Ashake first appeared in The New Mutants #32 (1985), created by Chris Claremont and Steve Leialoha. She is an ancient Egyptian sorceress and servant of the goddess Ma’at (Oshtur), the mother of Agamotto, one of the Vishanti. Ashake resembles her direct descendant, Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm of the X-Men. Ashake is one of the white-haired, blue-eyed priestesses who are ancestors of Ororo, along with Ayesha of Balobedu, the rain queen from the Hyborian Age.

Ashake aided Magik and Mirage when they were lost in time after being attacked by the Shadow King. She used her bone cards, which function similarly to tarot cards, to guide them through the dangers of ancient Egypt. She also helped them fight against Heka-Nut, a renegade sorcerer who sought to steal the Sword of Bone, a powerful artifact that belonged to Oshtur. Ashake could trap Heka-Nut’s power in an urn and return the sword to its rightful place.

Ashake reappeared in the Mystic Arcana mini-series (2007-2008), written by David Sexton and illustrated by Eric Nguyen. She was brought to the present day by Ian McNee, a modern sorcerer who was trying to restore the balance of magic after the events of House of M. Ashake joined forces with Morgan Le Fay and Llyra to free the soul of Heka-Nut from Chthon’s influence and prevent him from using the Darkhold to corrupt magic. Ashake also met her descendant Storm and learned about her role as an X-Man and a queen.

Ashake has not appeared much since then, but she was recently teased as a possible character in the X of Swords event (2020), written by Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard. A mysterious woman who looks like Ashake is shown holding a sword in one of the promotional images for the event, which involves a cosmic tournament between Krakoa and Arakko, two mutant nations. It is not clear yet if this woman is Ashake or another ancestor of Storm, but fans are eager to learn more about her involvement in this epic story.

Ashake is a character who has a lot of potential and depth, as she is connected to both ancient and modern magic, as well as to one of the most popular X-Men characters. She has shown great skill and wisdom as a sorceress and courage and loyalty as a friend and ally. She has also been influenced by various cultures and mythologies, such as Egyptian, African, and Celtic. She is a character who deserves more attention and exploration in the Marvel Comics universe.