SHADOWOMAN

 

SHADOWOMAN

Real Name: Jillian Marie Woods

First Appearance: Quasar (Vol. 1) #45, February 1993

Powers: Jillian Marie Woods has a baseline human who gained superhuman powers at the moment of her death. The lover of Doctor Druid, a small fragment of her ebbing soul was sustained through magic and used to animate her own living shadow via energies from the Darkforce Dimension. She could now appear as flesh and blood, and manifest any set of civilian or costumed garb for herself. Jillian could transform herself into a shade of darkness, immune to physical harm, capable of flight and of passing through solid objects. She could also manifest her shadow-form externally, expelling streams of tangible darkness as blasts from her hands, creating a giant shadow that could cast darkness over wide areas, elongating and enlarging her limbs or transforming them into claws, blades, or tendrils of dark matter. As Sepulcre, she was also capable of creating intangible "zones of null perception" which engulfed her opponents and blocked out all their senses in an area of total blackness and silence. Even the Silver Surfer's cosmic senses muffled by this, and it was suggested that this zone was actually a separate pocket space of reality, meaning an opponent could wander about endlessly within it.

MISTER FEAR

 

MISTER FEAR

Real Name: Alan Fagan

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 1) #92, April 1980

History: A baseline human with no superhuman powers, Alan Fagan is the nephew of Larry Cranston, the original Mister Fear. Upon his uncle's death, Alan was bequeathed his Mister Fear paraphernalia and became a professional criminal.

Mr. Fear's gun shoots pellets containing "fear gas," a compound based on flight scent pheromones; inhalation of the gas induces a gradual state of anxiety, fear and eventual outright panic, theoretically rendering victims incapable of resisting Fear's will.

The pellets rupture on contact, their effect lasting anywhere from five to fifteen minutes depending on each victim's physical constitution, and the gas can also be absorbed through the skin at a slower rate; after effects of edginess and mild nausea can persist for days following exposure. Fear once used a hypodermic ring to inject concentrated dosages of his fear compound and occasionally carries other weapons, such as an enerqy-discharge qun; he briefly wore a protective armored exoskeleton. He has access to pheromone variations, including one which renders him exceptionally appealing to women. Although Fear's skin is saturated with fear pheromones as a result of careless research and use, he seems to derive no superhuman powers from this condition.

BLUE BLAZE

 

BLUE BLAZE

Real Name: Spencer Keen

First Appearance: Mystic Comics (Vol. 1) #1, January 1940

Powers: Originally a baseline human with no superhuman powers, Spencer Keen was a college student in 1852 when his scientist father discovered a flaming azure energy which he dubbed a "blue blaze". Dr. Keen's tests of the "blue blaze" on mice and insects killed them, but those creatures revived months later with enhanced strength and longevity. Shortly thereafter, Spencer was on his way to a masquerade ball wearing a blue costume when a tornado struck his college, killing 85% of the population and striking him with the "blue blaze", leaving him apparently slain. Left in his blue costume during the hasty mass burial and never processed by a mortician, Spencer spent decades in his grave in a form of suspended animation, his strength and durability slowly increasing while he subconsciously monitored the outside world's development via sub-strata dermatic rays. These rays showed him an increasingly corrupt world, and the dormant Keen dreamed of someday battling that corruption. Exactly 88 years after his burial, in 1940 Spencer rose from his grave, foiling grave robbers and adopting the super-hero identity of the Blue Blaze.

The Blue Blaze has Class 100 superhuman strength at peak energy levels, more often manifesting Class 10 strength. Superhumanly durable, he is totally bulletproof. During periods when he returns to his grave, a strange cosmic force periodically renders him intangible and moves him through the Earth to scenes of evil activity, where he rises from the ground and solidifies. If his strength is depleted through exertion or trauma, he can recharge it with a blue flame from his portable lighter.

A gifted amateur scientist he is skilled in physics, chemistry, astronomy and engineering. Keen sometimes wields two handguns. His hidden mountain retreat housed radio equipment, an observatory, a scientific laboratory and devices capable of long-distance energy detection and analysis. His specially modified roadster, said to be supercharged and capable of unlimited speed, may have been an early electric car powered by Keen's own quasi-electrical "blue blaze" energy.

