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Wolfsbane (comics)
Encyclopedia
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. She has honed her powers to shift between human and wolf characteristics but must keep her feral instincts at bay when she does.
She was originally a member of the X-Men's 1980s junior team The New Mutants and later the Pentagon
-sponsored X-Factor
and the Europe
an offshoot Excalibur
. She appeared for a time as a teacher at Xavier's Academy in New X-Men. She served as a member of the X-Factor Investigations
detective agency, until she joined the new incarnation of X-Force
. She has thus been a member of six secondary X-Men teams, more than any other character.
and artist Bob McLeod, Wolfsbane first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
#4: The New Mutants
. (1982).
(born somewhere in Ross and Cromarty
), and was a ward of Moira MacTaggert
. She was recruited by Professor X
to become a student at his School for Gifted Youngsters, and to join the original New Mutants
. She remained with that team for much of its existence.
Rahne was raised as an orphan by an abusive pastor named Reverend Craig who beat religion into her from an early age. When she was revealed as a mutant, Reverend Craig led an angry mob intending to burn her at the stake. Rahne was rescued and later adopted by Moira MacTaggert. Later, when she confronted Reverend Craig as an adult, she learned that Reverend Craig was actually her biological father and that her mother had been a prostitute.
and harbor a crush on Sam Guthrie
. Danielle discovered she was able to establish a psychic link with Rahne when the latter was in wolf or wolfoid form. Rahne's strict religious upbringing often made her uncomfortable when dealing with mythological entities, her sorceress teammate Magik
, or demons, as well as making her uncomfortable almost to the point of self-loathing with her superhuman power, which resembles the transformations of a werewolf
. These feelings were at odds with the pure joy she found in using her powers, causing a deep emotional conflict. She was disturbed to find herself attracted to Hrimhari
, a shapeshifting wolf prince while in Asgard
.
Rahne eventually began a relationship with teammate Cypher
, and was devastated when he was killed by the Ani-Mator
. On one of her two visits to Asgard, she met the demonic Garmr, a gigantic wolf who guards the entrance to the netherworld. She confesses to Rictor
that Garm's face, 'that devil's face', is what she sometimes perceives when looking into the mirror. Later, she began an innocent romance with Rictor, but this proved to be short-lived.
in Genosha
, Rahne was mentally bonded to Havok, and was subsequently manipulated by the Shadow King
; this led to her joining X-Factor
as a United States government special operative. Her bond with Havok was difficult, causing her to act irrationally, sometimes threatening teammates, sometimes by flirting with them. She stayed in varying half-wolf forms for this time, as turning completely human would subsume her identity into the mutate process that the Genoshans had put her into. She went through more than one attempt to undo her bonding, with varying results. Her instability also manifested in many odd dreams, where her identity was subsumed into pop culture figures. The Genoshan damage was eventually undone by Haven
.
During this time she appears in Infinity War
and Infinity Crusade
. During the first event, she was part of the rear guard who stayed behind on Earth at the Fantastic Four
headquarters. Various evil doubles attack the building and the assembled heroes. During the 'Crusade', Wolfsbane's deep religious beliefs led her to be approached by the main villain, the Goddess
. Wolfsbane, along with many other religious heroes, was brainwashed as part of her army and taken to an alternate Earth on the opposite side of the sun. Another free-willed superhero army soon followed. Wolfsbane was swiftly defeated in the penultimate confrontation; later everything was restored.
and joined Excalibur
. She matured much in her tenure in the book. She developed deep friendships with her allies, including Peter Rasputin
and Kitty Pryde
. She defeated her distaste of 'drinking establishments'. Though she only had non-alcoholic drinks, she still ended up can-canning on the table with several of her friends. She was then shown as having overcome much of her previous shyness, not caring if the general public of a small town saw her in a revealing uniform. Rahne also was a bridesmaid in the wedding of Captain Britain
and Meggan
. Following the disbanding of Excalibur, she and teammate Douglock
stayed on Muir Island to assist Moira in her search for a cure for the Legacy Virus
. Rahne appeared in many issues of the short-lived comic book series Warlock, which starred Douglock. She helped him and others confront various threats revolving around Douglock's assimilation powers. She even assisted the Avengers
in confronting one of the larger threats that threatened to overwhelm the city of New York. The island came under attack by the Brotherhood
, resulting in Moira's death, the destruction of the island, and the suppression of Rahne's mutant powers when Mystique
shot her with a version of Forge
's Neutralizer.
Rahne spends some time motorcycling across the United States following the loss of her powers. She adopts a new, less introverted persona. This involves the growing out of her hair from its normal short buzz-cut and the loss of her Scottish burr. Upon her return to New York, she defeats rampaging X-Man villain Avalanche
with no back-up. She becomes both a teaching assistant at the Xavier Institute
and a part-time employee of Jamie Madrox
's detective agency, X-Factor Investigations
.
Prior to her joining the Institute faculty, Rahne becomes involved in a relationship with Elixir
. A passionate encounter between the two caused Elixir's mutant healing abilities to restore Rahne's powers; however, Rahne's reversion to her wolf form prompts a tragic moment of savagery that left Elixir seriously wounded. Elixir is able to heal himself, and Rahne is brought back to her senses by an encounter with Danielle Moonstar on the darkened streets of Salem Center. Rahne opts to end the relationship when she is hired as a teacher for the Institute. Though Rahne is initially resistant to continuing the relationship, the two began seeing one another secretly until Rahne ended it upon learning that Elixir's classmate Wallflower
is interested in him. Rahne's ending of the relationship is overheard by Wither
, and he later releases the information to the whole school, in an attempt to end Elixir's budding relationship with Wallflower. In the wake of this, Rahne resigns from the school, and her formerly close friendship with Dani Moonstar
, Elixir's legal guardian, becomes strained.
', a section of New York once dominated by mutants. She threatens to kill anyone who attacks it. Threats were then made against the police who objected to her actions.
