Spiral's help). The Hand strives for power, and will use political maneuvering as well as subtle and deadly force to achieve it. The genin also have the ability to turn their bodies to mist when they are killed.
The Hill
The Hill is the dimension to which Mikhail Rasputin teleported the Morlocks just before he collapsed and flooded their tunnels. The entire world seems to be one giant hill, with Mikhail's castle at the top. The air is highly corrosive, and the weather patterns are totally different. The mutants there try to breed selectively to bear progeny strong enough to make it to the top of the Hill and become Mikhail's chosen. It is a brutal world, but something in the air makes all wounds non-fatal, so that even the wounded get up and try again.
Hound Program
The current Hound Program comprises a few mutants who are working for the government to find and capture mutants. Sabretooth is their best hunter, although he tends to kill his targets rather than capture them, and is considered a loose cannon. In the future that Rachel Summers comes from, the Hounds were also mutants that were used to track other mutants. However, in that timeline, the Hounds were run by Ahab, who used mind control and his psionic lance to bond the Hounds to him, subverting their wills beneath his programming. Although some of their targets were sent to camps, the majority of those mutants found by these Hounds were killed. Hounds were also branded with facial scars that radiated outwards from the center of their faces. Rachel herself was a Hound, but was somehow able to break her programming.
Humanity's Last Stand
A grass-roots movement focused on protecting humans from the mutant menace, although its leaders seem to have little regard for their followers' lives. One of the leaders is named Trask, but as both Bolivar and Larry are supposed to be dead, his identity is unknown. H.L.S. has access to powerful armor suits of various types, which they use to hunt down mutants. They are also in possession of a few nuclear missiles.
Hydra
A worldwide terrorist organization founded by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, father of the twins who are known as Fenris. Hydra is very powerful and very dangerous, with connections across the globe. They use hi-tech weaponry and vehicles and have no compunctions about killing. The organization has many branches, two of which have been led by Viper and Silver Fox.
Inhumans
A race of super-powered being created from humans by the Kree, an alien race, to be super-soldiers for them in their war against the Skrulls and placed on Earth in the Himalayan mountains. The Inhumans are born looking nearly identical to humans, but upon puberty they are exposed to a vapor called the Terrigen Mists in a rite of passage. The Mist alters their genetic structures, granting each Inhuman a different ability and power. Their home city is named Attilan, and although it was originally in the Himalayas, the Inhumans later moved to the Blue Area of the Moon, and are now living under the ocean, near Atlantis.
Marvel's Condensed Inhumans History - From the Marvel Knights previews. Very detailed.
The Inhumans - A quick overview of some of the main members.
Kree
AKA Ru'ul. Formerly one of the three great Empires, the Kree are a blue-skinned race of warriors. There are two strains of Kree: blue-skinned and white-skinned. The blues have become the dominant race, although Captain Marvel was a white-skin. Their greatest champion was the warrior Mar-Vell, known on Earth as Captain Marvel. Once, when Captain Marvel was on Earth fighting a Kree villain, a NASA employee named Carol Danvers got between him and a blast from a Kree waepon called the Psyche-Magnetron. The blast turned Danvers part Kree and also bequeathed to her Marvel's powers of flight, strength and invulnerability, along with a precognitive 7th sense and the ability to fly in space unprotected. (These powers were later permanently absorbed by Rogue.) Marvel fought many foes in his time, and was respected by many heroes. Unfortunately, he contracted cancer and succumbed after a dignified and heroic fight with the disease. The Kree Empire clashed for millions of years with the Skrulls, until Rick Jones used his latent Destiny Force to stop the war. Thousands of years ago, their scientists developed the race of beings now called the Inhumans to be their super-soldiers in that war, althought their creations evenutally rebelled. Later on, the Kree attacked the Shi'ar Empire, and the Avengers journeyed into space to stop the Kree-Shi'ar war because the alien armies were using Stargates powered by Earth's Sun, which was endangering the entire Solar System. The Kree are ruled by the Supreme Intelligence, a giant conglomeration of the minds of billions of Kree. In the midst of the war, the Supreme Intelligence manipulated events so that the Shi'ar would create a Nega-bomb, which would destroy most of the Kree. While Lilandra discovered the evil plan, Supremor (the Supreme Intelligence) had some Skrull agents steal the bomb and detonate in on Hala, the Kree Homeworld, in an explosion that killed millions of his people. Supremor hoped that this cataclysm would force his people to begin evolving again, which they had stopped doing long ago. Some Avengers, incensed by this horrific act (and secretly manipulated by Kang) went to kill the Intelligence, and the Black Knight seemingly accomplished the feat. In reality, the Intelligence survived, and was relocated to Earth's Moon where he could study Earth and possibly prepare to invade it. Meanwhile, the Kree Empire was conquered by the Shi'ar and incorporated into its Empire. Lilandra brought some of the X-Men, including Professor Xavier to Hala for her coronation. While, there, the X-Men uncovered a terrorist plot and saved Lilandra and her entourae, with the help of one of the terrorist's leaders. However, as Lilandra had just proclaimed her sister Deathbird Regent of Hala, she could not stop the terrorist who assisted them from being arrested, leading to a rift between her and Xavier. The Starjammers recently got involved with resettling Kree fugitives on a collection of anarchist worlds called the Clench. They even added a Kree navigator to their ranks, a young man named Keeyah. Recently, a group of aliens called the Ru'ul convinced the Shi'ar that humanity was dangerous and meddlesome and spearheaded a vote to turn Earth into a prison planet. It was soon revealed that the Ru'ul were actually the Kree, who had been given new abilities to evolve and devolve themselves by touching the Forever Stone. This was all part of the Supreme Intelligence's plan to jump-start his people's evolution. When the Ru'ul were revealed to be the Kree, their plan to besiege Earth was dismantled.
