Monday, August 30, 2010

Anole

Real Name
Victor Borkowski

Occupation
Student

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Unrevealed location in U.S.A.

Known Relatives
Unidentified parents

Group Affiliation
Young X-Men; formerly New X-Men, Xavier Institute Student Body / Alpha Squadron

Education
Currently in high school level classes

Height
5'9"

Weight
121 lbs.

Eyes
Green

Hair
None

Powers
Spiked carapace on head, sticky prehensile tongue, able to cling to solid surfaces, able to camouflage his skin to match almost any surface.

Abilities
Anole is a talented actor.

Other Info

Raised in small-town America, young Victor Borkowski lived a normal life despite his reptilian features. His hometown community accepted him for who he was until the growing world of anti-mutant sentiment finally reached their town. For Victor's safety, his parents sent him to the Xavier Institute where he excelled academically. (To learn about the Xavier Institute, click on the highlighted name above.)

When the students were organized into squads, Victor was given the code name "Anole" and was placed on
Northstar's Alpha Squadron and soon became squad leader. When Northstar was killed by a mind-controlled Wolverine, Anole initially had trouble dealing with his loss, but soon learned to cope with help from his new advisor, Karma. (To learn about the above characters, just click on their names.)

When most mutants lost their powers after the effects of
M-Day, Anole was one of only 27 students at the Institute who didn't lose their powers. The squad system was dissolved, and the remaining students were merged into one group. Soon afterwards, Emma Frost set up an all-out brawl amongst the remaining students to determine who would become the team of X-Men trainees. Anole was not selected, but he still stayed and trained at the Institute. (To learn about the events and/or character above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits on the M-Day and Emma Frost's bio pages--especially Emma Frost's bio page.)

Later, a resurrected and brainwashed Northstar returned with his sister Aurora and attacked the Xavier Institute. Anole found his old mentor and was able to temporarily snap Northstar out of the mind control. However, it didn't last long and Northstar returned to his mind-controlled status and knocked Anole out. (To learn about Northstar's sister, click on her name above. Note: Beware of the form-fitting/revealing outfits on Aurora's bio page.)

After a time, Anole and his classmates were sucked down into the dimension of Limbo by the demon Belasco. They were attacked by a large group of demons, and Anole decided to take charge, rallying the students around the defenseless Blindfold; however, in doing this, his his right arm was severed at the shoulder by a demon. But, a larger and more powerful reptilian arm grew back replacing the one he lost, a previously unknown aspect of his mutation. (The arm itself is spikey, resembling his scalp, with razor sharp claws.) Soon after, he was able help defeat Belasco. Afterwards, Anole and Pixie were made members of the New X-Men squad on recommendation of Rockslide, who threatened to quit if they are not appointed to the team. (To learn about the different characters and/or dimension, just click on their names above Note: Anole with his newer and stronger right arm is shown in the first, fifth, and sixth pictures posted. Note: Beware of Rockslide's bio page--Emma Frost's revealing outfit is shown in the background.)

Much later, Anole accepted Dani Moonstar's offer to join the Young X-Men and move to San Francisco. While in San Fransico, Anole was an instrumental member of the X-Men in combating the Skrull invasion of Earth by using his ability to camouflage. During the initial invasion, he and the Stepford Cuckoos helped evacuate the San Francisco General Hospital and later helped take intel photos of the Skrull ships. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the charaters and/or alien race. Note: Anole displaying his camouflage ability is shown in the third picture posted.)

After sometime, the X-Men leave their San Francisco base and establish the island "Utopia" for mutants on the remains of Asteroid M. Anole was later selected by Cannonball to help convince Pixie that she needed to help rescue Illyan Rasputin (aka Magik). He was able to convince Pixie to go back to Limbo. Upon arriving in Limbo, the group is attacked by demons and become separated and Anole is left alone to fight off swarms of demons. During these fights, he is nearly killed by being pushed off a cliff; but, he was saved by Cannonball. Once together, they were confronted by the possessed Gambit, Dazzler, and Northstar. Pixie and Magik later rejoin with Anole and Cannonball and together they fight off their possessed teammates and return to Utopia. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, thing, and/or places, click on their names above. Note: Beware of Dazzler's revealing and skin-tight outfit on her bio page.)

