U-FOES

 

U-FOES

Roster (right-to-left): Vector (Simon Utrecht), Vapor (Ann Darnell), X-Ray (James Darnell), and Ironclad (Michael Steel)

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #254, December 1980

Powers: Scientist Michael Steel identified a window where the conditions which created the Fantastic Four could be duplicated. So former U.S. Representative and wealthy industrialist Simon Utrecht hired him to design, build and fly a spaceship. Accompanied by life support specialist Ann Darnell and her brother, propulsion engineer James "Jimmy" Darnell, the foursome rocketed into the cosmic rays and were altered on mutagenic levels.

Vector was mutated into a bizarre appearance, with a kaleidoscope of colors and starscapes imprinted on his skin. He gained a telekinetic vectoring power, allowing him to apply kinetic momentum to objects in order to attract or repel them on command. He traditionally used his power to repel opponents directly (like Iron Man's repulsor rays), or tag various objects in his vicinity and send them flying at his target. He can also radiate his power as a repulsor field, deflecting any and all material objects or energy beams that come close to him. Concentrated releases of his power can tunnel through solid rock or metal, and flay the skin off of the Incredible Hulk's body. With controlled manipulation of his power he can levitate and move objects along at any speed or direction he chooses, moving heavy objects where he wants them to go or assuming control of projectiles or energy beams fired at him, redirecting them towards a new target. By repulsing himself from the ground underneath him, he is able to hover and fly at will.

Vapor converted into a living gaseous state after receiving her powers, and can only transform back to solid human for brief periods of time, with concentration. She is unaffected by gravity in her gas form, and can fly and waft about under her own power. Also, she cannot be harmed by physical impact or injury, though certain things like fire or electricity can still affect her gaseous form at times. Vapor can transmogrify herself into any gas she can imagine, from base elements to artificial chemicals: Hydrogen, oxygen, mustard gas, chlorine, cyanide, etc. As a result, she has a number of different powers based on her current state, including providing atmosphere to breathe when there is none, inducing unconsciousness as a narcotic or anaerobic gas, causing intense irritation and burning in the eyes and lungs, becoming acid in order to eat through metal, and so on. Depending on the type of gas she becomes, Vapor can even become invisible to the naked eye and have no identifiable odor to give away her presence.

X-Ray was transformed into a being of hard radiation. His default state is x-rays, but he can alter his radiation output to various different wavelengths at will. Existing only as pure energy, he requires no food, oxygen, or rest, and is unaffected by most forms of physical assault, suffering only psychosomatic pain when struck by sufficient force. By relaxing his hard radiation form, he can become intangible, and can turn invisible as well by shifting out of the visible spectrum of light. He is able to fly at the speed of light, and release his energy as concentrated radiation blasts, generating different levels of light, heat, hard radiation force, and of course intense radiation which can cause electronic interference or radiation poisoning. If necessary, he could produce extremely specific forms of radiation, such as different doses of gamma rays to trigger or reverse the Hulk's transformations.

Ironclad changed into a man made of living metal after the crash. He initially had a rough and uneven appearance, but later shifted to a smooth metallic skin. He possessed Superhuman Class 50 strength and considerable resistance to physical injury in his normal state, and had the power to increase his mass at will by accessing an extra-dimensional source. This would temporarily magnify his strength and durability even further, allowing him to pin people or objects down by pressing on them, and make him virtually immovable no matter what level of impact was directed at him. He could also decrease his mass, making him lighter than normal so that he could leap great distances into the air.