Galen Kor's Lunatic Legion, comprising former Kree soldiers who blamed the Avengers and the Shi'ar for their world's decimation, were recently found residing on Blue Area of the Moon plotting to mutate humanity in their image. They were defeated by the Avengers with the aid of Supremor, who has his own plans for humanity. Also, The Nega-Bomb was created from the Psyche-Magnetron and other alien artifacts stolen from Earth. At one point years ago, a pacifist sect of Kree set up a monastery on Earth and called themselves the Priests of Pama. These Priests raised the girl who would become Mantis and taught her to fight.
Legacy Virus
This deadly disease attacks the mutant gene, causing its host's powers to flare out of control before death occurs. It was engineered by Stryfe, who gave it to Sinister in a canister that was supposed to contain the genetic material of the child of Cyclops and Jean Grey. The virus is actually based on one that was going to be used 2000 years in the future by Apocalypse against the human population. Stryfe's version targets only mutants, with the sole exception of Moira MacTaggert, who presumably contracted the disease because of her long-term exposure to it during the course of her research. The virus hit especially hard in Genosha, where many of the mutates succumbed to it rather quickly, lacking any natural immunity at all due to their genetic alteration.
The virus raged on for some time, until Mystique, in an effort to make the world safe for mutants, modified the virus to affect only humans. When Moira found out about the virus, she finally grasped what the key to the cure was. Unfortunately, she was mortally wounded during Mystique's attack on Muir Island and did not live to complete the cure. Professor X did manage to telepathically retrieve the critical information before Moira died, and Beast was able to synthesize the cure a few weeks later.
However, the X-Men soon realized that cure was as deadly as the Virus, at least to the person who would host the cure and release it into the atmosphere. They vowed to keep working until a safer cure could be found. Colossus, whose little sister Illyana had succumbed to the Virus months before, could not abide that decision and injected himself with the cure, sacrificing his life to save the world from the disease.
The following mutants are known to have died from the Legacy Virus:
Aminedi (Iraqi agent), Burke, Infectia, Gordon Lefferts (Sinister's aide), Magik, Mastermind, Multiple Man (one dupe), Nicodemus, Revanche.
Absalom was infected by the virus, but was killed by Selene. Psynapse was actually killed by his teammates due to his infection, which made him "unfit."
The following were infected with the virus in varying degrees:
Abyss, Bolt, Feral, Maverick and Pyro.
The following group of mutants was fighting alongside the Acolytes, trying to secure the High Evolutionary's Isotope E, which may be a cure for the Virus. Based on their words during the battle, it is assumed that they were all infected as well: Avalanche (although he may just have been trying to help Pyro), Fenris, Feral (confirmed), Omega Red (who may simply have been on a mission for his infected countrymen, or for a third party), and Random. Sinister himself may also have been infected (see X-Men #27).
The cure to the Legacy Virus was finally discovered by Moira after Mystique modified the disease to attack humans. Though Moira was killed in Mystique's attack on Muir Island, she lived long enough to transfer her discovery to Professor X, who in turn, transmitted it to Beast. Beast was soon able to synthesize a cure, but refrained from using it, as it was reasoned out that to do so would cost the life of the person who hosted it. Colossus, however, could not bear to think of other innocent children (like his sister) who migth die while they searched for a "safe" cure, so he injected the serum into himself, and released the cure into the atmosphere, dying nobly in the process.
The Legacy Virus Casualty List - With detailed info on the virus' strains and mutations.
Limbo
A dimension of demons and magic closely resembling Hell. Originally the domain of Belasco, then taken over by his protege, Magik. Magik had the innate ability to control Limbo's teleportation disks, which connect points in time as well as space, making all times one time in Limbo. During Inferno the demon N'astirh tried to open a permanent bridge between Earth and Limbo, but was ultimately defeated. After Magik gave up her power, and later died, Belasco reclaimed his kingdom, but was recently ousted by Margali and her daughter,Amanda Sefton. Amanda is in control of Limbo now, and has taken the name Magik II.
Madripoor
An island of the coast of Asia where "anything goes," Madripoor is one of Wolverine's favorite hangouts. A clash of cultures has split Madripoor into the upper-class, technologically advanced "Hightown" and the low-class, seedier "Lowtown." Logan, under the alias "Patch," of course prefers Lowtown. Until recently Madripoor was run by a Prince, but now Viper has been selected to take his place.
Massachusetts Academy
The training ground of the now-deceased Hellions, formerly the School for Gifted Youngsters, home base of Generation X. The Academy is owned by Emma Frost, and is an affiliate of the Xavier Institute. The campus includes dormitories, headmasters' cabins, and a biosphere, in addition to classroom buildings, rec halls, and a state-of-the-art medical center. When the Hellions were in residence, the Academy operated as a regular private high school, with about a thousand normal students enrolled, in addition to the Hellions. In its original capacity as Gen X's base and school, enrollment is limited to the mutant kids, although efforts were once made to enroll a human for a summer program. After Frost Enterprises took a heavy hit in the stock market, however, enrollment was opened up to human students, and the titular affiliation to Xavier's was removed, to disassociate the school from any negative feeling left over from Onslaught. In the last six months, however, the school was abandoned by the human population and is home solely to the Gen X kids now.