She helps rescue new teammate Layla Miller
from the orphanage where (X-Factor at least has been led to believe) she was being abused. Rahne is later distressed by a vision, implanted by Tryp
of a possible future where she murders Jamie Madrox and a grown-up Layla Miller on their wedding day. She has told X-Factor psychiatrist
Doc Samson
that she has even considered killing herself
to prevent it from happening but "Suicides go to hell
... but so do murderers. So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."
Rahne gets herself together. She is seen helping her friend Guido Carosella
confront personal problems of his own that have arisen from confrontations with the evil Damian Tryp.
Later in the series Rahne attempts to comfort Rictor, who is distressed about the loss of his powers again. This results in a panel of her kissing him and removing her shirt. Later she kisses Rictor again, implying somewhat of a physical relationship between them, which is terminated when she leaves X-Factor to join X-Force. She leaves Rictor a letter in an attempt to explain herself, but he burns the letter, saying "To hell with your reasons, Sinclair. And to hell with you."
It is later implied that Emma Frost
has blackmailed Rahne with her previous relationship with Elixir into keeping an eye on Wither
.
Rahne is one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to be part of the Initiative
.
; she fakes being shot by Rictor. She is also a member of the new X-Force. During a battle against Lady Deathstrike
and the Reavers, Rahne learns that Father Craig was in league with the Purifiers, supposedly divulging enough information about her that the Purifiers can claim to "know her well." She travels with X-Force to her former home Muir Island, now the base of the Marauders
. During the climactic battle, Rahne is injured by Riptide
, but her wounds, according to Professor X, are superficial and she will recover.
decides to reform X-Force after the events of Messiah Complex he brings Rahne along to meet with Wolverine
. She determinedly accompanies him on the assault on the Purifiers' base, only to be captured by Matthew Risman
who shoots her in the knee when X-23
makes a move against him. While her teammates make an attempt to rescue her, they fail and Rahne is taken to an undisclosed Purifer base where she finds out that Reverend Craig has joined the ranks of the Purifiers.
The rest of X-Force manage to rescue her, but discover that she's injected with a near-lethal dose of heroin. She's immediately taken to Angel's mansion to be healed by Elixir
. However, after she wakes up, she immediately attacks Worthington, rips out his wings, and takes them to Reverend Craig.
Josh's name is the second word Rahne says as she awakens from her brainwashed state and finds herself in a dark room somewhere in the facility. She realizes that she can't use her powers thanks to the handcuffs she is wearing. She then remembers being brainwashed by Reverend Craig. After Reverend Craig tries to kill her, she escapes, but not before admitting that the only thing she wanted was her father's love.
Rahne regroups with her teammates and they begin their assault against Bastion
, the Choir, and the Purifiers. As everyone is distracted in the bloody battle, Rahne is shot by her father who follows her blood trail into the room where Angel's severed wings are held. Reverend Craig condemns Wolfsbane again, which triggers her to knock him into the ground, stating that she only wanted to save him but after everything that's happened, she doesn't care for him any longer and walks away, turning her back on him. Craig screams and prepares to shoot his daughter in the back and as he moves, Rahne turns and sees Angel's wings behind her father, giving him the appearance of an angel. Her brainwashing kicks in once again as she mutters "kill the angel" and she enters a feral state, attacking her father. Her teammates find her at the epilogue of the battle in her human form, praying and surrounded by blood and clothes but no corpse of her father is found. Her teammates hope that she will never recall the memory of apparently devouring her father which would only trigger a deeper psychological shock.
Following the death of Risman, the team reconvenes at Angel's Aerie to recuperate and plan their next move. Rahne's sleeper programming is still active and she violently charges Angel when she sees him, provoking him to transform into Archangel in retaliation. X-23 calls in the Stepford Cuckoos
to help undo the damage done to Wolfsbane, prevent her from attacking her teammates, and overcome the guilt of her actions.
Before they can erase her memories, they are interrupted and X-Force is sent on a mission, leaving Rahne alone. While alone she notices someone outside; after running away it is revealed to be Hrimhari
, the Wolf Prince from Asgard. Since then the Cuckoos began searching for her but Cerebra
could not detect her, mainly because she was in her wolf form. She was at Angel's Aerie with Hrimhari, still conflicted over her experience with the Purifiers. Hrimhari states that the gods of Asgard have reunited them for a reason and if they can forgive her, then she can do the same for herself. After having sex, the two were attacked by a trio of Frost Giants. Hrimhari wanted to fight them off alone but Rahne refused to leave him and stated that she was no longer afraid of what she is. The two managed to defeat the Frost Giants and although seemingly unharmed, Rahne fainted right afterwards.
s during their invasion of San Francisco; X-Force were tasked with capturing one of the new Super Skrulls, so Beast
could study it to find a weakness.
. He gave his soul to Hela in exchange that she restore Elixir to life (after she refused to save Rahne and the baby); she promptly did so and they returned to the Asgardian Underworld together, the Wolf Prince's final words being that he would somehow find his way back to Rahne and their unborn child. Elixir then healed Rahne and stated to her that the genetics of the baby are similar to humans but stronger. He further transferred some of the fetus' strength to Rahne so that she would survive the birth of the baby. While on Genosha he further stated that he believed that her baby will be very strong and that not even a bullet could pierce her skin now, due to her now different skin and muscle density. Later on, Rahne further demonstrated enhanced strength and senses.
