Seeking a life free from the many rules imposed on her by her parents, Ren Kimura finds joy in dancing. Though hiding her life and love of women from her parents, her world alters irrevocably when the Inhumans unleash a Terrigen bomb that mutates her. Emerging from a cocoon with razor-sharp ribbons that expel from her fingers, she finds a new rhythm and joins the Fearless Defenders against forces that would hurt her and those she loves.
Ribbon is a Dancer
Ren Kimura grows up with traditional parents interested in molding her into a model citizen, one who would possess a well-rounded set of skills and abilities to offer the world. But Ren was most interested in dancing. Her parents disapprove of her choices to explore every aspect of the world of dance and of her love interests: girls. While living under their roof, Ren follows their many rules, but sneaks around their backs to have a taste of freedom. At 21 years of age, with her parents paying for her tuition, she hides her life from her parents.
When the Inhuman city of Attilan detonated a Terrigen bomb on Earth, Ren ends up in a cocoon at her dance studio. She emerges to a moment of respite, and then suddenly ribbons shoot out from her hands and forearms, forming into razor-sharp claws around her fingers. Outside her building, another cocoon that’s several stories high starts to break open but gets blasted by an unseen force: the Wardogs of Thanos, well-armed outer space mercenaries with a singular goal: exterminate the cocoons. Ren watches a scene play out in the street below as the Wardogs are interrupted by Caroline le Fay who sicks her team of Super Villains on them. She makes it clear to them that while the Wardogs want to exterminate, she wants to harvest. Ren realizes she has to get home to safety, so she leaves the studio, but she gets caught by an injured Wardog. A hovering Hippolyta from the Fearless Defenders team blasts the Wardog back and her teammates join her. Defender Brunnhilde, AKA Valkyrie, guides Ren forward but Ren tells her to back off, not knowing who these people are or what they want. Ahead of them is le Fay and her minions and she realizes that Ren is a newly emerged Inhuman. The super-powered women go toe-to-toe and Elaine Coll, AKA Scorpia, tries to secure Ren. Her powers activate and she blows Scorpia back with her defensive ribbons. Realizing she’s not a fighter, she channels her energy into dance and gets lost in the moment, defending herself through her movement, letting the musical rhythm in her head guide her and she finally feels a sense of freedom.
After le Fay’s Super Villains depart with several cocoons in their possession, Valkyrie, or the “barbarian” as Ren thinks of her, transforms into a much more modern young woman: Dr. Annabelle Riggs. She kindly relates to having gone through recent changes herself and offers Ren a helping hand. Afraid that she’ll hurt her with her razor-sharp fingers, she hesitates to accept the gesture, but Annabelle doesn’t shy away and insists. Though Ren’s fingers draw blood, Annabelle remains unphazed and re-assuring, turning away only to introduce her to the rest of the team. Suddenly an explosion goes off a block away catching their attention and they set off to investigate. Ren refuses to go, needing to find her parents, and while Annabelle reminds her that she’s safer with them. Ren stays with them and becomes a Defender, fighting dangerous creatures.
Dance on a Razor’s Edge
Ren’s Inhuman physiology allow her fingers to lash out in the form of razor-sharp, steel hard ribbons.
Ren is a practiced and talented ballet dancer. She masters several other forms of dance including tap, jazz, salsa, jumpstyle, swing, belly dancing, and hip-hop.
While fighting in the War of the Realms, she wears Uru metal gauntlets, which enhance her claws.
The Fight of Her Life
As soon as Ren emerges as a new Inhuman, she enters the world with enemies outside her door, who either want to kill her or harvest her powers. From the Wardogs of Thanos to Caroline le Fay and her Doom Maidens, mean girls with super-powers, Ren must use her dance skills and newfound powers to overcome these awful antagonists. Le Fay proves to be a persistent thorn in Ren’s side, sending creatures after her and her allies, the Fearless Defenders.
During the War of the Realms, Ren fights alongside the Asgardians of the Galaxy against Malekith the Dark Elf’s invading forces to save her girlfriend Annabelle but becomes inspired by her to fight for the whole world.
