Toxyn is a fictional character

Character (arts)

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 superhero 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...

, member of the Strikeforce: Morituri

Strikeforce: Morituri

Strikeforce: Morituri is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1986 to 1989. The series was created by writer Peter B. Gillis and artist Brent Anderson....

. The character was created by Peter B. Gillis

Peter B. Gillis

Peter B. Gillis is an American comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and First Comics in the mid-1980s, including the series Strikeforce: Morituri, and the digitally drawn comic series Shatter.-Biography:...

 and Brent Anderson

Brent Anderson

Brent Anderson is an American comic book artist known for his work on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and the comic book series Astro City.- Early life :...

.

Publication history

Toxyn was created by writer Peter B. Gillis

Peter B. Gillis

Peter B. Gillis is an American comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and First Comics in the mid-1980s, including the series Strikeforce: Morituri, and the digitally drawn comic series Shatter.-Biography:...

 and artist Brent Anderson

Brent Anderson

Brent Anderson is an American comic book artist known for his work on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and the comic book series Astro City.- Early life :...

. She made her first cameo appearance, standing in the shadows, in the finale of Strikeforce: Morituri #5 (April 1987). She made her first full appearance in issue #6 and joined the Strikeforce: Morituri

Strikeforce: Morituri

Strikeforce: Morituri is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1986 to 1989. The series was created by writer Peter B. Gillis and artist Brent Anderson....

 in issue #8, as part of the second-generation Morituri. She was a regular cast member until her death in issue #21. Judging from her surname and her relation to a man named "Nikos", the character appears to be at least partially of Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 origin.

Fictional character biography

In 2073, Ruth Mastorakis was an ordinary young woman, about to marry her boyfriend, a man named Nikos. For reasons unrevealed, Nikos professed he could not and should not marry her, later claiming that "you know what I am. I can't marry you!" Furthermore, Nikos beat and humiliated her in front of everybody.

Devastated after her breakup, Ruth sought something entirely different in her life. Possibly out of desperation, she decided to enlist to the Morituri program, which granted superhuman powers to its recipients, in exchange of their participating in the ongoing war against the destructive alien race known as the Horde. However, the process has a fatal side-effect: the recipient dies within a year of receiving it, after catastrophically rejecting it. Ruth was genetically compatible for the process and underwent, eventually developing the ability to analyze the biochemistry of others and synthesize poisons and their antidotes that could accordingly tackle her opponents. The nature of her powers also led her into assuming the codename "Toxyn".

Sometime later, Toxyn, together with Scaredycat

Scaredycat

Scaredycat is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, member of the Strikeforce: Morituri. The character was created by Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson.-Publication history:...

 and Scatterbrain

Scatterbrain (Morituri)

Scatterbrain is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, member of the Strikeforce: Morituri. The character was created by Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson.-Publication history:...

, officially debuted in the media as the second generation of Morituri and met with their veteran teammates. Subsequently, Toxyn had her first official mission with the team, in San Francisco. During the course of that mission, senior member Radian

Radian (Morituri)

Radian is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, member of the Strikeforce: Morituri. The character was created by Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson.-Publication history:...

, looking for a leader figure after the demise of group leader, Vyking

Vyking

Vyking is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, member of the Strikeforce: Morituri. The character was created by Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson.-Publication history:...

, mistook Toxyn's self-confidence for experience and pressured her into making battle decisions, until she discouraged him from further pressing her into this position. Nevertheless, Toxyn's contribution to that battle was instrumental.

Later, having watched her achievements through the media, her ex-boyfriend, Nikos, contacted her, wishing to congratulate her. Toxyn was startled and angry that he considered congratulating her, after what he had done to her. Around the same time, the Morituri stood accused by the ruling Paedia Council of breaking regulations and going against the Horde without authorization on a particular occasion. While speaking with a Paedia official, an indignant Toxyn kissed all her teammates and secreted a deadly poison on their lips, wanting to demonstrate to her superiors the desperation the Morituri feel for every moment they are being unfairly kept away from active duty, gjiven the short time they have left on Earth. The Council was convinced by her point and no reprimands were issued. Toxyn then administered the antidote to all her teammates.

Death

Toxyn went through many adventures with the team and eventually found herself the most veteran member of the team still active and alive (with the exception of comatose Scatterbrain). While raiding a Horde ship in orbit, the team rescued a Paedia soldier, Jason Edwards, who had been kept slave by the Horde. Jason and Toxyn flirted and when they returned to Earth, they kissed and agreed to arrange a date. Toxyn was then taken away on an ambulance by paramedics, having sustained a leg injury during the battle. However, just then, the deadly Morituri effect caught up with her and she pushed the paramedics away, proclaiming her love towards Jason. She then pushed the ambulance into a warehouse, where she exploded into oblivion without being seen.

Powers and abilities

Toxyn had the ability to analyze a person's biochemistry, through physical touch, and synthesize and secrete the whole spectrum of poisons, including their antidotes. She could produce both beneficial and harmful biochemical agents that affected both living and inanimate matter, although she needed skin-to-skin contact to produce a species specific toxin. Toxyn often kissed her opponents in battle, thus ensuring the effectiveness of her poisons, often paralyzing or instantly killing her adversaries. As a by-product of her exposure to the Morituri program, she also had enhanced strength and resilience. Like all other team members, she also wore special boots which enabled her to fly.