in an intimate embrace. In the issue #208 she is flabbergasted at first of Rictor being with Shatterstar (just as Rictor is about her being pregnant). After a short moment of confusion she attacks Shatterstar and jumps with him through the window, landing on the streets where she claims that Shatterstar must be mind-controlling Rictor. After both are stopped by Longshot, Rictor tells her that he is not mind-controlled to which she ask how he could be with Shatterstar when he was with her before. Rictor answers that it's complicated and demands from her to tell him whether he is the father of her child. After hesitating to answer and after another demand from Rictor and looking at Shatterstar, Rahne states that she wasn't with anyone but him seven months before and then throws herself into the arms of a bewildered Rictor. After Madrox asked on whether she wants to cover her body while still in bed, she stated that she will do it to protect his sensibilities and that she had been running around naked so often lately that she had lost her blushes. Later on when Rictor (believing himself to be the father) accompanied Rahne to a physician specialized in 'super-types', it was revealed that although the heart beat could clearly be heard, the ultrasound examination did not show any picture on the screen. The physician, who at first had trouble believing Rictor to be the father, stated that not even ultrasound can get into Rahne's womb and that this seemed to be a kind of protective function, just that such a function would be mystical rather than biological. Shatterstar, simultaneously, made the discovery that Hrimhari was the child's father. By this time Rictor had already figured out that he wasn't the father due to the child's mystical nature. Layla Miller stated that Rahne hadn't lied to anybody and after Rictor found her again, Rahne revealed that her pregnancy happened a lot faster than a human one due to her and Hrimhari's lupine nature. She also stated that she was still worried that Rictor 'became' gay because she left him and that she wanted to bring him back to 'her team' because she believes that gay people go to hell, although she does not want that to be true. Rictor reassured her of their friendship and the two reconciled.
Later as she left the office to go to church, on her way she ran into Shatterstar, who wanted to mark his territory over Rictor and make peace with her. At the church they encountered a powerful Sin-Eater demon seeking Rahne's child; it fled after some battle, shortly before Feral
—previously deceased—announced herself to the pair. Feral is revealed to have arrived as a tether to the world of the living for various canine and feline gods and demons which want Rahne's baby; as more powerful assailants pour on, the pair attempt to regroup at X-Factor headquarters.
Wolfsbane is a mutant
with the ability to transform herself into a wolf at will, while retaining her human intelligence, or into a transitional form which combines human and lupine aspects; while this ability is lycanthropy
, it is not magical in nature, but a complex biological function involving the mutant X-gene. She can change into a humanoid lupine form resembling a werewolf
, or become an actual red wolf
. In either form, Wolfsbane has enhanced senses of hearing, sight, and smell (similar to those of a wolf's, but also superior to them); animal-like strength, agility, and reflexes; razor-sharp talons and fangs; and bestial instincts. In lupine form she can also see into the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum, thereby enabling her to perceive heat patterns and to see in the dark. In her lupine form she can also hear sounds and detect scents outside the normal human range. In her transitional form she is less agile than she is as a wolf, but stronger than she is in human form. In her transitional form she can speak, use her forepaws as hands and easily stand erect, and at least some of her senses remain superhumanly acute. Danielle Moonstar
's former telepathic talent, which enabled her to communicate with animals, allowed her to communicate with Wolfsbane to a limited degree when she was in her lupine form or "transitional" humanoid-wolf form; in lupine form Wolfsbane may have more difficulty understanding complex human concepts. Rahne later learned to enter different transitional forms which vary slightly in appearance. In her "absolute" lupine form, she possesses superhuman strength and durability. She possesses regenerative abilities which allow her to recover from injuries in a few days which would incapacitate a normal human for weeks or months.
Wolfsbane's human form is normal in appearance, originally with the exception that her hair never grew more than a few centimeters long; this limitation has been since then removed by a temporary biological change into a "mutate" by the Genengineer on the island of Genosha
during the X-Tinction Agenda
storyline. The artificial mutation process Wolfsbane underwent caused her to act with animalistic savagery in her lupine and "absolute" forms. Rahne was shown to exhibit her keen sense of smell while in human form, sensing traces of blood and spittle on teammate Strong Guy
's hand, (identifying who the fluids belonged to) despite him having already wiped it clean. This was followed by Siryn
's sonic-scream, leaving Wolfsbane's "doggy-ears...ringing for a week" implying her hearing is also enhanced in human form. Rahne mentions to Rictor
that she indeed has her wolf senses in her human form but changed the subject before explaining further.
While a member of the second X-Factor team, Rahne wore a special uniform made of "unstable molecules" that converts to a collar in her non-human forms.
After her teammate Elixir altered her DNA to match that of her unborn child's strength she demonstrated greatly increased superhuman strength, and Elixir believed her to be bulletproof. Furthermore her senses have become further heightened to the point that she was able to smell out a missing teammate nearly a mile away and underground. After returning to X-Factor, she stated that she is almost impenetrable.
, Rahne found herself stuck in her lupine form and was a companion to the Dark Beast
in his hideous labs. When this universe was revisited ten years later in the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, Rahne had been rescued and had begun to grab hold of her humanity again. She was now capable of shifting into her hybrid form but was still very feral in her mindset.
facility.
Wolverine: Rahne of Terra (a pun
on the phrase "Reign of Terror
"). Wolfsbane was transported to the magic-based world of Gesham by the "Mage" (Cable
's counterpart) in exchange for the Princess Rain, her own counterpart, and brainwashed to make her believe herself to be Rain. This was done in an attempt to save the Princess from a prophecy which apparently said the Princess would die on her sixteenth birthday. Wolverine
was taken there by the wizard Magnus (Gesham's version of Magneto
), who Magnus attempted to mind-control in an attempt to fulfill the prophecy. While there, Rahne encountered counterparts of most of the New Mutants
, hallucinating that they were the versions she knew, and gradually remembering who she actually was. Meanwhile, Wolverine killed Magnus at the climax before they both returned home.
In 1995's sequel, Wolverine: Knight of Terra, Wolfsbane and Wolverine helped Queen Rain accept the "Beast" which gave her shapeshifting powers, as she was the only one who could control it (since she had rejected it, it had possessed someone else, transforming them into a version of Sabretooth
). In this volume, the Queen's associates were counterparts to the X-Men, with the role of the Mage being taken by Professor X
's counterpart, the Shaman.
