During the disappearance of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (after the Onslaught crossover), the Masters of Evil, Moonstone (as Meteorite) included, posed as the new hero team called the Thunderbolts.
It was written by Jim Zub and drawn by Jon Malin, the team consists of Moonstone, The Winter Soldier, the Fixer, Atlas and MACH-V.[17] The comic was cancelled after twelve issues due to the Secret Empire event.
Despite building a successful practice as a psychologist and psychiatrist, Karla so disliked being dependent on her patients for income that she entered the super-criminal world as an aide to Doctor Faustus.
[23] Karla Sofen worked briefly for the Corporation, controlling the Hulk and manipulating General Thunderbolt Ross into a nervous breakdown.
She participated in the Masters of Evil's takeover of Avengers Mansion,[29] but attempted to manipulate the mentally damaged Blackout to her side to take position of team leader from Zemo.
She subsequently battled Captain Marvel, but this confrontation ended with her being temporarily paralyzed when she crashed into a cliff during the fight and broke her neck.
[35] When Baron Zemo formed a group of villains to masquerade as heroes, Sofen was broken out of the Vault and she reluctantly returned to villainy as Meteorite, a member of the Thunderbolts.
[35] Upon encountering a young victim of Arnim Zola's genetic manipulations, a youngster by the name of Jolt, Meteorite nudged Zemo into accepting her in the team.
Moonstone, however, turned the tables, complimenting the fact that Hawkeye trained four hours a day to maintain peak human physical performance.
[51] The Supreme Intelligence revealed to her that the fragment she referred to as the "moonstone" was part of a Kree Lifestone, which was used to empower the Guardians of the Galaxy centuries ago.
[52] Ajes'ha the Kree warrior woman that haunted her dreams was the previous owner of the moonstone, whose memory was etched into it, and kept steering Karla into the path of heroism.
[54] Lifting hundreds of cities all over the world in a misguided attempt to reshape Earth into a semblance of his face, the Thunderbolts re-formed to stop him, only to find Karla at his side.
[volume & issue needed] While trapped on Counter-Earth, Karla was given the task of reshaping the minds of the world's leaders, creating a new way of thought to ensure the survival of all.
[volume & issue needed] When the Avengers later interfered in the Thunderbolts' plan to control the world's "transnormal energy", a failsafe was triggered; a device that Karla had planted in her private plot against Zemo.
[volume & issue needed] Later the Commission on Superhuman Activities brought her body to their facility, where she and Songbird became mentally linked through the moonstones' power.
[55] The Director of this team, the semi-insane Norman Osborn, eventually turned to blackmail to force her to join, threatening to remove her moonstone and put her in a coma if she refused.
agents to give Norman placebos rather than the usual medication,[volume & issue needed] and also that when Osborn was gone she planned to 'accidentally' kill Songbird in the field and take over as leader.
[58] Moonstone advised her team not to underestimate his high power level, which they did, when Nova singlehandedly held his own against the Thunderbolts and even survived Penance's hyperkinetic shockwave.
On this member of the Dark Avengers' first mission, Ms. Marvel is seen attacking which blasts Morgana le Fay off a dragon, causing Morgan to die in the present.
[77] Donovan is subsequently killed by Osborn and is revealed to be a creation of the Storyteller whose persona then habits Karla's body as she is fighting Danvers.
Knowing she will die in 72 hours without the moonstone's support, Carol hides it at the gravesite of Sofen's mother and gives her the opportunity to reexamine her life and stand against Osborn.
[86] Prior to the attack on Asgard, Moonstone is approached by Mac Gargan, telling Karla of waking up 'sticky' after dreams and was wondering if she could help Venom.
[98] During the "Opening Salvo" part of the Secret Empire storyline, Moonstone defected to the Masters of Evil after Winter Soldier was sent back in time to World War II and Kobik was shattered.
[99] Moonstone's powers derive from a Kree gravity stone (found on Earth's moon), charged with unknown energy and bonded to her nervous system.
[102][103] She can project laser-like energy beams from her hands (able to penetrate steel plates), and has shown the ability to discharge non-coherent light in a blinding flash.
[104] Additionally, her bond with the stone grants her superhuman strength, stamina, speed and reflexes, as well as enhanced healing sufficient to recover her from a broken neck with enough time.
Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek stated, "With Dark Avengers being the antithesis of early Thunderbolts, you have Karla Sofen as the common factor, existing on both teams.
"[110] Peter Eckhardt of CBR.com wrote, "Though a master manipulator like the Enchantress, Sofen holds little goals beyond gaining more personal power and status.
During her stints as a member Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil and Norman Osborne's Thunderbolts, she is shown to be the most competent baddie, almost defeating the Avengers on several occasions.
[123] In the miniseries Old Man Hawkeye, Moonstone was a member of the Thunderbolts who betrayed and killed the Avengers, and hid herself in the Canadian Rockies after disagreements with Baron Zemo.