GENOSHA

 

 

GENOSHA

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #235, August 1988

History: Genosha was an Island nation located in the Indian Ocean, east of the African continent, north of the Seychelles Islands, and midway between those islands and Madagascar. For centuries, Genosha served as a haven for corsairs who roved the Indian Ocean, and it is rumored to have been visited by the legendary Sinbad. The island was sailed during the great ages of Western exploration of the African continent and Southeast Asia. Later, Genosha became almost entirely populated by Caucasians, primarily of Anglo-Saxon descent. English was the national language, though there has been no information as to whether Genosha had a native population before it was settled by Westerners.

At first, trade was the basis of the Genoshan economy, facilitated by the superb natural harbor of the island’s Hammer Bay. But then, iron ore and other precious metals were discovered in Genosha’s Ridgeback Mountains, and the steel industry eventually became the leading component of the Genoshan economy. At its peak, Genosha claimed to produce the finest steel on Earth at low cost and with a minimum of pollution. In later years, Genosha was making major strides in computer and space technology. The country was self-sufficient agriculturally, and it was in many respects technologically-advanced over even nations like the United States.

Genosha’s greatest scientific progress was in the area of genetic engineering, in which it made advances far beyond those of any other nation. It was on Genosha's advances in genetic engineering that much of the rest of the country's economy was based. For Genosha, although described by its government and mass media as "a green and pleasant land”, was in fact, a technocratic nation whose socio-economic infrastructure was built on the backs of its superhuman mutant population. The Genoshan government’s Genetics Directorate, which supervised its genetic engineering operations, was headed by an official known as the Genegineer. The most prominent Genegineer was a scientist named Dr. David Moreau. Moreau, a patriotic scientisit, endeavored to serve his country. When the mutant known as the Sugar Man from the reality of Earth-295 crossed over into Earth-616’s Genosha over 20 years prior to the present, he brought with him knowledge of genetic engineering taught to him by Mr. Sinister of Earth-295. In exchange for a secluded power base, he gave his knowledge to Dr. Moreau, allowing him to implement a process which turns mutants into slaves known as the Mutate Bonding Process.

As per policy, all Genoshan citizens were examined by the government at the age of 13 for signs of active or latent mutant abilities. Those adolescents who proved to have mutant abilities were forced into government service. The young mutants were subjected to genetic engineering to enhance their mutant abilities or to alter those abilities into ones the government believes will be more serviceable to its needs. For example, the young Genoshan mutant Jennifer Ransome possessed a mutant psionic ability to reshape flesh that would have enabled her to perform medical work. However, since the Genoshan government claimed to have a surplus healers, her ability was altered into psionic power to reshape rock, stone, and steel, which would be useful for the mining and steel industries. The Genoshan government asserted that its requirement that a mutant enter its official labor force was not slavery, but a form of service comparable to the draft in other nations. The Genoshan government insisted that the mutants must sacrifice their own freedom of action to benefit the vast majority of Genoshan citizens and the mutants were treated well.

In actuality, however, the Genoshan mutants were slaves who were subjected to treatment that was in many ways more inhumane than that of perhaps any other enslaved race in Earth's history. Genoshan mutants subjected to the Mutate Bonding Process were known as “Mutates” and the Process consisted of the following: First, they were not allowed to be called by name. Instead, they were identified by code numbers which were tattooed to their foreheads. In most cases, Mutates, both male and female, were forced to keep their heads shaven. Mutates had "skinsuits" permanently bonded to their bodies that cover them except for their heads or, in some cases, their faces. The skinsuits made their wearers identifiable as mutants. The skinsuits served to protect the mutants from injury and the elements, and were "sealed systems" which recycled bodily wastes.

The skinsuits also prevented the mutants from engaging in sexual intercourse. However, the Genegineer extracted genetic material from the mutants in order to create clones to his specifications, who would grow up to have superhuman abilities. The clones grew to the point of birth in an area called the *creche" in the Citadel of the Genetics Directorate.

Finally, Genoshan mutants were subjected to psionic brainwashing and removal of their memories. The Genegineer devised a new set of memories which were then imprinted on the mutant's mind psionically. By these means, the government intended to make the mutant slaves more submissive; in fact, however, the process proved ineffective in suppressing the slaves hatred towards their oppressors.

