Cerebra
Encyclopedia
Cerebra is a mutant
comic book
character in the fictional Marvel Universe
. She is a founding member of the X-Men 2099
of 2099
and founder of X-Nation 2099
. Her creators were John Francis Moore
and Ron Lim
.
experiments on innocents for their own profit. Shakti was a brilliant young woman and became an expert in genetics, but her compassionate nature made her oppose her father's company. She fled her native land of India
and Zail sent various bounty hunters after his daughter. One of these bounty hunters fell in love with Shakti, and together the two escaped, but he was suffering a lethal disease and left her before the disease would kill him. Years later, she would meet him again, when he called himself the Architect
.
Cerebra became a founding member of the futuristic version of the X-Men
gathered together by Xi'an Chi Xan
and a mainstay throughout the series. However, most of her support was not in combat but was behind the scenes. When she is first introduced, she recruited a mutant named Timothy Fitzgerald aka Skullfire
into the fold.
Shakti's codename, Cerebra, was coined by Meanstreak
as a joke, referring to her ability to locate mutants being similar to the original X-Men's Cerebro
.
Later Cerebra showed up during the battle with Master Zhao and his group of Chosen X-Men. Zhao had used unstable technology to further mutate his chosen group in order for them to more closely resemble the group of original X-Men (Cyclops
, Marvel Girl
, Iceman
, Angel
, and Beast
) but this process had left the unwilling guinea pigs in a condition where their cellular structure was deteriorating. After the battle when this fact was discovered, Cerebra went about trying to find a way to cure their condition by placing them in cryogenic suspension
. It became a pet project for her and almost cost her her life. When Xi'an finally turned on the team, the Theatre of Pain
came to collect the three surviving mutants, just after Shakti had discovered a way to save the three. Shakti tried to stop them, but was knocked out by Xi'an. He set explosives in Master Zhao's old base, but Shakti woke up in time to wake the other X-Men and escape the base before it exploded.
Soon afterwards the X-Men attacked the Theatre of Pain and Xi'an was restored to his old self and the X-Men were made the protectors of Halo City. Shakti's father, Zail, sought refuge in Halo City from the Graverobber, a former employee who had been turned into a corpse-like zombie
due to Zail's negligence. The Graverobber and his Undead took Halo City hostage and the Halo City administrator, Morphine Somers, used Zail as bait to capture the Graverobber. Due to Morphine's plan, Zail was seriously wounded, but survived and Shakti and Zail made peace.
came to Shakti with a rumor of a soon-to-come mutant Messiah
. He or she was supposed to come in the body of a young child, so Doom wanted to ensure that the young savior would be in his hands. He gave Shakti the task of collecting and training these children in Halo City and thus X-Nation
was born. Shakti taught some classes and gave anger management
counseling. Unfortunately the team was torn apart by a combination of the revived Exodus
and the invading Atlantean
army. The water-breathers, incurring heavy fatalities, kill the staff of the X-Nation orphanage, the Sisterhood of the Howling Commandments. The kids are left homeless.
Around this time, Shakti learns she is pregnant but the fate of her child is not made clear.
In the follow-up limited series 2099: World of Tomorrow
, most of the world is flooded. Shakti is one of the many to make it to a new colony in the Savage Land
. Unfortunately, new dangers arise., Shakti's nervous system is attacked by Franklin, a robot who was created by Reed Richards to store the world's knowledge. Shakti loses her mutant power and the use of her legs. Shakti's father was able to repair the damage done to her nervous system, but could not restore her mutant powers or the use of her legs.
that allows her to 'sense' mutants in a similar manner to Charles Xavier
's Cerebro
. She also has the ability to manipulate a person's nervous system
and paralyze them as well as stun and render them unconscious or access any autonomic functions
, like Skullfire
's powers before he learned to control them.
Shakti has a small implant below her left ear that allows her to directly connect to computers and the Cybernet, the 2099 version of the internet.
Shakti also is brilliant scientist and a skilled martial artist.
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...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character in the fictional 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...
. She is a founding member of the X-Men 2099
X-Men 2099
X-Men 2099 was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1993 to 1996 that chronicled the adventures of an X-Men team in the year 2099. It extends the Marvel 2099 imprint, which features other future versions of popular Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man 2099 and Hulk 2099...
of 2099
Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that explores one possible future of the Marvel Universe. It was originally announced by Stan Lee in his "Stan's Soapbox" column as a single series entitled The Marvel World of Tomorrow, which was being developed by Lee and John Byrne...
and founder of X-Nation 2099
X-Nation 2099
X-Nation 2099 was a comic book series created by Marvel Comics for their Marvel 2099 imprint. It depicts the course of events in a team of young mutants' lives. The series only lasted six issues.-Fictional team biography:...
. Her creators were John Francis Moore
John Francis Moore (comics)
John Francis Moore is comic book writer known for stints as writer on such Marvel comics series as X-Force, X-Factor, Doom 2099 and X-Men 2099...
and Ron Lim
Ron Lim
Ronald "Ron" Lim is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California.-Biography:Ron Lim's first published work was an independent comic book entitled Ex-Mutants, which he worked on from 1986-1988....
.