To learn a tiny bit more about Anole, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Anole.

The anole is the name of a lizard that is commonly known as the American Chameleon; however, the anole (in nature) is actually not a true chameleon.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Battle Royal 7 Results

The winner by a landslide...PSYLOCKE! She got 10 votes! Where Man-Thing came in second place with 2 votes, and Siryn and Howard the Duck each with 1 vote a piece.

After 13 more highlighted characters, there will be a Battle Royal 8! And then of course the Battle Ultimate 2! So, stay tuned. Thanks for reading! Thanks for being awesome! And thanks for keeping up the Madness!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Artie

Real Name
Arthur "Artie" Maddicks

Occupation

Student; former adventurer

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
Dr. Carl Maddicks (father, deceased)

Group Affiliation

Formerly Daydreamers, New Mutants, Generation X

Education
Unknown

Height
Unknown

Weight
Unknown

Eyes
White

Hair
Black

Powers
Ability to telepathically project images, telepathic mindlink. Now depowered.

Abilities
Artie projects holograms of his thoughts. Usually he uses his power to communicate, because he is mute. However, he can make large-scale holograms as a means of defense. Artie has pink skin, and can also tap into and project the thoughts of other people, at times on the scale of a city's population. He can also use this limited form of telepathy to mind-lock people and prevent them from acting.

Other Info
Arthur "Artie" Maddicks was the son of a dedicated scientist, Dr. Carl Maddicks. Dr. Maddicks was working to cure mutations, including his disfigured (pink skin, bulbous head that is larger then average human head) and mute son. Believing he found success, Dr. Maddicks kidnapped the mutant known as Beast in order to test the process. The tests ended up transforming Beast back to his original non-furry state. (To learn about the above mentioned characters, click on their highlighted names.)

Unfortunately, Dr. Maddicks died when he used himself as a diversion to allow Artie and Beast to escape the Secret Empire (who were his backers). Now, lost and alone, Artie was brought to live in the Morlock tunnels underneath Manhattan. Here, he found Annalee. She became a mother figure for Artie. Also, in the Morlock tunnels, Artie met another young mutant, who would become his friend, named Leech. (Click on the highlighted names to learn about the characters and/or group.)

Later, Annalee was killed by the mutant-murdering Marauders during the "Mutant Massacre," but Artie and Leech were saved by Beast and his superhero team, X-Factor. During this time with X-Factor, Artie and Leech met and shared several adventures with other young mutants, who at one point called themselves the X-Terminators. (To learn about the above groups and/or event, click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the revealing/skin-tight outfit worn by one character on the Marauders bio page.)

When the original X-Factor disbanded, Artie and Leech went to a private boarding school. There, they met another young mutant named Taki (aka Wiz Kid). The three shared several adventures together. (To learn about Wiz Kid, click on his name above.)

Later on, Artie and Leech were brought to the X-Men, and then to the Massachusetts Academy, which is where other mutants, known as Generation X, were learning schoolwork and how to control their powers. (To learn about the team and/or group above, click on their highlighted names.)

At the Massachussetts Academy, Artie and Leech met Franklin Richards. He, Leech, and Franklin became the trio known as "The Daydreamers." The trio went on some dimension-hopping adventures with Howard the Duck and Man-Thing to save the multiverse. At the school, Artie and Leech were also given image inducers to hide their appearances. Artie and Leech remained at the Massachusetts Academy for several months until the school was destroyed by Adrienne Frost. (Click on the highlighted names to learn about the different characters and/or team.)

Later, due to effects of M-Day, Artie was depowered. However, recently, Artie and Leech were invited to Franklin Richards' birthday party. At the party, Franklin and his father, Reed Richards, gave both Artie and Leech their own keys to their own rooms at the Baxter Building, if they ever decided to move in with the Richards family. At the party, Artie was also given a special helmet made by Franklin's sister, Valerie Richards, which allows him to communicate again by creating images in the air; he still remains mute due to the deformity caused by his mutations. (To learn about the characters, place, and/event, click on their highlighted names above. Artie with his helmet is shown in the last picture posted.)

