Darwin

Real Name
Armando Muñoz

Occupation
Adventurer; former student

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
New York City, New York

Known Relatives
Mrs. Munoz (mother), Hector Munoz (father)

Group Affiliation
X-Factor Investigations; formerly X-Men

Education
Muir-MacTaggert Research & Development Institute, New York; Biltmore Academy for Advanced Education, New York; unidentified middle school

Height
6'4"

Weight
150 lbs.

Eyes
(originally) Brown; (currently) White (no visible iris)

Hair
None

Powers
Darwin's mutation is in a state of continual reaction, adapting to whatever his current situation demands. For example, if placed in total darkness his eyes automatically adapt to allow him to see; if underwater he grows functioning gills; if exposed to fire his body becomes fireproof; if falling, his bones soften & his body elasticizes to cushion his landing; or if exposed to the void of space, he stops requiring oxygen & the density of his skin & internal structure increase. His mutation's adaptivity seems limitless; however, he lacks conscious control, & his adaptations are purely instinctive. Thus far, Darwin's mutation has not displayed any capacity for generating energy beyond converting his physical form into same. It has also afforded him a genius-level intellect, & he has shown the capacity to learn new skills & languages with only limited exposure.

Abilities
None

Other Info
Armando Munoz was born different from other children. By age four, he was bald, his arms were longer than normal, and his eyes seemed to change. His father rejected Armando and abandoned him and his mother around this time. Unfortunately, Armando's mother blamed him for his mutation. Despite this, Armando resolved to make his mother happy and love him again. A day came when he was asked to take an IQ test. Unknown to anyone at the time, Armando's desire to impress his mother subconsciously activated his mutant power and allowed him to test off the charts; therefore, he was quickly enrolled in a renowned boarding school, the Biltmore Academy. His mother gladly enrolled him in the Biltmore Academy boarding school, where Armando was bullied relentlessly for years due to his appearance.

Later, at age 15, during another attack by the school bullies, Armando's mutant ability manifested itself and he fought back, subconsciously hardening his hands and beating the bullies unconscious.

Sometime later, during a visit home, Armando saved his mother's life after her smoking caused a fire in the house; Armando carried his mother out of the house, unaffected by the flames to the astonishment of firefighters and paramedics. Afterward, tests were done at the hospital, and scientists were brought in to examine Armando. The senior scientist who tested Armando, published a paper about Armando's ability which "outed" him as a mutant and dubbed Armando, "Darwin, the Evolving Boy" (after Charles Darwin) because he seemed to adapt to every condition the scientists could think of.

Unfortunately, his mother continued to reject Armando, denying that she could ever give birth to such a thing. Still rejected by his mother, Darwin attempted suicide; however, his mutation saved him. The resident psychiatrist recommended Armando to a renowned geneticist known as Moira MacTaggert. MacTaggert took Darwin in and began training him in the use of his powers. (To learn about Moira MacTaggert, click on the highlighted name above.)

Later, Darwin and three of MacTaggert's other young students (Vulcan, Petra, and Sway) were recruited by Moira's colleague Professor Charles Xavier to join his X-Men and rescue the team's original members from the living island Krakoa. During the assault, Petra and Sway were killed by Krako; however, before they died, Darwin and Vulcan were swallowed in the earth by a combination of Sway and Petra's dying powers. After the X-Men hurled Krakoa into space (unaware of the Darwin and Vulcan's survival), Darwin instinctively converted himself into pure energy and bonded with Kid Vulcan, trying to keep them both alive. (To learn about the characters and/or team above, just click on their highlighted name. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit on Sway's bio page.)

A few years later, the reality-altering "M-Day" event revived Kid Vulcan and Darwin's consciousness was also reawakened inside Vulcan; however, Darwin was helpless to prevent Vulcan's vengeful attacks on the X-Men. During Vulcan's battle with the X-Men, Marvel Girl (Rachel Summers) sensed that Darwin still resided within Gabriel, so she used her telepathic powers to draw him out, which injured Vulcan. The X-Men sew this as their chance to finally defeat Vulcan; however, he was still stronger than they thought and he managed to escape. However, now with Vulcan gone, Beast noticed that Darwin’s remains were not only alive, but were beginning to restore his body. (Click on the highlighted event and/or character,above to learn more about them. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits worn by some on the M-Day bio page.)

After recuperating at the Xavier's Institute, Darwin agreed to lead a team to stop Vulcan, who had left Earth bound to destroy the interstellar Shi'ar Empire of his birth. Rejoining the X-Men, Darwin helped commandeer a Shi'ar ship and they set off in pursuit of Vulcan; however, they were ambushed by Warskrulls. However, when Darwin witnessed Xavier's kidnapping, he secretly hitched a ride on the kidnapper's shuttle, which arrived at the Shi'ar High Council's Starways. In his attempt to rescue Professor X, Darwin was captured and imprisoned after seeing former Shi'ar Majestor D'Ken reclaim the throne. Confronted by Vulcan, Darwin learned of his plans to marry D'ken's sister Deathbird and to execute Xavier on their wedding day. In addition, Darwin reluctantly accepts Vulcan's offer to be his Best Man at the wedding; however, Darwin would attend the wedding in shackles. At the ceremony, at the site of the M'kraan Crystal dimensional nexus, Darwin witnessed an assault on the ceremony by the X-Men and their allies (deposed Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra and the interstellar pirates, known as the Starjammers). While under this attack, Vulcan threw Xavier into the Crystal, but Darwin dove in after him (protected from the Crystal's mind-shattering effects by his mutation). Eventually, Darwin was able to rescue Xavier and retreat with him to the X-Men's ship, unaware that Lilandra had pre-programmed it to return them to Earth to ensure Xavier's safety. (To learn more about the highlighted place, race, characters, object, and/or team above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of a couple very revealing outfit on Deathbird's bio page. Also, beware of the form-fitting outfit on Lilandra's bio page.)

Later, Darwin was one of the X-Men who heeded the call for help when Hulk came to the Xavier Institute. Darwin opposed him alongside the X-Men, the New X-Men, and the X-Factor Investigations. While battling the Hulk, Darwin's power reacted by absorbing the gamma energy from the Hulk; however, Darwin found that the Hulk had more energy then he could siphon off. With this, his body involuntarily decided that the best way to defeat the Hulk was to stay away from him; therefore, he teleported himself out of the Hulk's path of destruction. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the character and/or teams.)

At one point, Darwin's father hires X-Factor to help him find Darwin, supposedly because he feels bad for walking out on him and his mother when he was younger. After the investigation succeeds and Darwin is reunited with his father, he is betrayed and is sold out to by operatives of an organization known as the Karma Project, who are experimenting on living human beings. Fortunately, he is eventually saved by X-Factor, and agrees to join the team. (The fourth picture posted is of Darwin in X-Factor.)

After joining X-Factor, Darwin helped in many different missions, including helping to rescue the Invisible Woman from Doctor Doom, and battling Bolivar Trask and his MRD (Mutant Response Division). One time, when the X-Factor was in Vegas on a rescue mission, the team encountered Hela's Undead Niffleheim Warriors. With help from Thor, the team held their own, but the key to winning to battle was Darwin gaining Hela's powers and using them against her. Unfortunately, taking on Hela's death powers seemed to have had negative effects on Darwin, who chose to leave the team for sabbatical. (To learn about the different characters above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit on Hela's bio page. Also, Darwin after he absorbed Hela's power is shown in the fifth picture posted above.)

More recently, Darwin has begun a trek back to New York to warn his friends after he had a dream or vision that showed that his friends were in danger.

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