the benefit of her experience to the youngsters with their own queer dramas. She may be a villain, but she will always have the back of someone else in the LGBTQ+ community, no matter what.

Rhinoceress first appeared in Marvel Voices: Avengers Academy Infinity Comic #4 by Anthony Oliveira and Bailie Rosenlund. She was outed as a lesbian in Marvel’s Voices: Avengers Academy Infinity Comic #14.

Created by Anthony Oliveira and Bailie Rosenlund.

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