Ming-Hua

Ming-Hua is an armless waterbending fugitive, previously held in a maximum security facility monitored by the Order of the White Lotus until she escaped with the assistance of Zaheer and Ghazan in 171 AG.

History
In 158 AG, Ming-Hua was involved in an attempt to kidnap Avatar Korra, which led to her detainment in a cell situated above a volcano that deprived her of any sources of water. Thirteen years later, she was liberated following an attack on the prison by Zaheer and Ghazan, during which she was given enough water to create tentacle-like prosthetic arms to allow for her escape. After using pressurized water to open her cell, Ming-Hua used her prosthesis to assist Zaheer and Ghazan in defeating the remaining sentries. Once the guards were all immobilized, Ming-Hua thanked her companions for freeing her, stating she was flattered to have been liberated before P'Li. The threesome subsequently set out toward the Northern Water Tribe to free the last member of their group.

Shortly after arriving at P'Li's prison under the cover of a snowstorm, Ming-Hua began to dash toward the facility while swiftly avoiding a series of ice bullets from Desna and Eska. The twins attempted to trap Ming-Hua by conjuring a barrage of iceberg spikes, though she navigated through them with ease by using her water-like arm projections before trapping the two waterbenders in columns of ice. She proceeded to leap into the air to gather enough momentum to turn herself into an ice drill, which she subsequently used to tunnel underground in order to reach P'Li's cell. After defeating the sentries posted outside the firebender's cell, Ming-Hua froze the door, making it brittle enough to open with waterbending. She promptly released P'Li from her restraints and the two headed back to the surface, where they defeated the rest of their opponents before fleeing the scene with Zaheer and Ghazan.

The four made their way to Republic City, where they sought refuge in an apartment complex located in one of the several districts overran with spirit vines. She was involved in devising a plan to attack President Raiko, which was inevitably abandoned after Zaheer was discovered infiltrating Air Temple Island, compromising the four criminals. In order to leave the city, the four ambushed a delivery man, whom Ming-Hua threatened to hurt with an icicle if he refused to cooperate. The four headed out of the city via Kyoshi Bridge, which was barricaded by officers in search of Ming-Hua and her associates. While questioned by the officers, the truck driver Ming-Hua held hostage wavered in his response, prompting the officers to force him outside of the vehicle to open the back of the truck. Having been discovered, Zaheer used airbending to temporarily fend off the police, while Ming-Hua drove the truck out of the city using her water prosthesis.

Following their escape, the four criminals temporarily camped in a forest outside of the city to discuss a way to find the Avatar. Ming-Hua expressed her regret over not having taken one of the officers hostage, as she believed that the police would have known about Korra's whereabouts. Shortly after being reassured by P'Li that they would find her in due time, Ming-Hua was startled to hear exclaim that the Avatar was with the Metal Clan in Zaofu.

Abilities
Despite her lack of arms to perform complex fluid motions necessary in waterbending, Ming-Hua makes use of her body to create two tentacle-like arms strong enough to support her body weight when used as makeshift cables. The ease and fluidity with which she maneuvers her body allows her to maintain projections at great lengths without jeopardizing strength or control, to the extent where she can bend the tips of her tentacle-like arms to bear appendages capable of grabbing someone by the neck from a distance and tossing him across the room without breaking. Essentially, Ming-Hua's use of water tendrils as makeshift prosthesis allow her to overcome her disability and perform otherwise impossible feats, such as driving.



As a testament to her skill, Ming-Hua is able to locally freeze portions of her prosthesis, in effect fashioning the tips of her makeshift arms into an assortment of weapons which she utilizes in combat. The extent of her resourcefulness as a bender is also evident by her use of the body as a weapon in general, as she is able to gather enough momentum to turn herself into an ice drill capable of tunnelling underground. Ming-Hua is also very agile, capable of evading a series of ice bullets with ease and navigating through numerous iceberg spikes with little difficulty.

Trivia

 * Ming-Hua is the third known bender to have a physical disability, the others being Toph Beifong and Combustion Man.