Shatterstar
Encyclopedia
Shatterstar is a fictional character
, a mutant
superhero
in the .
and Rob Liefeld
. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues devoted solely to him. In 2005, the character was featured in his own limited series, X-Force: Shatterstar. Shatterstar became a member of X-Factor in X-Factor #45 (August 2009).
V. There, Shatterstar was created to be a slave; he claims to have had no parents, only a "gestation chamber." He was genetically engineered
to have enhanced physical capabilities so he could serve as an arena gladiator.
Shatterstar learned the arts of battle as a warrior in arenas on Mojoworld, where he participated in combats staged for Mojo's television programs. It’s assumed it was here he developed his strong sense of honor and pride as a warrior, to combat the constant violence and death in his life. Eventually he escaped and joined the Cadre Alliance, the rebel
group that sought to overthrow Mojo V's dictatorship
. From there, he learned the Cadre's language and began taking part in missions.
On one of these missions, Arize sent him back in time to Earth to find the X-Men
and get their assistance in defeating and overthrowing Mojo. He did not find the X-Men though. Shatterstar was either teleported
or traveled back in time to Earth at the point just before Cable
reorganized the New Mutants
into X-Force. At first, he battled Cable, Domino
, and the New Mutants, but after they talked with him the mutants aided him against the Imperial Protectorate. With Cable's assurance that they would help him defeat Mojo (though with the use of time travel it was not urgent that they leave anytime soon) Shatterstar became a founding member of the new team, X-Force.
With X-Force on their first mission, Shatterstar battled the Alliance of Evil
, and first encountered the New Warriors
. He battled Night Thrasher and Silhouette
. With X-Force, the New Warriors, Moira MacTaggert
's "Muir Island
X-Men
" team, and X-Factor
, he battled Proteus
.
X-Force's next mission involved attacking the Mutant Liberation Front
base, where Shatterstar battled Reaper
. With X-Force and Spider-Man
, he next battled Tom Cassidy
and the Juggernaut
. With X-Force, he battled the Toad
's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
.
Later Shatterstar discovered, to his bewilderment, that he also had the memories of an Earthling named Benjamin Russell. Soon afterwards, Mojo made Cable and Shatterstar his prisoners and transformed them into digital images for one of his television programs. In the course of the show, Shatterstar was mortally wounded in combat. Mojo's sometime ally Spiral
teleported Cable and Shatterstar back into reality, where they regained their true forms. Spiral brought Cable, Shatterstar, Longshot
(who was Shatterstar's ally on Mojoworld), and the X-Force member Siryn
to the Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane in Rutland, Vermont
. There Spiral directed them to the bedside of one of its patients, a mutant named Benjamin Russell who had no living relatives, had been in a coma
since his powers had emerged, and, curiously, looked identical to Shatterstar. Longshot transferred Shatterstar's "uemeur," or soul, into Benjamin Russell's body, and the two became one. Apparently Shatterstar's body merged with Russell's as well, for the resulting body bore the starburst pattern that Shatterstar had around his left eye and his hair lengthened greatly. Restored to full health and consciousness, and feeling "whole" for the first time in his life, Shatterstar resumed his work as a member of X-Force.
However, this does not explain why Shatterstar had some of Benjamin Russell's memories before they merged, or why they looked so much alike. There are still too many mysteries yet to be explained about Shatterstar's true origin. It was hinted that Shatterstar may have been the child of Longshot and the mutant X-Man Dazzler
in the early run of X-Men in 1992, and in 2009, Rob Liefeld confirmed that Shatterstar "was pitched as Longshot's son". A later medical exam conducted by Beast
upon Shatterstar revealed that he indeed possessed DNA identical to that of Longshot, his rumored father, along with such genetic features as hollow bones and a lack of white blood cells.
Dazzler revealed that she was pregnant with Longshot's child and Longshot suggested the name "Shatterstar" for the unborn child. Longshot and Dazzler returned to Mojoworld to free Longshot's people and Dazzler later appeared without Longshot and without a child. It has been speculated that Dazzler miscarried
, though it has not been established officially what became of the infant.
