THE FINAL HORSEMEN

 

THE FINAL HORSEMEN

Roster: (l to r) Famine V (Jeb Lee), Death VII (Sanjar Javeed), Pestilence VI (Ichisumi) and War VI (Decimus Furius)

First Appearances: Uncanny X-Force (Vol. 1) #1, December 2010 (Famine V and War VI); Uncanny X-Force (Vol. 1) #2, January 2011 (Pestilence VI and Death VII)

History/Powers: The Final Horsemen were a set of mutants culled from throughout history by Apocalypse and Ozymandias to be the ultimate group of Horsemen when the proper time came. When a potential member was identified, Apocalypse had them indoctrined in his ways and placed in stasis until they were needed.

Jeb Lee, a Confederate spy during the American Civil War in Gettysburg in 1863 A.D., became Famine. His mutant power manifested when his family was burned alive due to a case of mistaken identity. He could generate a bio-auditory cancer, a psionic signature that consumed living matter, causing organisms to waste away and atrophy. Humans affected by the cancer could be incapacitated by hunger pains and the general weakening and decay of their bodies. While potentially lethal, the effects could be reversed relatively quickly by escaping from Famine's range and consuming enough food. The effect was transmitted via sound waves, and required a repetitive and continuous rhythm to properly direct it. Famine used his army drum to typically focus his power, but could direct it through any form of rhythm, even tapping his fingers. Lee could direct the bio-auditory cancer to only affect specific targets within hearing range if he chose.

Sanjar Javeed, the illegitimate son of King Shapur II of Persia, became the "Seraph of Death" in 4th century (325 A.D.) Persia, before Apocalypse claimed this Death as his own. Death generated an ailment aura, a psionic field which simulated the effects of various lethal diseases, bacteria, and pathogens. The effects were focused through physical contact with metal -- different forms of metal allowed him to generate different kinds of ailments, and so he wore various metal rings to have easy access to various possibilities. Sanjar only psionically simulated the effects of each ailment, he did not actually infect his victims with the pox or other diseases. The body was merely "tricked" into acting as if it had been infected. Leaving Death's immediate range would cause the effects to rapidly vanish from his victims' bodies, but staying in his range too long would cause his victims to expire, simulated ailment or not.

Ichisumi, Pestilence, was originally a geisha from 19th century (1833 A.D.) Kumamoto, Japan. Her mutation cultivated a symbiotic swarm of Yume death beetles inside her body. These beetles could be expelled from her throat cavity with significant force. They were ravenously carnivorous flesh-eaters, able to strip a man down to his bones in a matter of seconds. When the beetles returned to Ichisumi, they shared sensory impressions with her, making her conscious of everything the beetles saw or experienced while separated from her.

War was once known as Decimus Furius, of 3rd century Rome (281 A.D.). He transformed upon puberty into gigantic minotaur of living stone, possessing superhuman strength, endurance, and resistance to all kinds of physical injury. Furius drew further strength from his so-called "warsong". While in an aggressive state, War's directed fury created a kind of psychic armor that permeated his body, significantly increasing his invulnerability. It also protected his mind from mental assault, and threatened to infect telepaths if they tried to force their way into his mind. War could also deliberately infect other people with his "warsong" -- often using his axe or another weapon as a delivery system -- causing them to experience a violent and uncontrollable rage for a period of time. If he should lose his focus and his fury in battle, however, Furius would become vulnerable. Hesitation could even cause his stone body to shatter into pieces, although he could eventually reform himself.