Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, is one of the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants in Marvel Comics. While this is certainly spotlit in the MCU’s Echo miniseries on Disney+, Alaqua Cox’s character has a brand new set of superpowers. This makes Echo the latest Marvel Comics hero to have different powers in the MCU. In order to understand this new power set for Echo in the MCU, let’s take a look back at the abilities Maya Lopez had in Marvel Comics.
How Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo, Got Her Powers in Marvel Comics
In the comics, Echo has photographic reflexes and the ability to copy any movement after observing it. This stems from the fact that she is Deaf, and has thus depended on observation to navigate hearing society. Because of these skills, Maya became a concert pianist and a gifted ballet dancer.
These powers played a major role in transforming Maya into the fighter she is today. After Kingpin tricked her into believing that Daredevil murdered her father, Echo watched dozens of martial arts films as well as footage of Daredevil villains like Bullseye. Because of this preparation, Echo’s first fight with Daredevil was an enormous challenge for the Man Without Fear.
Echo’s New Ancestral and Highly Spiritual Superpowers in the MCU
For now, it’s unclear if the MCU version of Echo has the same photographic reflexes as her comics counterpart. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is a formidable opponent. The Echo miniseries did show that Maya went through extensive handgun and martial arts training from the time she was young, and she can defeat entire rooms of enemies on her own. In her fight with Daredevil, she gave Matt Murdock a run for his money, which is no small feat.
Maya Lopez’s new powers in the MCU are rooted in her ancestry as the descendant of Chafa, the first Choctaw who led her people out of the cave they were created in. When Maya uses these powers, a spiral appears on the back of both of her hands and glows orange. With these powers, Maya can perform feats of superhuman strength and heal herself and others. In one instance, she uses her powers to free herself from a moving train in episode 2 (“Lowak”). Maya shares this power with her female ancestors. She’s also able to pass it onto her female relatives, as she does with Chula and Bonnie in episode 5 (“Maya”).
Additionally, Echo’s powers as a healer grant her the ability to access a person’s memories. In episode 5, she takes Wilson Fisk back to the night that he killed his abusive father. Maya gives him the chance to unload the emotional trauma of the event onto her. She gets this ability from her mother, who was known as a healer.
Why Does the Live-Action Version of Echo Have Different Powers?
Maya Lopez has been a gifted fighter for some time now in the MCU, but her new superpowers are part of a larger revelation that she’s experienced since returning back to her hometown in Oklahoma. Reconnecting with her Choctaw heritage and family has brought her ancestry to the forefront of her mind. Since she left Oklahoma when she was only six years old and has only returned now as an adult, it makes sense that she would have a physical type of reawakening.
Additionally, as with her ancestors, Maya Lopez’s powers seem to activate when she is experiencing emotional distress. This makes her new powers a cathartic experience for her, one that she didn’t have when she was working with Wilson Fisk in New York City. The death of Maya’s mother and her relocation to New York left her numb to her emotions. However, the death of her father brought out immense rage in her, which she has since brought back to Oklahoma. The combination of all of these factors created the perfect storm for Maya to discover her true potential.
At the end of Echo, Maya is rebuilding her connection to her family and stays in Oklahoma with them. We don’t know when we will see her again. But we are glad she’s taking time to heal and perhaps learn more about her ancestors and new powers.