Shatterstar accompanied Rictor
to the Richter home in Mexico to try to end Rictor's family's arms-dealing business. Both characters have since appeared separately so one assumes they succeeded, though it’s not known why they later parted.
Shatterstar is later seen in Madripoor
, earning his money by fighting in arenas. He was sought out by Spiral, who had one of her agents make Shatterstar believe she wanted to kill him. However, Spiral had previously admitted in an emotional confession to Cable, when he demanded that she reveal all that she knew about the answers behind the mysteries of Shatterstar's origin immediately after Shatterstar and Benjamin Russell had been merged, that both young men "meant more than life itself to her" before teleporting away. With a fake quest, Spiral lured Shatterstar to an alternate universe she had conquered and ruled. On that Earth, Spiral had also killed most of that world's heroes and mutants. That Earth's Shatterstar had been killed as well. He was found by that Earth's rebel forces, including Cable and some other members he knew from X-Force. Together, they eventually defeated Spiral. Upon returning to the mainstream Earth, Shatterstar was contacted by Cable and requested to temporarily join him on a mission to defeat the Skornn
. Shatterstar agreed, but first Cable wanted him to train with monks on Mount Xixabangma. After those monks were killed by Skornn's worshipers, Shatterstar was reunited with his old team and they eventually killed the Skornn.
Following M-Day
and the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act, Shatterstar teamed up with Domino and Caliban (all X-Force members) to break The 198 out of the encampment set up for mutants on the grounds of the Xavier Institute. They took the escapees to a secret base provided to them by Captain America
via Nick Fury
. While fighting O*N*E, he nearly killed Micromax
, claiming that while there is no such thing as murder during war, he had only meant to disable him.
story, Shatterstar, whose mind is being controlled by the villain Cortex, attacks Strong Guy
and Rictor
. Shatterstar is broken out of his trance-like state when Cortex's control over him is interrupted. Upon recognizing Rictor, he kisses him passionately. Journeying to Detroit, Cortex confronts Longshot and the two fight. As Cortex attempts to gain control over Longshot, he is startled that Longshot, like Shatterstar, is extradimensional (limiting his degree of control) and that the two men are somehow related.
Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship experiences conflict because Shatterstar—who now feels romantic and sexual potential within him for the first time—wishes to explore this whole new aspect of his life, desiring an open relationship
. Rictor, more fully committed to maintaining theirs as a monogamous relationship, feels hurt by Shatterstar's need for sexual exploration. Things are complicated further when Rahne Sinclair
walks in on them during an intimate moment, which leads to a brief fight between Shatterstar and Rahne. Rictor stays to take care of a pregnant Rahne, who attempts to mislead him into thinking the baby is his, while Shatterstar goes off on a mission for X-Factor. On mission, he encounters the child's real father, Hrimhari
, which he is able to report back to Rictor.
of the Fantastic Four
as a weapon to slam Thing through a wall of the Baxter Building
. Shatterstar's speed and agility are considered enhanced enough for members of the Mutant Response Division to expect him capable of dodging point-blank automatic weapons firing from at least three trained agents.
He is an excellent military strategist and has had extensive training in many forms of the martial arts
and interpersonal combat of Mojoworld; in particular, he is a master swordsman. His bones are hollow, making him far lighter than he looks and further increasing his athletic and acrobatic skills. He also has enhanced learning capabilities, being able to quickly learn and master languages and technology. He customarily wields two single-edged swords with spiked hand-guards and on occasion carries other weaponry as well. Shatterstar is able to regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue much faster than an ordinary human. Injuries such as slashes and stabbings heal completely within a matter of hours. Additionally, he possesses the ability to shift his internal organs within his body, lessening the chances of serious wounds that get through his body armor. He has also been mentioned as having hollow bones, a lack of white blood cells, and DNA identical to his teammate/rumored father, Longshot
.
He also has the mutant ability to channel and generate powerful vibratory shock waves (and perhaps bioelectricity) charges through these blades, though he rarely uses them as they tend to exhaust him, and prefers to depend instead on his martial prowess. (he once used it as a surprise attack/secret technique to defeat Reaper of the MLF).
