A promising biochemistry student at the University of Padua, Monica heard of the work of another physicist named Dr. Bruce Banner and sought him out. She met him in New Mexico and struck up a relationship which she used to steal as many secrets from him as she could. She would use this knowledge to win the Nobel Prize for her work in antitoxins She became disillusioned with the ways of the West and decided instead of working to heal people, she would instead concentrate on killing them. Her work on stopping toxins also made her the leading mind on the causation of poisons and stopping of antibodies, thus she implanted several children including her own daughter Carmilla Black (aka Scorpion). On her daughter's 16th birthday, she sought out Carmilla through A.I.M., but her daughter was already contacted by S.H.I.E.L.D When M.O.D.O.K. killed a Scientist Supreme, Monica assumed his position and became the leader of a cell away from M.O.D.O.K.'s control. She made several attempts to seize power and enhance the size of her A.I.M. cell, but each time she was stopped, first by her own daughter and secondly through a betrayal by her old lovers M.O.D.O.K. and his son Sean Madigan as well as Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) and her Lightning Storm team who captured her and who helped take down Sean and his father