To learn more about Artie, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Maddicks,_Artie.

Artie appears in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. Artie appears as a mutant boy with a blue, forked tongue. Like Artie in the comics, the boy doesn't speak; however, he differs from Artie in the comics with his blue tongue.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Battle Royal 7

Oh yeah! It's time for Battle Royal 7! Ok...imagine if thirteen Marvel characters were to be in a huge battle where there could only be ONE victor. Put the good and evil notion to the side. It's EVERYONE vs. EVERYONE. No alliances! Only ONE can be left standing. Please choose who you think would win among thirteen Marvel characters in the poll.

Also, if you have time, please leave the reason why you think the character you chose would win in the "comment" section below. This way, we can all see your reasoning in choosing your winner. Who will be the victor? Only YOU can decide!

The thirteen characters that are involved in the battle are the last thirteen characters that have been highlighted on the Marvel Madness blog: Kestrel, Psylocke, Man-Thing, William Stryker, Siryn, Stepford Cuckoos, Mastermind, Howard the Duck, John Jameson, Gwen Stacy, Betty Brant, Mary Jane, and Justin Hammer. (If you have forgotten some of these characters' powers/abilities, go ahead and check out their bios right here on the Marvel Madness blog.)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Kestrel

Real Name
John Wraith

Occupation

Former Spy, Government Operative, Mercenary, Soldier

Citizenship
Unknown

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
Unknown

Group Affiliation
Weapon X
Program, Team X, C.I.A.

Education
Unknown

Height
6'

Weight
195 lbs.

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Black

Powers
Wraith could phase-jump: a psionic ability which allowed him to teleport at will from any point in space to another, with what would appear to be an exceptionally high range. He could move about space at will, appearing and disappearing in a fashion that left no flashy burst of light or sound. He also received an anti-aging factor from the Weapon X Program that made him age slower than normal.

Abilities
None

Other Info
John Wraith was a part of Team X along with Wolverine, Sabretooth, Maverick, Mastodon, and Silver Fox . Wraith (aka Kestrel) was a powerful teleporter, capable of getting the team out of sticky situations after their job was finished. He had a passion for explosives, arming himself with shaped charges (explosives that were built to direct the force of their blast in specific directions based on how they are deployed). Like the other members of Team X, he was given an artificial age suppressant so he was likely much older than he looked. His time as a secret agent and a member of the Weapon X program left John somewhat paranoid. His house was a veritable death trap, as was the yard around it - John trusted no one. (To learn about the above characters/team/program, click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of Silver Fox's tight-fitting outfit on her bio page.)

Kestrel made a habit of keeping his skill a secret from his teammates, as well as his foes, using it only sparingly, and if no one was looking directly at him - unless it was absolutely vital. The only time when his fellow Team-X members found out about his powers was when they went up against Omega Red. Wraith was backup on that mission when Wolverine, Maverick, and Sabretooth ran in Germany to collect a carbonadium synthesizer. Then when the trio burst out of the target compound with Omega Red in pursuit, John stalled him with his gun until the others got away. Unfazed, Omega went to wrap John up and tear him to pieces, but John teleported to safety at the last second, with only Wolverine and Omega Red seeing this. (To learn about Omega Red, click on his highlighted name above.)

Wraith was about as violent as others from the Weapon X program, but a lot more merciful. He didn't enjoy killing innocent people while on a mission, which put him at odds with people like Sabretooth.

Years later, Kestrel had tracked Wolverine and the rest of his old teammates down because it seemed that there was a problem with the age suppression factors given to them by Weapon X. (One of their team memebers, Mastodon, had suddenly aged quite rapidly and been reduced into a pile of ooze.) With their help, Wraith discovered a list of termination candidates from the Weapon X project. They recognized themselves on the list, plus a man named Aldo Ferro. After they tracked down Ferro, they discovered Maverick guarding him. However, Maverick soon joined sides with his old teammates when Ferro (aka Psi-Borg) revealed that he was the one who used his psi-powers to speed the false memory implantation of the Weapon X subjects. After this fiasco, Kestrel hung out with Wolverine for a month or two, but then vanished. (To learn about Psi-Borg, click on the highlighted name above.)