He also owns a pair of blades that create portals capable of teleporting
individuals to their desired locations. This ability requires another individual to serve as the 'focus', picturing the destination. Creating such portals generates enough energy that it must be done outside, otherwise risking significant damage to any structure within which they are built. Shatterstar also requires a minimum of three to four hours to recharge between portal creation. Should his concentration be interrupted while an individual or object is partway through, those parts will be severed, ending up in the separate locations, the destination and the starting point of the portal.
Although Shatterstar was revealed to have a designated "genetic bond mate," Windsong (whom he never met and is now deceased), in the Mojoverse, he later claimed that even though he was fully capable physically, he had never felt any sexual stirrings or romantic love—indicating a form of asexuality
—and has long felt "lacking", even in his native dimension. Since then his emotional state has been fluctuating. While in X-Force he displayed emotion, having developed a close—and somewhat ambiguous—friendship with Rictor
. X-Force writer Jeph Loeb
hinted that Shatterstar had romantic feelings for Rictor and was planning on making the two a couple, but he left the title before he could make this happen.
Writer Peter David
reflects that being the subject of "prolonged exposure to Earth" and around Rictor changed things for the warrior, and he began to develop a real romantic capacity. In X-Factor (volume 3) #45 (August 2009), Shatterstar and Rictor kiss. Shortly after the issue was published, Peter David confirmed Rictor and Shatterstar's bisexuality in his blog and expressed his desire to develop the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar further.
One of Shatterstar's creators, Rob Liefeld
, expressed his disapproval with Shatterstar being non-heterosexual, saying he was meant to be "asexual, and struggling to understand human behavior." Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
defended the development, and stated that if Rob Liefeld wanted it changed, he would have to "take it up with the next editor-in-chief". Similarly, Peter David also defended the storyline, citing the work of other writers after Rob Liefield's tenure on the character, who hinted at the attraction between the two characters. David explained in an interview that he took inspiration from Torchwood
character Captain Jack Harkness
, whom David describes as "swashbuckling, enthusiastic and sexually curious about anything with a pulse." As such, David's X-Factor sees Shatterstar want to have a sexually open relationship
on account of having been (as in Liefeld's stories) sexually and romantically closed off to the world all his life.
in the dystopian alternate future of The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect.
team led by Cannonball
were approached by Mojoworld Spineless Ones, Mojo
. Spineless Ones were searching for X-Force
in hopes of helping them to liberate their planet, this time from Shatterstar, who had since taken over as ruler and oppressed the Spineless Ones. Arriving on Mojoworld, the mutants and their allies found their way to a stadium, where Spineless Ones were being forced to partake in gladiator-style combat. X-Force joined the fray, and when Shatterstar realized the error of his ways, his second-in-command, the Scheduler, betrayed him. Shatterstar, along with X-Force and Arize defeated the Scheduler and his followers.
line, Shatterstar was combined with Starfire
of DC Comics
to create the new character Shatterstarfire.
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...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the .
Publication history
Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 (March 1991), and was created by Fabian NiciezaFabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
and Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues devoted solely to him. In 2005, the character was featured in his own limited series, X-Force: Shatterstar. Shatterstar became a member of X-Factor in X-Factor #45 (August 2009).
Fictional character biography
Shatterstar comes from the planet Mojoworld (about a century in the future, as opposed to the Mojoverse which co-exists with the contemporary Earth dimension, making him a time traveler as well as a dimension-hopper) which is ruled by the alien tyrant MojoMojo (comics)
Mojo is a Marvel Comics supervillain, primarily an enemy of the X-Men and one of its members, Longshot. Mojo is one of the "Spineless Ones," an alien race that is immobile without advanced technology. He is a slaver who rules the Mojoverse, a dimension where all beings are addicted to his...
V. There, Shatterstar was created to be a slave; he claims to have had no parents, only a "gestation chamber." He was genetically engineered
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
to have enhanced physical capabilities so he could serve as an arena gladiator.
Shatterstar learned the arts of battle as a warrior in arenas on Mojoworld, where he participated in combats staged for Mojo's television programs. It’s assumed it was here he developed his strong sense of honor and pride as a warrior, to combat the constant violence and death in his life. Eventually he escaped and joined the Cadre Alliance, the rebel
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
group that sought to overthrow Mojo V's dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
. From there, he learned the Cadre's language and began taking part in missions.