A third installment, Rahne Fall (a pun on "Rainfall") was planned but never produced.
", Rahne works side-by-side with many of her New Mutant counterparts, making a living as thieves, living in the sewers and calling themselves "Marauders." She and her friends barely survive a mission where they steal a technological box; they do not know it contains Dracula
.
reality, Wolfsbane was briefly sheltered from the government by the Fantastic Four
, but her presence was betrayed by the Invisible Woman after she accidentally attacked Franklin Richards, resulting in all of the team but Sue being arrested.
Wars to fight alongside the Earth-616 heroes. She does not survive through the violence that follows.
, notably issue #50, in which she is seen in her hybrid form at a Coney Island
freak show
, relaxing along with other mutants. She is seen on a view screen in her human form and receives passing mention in Ultimate X-Men issue #43, during the selection process for Emma Frost
's Academy of Tomorrow, in which the President of the United States
says, "No to the wolf girl." In issue #95, however, it is revealed that the Ultimate Alpha Flight member known as Sasquatch (who first appeared in issue #94) is in fact Rahne Sinclair, making it her first official named appearance. She, and the rest of her team, used a power enhancing drug known as Banshee, the Ultimate version of Mutant Growth Hormone, which can induce a secondary mutation, or further an existing mutation, for example turning Angel into a large anthropomorphic eagle. Rahne still can revert to a more human appearance when she powers down. Later in the same issue, she is injured by Nightcrawler, who, while trying to teleport her away, seemingly teleports part of her arm off.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superheroine, associated with 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...
.
A Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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...
, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
a wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf. She has honed her powers to shift between human and wolf characteristics but must keep her feral instincts at bay when she does.
She was originally a member of the X-Men's 1980s junior team The New Mutants and later the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
-sponsored 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...
and the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an offshoot Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. She appeared for a time as a teacher at Xavier's Academy in New X-Men. She served as a member of the X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations is a fictional detective agency created by writer Peter David for the Marvel Comics comic book series X-Factor . The agency first appears under the name XXX Investigations in the first issue of the Marvel Comics limited series Madrox #1...
detective agency, until she joined the new incarnation of 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...
. She has thus been a member of six secondary X-Men teams, more than any other character.
Publication history
Created by writer Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and artist Bob McLeod, Wolfsbane first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
#4: 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....
. (1982).
Early life
Rahne is ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(born somewhere in Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
), and was a ward of 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...
. She was recruited by Professor X
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....
to become a student at his School for Gifted Youngsters, and to join the original 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....
. She remained with that team for much of its existence.
Rahne was raised as an orphan by an abusive pastor named Reverend Craig who beat religion into her from an early age. When she was revealed as a mutant, Reverend Craig led an angry mob intending to burn her at the stake. Rahne was rescued and later adopted by Moira MacTaggert. Later, when she confronted Reverend Craig as an adult, she learned that Reverend Craig was actually her biological father and that her mother had been a prostitute.
New Mutants
Rahne was the second youngest of the New Mutants, who often operated as adventurers when not in school. Although she was a shy, emotionally repressed girl, Rahne managed to build a strong friendship with Danielle MoonstarDanielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
and harbor a crush on Sam Guthrie
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 ....
. Danielle discovered she was able to establish a psychic link with Rahne when the latter was in wolf or wolfoid form. Rahne's strict religious upbringing often made her uncomfortable when dealing with mythological entities, her sorceress teammate Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, or demons, as well as making her uncomfortable almost to the point of self-loathing with her superhuman power, which resembles the transformations of a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. These feelings were at odds with the pure joy she found in using her powers, causing a deep emotional conflict. She was disturbed to find herself attracted to 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:...
, a shapeshifting wolf prince while in Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
.
Rahne eventually began a relationship with teammate Cypher
Cypher (comics)
Cypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey...
, and was devastated when he was killed by the Ani-Mator
Ani-Mator
The Ani-Mator is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Ani-Mator appeared in New Mutants vol...
. On one of her two visits to Asgard, she met the demonic Garmr, a gigantic wolf who guards the entrance to the netherworld. She confesses to 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...
that Garm's face, 'that devil's face', is what she sometimes perceives when looking into the mirror. Later, she began an innocent romance with Rictor, but this proved to be short-lived.
X-Factor
During X-Tinction AgendaX-Tinction Agenda
"X-Tinction Agenda" is a 1990 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics that ran through Uncanny X-Men and its spin-off titles, X-Factor and New Mutants...
in Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
, Rahne was mentally bonded to Havok, and was subsequently manipulated by the Shadow King
Shadow King
The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity...
; this led to her joining 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...
as a United States government special operative. Her bond with Havok was difficult, causing her to act irrationally, sometimes threatening teammates, sometimes by flirting with them. She stayed in varying half-wolf forms for this time, as turning completely human would subsume her identity into the mutate process that the Genoshans had put her into. She went through more than one attempt to undo her bonding, with varying results. Her instability also manifested in many odd dreams, where her identity was subsumed into pop culture figures. The Genoshan damage was eventually undone by Haven
Haven (comics)
Haven is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her first appearance was in X-Factor #96.-Fictional character biography:...
.
During this time she appears in Infinity War
Infinity War
The Infinity War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom, Jack Morelli and Christie Scheele....
and Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade
Infinity Crusade is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in 1993. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, Ian Laughlin, Al Milgrom and Jack Morelli....
. During the first event, she was part of the rear guard who stayed behind on Earth at 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...
headquarters. Various evil doubles attack the building and the assembled heroes. During the 'Crusade', Wolfsbane's deep religious beliefs led her to be approached by the main villain, the Goddess
Goddess (comics)
The Goddess is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The name is assumed by the "feminine, self-aware" supposedly "good" aspect of Adam Warlock, subconsciously exiled from his psyche whilst he was in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet...