Wraith was later re-recruited into Weapon X by the "Director." Kestrel's mission was to recruit Maverick back as well. However, when Kestrel found Maverick, a fight broke out between the two. Wraith ended up being shot and then gutted by his partner Sabretooth, for his failure. (To learn about the "Director," click on his name above.)

To learn a tiny bit more about Kestrel/Wraith, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Wraith,_John.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Psylocke

Real Name
Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock

Occupation

Adventurer; former charter pilot, super model, government agent, assassin

Citizenship
U.K.

Place of Birth
Braddock Manor, England

Known Relatives
James Braddock Sr.(father, deceased), Elizabeth Braddock (mother, deceased), James "Jamie" Jr. (brother), Brian Braddock (Captain Britain, brother), Meggan Braddock (sister-in-law)

Group Affiliation

X-Men
; formerly Sisterhood of Mutants, Exiles, Excalibur, Captain Britain Corps, S.T.R.I.K.E., The Hand

Education
University graduate

Height
5'11" (both bodies)

Weight
155 lbs. (both bodies)

Eyes
(originally) Blue; (cybernetic) purple; (currently) purple

Hair
(originally) Blonde, dyed purple; (currently) black, often dyed purple

Powers
Psylocke can generate a telekinetic katana, or direct her telekinesis through her fists to strike as if she had superhuman strength; she is also immune to telepathic probes and attacks. Psylocke's original powers were precognition, telepathy, mental bolts, mind control, and generating illusions. After Roma resurrected her, Betsy was briefly invisible to all mechanical detection devices. She could generate a "psychic knife" to stun or kill opponents. The Crimson Dawn gave her the power to travel via shadows, and to become virtually invisible in same. After swapping powers with Jean Grey, Betsy could fly, create force fields, move objects with her mind, and generate energy blades.

Abilities
Psylocke is a skilled martial artist and a trained pilot.

Other Info
Betsy and Brian Braddock were twins born to Sir James Braddock and Elizabeth Braddock. The twins shared a close connection, but as they matured Betsy also grew close to their elder brother Jamie. By the time their parents died (apparently in a lab accident, but really murdered by the computer Mastermind), Betsy had become a charter pilot. (To learn about most of Braddock family members and/or the computer Mastermind, click on their highlighted names above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit on Jamie's bio pages.)

One day, Betsy received news that her brother Jamie had been injured in an accident. So, Betsy called Brian and the two flew back to their mansion in Britain. Their plane crashed after a psychic attack from Doctor Synne (who was hired by Mastermind.) When Betsy awoke, Synne's illusions made Betsy attack her brothers, seeing them as monsters. After Synne was defeated, she and Jamie were taken hostage by the Red Skull's agents. However, they were later freed by Captains America and Captain Britain. Soon after, Betsy learned that Captain Britain was actually her brother Brian. Perhaps due to Synne's mental intrusions, Betsy began to develop precognitive powers as well. (To learn about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Soon after, Betsy took up modeling. To set herself apart, she began dying her hair purple and her career took off. During this time, her powers grew to include telepathy. (When using her powers, a butterfly-shaped aura would appear around her face. This is shown on the right half of the forth picture posted.)

Later, Betsy was recruited into
S.T.R.I.K.E.'s Psi Division, and soon became Tom Lennox's lover (a fellow psi). Because her father had been a member of the Hellfire Club, she was sent to infiltrate the club, but she was warned off by Tessa for her own protection. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the club, character, and/or term. Note: Before of the revealing outfits on both Tessa and the Hellfire Club's bio page.)

Later, Kaptain Briton (Brian's Earth-794 counterpart--different dimensioin) tried to rape Betsy; however, in self-defense Betsy fried his mind wit her powers, killing him. (To learn about the villainous Kaptain Briton, click on his name above.)