On one of these missions, Arize sent him back in time to Earth to find 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...
and get their assistance in defeating and overthrowing Mojo. He did not find the X-Men though. Shatterstar was either teleported
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...
or traveled back in time to Earth at the point just before Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
reorganized 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....
into X-Force. At first, he battled Cable, Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
, and the New Mutants, but after they talked with him the mutants aided him against the Imperial Protectorate. With Cable's assurance that they would help him defeat Mojo (though with the use of time travel it was not urgent that they leave anytime soon) Shatterstar became a founding member of the new team, X-Force.
With X-Force on their first mission, Shatterstar battled the Alliance of Evil
Alliance of Evil
The Alliance of Evil is a name used for a fictional group of supervillains that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
, and first encountered 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:...
. He battled Night Thrasher and Silhouette
Silhouette (comics)
Silhouette is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in New Warriors #2, , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley...
. With X-Force, the New Warriors, Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
's "Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
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...
" team, and X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
, he battled Proteus
Proteus (comics)
Kevin MacTaggert, best known as Proteus and also called Mutant X, is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men.Kevin was the mutant son of Scottish genetic researcher Moira MacTaggert and politician Joseph MacTaggert...
.
X-Force's next mission involved attacking the Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
base, where Shatterstar battled Reaper
Reaper (Marvel Comics)
Reaper is the name of several fictional characters in the pages of Marvel Comics, most notably the Reaper whose real name is Pantu Hurageb, a mutant in the X-Force comic book series...
. With X-Force and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, he next battled Tom Cassidy
Black Tom Cassidy
"Black Tom" Cassidy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, and archenemy of Banshee. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, he first fully appeared in Uncanny X-Men #101...
and the Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
. With X-Force, he battled the Toad
Toad (comics)
Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
.
Later Shatterstar discovered, to his bewilderment, that he also had the memories of an Earthling named Benjamin Russell. Soon afterwards, Mojo made Cable and Shatterstar his prisoners and transformed them into digital images for one of his television programs. In the course of the show, Shatterstar was mortally wounded in combat. Mojo's sometime ally Spiral
Spiral (comics)
Spiral is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in the Longshot miniseries by Ann Nocenti and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
teleported Cable and Shatterstar back into reality, where they regained their true forms. Spiral brought Cable, Shatterstar, Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...
(who was Shatterstar's ally on Mojoworld), and the X-Force member Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
to the Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane in Rutland, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. There Spiral directed them to the bedside of one of its patients, a mutant named Benjamin Russell who had no living relatives, had been in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
since his powers had emerged, and, curiously, looked identical to Shatterstar. Longshot transferred Shatterstar's "uemeur," or soul, into Benjamin Russell's body, and the two became one. Apparently Shatterstar's body merged with Russell's as well, for the resulting body bore the starburst pattern that Shatterstar had around his left eye and his hair lengthened greatly. Restored to full health and consciousness, and feeling "whole" for the first time in his life, Shatterstar resumed his work as a member of X-Force.
However, this does not explain why Shatterstar had some of Benjamin Russell's memories before they merged, or why they looked so much alike. There are still too many mysteries yet to be explained about Shatterstar's true origin. It was hinted that Shatterstar may have been the child of Longshot and the mutant X-Man Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
in the early run of X-Men in 1992, and in 2009, Rob Liefeld confirmed that Shatterstar "was pitched as Longshot's son". A later medical exam conducted by 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...
upon Shatterstar revealed that he indeed possessed DNA identical to that of Longshot, his rumored father, along with such genetic features as hollow bones and a lack of white blood cells.
Dazzler revealed that she was pregnant with Longshot's child and Longshot suggested the name "Shatterstar" for the unborn child. Longshot and Dazzler returned to Mojoworld to free Longshot's people and Dazzler later appeared without Longshot and without a child. It has been speculated that Dazzler miscarried
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
, though it has not been established officially what became of the infant.
Shatterstar accompanied Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
to the Richter home in Mexico to try to end Rictor's family's arms-dealing business. Both characters have since appeared separately so one assumes they succeeded, though it’s not known why they later parted.