. Wolfsbane, along with many other religious heroes, was brainwashed as part of her army and taken to an alternate Earth on the opposite side of the sun. Another free-willed superhero army soon followed. Wolfsbane was swiftly defeated in the penultimate confrontation; later everything was restored.
Excalibur
Some time after her mental damage from the Genoshan bonding process was undone, she returned to MacTaggert's base on Muir IslandMuir 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:...
and joined Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
. She matured much in her tenure in the book. She developed deep friendships with her allies, including Peter Rasputin
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
and Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne....
. She defeated her distaste of 'drinking establishments'. Though she only had non-alcoholic drinks, she still ended up can-canning on the table with several of her friends. She was then shown as having overcome much of her previous shyness, not caring if the general public of a small town saw her in a revealing uniform. Rahne also was a bridesmaid in the wedding of Captain Britain
Captain Britain
Captain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1...
and Meggan
Meggan
Meggan Puceanu is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the . She first appeared in Mighty World of Marvel #7, , and was created by Alan Moore and Alan Davis....
. Following the disbanding of Excalibur, she and teammate Douglock
Warlock (New Mutants)
Warlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
stayed on Muir Island to assist Moira in her search for a cure for the Legacy Virus
Legacy Virus
In the fictional Marvel Universe, the Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well....
. Rahne appeared in many issues of the short-lived comic book series Warlock, which starred Douglock. She helped him and others confront various threats revolving around Douglock's assimilation powers. She even assisted the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
in confronting one of the larger threats that threatened to overwhelm the city of New York. The island came under attack by the Brotherhood
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...
, resulting in Moira's death, the destruction of the island, and the suppression of Rahne's mutant powers when Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
shot her with a version of Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
's Neutralizer.
Xavier Institute
Avalanche (comics)
Avalanche is a Marvel Comics supervillain and an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 ....
with no back-up. She becomes both a teaching assistant at the Xavier Institute
X-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
and a part-time employee of Jamie Madrox
Jamie Madrox
James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men...
's detective agency, X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations
X-Factor Investigations is a fictional detective agency created by writer Peter David for the Marvel Comics comic book series X-Factor . The agency first appears under the name XXX Investigations in the first issue of the Marvel Comics limited series Madrox #1...
.
Prior to her joining the Institute faculty, Rahne becomes involved in a relationship with Elixir
Elixir (comics)
Elixir , is a fictional character, a mutant in the and a student at the Xavier Institute. He first appeared in New Mutants, vol. 2 #5, and he is one of only a few students to retain his powers in the wake of House of M....
. A passionate encounter between the two caused Elixir's mutant healing abilities to restore Rahne's powers; however, Rahne's reversion to her wolf form prompts a tragic moment of savagery that left Elixir seriously wounded. Elixir is able to heal himself, and Rahne is brought back to her senses by an encounter with Danielle Moonstar on the darkened streets of Salem Center. Rahne opts to end the relationship when she is hired as a teacher for the Institute. Though Rahne is initially resistant to continuing the relationship, the two began seeing one another secretly until Rahne ended it upon learning that Elixir's classmate Wallflower
Wallflower (comics)
Wallflower is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of the student body of the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad therein. After the events of M-Day transpired, she was one of a handful of mutants to keep...
is interested in him. Rahne's ending of the relationship is overheard by Wither
Wither (comics)
Wither is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He has been a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute, a member of the Hellions training squad, and a supervillain as a part of Selene's Coven.-Early life:Kevin Ford developed his mutant...
, and he later releases the information to the whole school, in an attempt to end Elixir's budding relationship with Wallflower. In the wake of this, Rahne resigns from the school, and her formerly close friendship with Dani Moonstar
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
, Elixir's legal guardian, becomes strained.
X-Factor Investigations
Rahne begins working full-time for X-Factor, reuniting her with former love interest and New Mutants teammate Rictor, now depowered. Many aspects of her previous persona return, including her close-cropped hairstyle and Scottish accent. She attends church meetings each week and her devout Presbyterian religiosity remains a central aspect of her character. She is instrumental in stopping a riot in what was known as 'Mutant TownDistrict X
District X, also known as Mutant Town or the Middle East Side, is a fictional location in Marvel Comics. It is a neighborhood in New York City, first seen during Grant Morrison's run on the series New X-Men in New X-Men #127, which was primarily populated by mutants...
', a section of New York once dominated by mutants. She threatens to kill anyone who attacks it. Threats were then made against the police who objected to her actions.
She helps rescue new teammate Layla Miller
Layla Miller
Layla Rose Miller, also known as Butterfly, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in House of M #4, and was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel...
from the orphanage where (X-Factor at least has been led to believe) she was being abused. Rahne is later distressed by a vision, implanted by Tryp
Damian Tryp
Damian Tryp is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor vol. 3 #2.-Fictional character biography:left|thumbnail|Ancient Tryp...
of a possible future where she murders Jamie Madrox and a grown-up Layla Miller on their wedding day. She has told X-Factor psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
that she has even considered killing herself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
to prevent it from happening but "Suicides go to hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
... but so do murderers. So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."
Rahne gets herself together. She is seen helping her friend Guido Carosella
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,...
confront personal problems of his own that have arisen from confrontations with the evil Damian Tryp.
Later in the series Rahne attempts to comfort Rictor, who is distressed about the loss of his powers again. This results in a panel of her kissing him and removing her shirt. Later she kisses Rictor again, implying somewhat of a physical relationship between them, which is terminated when she leaves X-Factor to join X-Force. She leaves Rictor a letter in an attempt to explain herself, but he burns the letter, saying "To hell with your reasons, Sinclair. And to hell with you."
It is later implied that Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
has blackmailed Rahne with her previous relationship with Elixir into keeping an eye on Wither
Wither (comics)
Wither is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He has been a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute, a member of the Hellions training squad, and a supervillain as a part of Selene's Coven.-Early life:Kevin Ford developed his mutant...