When her real brother, Brian, went overseas for a time, a man named Gabriel (who was one of Betsy's former lovers when she was in S.T.R.I.K.E.) convinced Betsy to become the new Captain Britain. Betsy wore Kaptain Briton's modified costume. (The Captain Britain costume gave her superhuman strength, flight and a force field.) Working with Captain U.K. (Linda McQuillan), the duo became public sensations; however, after several months Betsy went solo. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about Captain U.K. Also, Betsy in her Captain Britain outfit is shown in the third picture posted.)

Sometime later, the crime lord Vixen lured Betsy into a showdown with Slaymaster, who brutally beat her, then gouged her eyes out. Brian felt her pain and flew to her rescue and killed Slaymaster. Betsy refused the Resources Control Executive's (R.C.X.) offer for cybernetic eyes. She preferred to rely on her psychic abilities. She and Gabriel got engaged, and went to Switzerland for Betsy to recuperate. (To learn about the villains above, just click on their names.)

While in Switzerland, Betsy was kidnapped by Mojo, brainwashed, given cybernetic eyes, and, as "Psylocke," became the star of his new show "Wildways" (which actually was in an another dimensional realm.) Brian and the New Mutants rescued her, after which Betsy moved to the X-Men's X-Mansion to recover. (To learn about the character, team, and/or place above, just click on their highlighted names.)

While at the X-mansion, the Marauders attacked the Morlocks and Sabretooth invaded the mansion. Psylocke was able to use herself as bait to lead Sabretooth away from the injured until Wolverine got there. Impressed by her bravery, Wolverine nominated her to join the X-Men. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or teams. Note: Beware of a revealing/form-fitting outfit on the Marauder's bio page.)

Later, to prevent the X-Men's death, which she had foreseen in a precognitive vision, Psylocke sent the team through the Siege Perilous (a device given to her by Roma). The Siege Perilous would give them all new lives. When Betsy awoke, she was in an amnesiac state on an island near China, where the Hand found her. When the Hand's leader, Matsu'o Tsurayaba, found Psylocke, he saw her as a chance to save his brain-dead lover, Kwannon. So, he had Spiral swap Psylocke and Kwannon's souls in her Body Shoppe. This procedure actually ended up blended their minds, leaving each with the same memories and telepathic powers. Matsu'o then brainwashed Psylocke and gave her to the Mandarin as his assassin (during this time she was known as Lady Mandarin) until Wolverine was able to restore her memories. (To learn about the item, team, characters, and/or place above, click on their highlighted names. Psylocke wore two outfits when she was Lady Mandarin; her samurai-type outfit is shown in the fifth picture posted--minus the red scare on her face. And, her ninja-like outfit is shown in the sixth picture posted.)

Later on, after being rescued, she visited her brother Brian. Betsy helped Excalibur fight Sat-Yr-9 and the now insane Jamie, whom Betsy struck comatose. She also helped them fight against foes such as the Troll Associates, the Mutant Liberation Front, Stryfe, Omega Red, and the Soul Skinner. (To learn about the different teams/characters above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits on the Mutant Liberation Front bio page.)

Then when Psylocke was back at the X-Mansion, Kwannon arrived at the Mansion in Betsy's original body, claiming to be the real Psylocke. Unable to tell who the true Betsy was, both women ended up staying with the X-Men. During this time, Kwannon had taken on the name Revanche. However, Revanche learned that she had the Legacy Virus, and asked Matsu'o to kill her. When Revanche died, Betsy regained her soul's missing pieces which included her full telepathic powers. In addition, Betsy was able to retain Revanche's martial arts skills. Afterwards, Jean Grey re-trained Betsy to use her telepathy. Also, Betsy started a relationship with fellow X-Man, Angel. (Learn about the characters and/or virus above by clicking on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the extremely skin-tight outfit worn by Jean Grey on her bio page.)

A few months later, Psylocke engaged in a battle with Sabretooth where she almost died. In a desperate attempt to save her life, Angel, Wolverine, and Doctor Strange went to the Crimson Dawn to retrieve a magical healing liquid. They found it and used it on Psylocke; however, there was a side effect--a red dagger tattoo on Psylocke's left eye. This tattoo gave her the ability to hide and teleport through shadows. (Psylocke with her tattoo can be seen in the first and fifth picture posted).