At least one session of the Mutate Bonding Process also included psychokinetic conditioning, during which a Mutate’s will was bound to a specific Magistrate in a master/slave relationship, so that they would never disobey.

After the mutant slaves completed their work for their human masters for the day, they boarded a train called the "M-Special," which transported them to the Mutant Settlement Zone, an area of Genosha that lied on the other side of the Ridgeback Mountains, which bisect the island, from the area in which non-mutant Genoshans live. The Mutant Settlement Zone was, in effect, an enormous prison camp.

Armed guards known as Magistrates, belonging to Genosha's Security Directorate, forced the mutant slaves to obey the government's dictates, and hunt down and capture any mutant who attempts escape. Genosha's Chief Magistrate was a woman named Anderson a team of Magistrates comprised of willing Genoshan mutants known as the Press Gang hunted down rebellious escaped mutants in special cases. It was Genoshan policy that Genoshan citizenship was permanent and recognized no emigration policy. Hence, the Press Gang would forcibly return a Genoshan living outside his or her native land to Genosha.

The Mutate population was comprised of several hundred individuals out of the total population of ten million. The general populace of Genosha remained unaware of many of the details concerning the treatment of Genoshan mutants. Only members of the Genoshan Genetics and Security Directorates were permitted to see the Mutant Settlement Zone. However, since mutant slaves operated throughout Genosha, it must be pointed out that the majority of Genoshan citizens simply ignored the dehumanizing treatment of the mutants. Most Genoshan parents whose children were forced to leave them forever to enter the slave labor force tolerate and perhaps even approved of their fates. The Genoshan government guarded the secrets of its advances in genetic engineering, fearing lest they be stolen by other nations, who would then use them to create a mutant slave labor force of their own to facilitate competition with the Genoshan economy.

Ultimately, the Genoshan government crossed paths with the mutant heroes the X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants, resulting in the defeat of the mutant-oppressive regime. The military quickly assumed temporary control of the government pending lawful elections, which resulted in a new pro-mutant government operating under sanctions imposed by the United Nations, despite Genosha having invested billions of dollars into the United States.

Soon after, the return of Magneto panicked the human Genoshans who feared this would incite their former slaves to rebel. A decision was made to eradicate the Mutates, but they fought back and the country descended into civil war. Magneto's former Acolyte Fabian Cortez attempted to take advantage of the situation and proclaimed himself leader of the rebellion. Following the assassination of the entire Genoshan government, Cortez declared himself president; however, his rule was brief as he was soon seemingly slain by Magneto's self-proclaimed successor Exodus, and the civil war was soon after quelled through the efforts of the X-Men and the Avengers. A new bipartisan government was formed by former mutate Jennifer Ransome and her lover Phillip Moreau, son of the Genoshan Genegineer. Mutate rights were soon restored; however, they refused to work without pay and as such the Genoshan economy collapsed, plunging the nation into another civil war.

When Magneto threatened the world with magnetic EMP waves, rendering any technology useless, the U.N. decided to offer him the opportunity to take over Genosha, believing he’d be too preoccupied with the country’s inner problems to pose a danger to the rest of the world. The United Nations-imposed sanctions continued after Magneto was ceded sovereignty of the country; however, after much rebuilding and reparation, Genosha sought the sanctions be lifted and that they be granted access to international monetary assistance to which end the United Nations (UN) appointed Magneto's daughter, the Scarlet Witch to act as an independent observer. Upon hearing of Magneto's imminent arrival on the island, many humans fled rather than live under his rule.

He also demanded that the United Nations honor his sovereignty, destroying their spy satellites and reconnaissance planes as a warning, and followed that up by announcing that he intended to close Genosha's borders completely. Magneto began a rebuilding process, facing a range of problems including an imminent famine, the Legacy Virus, and a new resistance movement operating out of the small fishing port of Carrion Cove, which he soon crushed after regaining his full powers. After the release of a cure for the Legacy Virus, Magneto found himself with a veritable army of Mutates and mutant immigrants with which to wage war on mankind; however, his plans were thwarted by the X-Men.