Shatterstar is later seen in 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:...
, earning his money by fighting in arenas. He was sought out by Spiral, who had one of her agents make Shatterstar believe she wanted to kill him. However, Spiral had previously admitted in an emotional confession to Cable, when he demanded that she reveal all that she knew about the answers behind the mysteries of Shatterstar's origin immediately after Shatterstar and Benjamin Russell had been merged, that both young men "meant more than life itself to her" before teleporting away. With a fake quest, Spiral lured Shatterstar to an alternate universe she had conquered and ruled. On that Earth, Spiral had also killed most of that world's heroes and mutants. That Earth's Shatterstar had been killed as well. He was found by that Earth's rebel forces, including Cable and some other members he knew from X-Force. Together, they eventually defeated Spiral. Upon returning to the mainstream Earth, Shatterstar was contacted by Cable and requested to temporarily join him on a mission to defeat the Skornn
Skornn
The Skornn is a fictional character created by writer Fabian Nicieza for Marvel Comics.-History:The Skornn is an ancient evil demon. The monster was very well known throughout the universe, and its horrors were even known in the Shi'ar Empire. On Earth, the Skornn's evil plans were mostly thwarted...
. Shatterstar agreed, but first Cable wanted him to train with monks on Mount Xixabangma. After those monks were killed by Skornn's worshipers, Shatterstar was reunited with his old team and they eventually killed the Skornn.
Following M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
and the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act, Shatterstar teamed up with Domino and Caliban (all X-Force members) to break The 198 out of the encampment set up for mutants on the grounds of the Xavier Institute. They took the escapees to a secret base provided to them by Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
via Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
. While fighting O*N*E, he nearly killed Micromax
Micromax
Micromax is a fictional character, a mutant superhero of the Marvel universe. He first appeared in Excalibur vol. 1 #44.-Fictional character biography:Prior to the discovery of his mutant abilities, Scott Wright was a disk jockey...
, claiming that while there is no such thing as murder during war, he had only meant to disable him.
X-Factor
In a 2009 X-FactorX-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
story, Shatterstar, whose mind is being controlled by the villain Cortex, attacks Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
and Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
. Shatterstar is broken out of his trance-like state when Cortex's control over him is interrupted. Upon recognizing Rictor, he kisses him passionately. Journeying to Detroit, Cortex confronts Longshot and the two fight. As Cortex attempts to gain control over Longshot, he is startled that Longshot, like Shatterstar, is extradimensional (limiting his degree of control) and that the two men are somehow related.
Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship experiences conflict because Shatterstar—who now feels romantic and sexual potential within him for the first time—wishes to explore this whole new aspect of his life, desiring an open relationship
Open relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
. Rictor, more fully committed to maintaining theirs as a monogamous relationship, feels hurt by Shatterstar's need for sexual exploration. Things are complicated further when Rahne Sinclair
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...
walks in on them during an intimate moment, which leads to a brief fight between Shatterstar and Rahne. Rictor stays to take care of a pregnant Rahne, who attempts to mislead him into thinking the baby is his, while Shatterstar goes off on a mission for X-Factor. On mission, he encounters the child's real father, Hrimhari
Hrimhari
Hrimhari is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. He was first introduced in the New Mutants Special Edition #1 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Art Adams.-Fictional character biography:...
, which he is able to report back to Rictor.
Powers and abilities
Shatterstar possesses an overall superhuman level of physical and mental power (senses, strength, speed, reflexes/reactions, agility, flexibility, dexterity, coordination, balance, endurance, intelligence), as a result of the extra-dimensional genetic engineering that created him. His strength is superhuman enough that he is capable of wielding a barbell used by the ThingThing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
of the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
as a weapon to slam Thing through a wall of the Baxter Building
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
. Shatterstar's speed and agility are considered enhanced enough for members of the Mutant Response Division to expect him capable of dodging point-blank automatic weapons firing from at least three trained agents.
