Mister X (comics)
Encyclopedia
Mister X is a fictional character
, a supervillain
of the Marvel Universe
introduced in Wolverine
#159 (February, 2001). His henchmen
include T & A (nickname
d "Betty
and Veronica
" by Wolverine), and Blok.
to killing that, by his own account, started in his adolescence. His latent telepathic power was awakened by seeing a woman who had been hit by a car, which fascinated him; he felt her die. This is very similar to the trauma
that awakened Jean Grey
's psionic abilities. He soon became obsessed with death.
As a youth, X committed several murder
s to recreate the high of telepathically connecting with another person at the moment of their death. He murdered his pet dog by locking it in an oven, followed soon after by his entire family, including his mother and father. Over the years X would commit hundreds of murders and had his identity erased. Using his family's considerable fortune, X traveled throughout the world and studied under some of the finest martial artists in the world. After X learned all he could from each of his teachers, he would kill them. The thrill of killing an opponent in hand to hand combat
provided him with a rush that he had never dreamed of. X kept a public image of a handsome, single, wealthy socialite
, while he secretly coveted the honor of being the greatest hand to hand combat
fighter on earth, which, of course, meant killing all of the other greatest fighters.
For every murder, X would cut a scar
somewhere on his body. By the time he met Wolverine
, his torso was covered in hundreds of them arranged in an ornate pattern. X defeated Wolverine in their first battle, but was amazed at his opponent's skills, bravery, and tenacity. X told Wolverine the story of his life up to that point, and then offered to spare Wolverine's life if he would agree to join him in his gruesome quest, much as T and A and Blok had done. Wolverine refused and engaged X in battle once again. This time, hearing of X's crimes and the lives he'd destroyed over the years, pushed Wolverine over the edge, and he slipped into a berserker
rage. While in this state, Wolverine's conscious mind essentially shut down and the primal, savage instincts brought on by his mutation took over. Even though X stabbed and slashed him with swords and knives, impaled him with a spear, shot him with a machine gun, and set him on fire with a flamethrower, Wolverine continued to fight. In the end, Wolverine's determination and healing powers proved too much for X to overcome. X himself received several severe injuries, including deep lacerations down the length of his chest and stomach. He would have been killed had his bodyguard, Blok, not interfered.
Their third and final battle, at the Bloodsport tournament, went similarly. X had just defeated Taskmaster
in a steel cage match, with Taskmaster surviving only due to a referee declaring the bout over upon X leaving the cage and preventing X from re-entering to finish his opponent off (X murders the referee for robbing him of his kill). At first, the battle appeared to be going in a similar direction as their first. No matter what Wolverine did, X was immediately prepared with a counter to Wolverine's offense. Wolverine noted to himself that X's movements, his technique, and form were absolutely flawless.
During this time, the Taskmaster (frustrated by the humiliating defeat he'd suffered) attempted to kill X by firing an incendiary
arrow at him from underneath the ring in which he and Wolverine were fighting. Wolverine's enhanced senses alerted him to Taskmaster's presence and allowed him to anticipate the attack, which would have harmed him as well, and allowed him to get out of the way before it hit. To Wolverine's surprise, X also moved out of harm's way, as though he had also sensed the danger. As the fire from the arrow spread across the ring, temporarily separating the two combatants, Wolverine recalled X telling him that he'd been able to feel a girl die when he was younger. Reminded of how Jean Grey
had learned of her powers- reading the mind of her childhood friend Annie when Annie was killed in a car accident in front of her-, Wolverine surmised that X must have telepathic abilities enabling him to predict his opponent's moves. The natural solution to such a talent is not to think while fighting; to slip into a berserker fury as he had done during their second fight. He allowed himself to slip into a berserker rage and the tide immediately changed.
Despite his skill, X was unable to predict Wolverine's moves. Wolverine, who is a highly skilled martial artist himself, soon had the advantage. The ring eventually collapsed but not before Wolverine had knocked X into one of the corners containing the championship belt. X picked up the belt and declared that he'd won the match, which was technically true according to the rules of the tournament. Despite this, Wolverine was poised to deliver the death blow but Blok, once again, saved X's life.
are sent after Mister X by Norman Osborn
. The Black Widow
briefs them about Mister X, who informs them that he will be attending Madripoor
's opera house with Tyger Tiger
, and that the Black Widow and Paladin
will pretend to be ballet dancers. Stun guns are teleported into the disguised Thunderbolts, and Mister X moves in to intercept them. As the witnesses flee, the Thunderbolts reveal that their assassination attempt was a sham, and that Mister X had arranged to meet them there. A body double is teleported in, and incinerated to cover Mister X's disappearance, and he is welcomed as the newest member of the Thunderbolts. He reveals that he doesn't need Osborn's money, and is looking for a challenge. With great pleasure, Mr. X later participated in the "Siege" crossover, fighting and even killing Asgardians. After Osborn was proven defeated, Mr. X briefly possessed the Spear of Odin
, but was savagely beaten and disarmed by Quicksilver
. Mr. X disappeared before being arrested.
