Catseye
Encyclopedia
Catseye is a fictional character
, a mutant
in the Marvel Universe
.
and Sal Buscema
in New Mutants #16-17 (June–July 1984).
The character subsequently appears in Firestar #2-4 (April–June 1986), The New Mutants #31 (September 1985), #39 (May 1986), #43 (September 1986), #53-54 (July–August 1987), #56 (October 1987), #62 (April 1988), The New Warriors #9-10 (March–April 1991), and died in The Uncanny X-Men #281 (October 1991). The character made a posthumous appearance in The New Warriors Annual #1 (1991) and 2 (1992).
Catseye appeared as part of the "Hellions" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#5.
to be a competitive team to the New Mutants
and a tool for the Hellfire Club
. Her character was the antithesis of Wolfsbane
who could transform into a wolf. She engaged in several battles with the New Mutants—mostly petty competition—but occasionally got along with the students, sometimes having dances for socialization. Her personality was that of a free spirit. Catseye's youth and comparative lack of sophistication belie a ferocious intelligence. She was capable of total recall from her photographic memory, and instinctively knew when she was being lied to. Under Frost's tutelage, Smith progressed from total illiteracy to upper grade school reading levels in less than a year. She still retained several feline qualities whilst in human form, having been forced to provide for herself since earliest infancy. Notably, she kept her tail in many instances. Upon her first meeting with Wolfsbane, rather than attack out of an animalistic nature, she smelled Rahne and said that the two of them shared a kindred spirit and that they should be friends—this in spite of the obviously played feline/canine feuding roles.
Emma Frost took advantage of the New Mutants' emotional turmoil after an incident where a cosmic being called Beyonder
had actually killed them and then brought them back to life. She persuaded the current headmaster of the school, Magneto
, to send the students to the Massachusetts Academy for psychic counseling. There, she promptly accepted them into the ranks of her Hellions. Catseye shared a room with Rahne and the two of them became close friends. The two teams became quite fond of one another but were separated when Magneto realized that his mind had been manipulated by Empath
and the decision to release the students had not been fully his.
Catseye and Wolfsbane would meet in a formal dress party sponsored by the Hellfire Club. The two sneaked off, left their dresses behind and romped in their animal forms.
Later, the two teams would clash high about Manhattan. Both had learned about the existence of Bird-Brain
and neither team wanted the other to have him. The Hellions lose the encounter. Furthermore, an accident sends Catseye and Roulette
plunging to the streets. Roulette's power saves them both, allowing them to land safely in a store canopy.
The White Queen would later cause a confrontation between her team and the New Warriors
. This was over the fate of Firestar
, a member of the Warriors who used to be a part of the Hellions. The battle, held in the New Warrior's penthouse, came down to a game of numbers and Catseye scored one for her team by viciously defeating Night Thrasher
, easily tearing through his reinforced armor. Ultimately, the Hellions lost by attrition, though nobody defeated Catseye in turn.
Soon after, Emma threw another party which the Hellions as well as the X-Men
Gold team attended. It was there that Trevor Fitzroy
—a member of the villainous group known as the Upstarts
—crashed the party with the goal of killing Emma in order to gain points within the group. Some of the Hellions died in the initial firefight. The rest, including Catseye, were killed in order to fuel Fitzroy's teleportation portal
.
D'Spayre
to agitate Emma Frost.
Also in the Generation X
#55-56, the Generation X members become trapped in an illusion by Adrienne Frost
where each of them is a different Hellions member except for Jetstream
. The afflicted heroes relive the Hellion's last day. Jubilee was Catseye.
power is ailuranthropy, the ability to become a cat. She can transform into either a housecat or a human-panther hybrid (a werecat
). In her panther form, she has superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance in addition to hyper-keen senses, razor-sharp claws and fangs, a prehensile tail
, a slight healing factor
, and the ability to crawl up walls.
Even in her human form, she retained some catlike physical features such as slitted pupils and a tail.
It was stated in earlier New Mutants stories that Catseye may in fact be a mutant cat with the power to assume human form, explaining why she found human speech difficult and appeared to be more "animalistic" in character.
and was a Hellion. She and the others were hunted down and apprehended by the X-Men, after being knocked out by an enraged Wolfsbane while attempting to flee the beat-down of her fellow Hellions.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
Catseye was created by Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
in New Mutants #16-17 (June–July 1984).
The character subsequently appears in Firestar #2-4 (April–June 1986), The New Mutants #31 (September 1985), #39 (May 1986), #43 (September 1986), #53-54 (July–August 1987), #56 (October 1987), #62 (April 1988), The New Warriors #9-10 (March–April 1991), and died in The Uncanny X-Men #281 (October 1991). The character made a posthumous appearance in The New Warriors Annual #1 (1991) and 2 (1992).
Catseye appeared as part of the "Hellions" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#5.
