HOPE SUMMERS

 

HOPE SUMMERS

Real Name: Hope Summers (born Spalding)

First Appearance: X-Men (Vol. 2) #205, January 2008

Powers: Hope Summers is an omega-level mutant uniquely connected to the mutant race in ways not fully understood. Hope was specifically designed by the Phoenix-Force to restart mutant evolution on Earth. Her very birth triggered the resurgence of the mutant gene in humanity despite the reality-altering Decimation mandate of the Scarlet Witch that prevented new mutants from being born or manifesting anywhere across realities.

During the period of time before the Decimation was reversed, Hope had a number of unique attributes. Other mutants only manifested after Hope returned to the present timeline and manifested her own powers. These manifestations were only partial, requiring Hope to make physical contact with these neo-mutants, or "Lights", before their abilities could fully develop. Hope also had a superhuman level of control or influence over the Lights. Their devotion to her manifested in different ways: Velocidad was attracted to her, Zero saw her as a muse, Primal identified her as "master", etc. They naturally felt inclined to do what she wanted and be what she wanted them to be in her presence. Direct commands from Hope could override their willpower entirely. Hope also had some level of influence over the rest of the mutant race, to varying effect. When talking to the Stepford Cuckoos, one seemed highly taken with Hope, one ambivalent, and the last rejected her. Since the Decimation spell was undone by Hope and Wanda, these unique attributes of Hope's existence no longer seem applicable. New mutants manifest without her assistance, and she no longer demonstrates any influence over the Lights or others.

Her own mutant power is "pluripotent echopraxia", allowing her to duplicate the powers of other mutants in her vicinity by replicating their mutatgenic auras. Hope can copy multiple power signatures simultaneously, the upper limit of which is unknown. She is able to access other mutants' abilities so long as she is in their presence. Once she leaves their presence, Hope maintains her copied powers based on how often she uses them.

Active use of a copied power set can cause her to lose those abilities in a matter of hours after leaving the original's presence. If she chooses not to use the power set, however, those abilities may remain in her system for days until she chooses to use them. Hope copies the current state of another mutant's powers, for good or ill. For instance, when Cable was given an injection of the Volga effect that made his powers lethally unstable, Hope copying his powers made them unstable in her body as well. Hope can demonstrate the abilities of any pre- or post-Decimation mutant. She can manifest multiple abilities at once and can manifest mutation in latent mutants. Post-Decimation new mutants experienced only partial development of their powers, or were unable to control their abilities consciously, until Hope made physical contact with them and caused their mutation to fully manifest. In addition to mimicry, she can activate and direct the powers of mutants nearby, or improve those abilities (alone or in synergy with other mutants).