Later, Charles Xavier's genetic twin sister Cassandra Nova unleashed giant Sentinel robots on Genosha, decimating the island and its population. The island was placed under global interdict, with a security cordon set up to prevent anyone from leaving. Seeking to atone for the sins of his twin, Xavier left the X-Men to assist the survivors in rebuilding the nation, despite electronic devices no longer working on the island. Joined by Magneto, Xavier gathered a small band of heroes to aid in the reconstruction and oppose such threats as Unus and his gang, former Magistrates, Stripmine's scavengers, and the returned Sugar Man, as well as aiding neighboring nation Zanzibar against the Weaponeers. After a reality warp created by the Scarlet Witch (House of M), Xavier was missing and Magneto and his fellow Genoshan mutants were depowered.

After being repowered by Quicksilver's use of the Inhuman' Terrigen Mists, the majority of mutants left the island, leaving Magneto alone. He was later repowered by the Collective, but was subsequently seemingly killed in an explosion after a battle with the Avengers. He was later revealed to be alive, however, Genosha's reconstruction remains unfinished.

SANTA CLAUS

 

SANTA CLAUS

Real Name: Santa Claus

First Appearance: Strange Tales (Vol. 1) #34, February 1955

Powers: The history and powers of the man known as Santa Claus are wrapped in legend and possibly originate from a number of different beings. Though once registered as a mutant, part of his abilities appear to be mystical in origin, making it difficult to attribute his abilities to either source. In any case, Santa Claus's powers are the following:

Teleportation: Santa doesn’t fit down a chimney by converting his mass into a highly malleable state, nor does he do so by manipulating his bodily spatial dimensions. Instead, he converts his own matter into particles and then provides them a direction to travel in. He’s capable of carrying nearby people and objects with him as he teleports, and apparently does this through a general radius effect rather than pinpointing specific targets to transport. He commands a sleigh pulled by a number of magic flying reindeer - including Blitzen (a.k.a. Blixem & Blixen), Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Donner (a.k.a. Dunder & Donder), Prancer, Rudolph and Vixen - and can also focus this ability through his reindeer, allowing him to travel the world in one night via sub-light speeds.

Immortality: Santa Claus and his reindeer all possess a stunted aging process. This gives them extended lifespans and renders their bodies nearly immune to the normal progression of vitality, making them impervious to the effects of aging.

Santa Sack: An unassuming bag that appears to be full of gifts is actually a portal to a dimensional void. Powered by his prescience, Santa can reach into his bag and retrieve any number of items (gifts, toys, etc.). This dimensional space is apparently infinite in its storage capacity.

Omnipathic Prescience: Though not a telepath, Santa is psionically attuned to the specific thoughts of the Earth’s entire population. Apparently, he projects waves of psionic energy into his environment that affixes itself to the lobes of human brains that govern morality. The waves analyze the benevolence and malevolence of people’s actions and relay that information back to Santa, allowing him to determine who’s been “naughty or nice” as well as their material wishes. The range of this ability is worldwide. This data is streamed into his mind faster than he can consciously and accurately scan it all. Though the information is present in his mind, it requires a combination of meditation, effort, and sheer willpower for him to locate and extract specific information upon command. He uses his elves to help him catalog all the data he’s ever been exposed to, allowing him to summon information in his mind at will by merely focusing on it. He also radiates a subtle, charismatic, charming effect on people, able to soften hardened hearts and convert criminals.

Matter Manipulation: Santa can manipulate the molecular structure of the matter comprising his bag’s dimensional space. He reshapes matter in accordance to the material wishes of those whom he senses via his prescience. He has transformed this matter into toys, vehicles, books, clothing, food, etc. and retrieves them from the dimensional void when appropriate. He can also manipulate matter according to his own whims, such as altering the size of objects, transforming living organisms into inanimate objects, and even generate snow.

Santa’s Home: Commonly known as “Santa’s Workshop”, his home exists as a pocket dimension adjacent to Earth. There’s an inter-dimensional portal between the workshop and Earth that exists somewhere in the North Pole. Earth’s physical laws apply to Santa’s workshop for the most part and has not been detected by humans for centuries.

Power Limitations: Though functionally immortal, Santa still requires food and breathing for bodily energy. He subconsciously encourages the occupants of the homes he visits on Christmas Eve to leave him cookies and milk. He enjoys the consumption, but uses these nutrients and saccharine molecules to partly maintain his vitality.