.
Rahne is one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to be part of the Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
.
Messiah Complex
Rahne helps Rictor infiltrate the PurifiersPurifiers
The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men...
; she fakes being shot by Rictor. She is also a member of the new X-Force. During a battle against Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike , occasionally spelled "Deathstryke", is a Marvel Comics supervillain, a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine.Her father Lord Dark Wind created the adamantium-bonding process that was forced on Wolverine...
and the Reavers, Rahne learns that Father Craig was in league with the Purifiers, supposedly divulging enough information about her that the Purifiers can claim to "know her well." She travels with X-Force to her former home Muir Island, now the base of the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
. During the climactic battle, Rahne is injured by Riptide
Riptide (comics)
Riptide is a fictional supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those related to the X-Men franchise...
, but her wounds, according to Professor X, are superficial and she will recover.
X-Force
When CyclopsCyclops (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...
decides to reform X-Force after the events of Messiah Complex he brings Rahne along to meet with 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...
. She determinedly accompanies him on the assault on the Purifiers' base, only to be captured by Matthew Risman
Matthew Risman
Matthew Risman is a fictional character, in the Marvel Universe and a deadly enemy of mutants including the X-Men.-History:A trained sniper, Matthew Risman was in the middle of a hit when he suddenly received a call telling him to return to his home...
who shoots her in the knee when X-23
X-23
X-23 is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.-Publication history:...
makes a move against him. While her teammates make an attempt to rescue her, they fail and Rahne is taken to an undisclosed Purifer base where she finds out that Reverend Craig has joined the ranks of the Purifiers.
The rest of X-Force manage to rescue her, but discover that she's injected with a near-lethal dose of heroin. She's immediately taken to Angel's mansion to be healed by Elixir
Elixir (comics)
Elixir , is a fictional character, a mutant in the and a student at the Xavier Institute. He first appeared in New Mutants, vol. 2 #5, and he is one of only a few students to retain his powers in the wake of House of M....
. However, after she wakes up, she immediately attacks Worthington, rips out his wings, and takes them to Reverend Craig.
Josh's name is the second word Rahne says as she awakens from her brainwashed state and finds herself in a dark room somewhere in the facility. She realizes that she can't use her powers thanks to the handcuffs she is wearing. She then remembers being brainwashed by Reverend Craig. After Reverend Craig tries to kill her, she escapes, but not before admitting that the only thing she wanted was her father's love.
Rahne regroups with her teammates and they begin their assault against Bastion
Bastion (comics)
Bastion is a supervillain that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe. The character was created by Scott Lobdell and Pascual Ferry and first made a cameo appearance in X-Men #52 . His first full appearance was Uncanny X-Men #333...
, the Choir, and the Purifiers. As everyone is distracted in the bloody battle, Rahne is shot by her father who follows her blood trail into the room where Angel's severed wings are held. Reverend Craig condemns Wolfsbane again, which triggers her to knock him into the ground, stating that she only wanted to save him but after everything that's happened, she doesn't care for him any longer and walks away, turning her back on him. Craig screams and prepares to shoot his daughter in the back and as he moves, Rahne turns and sees Angel's wings behind her father, giving him the appearance of an angel. Her brainwashing kicks in once again as she mutters "kill the angel" and she enters a feral state, attacking her father. Her teammates find her at the epilogue of the battle in her human form, praying and surrounded by blood and clothes but no corpse of her father is found. Her teammates hope that she will never recall the memory of apparently devouring her father which would only trigger a deeper psychological shock.
Following the death of Risman, the team reconvenes at Angel's Aerie to recuperate and plan their next move. Rahne's sleeper programming is still active and she violently charges Angel when she sees him, provoking him to transform into Archangel in retaliation. X-23 calls in the Stepford Cuckoos
Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutant psychically linked quintuplets . They are students at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning and appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
to help undo the damage done to Wolfsbane, prevent her from attacking her teammates, and overcome the guilt of her actions.
Before they can erase her memories, they are interrupted and X-Force is sent on a mission, leaving Rahne alone. While alone she notices someone outside; after running away it is revealed to be 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:...
, the Wolf Prince from Asgard. Since then the Cuckoos began searching for her but Cerebra
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...
could not detect her, mainly because she was in her wolf form. She was at Angel's Aerie with Hrimhari, still conflicted over her experience with the Purifiers. Hrimhari states that the gods of Asgard have reunited them for a reason and if they can forgive her, then she can do the same for herself. After having sex, the two were attacked by a trio of Frost Giants. Hrimhari wanted to fight them off alone but Rahne refused to leave him and stated that she was no longer afraid of what she is. The two managed to defeat the Frost Giants and although seemingly unharmed, Rahne fainted right afterwards.
Secret Invasion
Rahne is among the several X-Men helping to fight off SkrullSkrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s during their invasion of San Francisco; X-Force were tasked with capturing one of the new Super Skrulls, so 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...
could study it to find a weakness.
Necrosha
After Rahne fell unconscious she was brought to Utopia. There it has been revealed by Dr. Nemesis that she is pregnant with the Wolf Prince's child (a child, according to him, that is neither human nor mutant) and the unborn child is threatening her health and her life. The Wolf Prince later made a deal with the Asgardian goddess of the Underworld, HelaHela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...
. He gave his soul to Hela in exchange that she restore Elixir to life (after she refused to save Rahne and the baby); she promptly did so and they returned to the Asgardian Underworld together, the Wolf Prince's final words being that he would somehow find his way back to Rahne and their unborn child. Elixir then healed Rahne and stated to her that the genetics of the baby are similar to humans but stronger. He further transferred some of the fetus' strength to Rahne so that she would survive the birth of the baby. While on Genosha he further stated that he believed that her baby will be very strong and that not even a bullet could pierce her skin now, due to her now different skin and muscle density. Later on, Rahne further demonstrated enhanced strength and senses.
