MUTANT FORCE

 

MUTANT FORCE

Roster (from left to right): Burner (Byron Calley), Lifter (Ned Lathrop), Peeper (Peter Quinn), Shocker II (Randall Darby), and Slither (Aaron Salomon)

First Appearance: Captain America Annual (Vol. 1) #4, November 1977

History & Powers: Originally gathered by Magneto as the second incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the primary five mutant members were abandoned by Magneto and eventually fell in with the mutant criminal known as Mandrill who rebranded them as Mutant Force. They served as mercenaries under several organizations, including Mandrill's Fem Force and Professor Power's Secret Empire. The group later became the Resistants during the 1980s to oppose the Mutant Registration Act, but eventually returned to operating as Mutant Force before M-Day stripped some of them of their powers.

The Burner was born with the mutant power to psionically manipulate combustion. He can increase the temperature of objects or areas in his vicinity, igniting fires with the power of his mind. He can produce streams of flame as blasts from his hands. He can also psionically retard combustion, decreasing the size and temperature of flames in his vicinity. His ability to induce and retard combustion was effective on matter within his line-of-sight at a distance of approximately 200 feet. His power automatically douses any flame that comes within one foot of him, making him immune to the effects of heat and burning, from his own power and otherwise. Byron Calley is a master chess player with one year of college education.

The Lifter has the mutant power to infuse his body with graviton or anti-graviton forces. A plus-G effect gives the equivalent of increasing his density, augmenting his physical strength and durability to varying degrees. A negative-G effect allows him to produce anti-gravity on contact, rendering anything he touches weightless and thus easy to lift, carry, and throw. After taking on his Meteorite identity, he developed the power to move objects affected by his g-force through will alone, without the need for physical contact. He often transported his teammates around on top of a giant chunk of rock levitated and propelled by his gravity power, provided he remained in contact with it.

The Peeper has mutant enhancements to his optic nerves, making his eyesight superior to that of any human. He can clearly see objects from either many miles away or in miniature scale up close, and even see through objects. He can also fire beams of destructive energy from his eyes. The Peeper's mutation also grants him overly large eyes, slightly protruding and pointed ears, and a slightly stooped posture.

Shocker II has the mutant ability to generate large amounts of bio-electricity in his body, which he can then release as bolts of static energy from his hands or shape into intense force fields that cover wide areas (as large as an aircraft hangar). His hands and feet have been naturally or cybernetically replaced with two-pronged pincer claws.

Slither is a mutant with a serpentine physiology. His head resembles that of a snake, complete with diamond shaped pupils, a snake-like tongue, and rows of razor sharp teeth. His long neck resembles a snake's body. Although the rest of his body is humanoid in shape, he has green reptilian scales covering every inch of his body. He speaks with a pronounced hiss and often crouches or crawls rather than standing or walking erect. Slither's body is somewhat elastic and capable of stretching out upon his command. He often uses this power to elongate his arms, legs, or neck, and wrap his limbs around someone to immobilize them or constrict in order to apply crushing amounts of pressure.