M'Kraan Crystal
A giant red crystal which contains a neutron galaxy, the M'Kraan is known as "The End of All That Is." It is linked to the very fabric of reality, and is also a nexus for different realities. The mad Shi'ar Emperor D'ken hoped to use the Crystal to gain ultimate power when the nine "death-stars" aligned, but in the end, he was stopped and driven completely mad. During the battle to stop D'ken, the X-Men were transported inside the Crystal, along with some of the Imperial Guard. The conflict continued until a deflected beam hit the center of the Crystal and cracked the neutron galaxy's container. Phoenix merged with the galaxy and managed to fix the bubble, saving the universe. Years later, new fluctuations in the Crystal signaled the beginning of a wave that crystallized the entire universe. The X-Men figured out that the Crystal was reformatting the universe because the past had been changed by Legion, but although Cable's astral form was sent back to warn the four X-Men who had been taken with Legion, the past was still changed when Legion accidentally killed his father, Charles Xavier. The M'Kraan Crystal changed reality into the "Age of Apocalypse," although Bishop, already a man out of his time, was left in place. Twenty years after that pivotal event, in what passed for the present in that reality, Bishop found the X-Men and told them that they had to undo the damage done in the past. Teams split up on different missions, one of which was to bring back a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal, through which they could open up a doorway to the past. The shard was eventually captured by Apocalypse and regrown into a complete crystal. In that reality's final battle, Nate Grey plunged the original shard into Holocaust's body, transporting them to our reality. Dark Beast and the Sugarman both ended up inside the full crystal, and came to our reality twenty years in our past. Bishop, Illyana, and Destiny also went into the Crystal, where Illyana tapped into one of herselves form another reality, where her mutant powers had already manifested, and generated a stepping disk that sent Bishop to stop Legion and negate that whole timeline, restoring our own. The Crystal is guarded by Jahf, a diminutuve powerhouse, and Modt, a gigantic robot a thousand times more powerful. Supposedly, should anyone defeat those two, more guardians, each more powerful than the last, would appear.
Muir Island
A small island of the coast of Scotland owned by Moira MacTaggert and the site of her Muir Island Genetic Research Center. Muir is the preeminent center for the study of mutations in the world. It was also the site of the beginning of the battle with Proteus, and the battle with the Shadow King, who destroyed half the island before his defeat. Muir was also used as Excalibur's base of operations from immediately after the wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix until the team disbanded. In years past, Muir has also served as a containment center for dangerous mutants, including Proteus himself, an infant Magneto, Spoor, and Unus. The Center was leading the research of the Legacy Virus, until it was blown up by Mystique and the Brotherhood during a battle in which Moira was fatally wounded.
Murderworld
A demented amusement park run by Arcade, who rented its "services" as a death trap and torture chamber. Murderworld had many underground levels, and was stocked with a seemingly limitless supply of robotic dopplegangers of various heroes and villains that were so lifelike that they were indistiguishable from their real templates. The original Murderworld was occupied by X-Force after being abandoned by Arcade, who had somehow constructed a mobile version, which he took on the road. X-Force stayed in Murderworld, which was located under a garbage dump just outside New York City, until one of Arcade's booby traps blew the place up.
The Genoshan mutates are mutant citizens of that country who were taken into custody by the state and subjected to the following processes. First, a telepathic scan was performed, followed by a mind-wipe and behavioral conditioning, making the mutates subservient and docile. The mutates were then altered genetically by the Genegineer, who tweaked their powers to make them more useful to society. The mutates were also bonded to an unremoveable skinsuit, which recycled wastes and prevented procreation. The mutates were generally mistreated by the humans and were kept in concentration camp conditions. After the X-Men defeated Hodge (see X-Tinction Agenda) the mutates began a civil was with the humans, but many of them died from the Legacy Virus, which ravaged their genetically altered bodies. With the Virus cured, though, the mutate population has banded together behind Magneto, giving him command of one of the most powerful forces in the world.
Neo
Another of Earth's races, apparently a very ancient one. The Neo are super-powered individuals, like mutants, but they appear to be much more powerful. This is seen in the way that they call mutants "spikes," as if they didn't even register on the Neo's power scales. Domina leads one warclan of the Neo, and it was she who declared war on the humans after the High Evolutionary's satellite system stripped the Neo (along with all mutants) of their powers. Many Neo died during the time they were powerless, and so their anger at the humans runs deep. There are other sub-groups of the Neo, like the Shockwave Riders, who have psionic powers and ride anti-grav skimmers, and the Lost Souls, who psychically trap souls near death and cause them to despair forever. Both these groups persisted as legends among mutants even to Cable's time, where it's said even Apocalypse repsected them, a testament to their power. The Neo are currently engaged in fighting the X-Men, who have no intention of letting them destroy the world. It was the Neo who sabotaged the High Evolutionary's space station, who destroyed 17 of Sinister's bases, and who hunted down the mutants hidden by Xavier in NYC. They are all top-notch fighters, and can withstand a lot of punishment before going down. They are also quite technologically advanced. Rumor has it that Shadowcat is a Neo, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Recently, the Neo of Domina's warclan were attacked by Magneto , who demanded that they join him in war against the humans, and stop the internecine warfare between themselves and other mutants. They refused, and Magneto slaughtered most of them in a few seconds, buying Domina's obedience as a result.