Return to X-Factor Investigations
The character returns on the last panel of X-Factor 207, obviously pregnant, and walks in on Rictor and ShatterstarShatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
in an intimate embrace. In the issue #208 she is flabbergasted at first of Rictor being with Shatterstar (just as Rictor is about her being pregnant). After a short moment of confusion she attacks Shatterstar and jumps with him through the window, landing on the streets where she claims that Shatterstar must be mind-controlling Rictor. After both are stopped by Longshot, Rictor tells her that he is not mind-controlled to which she ask how he could be with Shatterstar when he was with her before. Rictor answers that it's complicated and demands from her to tell him whether he is the father of her child. After hesitating to answer and after another demand from Rictor and looking at Shatterstar, Rahne states that she wasn't with anyone but him seven months before and then throws herself into the arms of a bewildered Rictor. After Madrox asked on whether she wants to cover her body while still in bed, she stated that she will do it to protect his sensibilities and that she had been running around naked so often lately that she had lost her blushes. Later on when Rictor (believing himself to be the father) accompanied Rahne to a physician specialized in 'super-types', it was revealed that although the heart beat could clearly be heard, the ultrasound examination did not show any picture on the screen. The physician, who at first had trouble believing Rictor to be the father, stated that not even ultrasound can get into Rahne's womb and that this seemed to be a kind of protective function, just that such a function would be mystical rather than biological. Shatterstar, simultaneously, made the discovery that Hrimhari was the child's father. By this time Rictor had already figured out that he wasn't the father due to the child's mystical nature. Layla Miller stated that Rahne hadn't lied to anybody and after Rictor found her again, Rahne revealed that her pregnancy happened a lot faster than a human one due to her and Hrimhari's lupine nature. She also stated that she was still worried that Rictor 'became' gay because she left him and that she wanted to bring him back to 'her team' because she believes that gay people go to hell, although she does not want that to be true. Rictor reassured her of their friendship and the two reconciled.
Later as she left the office to go to church, on her way she ran into Shatterstar, who wanted to mark his territory over Rictor and make peace with her. At the church they encountered a powerful Sin-Eater demon seeking Rahne's child; it fled after some battle, shortly before Feral
Feral (comics)
Feral is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. She has been both a superhero and a supervillain and most recognizably associated as a member of X-Force.-Fictional character biography:...
—previously deceased—announced herself to the pair. Feral is revealed to have arrived as a tether to the world of the living for various canine and feline gods and demons which want Rahne's baby; as more powerful assailants pour on, the pair attempt to regroup at X-Factor headquarters.
Powers and abilities
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...
with the ability to transform herself into a wolf at will, while retaining her human intelligence, or into a transitional form which combines human and lupine aspects; while this ability is lycanthropy
Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy is the professed ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a werewolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics. The term comes from Greek Lykànthropos : λύκος, lykos + άνθρωπος, ànthrōpos...
, it is not magical in nature, but a complex biological function involving the mutant X-gene. She can change into a humanoid lupine form resembling a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, or become an actual red wolf
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
. In either form, Wolfsbane has enhanced senses of hearing, sight, and smell (similar to those of a wolf's, but also superior to them); animal-like strength, agility, and reflexes; razor-sharp talons and fangs; and bestial instincts. In lupine form she can also see into the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum, thereby enabling her to perceive heat patterns and to see in the dark. In her lupine form she can also hear sounds and detect scents outside the normal human range. In her transitional form she is less agile than she is as a wolf, but stronger than she is in human form. In her transitional form she can speak, use her forepaws as hands and easily stand erect, and at least some of her senses remain superhumanly acute. Danielle Moonstar
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
's former telepathic talent, which enabled her to communicate with animals, allowed her to communicate with Wolfsbane to a limited degree when she was in her lupine form or "transitional" humanoid-wolf form; in lupine form Wolfsbane may have more difficulty understanding complex human concepts. Rahne later learned to enter different transitional forms which vary slightly in appearance. In her "absolute" lupine form, she possesses superhuman strength and durability. She possesses regenerative abilities which allow her to recover from injuries in a few days which would incapacitate a normal human for weeks or months.
Wolfsbane's human form is normal in appearance, originally with the exception that her hair never grew more than a few centimeters long; this limitation has been since then removed by a temporary biological change into a "mutate" by the Genengineer on the island of Genosha
Genosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
during the X-Tinction Agenda
X-Tinction Agenda
"X-Tinction Agenda" is a 1990 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics that ran through Uncanny X-Men and its spin-off titles, X-Factor and New Mutants...
storyline. The artificial mutation process Wolfsbane underwent caused her to act with animalistic savagery in her lupine and "absolute" forms. Rahne was shown to exhibit her keen sense of smell while in human form, sensing traces of blood and spittle on teammate 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,...
's hand, (identifying who the fluids belonged to) despite him having already wiped it clean. This was followed by 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...
's sonic-scream, leaving Wolfsbane's "doggy-ears...ringing for a week" implying her hearing is also enhanced in human form. Rahne mentions to 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...
that she indeed has her wolf senses in her human form but changed the subject before explaining further.
While a member of the second X-Factor team, Rahne wore a special uniform made of "unstable molecules" that converts to a collar in her non-human forms.
After her teammate Elixir altered her DNA to match that of her unborn child's strength she demonstrated greatly increased superhuman strength, and Elixir believed her to be bulletproof. Furthermore her senses have become further heightened to the point that she was able to smell out a missing teammate nearly a mile away and underground. After returning to X-Factor, she stated that she is almost impenetrable.
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
, Rahne found herself stuck in her lupine form and was a companion to the Dark Beast
Dark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
in his hideous labs. When this universe was revisited ten years later in the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, Rahne had been rescued and had begun to grab hold of her humanity again. She was now capable of shifting into her hybrid form but was still very feral in her mindset.