SWORDSMAN I

 

SWORDSMAN I

Real Name: Jacques Duquesne

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #19, June 1965

Powers: A baseline human with no superhuman powers, Jacques "Jack" Duquesne was a master of swordsmanship, knife-throwing and the combat use of bladed weapons in general, the Swordsman was an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, acrobat and strategist, with far more combat experience than most other Avengers.

He could even mesmerize or at least distract unwary opponents using the motions of his swinging blade and flashes of reflected light off its metal. He was a skilled pilot of the Avengers' supersonic Quinjets. An experienced thief, he accumulated knowledge of both ancient and modern architecture via many break-ins. During his pre-Avengers career, he wielded two traditional swords, one over a half-century old, but durable enough to slice through most metals; he later wielded a sword equipped with Makluan-based technology operated by buttons on its handle and hilt. This blade could project a concussive force beam, a disintegrating ray, a flame jet, heat rays, electrical bolts, ultra-sonic shockwaves, a ray which disrupted electrical impulses, or nerve gas which induced temporary unconsciousness. The Swordsman occasionally used other bladed weapons as necessary. He was a recovering alcoholic.

HAWKEYE II

 

HAWKEYE II

Real Name: Katherine Elizabeth Bishop

First Appearance: Young Avengers (Vol. 1) #1, February 2005 (As Kate Bishop); Young Avengers (Vol. 1) #12, Jume 2006 (As Hawkeye II)

Powers: Katherine "Kate" Bishop is a baseline human with no superhuman powers. However, she undertook an intensive physical fitness and self-defense training regimen while also studying archery, fencing, kickboxing, and various martial arts. While at Avengers Mansion, she modeled her costume and code-name after Hawkeye, "borrowing" the Swordsman's broadsword, Mockingbird's battle staves, and Hawkeye's bow and quiver of trick arrows.

Mockingbird's staves could link together into a quarterstaff or vaulting pole, the Swordsman's weapon could fire force blasts, electro-bolts, flames, a disintegration ray, or anesthetic gas, and Hawkeye carried a near endless supply of trick arrows. Captain America retook these weapons when he disbanded the group, but Kate apparently had replicas made when she began financing them. Whether these weapons had any special features is unknown, but after receiving Cap's approval, Kate was given a supply of trick arrows like Hawkeye would carry.

She has access to great wealth through her father (publishing magnate Derek Bishop) and is an excellent cellist.

ECHO

 

ECHO

Real Name: Maya Lopez

First Appearance: Daredevil (Vol. 2) #9, May 1999 (As Echo); New Avengers (Vol. 1) #11, September 2005 (As Ronin)

Powers: Echo possesses photographic reflexes: Anything she sees someone physically do, she can then duplicate. This refers only to physical actions, not superhuman powers, and is limited by her own body's fitness and ability to perform. Nonetheless, she has duplicated culinary skills by watching cooking shows, recreated observable musical talent like the piano, can fly or drive any vehicle like an expert after watching someone else do it, and has assimilated various fighting styles by watching martial artists in person or on video. This includes general disciplines such as kung fu or judo, and also the specific styles of individuals like Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Bullseye. After observing someone in action, she is generally able to anticipate and counter their every move, and can switch instantly between different fighting styles to keep her opponents off balance.

Maya has used various weapons in the past, such as a Vibranium-infused bo staff, nunchaku, throwing stars, tonfas, and a katana blade. Because she is deaf, Echo is virtually helpless in darkness, and so her Ronin outfit was apparently equipped with night vision lenses.

As a host for the Phoenix Force, Echo can draw power from the cosmic firebird. She can fly with the assistance of the Phoenix aura, using it as a defensive field, for propulsion, and to telekinetically strike out at her environment. Phoenix fire can burn like real flame, melting metals or igniting flammable materials. Echo uses the Phoenix Force to augment her strength by adding power to her blows. She can also conjure tangible constructs of Phoenix fire to express her learned skills, such as a piano or her tonfas. Maya sometimes manifests the Phoenix aura as a flock of normal sized firebirds instead of a single giant bird aura. She can direct these familiars at a distance or infuse Phoenix energy into other animals and lifeforms, using them as conduits and carriers for her power.