He is an excellent military strategist and has had extensive training in many forms of the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and interpersonal combat of Mojoworld; in particular, he is a master swordsman. His bones are hollow, making him far lighter than he looks and further increasing his athletic and acrobatic skills. He also has enhanced learning capabilities, being able to quickly learn and master languages and technology. He customarily wields two single-edged swords with spiked hand-guards and on occasion carries other weaponry as well. Shatterstar is able to regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue much faster than an ordinary human. Injuries such as slashes and stabbings heal completely within a matter of hours. Additionally, he possesses the ability to shift his internal organs within his body, lessening the chances of serious wounds that get through his body armor. He has also been mentioned as having hollow bones, a lack of white blood cells, and DNA identical to his teammate/rumored father, Longshot
Longshot
Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.-Publication history:...
.
He also has the mutant ability to channel and generate powerful vibratory shock waves (and perhaps bioelectricity) charges through these blades, though he rarely uses them as they tend to exhaust him, and prefers to depend instead on his martial prowess. (he once used it as a surprise attack/secret technique to defeat Reaper of the MLF).
He also owns a pair of blades that create portals capable of teleporting
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...
individuals to their desired locations. This ability requires another individual to serve as the 'focus', picturing the destination. Creating such portals generates enough energy that it must be done outside, otherwise risking significant damage to any structure within which they are built. Shatterstar also requires a minimum of three to four hours to recharge between portal creation. Should his concentration be interrupted while an individual or object is partway through, those parts will be severed, ending up in the separate locations, the destination and the starting point of the portal.
Sexual orientation
Asexuality
Asexuality , in its broadest sense, is the lack of sexual attraction and, in some cases, the lack of interest in sex. Sometimes, it is considered a lack of a sexual orientation...
—and has long felt "lacking", even in his native dimension. Since then his emotional state has been fluctuating. While in X-Force he displayed emotion, having developed a close—and somewhat ambiguous—friendship with Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
. X-Force writer Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
hinted that Shatterstar had romantic feelings for Rictor and was planning on making the two a couple, but he left the title before he could make this happen.
Writer Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
reflects that being the subject of "prolonged exposure to Earth" and around Rictor changed things for the warrior, and he began to develop a real romantic capacity. In X-Factor (volume 3) #45 (August 2009), Shatterstar and Rictor kiss. Shortly after the issue was published, Peter David confirmed Rictor and Shatterstar's bisexuality in his blog and expressed his desire to develop the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar further.
One of Shatterstar's creators, Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, expressed his disapproval with Shatterstar being non-heterosexual, saying he was meant to be "asexual, and struggling to understand human behavior." Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
defended the development, and stated that if Rob Liefeld wanted it changed, he would have to "take it up with the next editor-in-chief". Similarly, Peter David also defended the storyline, citing the work of other writers after Rob Liefield's tenure on the character, who hinted at the attraction between the two characters. David explained in an interview that he took inspiration from Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
character Captain Jack Harkness
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
, whom David describes as "swashbuckling, enthusiastic and sexually curious about anything with a pulse." As such, David's X-Factor sees Shatterstar want to have a sexually open relationship
Open relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
on account of having been (as in Liefeld's stories) sexually and romantically closed off to the world all his life.
Future Imperfect
Shatterstar's two-bladed sword are among the relics seen in the trophy room of the elderly Rick JonesRick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
in the dystopian alternate future of The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect.
ShatterShot
In an alternate future, the X-ForceX-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
team led by Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
were approached by Mojoworld Spineless Ones, Mojo
Mojo (comics)
Mojo is a Marvel Comics supervillain, primarily an enemy of the X-Men and one of its members, Longshot. Mojo is one of the "Spineless Ones," an alien race that is immobile without advanced technology. He is a slaver who rules the Mojoverse, a dimension where all beings are addicted to his...
. Spineless Ones were searching for X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
in hopes of helping them to liberate their planet, this time from Shatterstar, who had since taken over as ruler and oppressed the Spineless Ones. Arriving on Mojoworld, the mutants and their allies found their way to a stadium, where Spineless Ones were being forced to partake in gladiator-style combat. X-Force joined the fray, and when Shatterstar realized the error of his ways, his second-in-command, the Scheduler, betrayed him. Shatterstar, along with X-Force and Arize defeated the Scheduler and his followers.
Shatterstarfire
In the Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
line, Shatterstar was combined with Starfire
Starfire (comics)
Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
to create the new character Shatterstarfire.