Katya Belyakov (Russian: Катя Белякова) was an Inhuman who was subjected to Terrigenesis by her mother Eva without any of the proper mental preparation, developing sensory manipulation powers that drove her insane. She and her mother then used their respective abilities to cause carnage in Bahrain, forcing S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Melinda May to go and challenge them, eventually killing them both.
"I saw a darkness within the girl. I didn't think she should go through the Mist, but Eva wanted Katya to receive her birthright. She trusted her judgment over mine. Katya was too young. She went insane. With one touch, she leeched off emotions like a parasite."
Katya Belyakov received her Inhuman traits through her mother, Eva Belyakov, who requested that Katya be exposed to the Terrigen Mist in order to "receive her birthright," despite her young age. However, Jiaying noticed something sinister within Katya and thus deemed her unsuitable for Terrigenesis. In response, an outraged Eva, foolishly trusting her own judgment over Jiaying's, stole a number of Terrigen Crystals and exposed Katya to the Mist herself. The sudden powers, without proper mental preparation, drove young Katya to insanity. Through her gift, she was able to feel the emotions of other humans through a single touch, and also control them.[1]
During the incident in Bahrain, Katya acted innocent in order to gain the upper hand. She easily put local mobsters and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents under her control, while Eva prepared to kill. Katya watched as her mother fought Melinda May, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent sent in after her team, and was defeated. Devastated and angry that May killed her mother, Katya tried to convince May to take her hand, so she could "feel her pain" and kill her. In order to protect all the agents, May was forced to shoot the girl. Following Katya's death, May cradled the child in her arms, traumatized by what she had done.[1]
Legacy[]
Melinda May's Trauma[]
Shaken by what she had done, May was no longer the warm and fearless agent she once was. Apart from her team, very few people rarely saw what she truly felt on the inside. Her marriage with Dr. Andrew Garner quickly deteriorated; she no longer shared his desire to start a family, nor did she welcome any gestures of physical affection from Garner. Soon after, May chose to work an office job for S.H.I.E.L.D. instead of being out in the field.[1]
May was only able to fully recover from the incident when her experiences in the Framework revealed to her what would have happened had she sparedKatya. Within the Framework, that Katya's actions led to a world ruled by HYDRA where all Inhumans were tarred with the same brush as her and persecuted as a result. When Kora later confronted May over Katya, May was able to defend herself by retorting that Katya "would have done worse" had she spared her.[2][3]
Inhuman Tale[]
"Katya had to be stopped, but not by S.H.I.E.L.D. She was my responsibility." "You made the rules. Now you're afraid they'll think you broke them for me." "Our people know too well what a woman will do for her daughter."
The tragedy became a cautionary tale for the Inhumans of Afterlife, recounted by Jiaying to her own daughter Skye years later.[1]
Powers[]
"What you did was sickening. She was just a child." "She would have done worse. Isn't that what your list is about?" "She had a power that she couldn't control. That wasn't her fault." "She fed off suffering. Do you?"
Inhuman Physiology: Katya Belyakov was an Inhuman who achieved her genetic potential after undergoing Terrigenesis, gaining superhuman powers. She obtained her powers when her mother, Eva Belyakov, stole Terrigen Crystals for her daughter.
Sense Manipulation:
Belyakov executing several of her slaves
Belyakov had the power to feel and manipulate the senses of others, including pain. She was able to control these senses to the point of complete physical and mental domination. She inflicted this ability upon others through physical contact, and, if she desired it, could shut down all human sense completely, killing those under her control.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Episode 7.11: Brand New Day (mentioned; alternate universe)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Episode 2.17: Melinda (flashbacks)
