Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
Today we look at the girl that knows stuff: Layla Miller
Appearances in Heroclix: Wolverine and the X-Men
First Appearance: House of M #4
Team Affiliations: X-Factor Investigations
Powers: Resurrecting the dead; Extensive knowledge of past and future events; Power gauntlet capable of various effects; Basic knowledge of magic and mysticism
Created by: Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel
The first appearance of Layla Miller’s powers are during the House of M alternate reality. Layla wakes up in her home in Hell’s Kitchen only to find that the world around her (the House of M reality) is not the world she went to sleep to. She soon seeks out the heroes that she remembers from her world and is able to use an until then unknown power to make them remember how the world used to be. It is because of Layla that the heroes are able to rebel and return the world to how it used to be.
After reality has been returned to normal, with the events of M Day and the Decimation playing out, Layla Miller goes to the now nearly abandoned Mutant Town to join X-Factor Investigations. Though still little older than 13 year old, Layla proves indispensable to the X-Factor members and even helps save some of their lives. Layla is even able to repeatedly thwart Quicksilver’s repeated attempts to enter X-Factor Investigations during the superhero civil war.
Layla and Quicksilver continue to come into conflict with each other, with Pietro even eventually forming a group of ex-mutants that begin to call themselves X-Cell. Pietro returns these mutants powers to them and convince them that the government had de-powered mutants. Layla eventually meets some of these mutants, including Callisto and Marrow, and explains that it was actually Pietro and his sister the Scarlet Witch that caused the Decimation. Soon after, Daisy Johnson approaches Layla about joining the Secret Warriors but Layla declines, claiming that the mutants will need her more.
Layla goes into the future with one of Madrox’s dupes to investigate a future caused by the birth of the mutant messiah. Once there, they discover that they are in the future that Bishop hails from, where mutants have been placed in internment camps as a result of the mutant messiah causing humans to hate and fear mutants more than before. Layla kills the dupe so that the information will travel back to Jamie, while this also leaves her stranded in this dystopian future.
Layla eventually manages to escape the future camp and travels to Atlantic City where she meets Cyclops and his daughter, Ruby. Together, they begin the Summers Rebellion. Some time later, an adult Layla seems to travel back to the past, or her modern day, and begins helping the priest John Madrox as a nun. During this time, she happens upon Jamie about to kill himself. Shocked, she reveals her true identity and stops him. Soon, however, she also reveals herself to be nothing more than a hologram and brings Jamie to the Summers Rebellion future. It is during this time that an uncomfortable Madrox begins a relationship with Layla.
The couple seek out an ancient frail Dr. Doom in hopes that the one time villain can help them return to their present. Doom reveals that he has met Layla in the past and explains how he can help them. They are then attacked by Sentinels only to be saved by Trevor Fitzroy. The four escape and return to the Summers Stronghold in Atlantic City. Though Cyclops is enraged by Doom’s presence, the genius makes good and creates a time portal. Unfortunately, Cortex (the rogue Madrox dupe) comes through and kills Trevor Fitzroy. Ruby asks Layla to bring Fitzroy back which reveals her true power to Madrox: to resurrect the dead. She explains, however, that this power carries with it a heavy cost: the loss of their soul, conscience and morality.
Layla and Jamie are sent back through time by Doom’s device, dubbed a Doomlock. Jamie is returned to X-Factor near the time when he left but Layla is sent back to the orphanage she lived at before M-Day. Once there, she finds her younger self and explains everything that is going to happen which sets into motion the events that lead her to X-Factor. After this, Layla travels to Latveria and acts as an adviser to Doom. Even while living and working with Doom, Layla continues to help X-Factor where she can. She helps Shatterstar save Theresa Cassidy’s life from Bastion and Bolivar Trask as well as helping Monet against Baron Mordo. She even brings Guido back to life after he was fatally shot protecting J. Jonah Jameson, though this takes a toll on her as she feels responsible for recovering his soul.
These events eventually lead to Madrox’s apparent death, after which Layla has a third year med student work on his frozen body. This eventually works, as Jamie is able to awaken and be welcomed back by Layla who confesses her feelings for him again. Though Jamie seems more at ease with the situation this time, when Monet arrives and sees Jamie alive she attacks Layla and takes her to the top of the Empire State Building. Monet demands to know why Layla would resurrect Jamie, knowing the problems it caused for Guido. Layla explains that she did not use her powers on Jamie but instead was able to use medical science to save him and she had saved Guido to save Monet from the pain she experienced in an alternate future. Layla eventually has a part to play in Terry (Banshee) becoming an actual banshee creature and leaving the team. Before Layla can admit this to Madrox, Havok speaks up and takes the blame, wanting to protect Layla. Soon after, Madrox proposes to Layla and the two elope in Las Vegas.