Neutralizer
Based on the weapon of the same name used by the Spaceknight Rom to banish the Dire Wraiths from our dimension, this weapon created by Forge removes all powers from an "enhanced" individual. More accurately, it removes the ability to access those powers from the affected individual. Forge created the Neutralizer while he was designing weapons for the U.S. government, so it fell into the hands of H.P. Gyrich, a special agent and Avengers liason, who hated all super-powered beings. Gyrich took the Neutralizer with him on a manhunt for the former terrorist Rogue, who had at that point already left her terrorist comrades in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants II and joined the X-Men. Rogue, who had just run away from the X-Men following an interpersonal conflict, was followed by Storm, who ended up taking the Neutralizer shot meant for her teammate. Forge also created a Neutralizer space platform that he later had to sabotage when Gyrich tried to use it to wipe out all super-powers on Earth. Months later, Forge finally created an anti-Neutralizer that restored Storm's powers when used in conjunction with magic. He then destroyed almost all of the Neutralizers and the related documents, but at least one remained in the custody of Angel's Worthington Enterprises. Years later, Wolverine and Sabretooth, minds and bodies switched by another technological device, fought over this very weapon. More recently, Mystique shot Wolfsbane with a Neutralizer. WHere she got one is unknown, but it's likely that she took it from Forge's Aerie while she was undergoing "treatment" there.
New Warriors
"The super-team for the new millenium." Originally formed by Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor of the Taylor Foundation), this young team consisted of Namorita, Nova, Speedball, Marvel Boy (later Justice), and Firestar. This team met up with the newly-formed X-Force during A.I.M. somewhat successful attempt to resurrect Proteus, and although the situation started off tensely, the two teams settled into a rhythm of coopreation and friendliness, with a little good-natured rivalry thrown in for good measure. The same line-up (although a bit more seasoned and including Rage and Slihouette) was involved in the Younghunt Other members who joined and left at different times included Silhouette, Rage, Turbo II, Darkhawk, Scarlet Spider, PowerPax, and the inimitable Hindsight Lad. Although the team disbanded shortly after Justice and Firestar joined the Avengers, Speedball refused to give up the Warriors and convinced Nova and Namorita to rejoin in time to fight Blastaar. Turbo II also returned, and new heroes Aegis and Bolt joined in to defeat the Negative Zone villain, with a little help from alums Justice and Firestar. The six-member team is currently based in New York City.
N'Garai
An of demonic-looking creatures, the N'Garai ruled Earth eons ago. They are large gray creatures, with have large heads with rows of sharp teeth, poison-covered claws and powerful tails. Some variants also sport bat-like wings. After years of slavery, human mages banished the N'Garai to another dimension and sealed them in with stone cairns carved with mystical symbols. One such cairn resides on the property of the X-Mansion. Years ago, while wandering the grounds in grief over the death of Thunderbird I, Cyclops unleashed his eye blasts and cracked the cairn. Cyclops did not know the cairn's purpose, and so did not see the N'Garai leader Kierrok emerge until he attacked the Mansion. The X-Men defeated Kierrok, but the cairn, once broken, proved difficult to keep closed. Storm fought a number of the demons while trying to destroy the cairn, and another attacked Kitty Pryde in the Mansion. Kitty barely escaped with her life, surviving by luring the N'Garai into range of the Blackbird's afterburners. The N'Garai lay low for a while, but tried to breach the dimensional barrier in the Bermuda Triangle. Only a few vacationing X-Men and (ironically) the vampiric Bloodscream managed to stop the N'garai before their hordes could overrun our world. Months later, when Wolverine was attacked by other strange creatures called the Ru'tai, the X-Men learned that the N'Garai had been overthrown by the Ru'tai slaves they had oppressed for years. The revolution also seemed to have been accomplished with the help of one "Malekith," who it appears was Wolverine himself, trapped in the N'Garai dimension for years due to the time distortion between here and there. The N'Garai, however, were not content to be conquered and soon teamed with Belasco to open a cairn in Limbo, from which they could then launch assaults on any dimension, at any time. For this plan, Belasco tricked Shadowcat into performing a spell that gave five N'Garai the forms of the X-Men, who then went to collect the souls of still more X-Men, filling a talisman with bloodstones for the plan's final stage ceremony. Fortunately, Magik II was able to rally some of the unaffected X-Men to her side to stop the spell from being cast. The N'garai remain trapped in their dimension.
Nova Roma
A Roman-style city established by Selene in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Selene mindwiped a large number of people and populated the city with them. These people believed themselves to be the descendants of a Roman colony in the New World. They worshipped Selene and periodically offered her the human sacrifices which powered her, and which were her main reason for establishing the colony in the first place. The New Mutants came to Nova Roma while visiting Sunspot's mother, and there met Amara, a Nova Romani who was offered to Selene beside Mirage. Amara did not die in the lava pool into which she was thrown, but manifested her mutant powers and became Magma. Years later, Selene's deception was revealed, and Magma and Empath, her boyfriend, returned to help the "colonists" readjust to their original lives.
