Ayesha

"Don't screw with the Souvereign!"

- Ayesha

High Priestess Ayesha is the secondary antagonist in the 2017 movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Ayesha is the High Priestess of the Souvereign, a proud, genetically-perfected species who view all other species as inferior. After hiring the Guardians of the Galaxy for a job and learning that the Guardians have stolen from them, Ayesha orders the Guardian's elimination.

She is portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki, who also portrayed Victoria Vinciguerra.

Employing the Guardians of the Galaxy
Ayesha hires the Guardians of the Galaxy to protect her people's energy batteries from being destroyed by an alien monster. The Guardians succeed in killing the beast and protecting the batteries and thus return to Ayesha to collect their reward.

During the audience, Ayesha thanks the Guardians for risking their lives for the batteries but also explains that they were only hired because the Souvereign consider themselves too precious for risking their own. Gamora then reminds Ayesha that they were promised something in return for their services and true to her word, Ayesha has the payment brought to them - Gamora's sister Nebula. Ayesha reveals that Nebula was apprehended while trying to steal the batteries and tells Gamora to do with her as she pleases. Before the Guardians turn to leave, Ayesha asks about Star Lord's heritage and he replies that while his mother is from earth, he does not know his father. Ayesha calls Peter an unorthodox geneology hybrid. While Ayesha is talking, Rocket ironically claims that he was told that the Souvereign were douchbags but that this is not true at all. This shocks and insults the proud souvereign and the Guardians leave before they can insult the Souvereign even more. However, it is revealed that Rocket secretly stole some of the batteries.

When the Souvereign learn that they have been robbed, Ayesha order the Guardian's termination. A fifty ship strong Souvereign fleet immediatly starts pursuing their spaceship but they are all destroyed by the mysterious Ego. After the destruction of the fleet, Ayesha and a group of Souvereign track down Yondu Udonta and his Ravagers, employing them to capture the Guardians and bring them to the Souvereign instead.

Revenge on the Guardians
After the Ravagers are all killed, Ayesha sends a vast fleet of Souvereign warships after the Guardians. They arrive at Ego's planet and attack the Guardians while they are about to destroy Ego's core. Cornering their ship with their spaceships, Ayesha briefly informs the Guardians that they will be destroyed as a warning for all others who intend to betray the Souvereign. She then orders her troops to fire onto the starship but Yondu and Nebula manage to create an enormous blast of energy rays that destroys most of the Souvereign ships. Realizing that her perfect brethren are being slaughtered by the Guardians, Ayesha furiously screams and rages inside the command ship.

Back at the Souvereign base, Ayesha looks onto her newest genetic creation, claiming that she will call it Adam.

Trivia

 * The post-credit scene reveals that Ayesha is responsible for the creation of Adam Warlock.