Lady Deathstrike was born as Kamiko Yashida. She grew up with a fascination of metals and materials, their composition, and human biology. When she was old enough, she attended the University of Tokyo and received her Doctorate degrees in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering and Biology. Shortly thereafter, she was contracted by an anonymous agency to research rare and unusual metals. She relocated to a remote facility, where she was deeply involved with the discovery and refinement of adamantium.