Otherworld
Headquarters of the Captain Britain Corps, Otherworld was founded by Merlin to gather heroes from across the Multiverse (all the dimensions) to stand guard and protect against the return of his nemesis, Necrom. It is kind of like a central hub for the Multiverse, with magical portals to each dimension scattered throughout its lands. Otherworld is full of arcane energy, and was to be the site of the Cosmic Convergence, the great conflux of the energy that powers the Corps' members.
Project: Wideawake
The generic name for the U.S. Government's mutant-detection and incarceration programs, usually involving Sentinels. One of the latest versions, however, used Commando and Avalanche as operatives.
The Right
Another anti-mutant group, founded by Commander Cameron Hodge. Its soldiers wore combat armor suits with domed helmets, usually adorned with cartoon eyes and a large smile. Many of them were transported to Limbo where they were demonicized until they were (most likely) destroyed during Inferno. After Hodge was decapitated by Archangel, the movement basically collapsed.
Savage Land
An area in the middle of Antarctica which is a tropical jungle. It also contains dinosaurs and other creatures extinct in the rest of the world, which have survived the ages in the hidden land. The Savage Land is sometimes ruled by Ka-Zar (Lord Kevin Plunder), but is also home to the Unified Tribes and the Savage Land Mutates. It was also once the base of the High Evolutionary.
Shi'ar
The main race of a huge empire in another galaxy, the Shi'ar are an ancient avian-based race with advanced technology. Some, if not all, of them have wings, testimony to their bird ancestry. Due to Professor Xavier's relationship with Lilandra, the Shi'ar Majestrix, the X-Men have had access to a great deal of this technology, including most of the Danger Room, parts of the Blackbird, and many of the X-Mansion's systems. The Shi'ar are a generally peaceful race, but they have at times gone on conquests to incorporate other races into their empire (mostly under the mad Emperor D'Ken). They believe in emulating their chief gods, Sharra and K'ythri, who were forced to marry, but grew stronger as a result of their union, so they look for cultures to "marry" to their own, thereby (theoretically) strengthening the Empire. Not long ago, they defeated the Kree and have since assimilated them into the Empire, although it has not been easy.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Strategic Hazard, Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate
formerly
Supreme Heaquarters, International Espionage, Law-enforcement Division
The United States' first and best spy organization, run by Col. Nick Fury, of "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" fame. While its operatives work around the globe, S.H.I.E.L.D. is based in a floating fortress called the Helicarrier, which is a giant aircraft carrier held aloft by propellers and jet engines. S.H.I.E.L.D. are generally good guys, although their law-enforcement charter can bring them into conflict with the mutants, who usually have outlaw status. Recently, Fury designated Sharon Carter (Agent 13) to replace him while he is away on a mission. G.W. Bridge is also a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and once took command of its operations when Fury was presumed dead.
Siege Perilous
Named for the seat at King Arthur's Round Table reserved for the knight of pure heart, the Siege Perilous (lit. "dangerous seat") was a gem in a brooch that Roma, the omniversal guardian protects. One night, as Brian Braddock was fleeing for his life from some villains, he got into an accident, whereupon the Siege Perilous appeared. Roma, and her father Merlin, offered Brian a choice between a mace and an amulet, which would become his weapon with which to fight evil as Captain Britain. Years later, Roma gave the Siege to the X-Men upon their resurrection from sacrificing their lives to stop the Adversary (see Fall of the Mutants). It could grow in size to become a doorway to another dimension, where those who entered would be judged: if worthy, they would be reborn on Earth, if not, oblivion. The X-Men used it on the first bunch of Reavers that they captured, and later, Rogue was pulled through the portal during the battle with Nimrod/Master Mold. Not long after, the rest of the X-Men stepped into the Siege, with a little telepathic pushing from Psylocke, in order to escape being captured by the remaining Reavers. Immediately following the transit, the brooch, which had shrunk down to normal size, was smashed by Pierce. However, those that had gone through were reborn anyway: Psylocke was captured by the Hand and altered in mind and body, an amnesiac Dazzler was found by Guido, then Lila Cheney's bodyguard, Havok ended up in Hodge, and Colossus ended up in New York as an artist under the name Peter Nicholas, also amnesiac. However, Rogue returned a few months later, not amnesiac, but separated by the Siege into herself and Ms. Marvel, whose powers and psyche she had absorbed years before. Nimrod/Master Mold also returned in the form of Bastion.
Ship
Created millennia ago by the Celestials, this gigantic
space vessel either crashed or was landed on Earth at least five thousand years
ago in eastern Asia. For years it was guarded by Garbha-Hsien, later known as
Saul. However, Garbha-Hsien never ventured inside. Then,
about four thousand years ago, the conqueror En Sabah Nur ventured up the mountain
to meet Garbha-Hsien. He could feel the power emanating from the Ship, and when
Garbha-Hsien said that he had never been inside, Nur knocked him out and condemned
him as a fool, and entered the ship. Nur remained in the Ship for hundreds, if
not thousands of years, and finally emerged as Apocalypse.
Inside he learned of the Celestials and their technology and came to master it.