Let's Dance
The Fearless Defenders immediately come to Ren’s aid when she’s attacked by the Wardogs of Thanos. Unsure of who to trust, and afraid of her newfound powers, it’s not until Ren meets Defender and archeologist Dr. Annabelle Riggs, who is immediately accepting and unafraid of her that she warms up to the team. She travels with Annabelle and her other half, Asgardian shield maiden, Valkyrie, and the bionic private eye Mercedes Knight, AKA Misty Knight. She fights alongside them and other Fearless Defenders, including Hel's Valkyrie and mutant Dani Moonstar, AKA Moonstar, monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and the Dark Dimension's sorceress Clea.
Ren's relationship with Annabelle takes off on the dance floor and when they get paired up in sleeping quarters, they share a kiss. Though a new relationship, it's clear that Ren cares deeply for Annabelle, especially when Ren uses her powers to protect her, despite Annabelle being in Valkyrie's form. During the War of the Realms, Ren teams up with Clea and joins the Asgardians of the Galaxy to help save her girlfriend Annabelle.
Confessions on a Dance Floor
After joining the Fearless Defenders, Ren traveled to New Amazonia with them to celebrate Hippolyta’s goal of raising a nation of warrior women instead of being the Gods’ warmongerers. Ren invited Annabelle to dance with her and though Annabelle declined at first, she ended up joining her. Later in the evening, Delphyne Gorgon, former ruler of the Amazons, escorted the pair to a tent and they agreed to share it. Annabelle revealed that she tends to fall hard and fast and they shared a passionate kiss.
The next morning, Aradnea, an Atlantean witch and mother of all monsters, attacked New Amazonia with her monster horde. Hippolyta ordered her warbirds to attack, and the Fearless Defenders rose to action. During the fight, Ren noticed Valkyrie was in trouble and called out to Annabelle. She rushed to her side only to get caught off guard and choked by Valkyrie’s attacker. Hippolyta soon came to her aid and stabbed the attacker in the back. Aradnea stopped the fighting to share a message from her mistress, Caroline le Fay, who offered the Amazons all the carnage and bloodshed they deserved but not under Hippolyta, instead with herself as their Queen. Afterward, Ren helped fight le Fay’s Doom Maidens and her murderous mercenary Mr. Raven until le Fay threw herself in a mystical fiery pit and seemingly perished.
While Ren and Annabelle were sharing some wine, Aldrif Odinsdottir, AKA Angela, Hunter of Heven, and The Destroyer, the Asgardian weapon of mass destruction (but actually Kid Loki operating from inside the shell) summoned Annabelle to join the Asgardians of the Galaxy as the galaxy was in grave peril. Annabelle kept in touch via space communicators, but Ren didn’t see Annabelle until the AotG returned to Earth to defend it from Malekith’s invading forces in his War of the Realms.
When Malekith slayed Brunnhilde on the battlefield and Ren found out, she realized that Annabelle was gone. Skurge offered her words of comfort but they did nothing. Ren was crushed and ran off. While sobbing, Clea appeared suddenly beckoning Ren into a portal to rescue Annabelle. Confused and thinking her dead, Ren hesitated. Clea explained how Annabelle had previously died and how she magically merged Annabelle with Valkyrie, but they were two bodies, they couldn’t exist in the material plane at the same time, which meant that Annabelle was safe in a pocket realm in the mists surrounding Valhalla. Some of the Asgardians of the Galaxy joined her to save Annabelle and when they arrived, they faced warrior ghosts, who were trapped outside of paradise. Clea advised Ren to reach out to Annabelle using their connection. She sensed her location and upon finding her, used her powers to defend her from the angered ghostly forms. Annabelle kissed her and refused to run from the fight on Earth, so they returned to face Malekith and his forces. Thanks to Annabelle’s new teammate, weapons maker Urzuul, she entered the battle with Uru metal gauntlets, which enhanced her abilities and while they won the battle, they lost some of their allies.