Fictional character biography
Shakti Haddad was the daughter of Zail Haddad, a powerful and ruthless businessman, whose company did many twisted geneticGenetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
experiments on innocents for their own profit. Shakti was a brilliant young woman and became an expert in genetics, but her compassionate nature made her oppose her father's company. She fled her native land of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Zail sent various bounty hunters after his daughter. One of these bounty hunters fell in love with Shakti, and together the two escaped, but he was suffering a lethal disease and left her before the disease would kill him. Years later, she would meet him again, when he called himself the Architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
Cerebra became a founding member of the futuristic version of 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...
gathered together by Xi'an Chi Xan
Xi'an (comics)
Xi'an is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics for their Marvel 2099 imprint. In the title X-Men 2099, he was the founder, leader, and enemy of the team of X-Men who was always haunted by his past....
and a mainstay throughout the series. However, most of her support was not in combat but was behind the scenes. When she is first introduced, she recruited a mutant named Timothy Fitzgerald aka Skullfire
Skullfire
Skullfire is a fictional character in Marvel Comics's 2099 universe, a look at superheroes in the year 2099. He was one of the founding members of a future incarnation of the X-Men called X-Men 2099.-Fictional character biography:...
into the fold.
Shakti's codename, Cerebra, was coined by Meanstreak
Meanstreak (comics)
Meanstreak is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics for their futuristic comic book line Marvel 2099 in X-Men 2099. His creators were John Francis Moore and Ron Lim.-Fictional character biography:...
as a joke, referring to her ability to locate mutants being similar to the original X-Men's Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
.
Later Cerebra showed up during the battle with Master Zhao and his group of Chosen X-Men. Zhao had used unstable technology to further mutate his chosen group in order for them to more closely resemble the group of original X-Men (Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, Marvel Girl
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, Angel
Archangel (comics)
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a comic book antihero in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as Angel and later Archangel, Worthington is one of the founding members of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-creator Jack Kirby, he first appeared in...
, and Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
) but this process had left the unwilling guinea pigs in a condition where their cellular structure was deteriorating. After the battle when this fact was discovered, Cerebra went about trying to find a way to cure their condition by placing them in cryogenic suspension
Cryogenics
In physics, cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. A person who studies elements under extremely cold temperature is called a cryogenicist. Rather than the relative temperature scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit,...
. It became a pet project for her and almost cost her her life. When Xi'an finally turned on the team, the Theatre of Pain
Theatre of Pain (comics)
The Theatre of Pain is a fictional organization created by Marvel Comics for their Marvel 2099 line-up. The group is analogous to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or the Hellfire Club in that it was one of the main antagonistic organizations against the X-Men 2099. They were a very well known and...
came to collect the three surviving mutants, just after Shakti had discovered a way to save the three. Shakti tried to stop them, but was knocked out by Xi'an. He set explosives in Master Zhao's old base, but Shakti woke up in time to wake the other X-Men and escape the base before it exploded.
Soon afterwards the X-Men attacked the Theatre of Pain and Xi'an was restored to his old self and the X-Men were made the protectors of Halo City. Shakti's father, Zail, sought refuge in Halo City from the Graverobber, a former employee who had been turned into a corpse-like zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
due to Zail's negligence. The Graverobber and his Undead took Halo City hostage and the Halo City administrator, Morphine Somers, used Zail as bait to capture the Graverobber. Due to Morphine's plan, Zail was seriously wounded, but survived and Shakti and Zail made peace.
President Doom
President DoomDoom 2099
Doom is a Marvel Comics anti-hero featured in the Marvel 2099 comic book series Doom 2099. The character is based on Doctor Doom, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
came to Shakti with a rumor of a soon-to-come mutant Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
. He or she was supposed to come in the body of a young child, so Doom wanted to ensure that the young savior would be in his hands. He gave Shakti the task of collecting and training these children in Halo City and thus X-Nation
X-Nation 2099
X-Nation 2099 was a comic book series created by Marvel Comics for their Marvel 2099 imprint. It depicts the course of events in a team of young mutants' lives. The series only lasted six issues.-Fictional team biography:...
was born. Shakti taught some classes and gave anger management
Anger management
The term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger & aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state...
counseling. Unfortunately the team was torn apart by a combination of the revived Exodus
Exodus (comics)
Exodus is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92...
and the invading Atlantean
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
army. The water-breathers, incurring heavy fatalities, kill the staff of the X-Nation orphanage, the Sisterhood of the Howling Commandments. The kids are left homeless.
Around this time, Shakti learns she is pregnant but the fate of her child is not made clear.
In the follow-up limited series 2099: World of Tomorrow
2099: World of Tomorrow
2099: World of Tomorrow was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series continued incomplete storylines after all the other Marvel 2099 titles had been cancelled. This included X-Men 2099, Spider-Man 2099, X-Nation 2099, Hulk 2099, Doom 2099 and the Fantastic Four 2099.-Plot:There...
, most of the world is flooded. Shakti is one of the many to make it to a new colony in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
. Unfortunately, new dangers arise., Shakti's nervous system is attacked by Franklin, a robot who was created by Reed Richards to store the world's knowledge. Shakti loses her mutant power and the use of her legs. Shakti's father was able to repair the damage done to her nervous system, but could not restore her mutant powers or the use of her legs.
Powers and abilities
Shakti possesses a specific form of telepathyTelepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
that allows her to 'sense' mutants in a similar manner to Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
's Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
. She also has the ability to manipulate a person's nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
and paralyze them as well as stun and render them unconscious or access any autonomic functions
Autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system is the part of the peripheral nervous system that acts as a control system functioning largely below the level of consciousness, and controls visceral functions. The ANS affects heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils,...
, like Skullfire
Skullfire
Skullfire is a fictional character in Marvel Comics's 2099 universe, a look at superheroes in the year 2099. He was one of the founding members of a future incarnation of the X-Men called X-Men 2099.-Fictional character biography:...
's powers before he learned to control them.
Shakti has a small implant below her left ear that allows her to directly connect to computers and the Cybernet, the 2099 version of the internet.
Shakti also is brilliant scientist and a skilled martial artist.