However his telepathy has its limits as he was unable to match the speed of Quicksilver
's attacks. His lack of superhuman physical powers contributes greatly to his unwillingness to confront genuine superhuman opponents such as Spider-Man, Luke Cage, the Hulk, etc., as their vastly superior physical abilities would render his ability to predict their actions useless. Quicksilver mocked him for this by referring to him as "the least dangerous man on the planet." Wolverine has also managed to defeat X in combat by provoking himself into a berserker rage while they fight, thus preventing X from predicting what Wolverine will do next as Wolverine himself is unaware what he shall attempt in that state.
X possesses the physical capabilities of a man that is in the peak of physical condition. His physical abilities of strength, speed, stamina, agility, dexterity, reflexes & reactions, coordination, balance, and endurance are on par with those of Captain America. Mr. X claims to be a master of every earthly form of martial arts and some alien fighting styles including Kree and Shi'ar. Mr. X is also highly proficient with a variety of weaponry including swords, knives, staffs, and firearms. He also has an uncanny tolerance for physical pain and may be a masochist.
in a martial arts tournament depicted in Ryu
's ending for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
.
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 supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
of 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...
introduced in Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
#159 (February, 2001). His henchmen
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
include T & A (nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Betty
Betty Cooper
Betty Cooper is a fictional character of Archie Comics, the blonde-haired daughter of Hal and Alice Cooper. Betty likes sports, and is also a cheerleader. Betty was created in December 1941. Her older brother Chic Cooper and older sister Polly Cooper have both moved out of Riverdale, their hometown...
and Veronica
Veronica Lodge
Veronica Lodge is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.-Fictional history and character:She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie...
" by Wolverine), and Blok.
Fictional character biography
Mister X is an extremely wealthy businessman who has demonstrated a psychological addictionBehavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
to killing that, by his own account, started in his adolescence. His latent telepathic power was awakened by seeing a woman who had been hit by a car, which fascinated him; he felt her die. This is very similar to the trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
that awakened Jean Grey
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...
's psionic abilities. He soon became obsessed with death.
As a youth, X committed several murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s to recreate the high of telepathically connecting with another person at the moment of their death. He murdered his pet dog by locking it in an oven, followed soon after by his entire family, including his mother and father. Over the years X would commit hundreds of murders and had his identity erased. Using his family's considerable fortune, X traveled throughout the world and studied under some of the finest martial artists in the world. After X learned all he could from each of his teachers, he would kill them. The thrill of killing an opponent in hand to hand combat
Close combat
*Close combat is a generic term for both Close Quarters Battle and Hand to hand combat.*Mêlée generally refers to disorganized close combat.*CQB is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle, such as that which occurs in urban warfare....
provided him with a rush that he had never dreamed of. X kept a public image of a handsome, single, wealthy socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, while he secretly coveted the honor of being the greatest hand to hand combat
Hand to hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
fighter on earth, which, of course, meant killing all of the other greatest fighters.
For every murder, X would cut a scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
somewhere on his body. By the time he met Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, his torso was covered in hundreds of them arranged in an ornate pattern. X defeated Wolverine in their first battle, but was amazed at his opponent's skills, bravery, and tenacity. X told Wolverine the story of his life up to that point, and then offered to spare Wolverine's life if he would agree to join him in his gruesome quest, much as T and A and Blok had done. Wolverine refused and engaged X in battle once again. This time, hearing of X's crimes and the lives he'd destroyed over the years, pushed Wolverine over the edge, and he slipped into a berserker
Berserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
rage. While in this state, Wolverine's conscious mind essentially shut down and the primal, savage instincts brought on by his mutation took over. Even though X stabbed and slashed him with swords and knives, impaled him with a spear, shot him with a machine gun, and set him on fire with a flamethrower, Wolverine continued to fight. In the end, Wolverine's determination and healing powers proved too much for X to overcome. X himself received several severe injuries, including deep lacerations down the length of his chest and stomach. He would have been killed had his bodyguard, Blok, not interfered.
Their third and final battle, at the Bloodsport tournament, went similarly. X had just defeated Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
in a steel cage match, with Taskmaster surviving only due to a referee declaring the bout over upon X leaving the cage and preventing X from re-entering to finish his opponent off (X murders the referee for robbing him of his kill). At first, the battle appeared to be going in a similar direction as their first. No matter what Wolverine did, X was immediately prepared with a counter to Wolverine's offense. Wolverine noted to himself that X's movements, his technique, and form were absolutely flawless.