Later, Psylocke helped Storm against the Shadow King. He had tricked Psylocke into initiating a psychic shockwave which disabled all other telepaths, leaving him unchallenged on the astral plane. Unfortunately, her own astral form was destroyed too; however, her exposure to the Crimson Dawn gave her a new shadow form with temporarily enhanced powers, which she used to trap the Shadow King's core. (To learn about the above characters and/or place, click on the highlighted names. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit on Storm's bio page--block her images if possible.)

Later on, when Wolverine was brainwashed by Apocalypse into the Death persona, Psylocke, Angel (now Archangel), and others attempted to help him. To help find where Wolverine was, Betsy forced herself into using Cerebro, even though there was a risk that the Shadow King would escape. While Psylocke was using Cerebro, the Shadow King began to lure her into freeing him, but before it was too late Archangel used their psychic connection to stop her and save her from herself. Then, Jean Grey tried to help Psylocke deal with the Shadow King; however, the two ended up switching powers. Therefore, Psylocke's telepathy was added to Phoenix's telepathy, and Psylocke gained telekinesis. Afterwards, Psylocke returned to active duty on the X-Men and began to flirt with Thunderbird (Neal Shaara) which resulted in a break-up with Archangel. (Click on the highlighted names to learn about the characters and/or machine above.)

Sometime later, Betsy joined Storm's X-Men team in the search for Destiny's Diaries. In Valencia, Spain, the team encountered a man named Vargas; however, his sword skills were too much for Psylocke to handle and she was killed. Psylocke was buried at the Braddock family estate. However, Psylocke was then mysteriously resurrected and her Crimson Dawn tattoo was gone along with her powers that it gave her. (To learn about the characters above, just click on their names.)

When House of M events ended, Psylocke was one of the few mutants that retained her powers. (To learn about the House of M, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the revealing and skin-tight outfits worn by some on the House of M bio page.)

Later, it was discovered that Psylocke's brother, Jamie, had actually been the one that brought Psylocke back to life. He did it so she could help in fighting a great evil and had reconstructed her to be immune to attacks meant to control her mind, reshape her body, or affect her basic quantum structure.

Sometime Later, Psylocke joined up with the dimension hopping group known as the
Exiles. During her time with the Exiles, Psylocke went from dimension to dimension battling many different foes. (To learn about the Exiles, click on their name above. Note: Beware of revealing outfit worn by someone of the last picture on the Exiles' bio page.)

At one point, Psylocke returned to Earth-616 (current Earth dimension). Upon returning, Psylocke was captured by Madelyne Pryor (calling herself the Red Queen). The Red Queen had Spiral, Lady Deathstrike, and Chimera (all members of her Sisterhood of Mutants) bring the body of Kwannon (which was Betsy's original body) to their hideout. Through a ritual, the Red Queen (using the combined might of the Sisterhood) reanimated the dead body and transferred Betsy's mind back into her original form, while the Asian body of Kwannon simply appeared to die. Later, the X-Men and the Sisterhood of Mutants battled one another. Dazzler, one of the X-Men, tried to reason with Psylocke and bring her back to her senses, but it didn't work. Dazzler then generated a huge beam of light and ended up blowing off half of Betsy's face. Psylocke managed to break free for a moment and used her psi-knife on herself. Inside her own mind, the real Betsy was at war with her evil self, and ultimately killed the evil being inside of her. Dazzler tried to wake up a seemingly dead Psylocke, when Betsy suddenly awoke in the Asian body instead. Now that Psylocke was freed of the Sisterhood's control, she rejoined the X-Men. (The Sisterhood enabled Psylocke to regain her telepathy and retain her telekinesis. While she is no longer immune to psionic attacks, Psylocke can now summon both a psychic knife as well as a psychic katana, and is now able to be detected by electronic devices. Also, to learn about the above characters/dimension, click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the reavealing outfits worn by Madelyne Pryor, Lady Deathstrike, and Dazzler on all of their bio pages. Also, Psylocke's psi-weapons can be seen in the first and fifth pictures posted.)

Recently, after Cable's funeral, Wolverine gathered together a new Uncanny X-Force consisting of Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomex, and Deadpool. Wolverine said that there was only one rule: No one can know. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)


To learn more about Psylocke, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Psylocke.