He eventually brought the vessel to New York to use as a staging platform from
which he launched his Four Horsemen's attack on
the city. The original X-Factor was there to oppose
him, but they were captured and brought on board. At the point the ship was still
cloaked. While the mutants fought inside, Beast damaged
some machinery that de-cloaked the ship and destroyed the navigation system, and
the ship began to crash. Through a valiant effort, X-Factor managed to get the
Ship to fall right along the river, and ironically, the only building it damaged
was their own old headquarters. As the ship had a protective field that only allowed
mutants to enter it, X-Factor took up residence in the ship. Unfortunately, the
2,000 foot-long vessel was booby-trapped, but when the AI running the ship revealed
itself and offered to help X-Factor, the traps were neutralized. The AI, which
they called "Ship" had complete control over every part of its structure and could
fashion rooms, weapons and vehicles as needed from various storehouses and parts
it had. It was able to design and run training programs for X-Factor, as well
as make living quarters and workshop areas for them. It wasn't a bad cook, either.
Ship at times floated in the harbor, and actually took off to another world following
a signal from the Celestials, whom X-Factor met as the Judged a distant world.
On that voyage Ship met one of his creators and learned more about his true nature,
however, he opted to stay with his friends in X-Factor. Ship then returned to
Earth and set down in lower Manhattan, where it dawrfed the Twin Towers and plunged
a good chunk of the city into shadow for most of the day. Ship's AI was almost
as sophisticated as a living being, as it was disrupted by Wipeout's
touch during Genosha's raid on X-Factor (looking for Jenny
Ransome). Soon after, however, Apocalypse sent his Dark
Riders to attack X-Factor. While the invading force was rebuffed, they made
off with Nathan Christopher Summers, and infected Ship
with a techno-organic virus that overwrote its systems. Ship lost control of itself
and in order to prevent more damage to the city it blasted off into space, where
it exploded. Fortunately, Ship was able to download its program into an energy
matrix which protected the mutants long enough for them to reach the Blue
Area of the Moon and the Inhumans, who were themselves
under attack from Apocalypse. Soon, X-Factor found the Summers baby, who was himself
infected with a T-O virus. Even after defeating Apocalypse, it seemed that there
was no hope for the child. However, the time-travelling Askani
appeared and offered to take Chris into the future, where he could be saved. Ship,
whose matrix was already destabilizing, offered to spend the rest of his energy
to protect Chris on the journey and to monitor his life signs. Upon arriving 2000
years later, Ship's matrix was nowhere to be found. It wasn't till about 16 years
later when Blaquesmith sensed another presence
inside young Nate Dayspring (as Chris Summers was known then) and removed a shining
energy sphere that Nate called "Professor." Professor helped Nate survive and
control his T-O infection, and taught him over time to "bodyslide," a means of
teleportation. Years later the Professor was incorporated into the space station
Graymalkin. The station came with Cable (Nate's codename)
back to our time, and remained cloaked until a satellite bumped into it and disrupted
the field. S.H.I.E.L.D. sent a shuttle to investigate, but
they were stopped from acquiring Graymalkin by X-Force,
Cable's students. Professor helped Cannonball and
Sunspot access its systems, and while Graymalkin exploded,
all of Cable's vehicles and weapons were sent down to X-Force's base. The Professor
sent Sam and Bobby back to Earth and his porgram seemed to go offline. In reality,
though, only part of Graymalkin was blown up, and the rest was recloaked. Unfortunately,
it was appropriated by Magneto, who subverted the Professor's
program and turned the station into Avalon. When Cable found
out, he went to rescue the Professor. While he was successful, he also tried to
blow up the station, whereupon Magneto stopped him and severely damaged him. Professor
was once again integrated into Cable's systems, but after Cable healed he was
downloaded into X-Force's Camp Verde base. It remained a part of the base until
the Phalanx attacked, whereupon Professor received
a body and became Prosh.
See Graymalkin, Avalon, Prosh.