During this time, the Taskmaster (frustrated by the humiliating defeat he'd suffered) attempted to kill X by firing an incendiary
Incendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
arrow at him from underneath the ring in which he and Wolverine were fighting. Wolverine's enhanced senses alerted him to Taskmaster's presence and allowed him to anticipate the attack, which would have harmed him as well, and allowed him to get out of the way before it hit. To Wolverine's surprise, X also moved out of harm's way, as though he had also sensed the danger. As the fire from the arrow spread across the ring, temporarily separating the two combatants, Wolverine recalled X telling him that he'd been able to feel a girl die when he was younger. Reminded of how Jean Grey
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...
had learned of her powers- reading the mind of her childhood friend Annie when Annie was killed in a car accident in front of her-, Wolverine surmised that X must have telepathic abilities enabling him to predict his opponent's moves. The natural solution to such a talent is not to think while fighting; to slip into a berserker fury as he had done during their second fight. He allowed himself to slip into a berserker rage and the tide immediately changed.
Despite his skill, X was unable to predict Wolverine's moves. Wolverine, who is a highly skilled martial artist himself, soon had the advantage. The ring eventually collapsed but not before Wolverine had knocked X into one of the corners containing the championship belt. X picked up the belt and declared that he'd won the match, which was technically true according to the rules of the tournament. Despite this, Wolverine was poised to deliver the death blow but Blok, once again, saved X's life.
Thunderbolts
The ThunderboltsThunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
are sent after Mister X by Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. The Black Widow
Black Widow (Yelena Belova)
Black Widow is a fictional character, a spy in the . She first appears in Inhumans #5 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee.-Publication history:...
briefs them about Mister X, who informs them that he will be attending Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
's opera house with Tyger Tiger
Jessan Hoan
Tyger Tiger is a fictional character most often appearing in Wolverine stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She is a former banker turned crime lord.-Fictional character biography:...
, and that the Black Widow and Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
will pretend to be ballet dancers. Stun guns are teleported into the disguised Thunderbolts, and Mister X moves in to intercept them. As the witnesses flee, the Thunderbolts reveal that their assassination attempt was a sham, and that Mister X had arranged to meet them there. A body double is teleported in, and incinerated to cover Mister X's disappearance, and he is welcomed as the newest member of the Thunderbolts. He reveals that he doesn't need Osborn's money, and is looking for a challenge. With great pleasure, Mr. X later participated in the "Siege" crossover, fighting and even killing Asgardians. After Osborn was proven defeated, Mr. X briefly possessed the Spear of Odin
Gungnir
In Norse mythology, Gungnir is the spear of the god Odin.-Poetic Edda:In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, the Æsir-Vanir War is described as officially starting when Odin throws a spear over the heads of an assembly of Vanir gods. Whether or not this was specifically Gungnir is, however, unstated...
, but was savagely beaten and disarmed by Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. Mr. X disappeared before being arrested.
Powers and abilities
Mister X possesses telepathic abilities whereby he is able to predict the fighting moves of any opponent he engages. These abilities allow him to "see" what his opponent will do to the point that he is already several steps ahead of them. The combination of his skills and these psionic powers was sufficient for X to defeat the Taskmaster, who is one of the finest combatants on Earth, and made it look easy.However his telepathy has its limits as he was unable to match the speed of Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
's attacks. His lack of superhuman physical powers contributes greatly to his unwillingness to confront genuine superhuman opponents such as Spider-Man, Luke Cage, the Hulk, etc., as their vastly superior physical abilities would render his ability to predict their actions useless. Quicksilver mocked him for this by referring to him as "the least dangerous man on the planet." Wolverine has also managed to defeat X in combat by provoking himself into a berserker rage while they fight, thus preventing X from predicting what Wolverine will do next as Wolverine himself is unaware what he shall attempt in that state.
X possesses the physical capabilities of a man that is in the peak of physical condition. His physical abilities of strength, speed, stamina, agility, dexterity, reflexes & reactions, coordination, balance, and endurance are on par with those of Captain America. Mr. X claims to be a master of every earthly form of martial arts and some alien fighting styles including Kree and Shi'ar. Mr. X is also highly proficient with a variety of weaponry including swords, knives, staffs, and firearms. He also has an uncanny tolerance for physical pain and may be a masochist.
In other media
Mister X is listed as an opponent who will be facing Ken MastersKen Masters
, originally spelled in Japanese as , is a video game character created by Capcom. As a main character, he has appeared in all of the Street Fighter games along with his best friend and rival, Ryu...
in a martial arts tournament depicted in Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
's ending for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It features Capcom's own characters and characters from American comic book company Marvel Comics. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel vs...
.