The writer for X-Men: The Last Stand, Zak Penn, said in a Q&A section that the character played by Meiling Melançon was never meant to be Psylocke, as the writers were still throwing names out for the character. However, when X-Men: The Last Stand came out on DVD, the director's (Brett Ratner) commentary stated that Melançon was actually playing Psylocke. In addition, IMDb.com lists her as playing Psylocke in the credits. Therefore, I'm guessing that she was supposed to be playing Psylocke, even though her powers don't really match up with that of the comic character's. (However, many movies change character's powers and abilities, so it wouldn't be a first.)

Monday, August 2, 2010

Man-Thing

Real Name
Theodore "Ted" Sallis

Occupation
Guardian of the Nexus of Realities; former research scientist, university professor

Citizenship
U.S.A.; legally dead

Place of Birth
Omaha, Nebraska

Known Relatives
Ellen Brandt Sallis (wife); Cleito, Adam K'ad-Mon, and their descendants (ancestors)

Group Affiliation
Thunderbolts; formerly the Daydreamers, Legion of Monsters, United States Army, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division)

Education
PhD in biochemistry

Height
7'

Weight
500 lbs.

Eyes
Red

Hair
None, though hair-like green strands of vegetable matter cover much of his body

Powers
The Man-Thing can lift 1000 lbs. and is very durable. Punches or projectiles tend to pass entirely through him or lodge harmlessly in the porous muck of his body. Even after losing much of his physical mass, his body will rebuild itself, drawing new material as needed from the surrounding swamp. Similarly, he can ooze through or around openings or barriers, such as wire mesh or steel bars.

The Man-Thing is extremely sensitive to emotion, which can affect his behavior and physiology. Mild emotions arouse "curiosity," and lead the Man-Thing to observe events from a distance. Violent emotions, such as fear, anger, and hatred, cause him extreme discomfort, often provoking him to attack. Fear in particular causes him to secrete a chemical similar to fuming sulfuric acid, such that whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing.

The Man-Thing's unique mystical-chemical physiology makes him dependent on swamp environments, particularly the Florida Everglades near Citrusville. While he is ageless and immune to disease, prolonged separation from the swamp could render him dormant or dead. Exposure to the chemicals of a sewage treatment plant has slowed the rate at which he weakens, and he recovers rapidly when returned to the swamp.

Abilities

Except on rare occasions, the Man-Thing is virtually non-sentient. He reacts to emotion and other magical phenomena, but otherwise lacks decision-making capacity or memory; however, he does "remember" emotional patterns, enabling him to sometimes "recognize" people he's met before. On occasion, mystic and/or chemical forces have temporarily restored Sallis's mind, but this has always proved temporary.


Other Info

Supposedly, before the Earth was formed, a creator made a woman named Cleito. Cleito then spawned Adam K'ad-Mon, the first Man of Lineage, and their birth site became the
Nexus of Reality (a focal point uniting all dimensions). Descendants of K'ad-Mon served as Nexus guardians; however, over time the Men of Lineage became less concerned with this mission, until eventually one man abandoned it completely: Ted Sallis. (To learn about the Nexus of Reality, click on its name above. Also, a picture of Ted Sallis is shown in the third picture posted.)