Skrulls
One of the "Big Three" alien powers, and possibly the oldest, if they pre-date the Shi'ar, the Skrulls are a technologically advanced race most famous for their shape-shifting abilities. Actually, the shifters are the result of Celestial manipulation and are comparable to Earth's Deviant race. However, these Deviant came to supplant their ancestors as the dominant race of Skrulls. The Skrulls shapeshifting is cosmetic only; they cannot duplicate powers without technological assistance. Two warrior Skrulls have been modified to possess powers: The Super Skrull, with the powers of the Fanstastic Four, and Paibok, the Power Skrull, who has the powers of some of the . Lyja Lazer Fist was also modified to possess bio-blasts, but her shifting abilities are standard. Other Skrulls, most notably the ones who teamed with Apocalypse to capture the X-Men, and who were members of a force designed to infiltrate the ranks of Earth's heroes, used special technology in their costumes to mimic the powers of the heroes they copied. In addition, the Skrulls recently began breeding more of their own mutants, whereas before they would euthanize them at birth. Millions of years ago, the Skrulls were an advanced race that explored the galaxies in serach of peace and knowledge, until they came to Hala, a world with tow sentient races: the humanoid Kree and the plant-based Cotati. To determine which race was worthy of an alliance, the Skrulls had the races engage in a competition of creation. Whoever created the best construct on Earth's Moon would win. The Kree created a great city and enclosed it in an atmosphere. Today it is known as the Blue Area of the Moon. However, the Cotati actually terraformed their area of the Moon and made life grow there again, and were awarded the alliance. The Kree, still in a semi-barabaric culture, were enraged and slaughtered the Cotati and the Skrull delegates. The Skrulls them became embroiled in a war that spanned galaxies and lasted until a few years ago, when Rick Jones used his latent Destiny Force power to stop the fighting. Over the years, the Skrulls became more and more warlike, and became feared as great conquerors, feared both for their power and for their stealth and trickery, as they used their shape-shifting abilities ruthlessly. However, eight years ago, Galactus came to the Skrull home system and destroyed it, leaving the Skrulls who were off-world without an Empire. The X-Men have come into contact with the Skrulls twice. Once was when Deathbird had Lila Cheney transport them to the Shi'ar Galaxy, where they eventually found that Professor Xavier, the Starjammers, and the Imperial Guard had been replaced by Warskrulls, a strain of Skrulls that could duplicate the powers of mutants and other super-powered being using a template-encoding technology. The Warskrulls had hoped to use their Xavier to control Lilandra and take over the entire Empire. The X-Men stopped them, however, and the Warskrulls were rooted out and captured. The second time the X-Men met Skrulls actually started in the aforementioned destruction of the Skrull homeworld. The X-Men had accidentally been transported there from another dimension, and found that the Skrulls of that time were working with technological apparatuses to simulate the powers of Earth's super-beings, hoping to one day replace them and mount an invasion. The X-Men tried to stop Galactus from his feeding, but were unable to alter to course of history. Luckily, some Skrulls whose Terran templates had died (rendering them useless) led the X-Men to a spaceship that they used to get to Earth in eight years (programming in the right time of stasis so they wouldn't feel it). However, the Skrulls who had survived knew of the X-Men's presence and escape, and tracked their craft and intercepted it. They abducted Wolverine and turned him over to their ally Apocalypse, while replacing him with a special Skrull who had been conditioned to believe that he WAS Wolverine. Apparently, the Skrulls were hoping that Apocalypse could help them find a new homeworld. The X-Men discovered the deception when "Wolverine" was killed by Death III, and when Fiz, a mutant Skrull, defected to their side. After Apocalypse was defeated, however, the Skrulls vanished, leaving the X-Men in custody of all their technology and the mutant Skrulls who defected. Professor Xavier then took the mutant Skrulls into space to find them a new homeworld.
Sleazeworld
The term used by the X-Men for the Brood
homeworld. Sleazeworld was destroyed when the Brood Queen tried to corrupt the
soul of the prophet-singer of the Acanti, a race of telepathic space whales, and
was crystallized. The planet itself was shaken apart by the conflict between the
ultimate good of the prophet-singer's soul, and the inherent evil of the Brood.
Summers Rebellion
About 50 or 60 years in the future, humans and mutants will band together under the leadership of someone named Summers (first name unknown) and overthrow the Sentinels and their racist masters. Summers then disappears, leading to the belief that he or she was a time-traveler. The Rebellion led to the formation of the X.S.E., and was the defining moment in human-mutant relations in Bishop's time.
Soulsword
A magical weapon, created from the darkest part of Magik's soul during her stay in Limbo. The Soulsword was not really a physical weapon: its chief ability was to disrupt magical spells and beings, usually permanently. It was accompanied by armor covering Magik's left shoulder, chest, and arm. Control of the Soulsword seems to guarantee mastery over Limbo, but its full power could only be accessed by Magik. When Magik reverted to six years old (see Inferno), the sword transferred to her best friend Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat). At first the sword was stuck in a stone outside Excalibur's lighthouse, but after Dr. Doom tried to use it nad Kitty to take over Limbo, it somehow incorporated itself within Shadowcat. Months later, the evil magician Darkmoor possessed Shadowcat and tried to make her turn over the sword. Eventually he possessed Nightcrawler, to attack Kitty from the outside, but he was defeated. Amanda Sefton then convinced Kitty to give her the Soulsword, which she then turned over to her mother Margali. Margali, mad for power, used the sword to kill all of the magicians ahead of her on the Winding Way. She then gave herself a new body and joined the London Hellfire Club. However, when Margali tried to tap into the demon under London, she was overwhelmed, and when Excalibur severed her from the interface, she and the Soulsword were captured by Belasco, Magik's mentor and ruler of Limbo. Belasco also planned to use the Soulsword to gain power, but was eventually defeated by Margali, Amanda and Nightcrawler. The Soulsword, which had been knocked off of Belasco's tower during the battle, broke through the surface of Limbo in an armor-coated hand, perhaps signifying Magik's return. The result of that apparition was never revealed, and currently Amanda (Magik II) is the holder of the Soulsword and Ruler of Limbo.
Stepping Disks
Magical portals of white light that originate in Limbo and can transport any who step into them anywhere in time and space. Normally, the portals pop in and out of existence in Limbo, and their termini are random, making traveling through them foolhardy at best. However, with appropriate knowledge, a magician can learn to control the disks. The best user, though, was Magik, whose mutant power was to mentally control the disks and have them appear wherever she was, and go wherever she wanted. She could also manipulate the size of the disks to accomodate many other people. It was actually through one of the stepping disks that appeared on Earth that young Illyana Rasputin fell, leading her to her apprenticeship with the sorcerer Belasco. As a member of the New Mutants and ruler of Limbo, Magik used the disks as her personal transportation devices. Magik II has also learned to control the disks, though she does not have the innate control of her predecessor. She does, however use the Soulsword in conjunction with her magic to open the portals.