Fictional character biography
Sharon Smith was a member of the original Hellions recruited by Emma FrostEmma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
to be a competitive team to the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
and a tool for the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club
The Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
. Her character was the antithesis of Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
who could transform into a wolf. She engaged in several battles with the New Mutants—mostly petty competition—but occasionally got along with the students, sometimes having dances for socialization. Her personality was that of a free spirit. Catseye's youth and comparative lack of sophistication belie a ferocious intelligence. She was capable of total recall from her photographic memory, and instinctively knew when she was being lied to. Under Frost's tutelage, Smith progressed from total illiteracy to upper grade school reading levels in less than a year. She still retained several feline qualities whilst in human form, having been forced to provide for herself since earliest infancy. Notably, she kept her tail in many instances. Upon her first meeting with Wolfsbane, rather than attack out of an animalistic nature, she smelled Rahne and said that the two of them shared a kindred spirit and that they should be friends—this in spite of the obviously played feline/canine feuding roles.
Emma Frost took advantage of the New Mutants' emotional turmoil after an incident where a cosmic being called Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
had actually killed them and then brought them back to life. She persuaded the current headmaster of the school, Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, to send the students to the Massachusetts Academy for psychic counseling. There, she promptly accepted them into the ranks of her Hellions. Catseye shared a room with Rahne and the two of them became close friends. The two teams became quite fond of one another but were separated when Magneto realized that his mind had been manipulated by Empath
Empath (comics)
Empath , is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Empath was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema and first appeared in New Mutants #16-17 as a member of Emma Frost's original Hellions.The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 , Firestar #2-4...
and the decision to release the students had not been fully his.
Catseye and Wolfsbane would meet in a formal dress party sponsored by the Hellfire Club. The two sneaked off, left their dresses behind and romped in their animal forms.
Later, the two teams would clash high about Manhattan. Both had learned about the existence of Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Bird-Brain first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #55 , and was first fully seen in New Mutants vol. 1 #56...
and neither team wanted the other to have him. The Hellions lose the encounter. Furthermore, an accident sends Catseye and Roulette
Roulette (Marvel Comics)
Roulette is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Roulette was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema in New Mutants vol...
plunging to the streets. Roulette's power saves them both, allowing them to land safely in a store canopy.
The White Queen would later cause a confrontation between her team and the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
. This was over the fate of Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
, a member of the Warriors who used to be a part of the Hellions. The battle, held in the New Warrior's penthouse, came down to a game of numbers and Catseye scored one for her team by viciously defeating Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
, easily tearing through his reinforced armor. Ultimately, the Hellions lost by attrition, though nobody defeated Catseye in turn.
Soon after, Emma threw another party which the Hellions as well as the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
Gold team attended. It was there that Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 .Fitzroy hails from the same dystopian future as Bishop...
—a member of the villainous group known as the Upstarts
Upstarts (comics)
The Upstarts were a group of fictional comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics with strong ties to the Hellfire Club. They first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 and were created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio.-Fictional team biography:...
—crashed the party with the goal of killing Emma in order to gain points within the group. Some of the Hellions died in the initial firefight. The rest, including Catseye, were killed in order to fuel Fitzroy's teleportation portal
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
.
Post Death Illusions
Catseye makes a postmortem appearance in the 1997 Annual of Generation X. However, this was just a trick played by the demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
D'Spayre
D'Spayre
D'Spayre is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a demon, and was one of the Fear Lords. He has been opposed by Spider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, Man-Thing, Cyclops, the Juggernaut, Doctor Strange, Cloak & Dagger, and the New Avengers. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up v1 #68...
to agitate Emma Frost.
Also in the Generation X
Generation X (comics)
Generation X is a fictional comic book superhero team, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, the team formed during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994...
#55-56, the Generation X members become trapped in an illusion by Adrienne Frost
Adrienne Frost
Adrienne Frost is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe, the older sister of Emma Frost and Cordelia Frost. Not much is known about her. She first appeared in Generation X #48 . The issue was scripted by Jay Faerber and drawn by Terry Dodson.-Early years:Adrienne was the first child born to...
where each of them is a different Hellions member except for Jetstream
Jetstream (comics)
Jetstream is a fictional Moroccan mutant character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Created as a part of the group known as the Hellions, he exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
. The afflicted heroes relive the Hellion's last day. Jubilee was Catseye.
Necrosha
Catseye, along with all the other deceased Hellions is resurrected by Selene and Eli Bard. After breaking into Utopia with the help of Cypher, she and the other Hellions confront Emma Frost and taunt her for not saving them. She is subdued by Cyclops when she goes to attack Emma.Powers and abilities
Catseye's mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
power is ailuranthropy, the ability to become a cat. She can transform into either a housecat or a human-panther hybrid (a werecat
Werecat
A werecat is a therianthropic creature of folklore, horror, and occultism, described as being a shape-shifter similar to a Werewolf....
). In her panther form, she has superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance in addition to hyper-keen senses, razor-sharp claws and fangs, a prehensile tail
Prehensile tail
A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to be able to grasp and/or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees...
, a slight healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
, and the ability to crawl up walls.
Even in her human form, she retained some catlike physical features such as slitted pupils and a tail.
It was stated in earlier New Mutants stories that Catseye may in fact be a mutant cat with the power to assume human form, explaining why she found human speech difficult and appeared to be more "animalistic" in character.
Age of Apocalypse
Catseye was still alive in the alternate reality called the Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
and was a Hellion. She and the others were hunted down and apprehended by the X-Men, after being knocked out by an enraged Wolfsbane while attempting to flee the beat-down of her fellow Hellions.