Ted Sallis was a biochemistry professor at Empire State University. He had no knowledge of his destiny and preferred books to people. The United States Army recruited him into "Project Sulfur," where they tried to find a way to survive bio-chemical warfare. Dr. Sallis developed "Serum SO-2," which granted immunity to all known toxic biochemicals, but its mutagenic effects would have transformed people into monsters. Ted's friend, the free-spirited girl Sainte-Cloud, convinced him to denounce the Project, shutting it down before any serum was produced. Ted also proposed to Sainte-Cloud, but she refused the proposal due to their many differences. Returning to teaching, Ted fell in love with one of his students, Ellen Brandt; the two eloped following a secret affair. (To learn about the school and/or wife above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Ted Sallis was then reassigned to "Project Gladiator," a S.H.I.E.L.D. research program based in the Florida Everglades and aimed at re-creating the lost "Super-Soldier" serum that had created Captain America. Working separately from his colleagues, including Dr. Wilma Calvin and Dr. Barbara Morse (aka future Mockingbird), Ted modified his SO-2 formula as the basis for a new Super-Soldier serum. The subversive organization A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) wanted the serum and conspired with a bitter Ellen (whom Ted had neglected since their honeymoon). Upon completing his new serum, Ted committed its formula to memory and burnt his records. When Ellen led Ted into an A.I.M. ambush, he fled and injected the only existing sample of the serum into himself just before his car crashed into a swamp. He should have died, but the magical energies of the swamp (containing the Nexus of Reality) combined with the serum actually transformed him into a hideous creature who would later be known as the Man-Thing. With his intelligence rapidly fading, he slew the A.I.M. agents and horribly burned half of Ellen's face. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or teams.)

Unknown to Ted, Ellen had actually been pregnant. Recovered by Project Gladiator agents, she underwent surgery that repaired her face, but it proved temporary. She later gave birth and gave up her son up for adoption.

Later on, A.I.M. again tried to obtain Sallis' formula, but was foiled by the Man-Thing and Ka-Zar. Man-Thing made the swamps his home and became the guardian of the Nexus of Reality. Its magic made the swamps a focal point of bizarre activities which attracted super-beings such as Wundarr and Molecule Man. Then, when Thog was trying to use the Nexus to merge all realities, Man-Thing teamed up with Dakimh the Enchanter, Jennifer Kale, Howard the Duck, and Korrek (warrior of Katharta), to destroy Thog's plan. (To learn about all the different highlighted characters above, just click on their names.)

Once, Man-Thing joined forces with Ghost Rider (John Blaze), Morbius, and the Werewolf (Jack Russell) in a team known as the "Legion of Monsters." (To learn about the characters and/or team, just click on their highlighted names above.)

Once, an experimental project briefly transported Man-Thing to the Himalayas, where he encountered a Yeti race. The sorcerer Baron (Karl) Mordo returned Man-Thing to the swamp, and used him as a pawn against Dr. Strange in a plot to destroy Earth. However, Jennifer Kale helped the Man-Thing throw off Mordo's control and they foiled his plot. (To learn about the above characters, just click on their names.)

Back in the swamps, Man-Thing actually refused an offer from the demon known as Eblis to become human in exchange for his mortal soul.

This next part is kind of confusing, but at one point, the Nexus of Reality shattered into fragments due to lots of dimensional travel. Therefore, Dr. Strange recruited Ellen Brandt to help Man-Thing restore it. However, the Fallen Star known as Mr. Amodeus Q. Termineus had captured Ellen Brandt's long-lost son, Job Burke, and trained him as his disciple in a plot to destroy all existence. But, Devil-Slayer (Eric Simon Payne) united the remaining Fallen Stars (including K'ad-Mon and Sorrow) to stop Termineus. Unfortunately, using the power of the final Nexus fragment, Termineus succeeded in shattering the healing Nexus, wiping out all reality. However, Ted Sallis' nature as the Man of Lineage, combined with his love of Ellen, allowed him to briefly maintain the dream of existence; he joined forces with Job (who rebelled against his mentor) to re-imagine the creator's dream that had formed reality. All existence was then restored. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the characters.)

Recently, Man-thing was slashed in half by Ares of the Dark Avengers and "bagged and tagged" by orders of Norman Osborn. But, after Norman Osborn was deposed during the events of Seige, Man-Thing was moved to the Raft. There, Hank Pym studied the Man-Thing, and Man-Thing agreed to allow them to use his connection to the Nexus of Realities to enable Luke Cage's Thunderbolts to teleport anywhere in the world. (To learn bout the characters, place, and/or teams above, just click on their highlighted names.)

The Man-Thing has actually teamed up with many famous Marvel characters in his life including Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, and Franklin Richards.

To learn more about Man-Thing, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Man-Thing.

I haven't seen the made-for-TV movie Man-Thing. It's rated "R" and from what I've read about it, it doesn't follow the Man-Thing storyline very much, and it wasn't very good at all.