Transmode Virus
The process or method by which a member of the Technarch
or Phalanx can "assimilate" other life-forms into the collective.
The victim is turned into a techno-organic entity itself. Originally, the virus
was used not to assimilate, but to allow a Technarch unit to transform life-forms
into constructs that were then drained of energy to feed itself. Due to their
battle with Magus and the nature of their powers, Rogue
and Colossus were immune to the Transmode Virus. In
addition, the Earth-based collective of the Phalanx were unable to assimilate
mutants into their number, unless the mutant put up no resistance. However, the
purer space-faring Phalanx had no trouble assimilating even Rogue.
The Twelve
Twelve key powerful mutants upon whom the fate of mutantkind rests. During her journey to our past from 2000 years in the future, Sanctity mentioned that humanity waited so long for the Twelve, and were sorely disappointed. This seemed to imply that the Twelve are not from our generation of mutants, but from some time in the future. However, Sanctity managed to delete all references to the Twelve (presumably the individual identities) from the original Master Mold, perhaps ensuring that they would survive and save the future. Recently, Destiny's diary revealed the identities of the Twelve: Xavier, Cyclops, Phoenix, Iceman, Storm, Cable, Polaris, Sunfire, Mikhail, Bishop, The Living Monolith and Magneto. However, the 12 were not gathered to save mankind. Rather, Apocalypse had his minions capture the mutants and hook them into a machine that was to channel all their power into him, enabling him to merge with the powerful form of ,A href="x-man.html">Nate Grey and ascend to godlike levels. Fortunately, Magneto's in ability to access his power shorted the machine, and the mutants fought Apcoalypse until Cyclops broke the link between him and Grey and was himself abosrbed. The 12 then managed to keep from directing their energies at Apocalypse, so that he was forced to flee.
War Room
Professor Xavier's sanctum sanctorum, where e monitors world events and plans the future of mutantkind. It is equipped with countless TV screens and terminals, allowing him access to news, his files and other sources of information all at once. When in the War Room, Xavier usually places himself in a gyro-chair which links him telepathically to some of the systems.
Weapon X Program
A top-secret program which was apparently run by a joint effort of the U.S. and Canadian governements. The Weapon X Program was responsible for giving Logan his adamantium bones, but it was also connected with the Black Ops team of Maverick, Sabretooth, Wraith, Silver Fox, and Mastodon, all of whom appear to have been enhanced with an age-suppression factor derived from Wolverine himself. The program was to design assassins who would be implanted with false memories and set up as sleeper units until they were needed by the government. A failsafe, a robot called Shiva, was also created to eliminate the assassins should they ever find out the truth or lose control. The implanted memories are why much of Logan's past is such a mystery. It seems that the Black Ops portion of the program took place before the adamantium bonding process.
Winding Way
A mystical path followed by many magicians on which each magician spends his or her turn being powerful, and then being powerless, until returning to a position of greater power. It's supposed to teach humility and patience, but many sorcerers have tried to jump ahead of their current place, causing a lot of problems. Margali is apparently the Keeper of the Way, but she may have given that title over to her daughter Amanda. Belasco and Darkmoor also follow the Way.
Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
The new name of the school based at the X-Mansion. More of a research facility than a training center, especially given the constant troubles in recent years, and given the existence of the Massachussetts Academy. Whereas the School for Gifted Youngsters was and is meant for teaching young mutants how to use their powers, the Institute was founded by Xavier not just to teach his students but to learn from them as well.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
Formerly based at the X-Mansion, then based at the Massachussetts Academy. The school is a place where young mutants can learn to control and hone their powers. It was the cover of the X-Men and the New Mutants when based in Salem Center, and was then the cover for Generation X, until the name was removed upon the opening of enrollment to human students. Currently, the school may again be called Xavier's, as the humans have left.
X-Mansion
The ancestral Xavier estate, located at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, just outside of Salem Center, Westchester County, New York. The mansion has three wings, including men's and women's dorms, Xavier's office, classrooms, and recreational areas. A pool and a basketball court are located in the back, and the grounds include a baseball field, as well. The basement levels are where the mansion's true uniqueness lies. There are secondary dorms and living areas, as well as the War Room, the Danger Room, and the hangar bay. The mansion is powered by a geothermal plant, and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and security systems, many of which are Shi'ar technology. However, during Operation: Zero Tolerance the mansion was stripped bare by nanotechs, and so all of this technnology was lost to the X-Men, who are only now beginning to rebuild their base. The mansion has been partially or fully destroyed more than a few times, but it is always rebuilt, because it is the most important thing for the X-Men (and their affiliates): their home.
Younghunt
This is the "Child's Play" crossover between the New Warriors and X-Force. The last game run by Gamesmaster in the Upstarts competition. The targets were the surviving members of the Hellions and the New Mutants. The players: Siena Blaze, Fenris, Fitzroy and Shinobi Shaw. The game brought the New Warriors and X-Force together to rescue their teammates, but in the end they were released because Paige Guthrie convinced the Gamesmaster that killing them all would be far less entertaining than the constant competition for the hearts and minds of the next generation of mutants.