Days of Future Past
An alternate future version of Rahne appeared in Excalibur #94. She wears leather, has shaved most of her hair, and wears earrings. She spends much of her time viewing recorded images of death and destruction. She, along with a few surviving friends, participates in a raid on a Black AirBlack Air
Black Air is a fictional former Governmental Intelligence department founded and operating primarily within the United Kingdom in the Marvel Universe, initially as an adjunct to the Ministry of Defence...
facility.
Gesham
An alternate reality version of Rahne, named Princess Rain, appeared prominently in the 1991 graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Wolverine: Rahne of Terra (a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the phrase "Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
"). Wolfsbane was transported to the magic-based world of Gesham by the "Mage" (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...
's counterpart) in exchange for the Princess Rain, her own counterpart, and brainwashed to make her believe herself to be Rain. This was done in an attempt to save the Princess from a prophecy which apparently said the Princess would die on her sixteenth birthday. 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...
was taken there by the wizard Magnus (Gesham's version of Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
), who Magnus attempted to mind-control in an attempt to fulfill the prophecy. While there, Rahne encountered counterparts of most of 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....
, hallucinating that they were the versions she knew, and gradually remembering who she actually was. Meanwhile, Wolverine killed Magnus at the climax before they both returned home.
In 1995's sequel, Wolverine: Knight of Terra, Wolfsbane and Wolverine helped Queen Rain accept the "Beast" which gave her shapeshifting powers, as she was the only one who could control it (since she had rejected it, it had possessed someone else, transforming them into a version of Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
). In this volume, the Queen's associates were counterparts to the X-Men, with the role of the Mage being taken by Professor X
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 counterpart, the Shaman.
A third installment, Rahne Fall (a pun on "Rainfall") was planned but never produced.
Mutant X
In the alternate reality of "Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
", Rahne works side-by-side with many of her New Mutant counterparts, making a living as thieves, living in the sewers and calling themselves "Marauders." She and her friends barely survive a mission where they steal a technological box; they do not know it contains Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
.
Age of X
In the Age of XAge of X
"Age of X" is a comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics which features an alternate reality of the X-Men. The first issue of the storyline, Age of X: Alpha, was published in January 2011. Publication continued in February, March, and April 2011...
reality, Wolfsbane was briefly sheltered from the government by 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...
, but her presence was betrayed by the Invisible Woman after she accidentally attacked Franklin Richards, resulting in all of the team but Sue being arrested.
Mys-Tech
An alternate universe version of Rahne, along with alternates of her X-Factor teammates, appears in issue #3 of Mys-TechMys-Tech
Mys-Tech were a shadowy Faustian organisation who acted as the main villains in a range of, initially successful but short-lived comics, launched in the US by Marvel UK in the 1990s...
Wars to fight alongside the Earth-616 heroes. She does not survive through the violence that follows.
Ultimate Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane also made cameo appearances in Ultimate X-MenUltimate X-Men
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
, notably issue #50, in which she is seen in her hybrid form at a Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
freak show
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
, relaxing along with other mutants. She is seen on a view screen in her human form and receives passing mention in Ultimate X-Men issue #43, during the selection process for Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
's Academy of Tomorrow, in which the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
says, "No to the wolf girl." In issue #95, however, it is revealed that the Ultimate Alpha Flight member known as Sasquatch (who first appeared in issue #94) is in fact Rahne Sinclair, making it her first official named appearance. She, and the rest of her team, used a power enhancing drug known as Banshee, the Ultimate version of Mutant Growth Hormone, which can induce a secondary mutation, or further an existing mutation, for example turning Angel into a large anthropomorphic eagle. Rahne still can revert to a more human appearance when she powers down. Later in the same issue, she is injured by Nightcrawler, who, while trying to teleport her away, seemingly teleports part of her arm off.
X-Men: The End
In this alternate future, Wolfsbane is one of the staff at the X-Mansion. She makes brief telepathic contact with the long-lost Danielle. When Skrulls impersonating old X-Men enemies attack the mansion, Wolfsbane sacrifices herself to save many of the surviving children.What if?
In one of the issues of the What if? some of the X-Men had stayed in Asgard. Wolfsbane was with Hrimhari and although he died in battle later he left her with three children (depicted as a wolf cub, a human baby and a wolf-human hybrid baby).Television
- Wolfsbane appears in the X-Men animated seriesX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
episode "Cold Comfort". She appears as a member of the government sponsored mutant team X-Factor, led by the modern-day ForgeForge (comics)Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
.
- Wolfsbane is featured as a minor character at the Xavier Institute in X-Men: EvolutionX-Men: EvolutionX-Men: Evolution is an American animated television series about the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. In this incarnation many of the characters are teenagers rather than adults...
(one of the "New Mutants"). In this series, she is apparently not a half-orphan, though her parentage is never revealed. In that series, she was voiced by Chantal StrandChantal StrandChantal Strand is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for the voice role of Bijou in Hamtaro, Cassie in Dragon Tales and did the voice of Secret Bear in the Care Bears 2000's merchandise as a talking toy.-Biography:She has a twin sister Michelle Strand...
.
Wolfsbane usually transforms into a full wolf, but in one episode takes her hybrid form to scare some over-eager hunters. She is especially close to SunspotSunspot (comics)Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
. Wolfsbane is forced to leave the institute, along with JubileeJubilee (comics)Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
, after the world discovers the existence of mutants. She appears one final time in the series finale, in Xavier's glimpse into the future, revealing that she does return to the team. - Wolfsbane first appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Hindsight" Pt. 1. She appears amongst the mutants captured by the MRD and busted out by Wolverine and Beast. In the episode "Backlash", she is attacked by the MRD and is taken down by the Prowler Sentinel.
Non-fiction
- Wolfsbane is discussed in the non-fiction book 'The Great Women Superheroes'.