Mister Sinister | |
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Mister Sinister as drawn by Ron Frenz. |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Uncanny X-Men #221 (Sept. 1987) |
Created by | Chris Claremont Marc Silvestri |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Nathaniel Essex |
Species | Human Mutate |
Team affiliations | Marauders Nasty Boys |
Notable aliases | Nathan Milbury, Robert Windsor |
Abilities | Superhuman strength durability and longevity Telepathy Telekinesis Molecular manipulation Genius-level Intellect |
Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 (Sept. 1987) and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri.
Debuting in the Modern Age of comic books, the character is a supervillain and recurring adversary of the superhero team the X-Men, appearing in every ongoing titles including spin-offs and several limited series. The character has also featured in associated Marvel merchandise including animated television series; toys; trading cards and video games.
Contents |
Publication history
Creation
Writer Chris Claremont conceived Mister Sinister as a new villain for the X-Men, having felt "tired of just going back to Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the same old same old" Claremont recalled:
"Dave Cockrum and I were over ideas and what we were coming towards was a mysterious young boy - apparently an 11-year-old - at the orphanage where Scott (Cyclops) was raised, who turned out to be the secret master of the place. In effect what we were setting up was a guy who was aging over a lifespan of roughly a thousand years. Even though he looked like an 11-year-old, he'd actually been alive since the mid-century at this point - he was actually about 50 [...] He had all the grown up urges. He's growing up in his mind but his body isn't capable of handling it, which makes him quite cranky. And, of course, looking like an 11-year-old, who'd take him seriously in the criminal community? [...] So he built himself an agent in a sense, which was Mr. Sinister, that was, in effect, the rationale behind Sinister's rather - for want of a better word - childish or kid-like appearance. The costume... the look... the face... it's what would scare a child. Even when he was designed, he wasn't what you'd expect in a guy like that." [1]
1980s
The character first appears in the title Uncanny X-Men, and is briefly mentioned during the Mutant Massacre crossover by Sabretooth as being the leader of the Marauders and who sent them to slaughter the Morlock population; [2] and in the following issue, the X-Men member Psylocke picks up a shadowy mental image of the Marauders' "Master" from Sabretooth's mind. [3] After appearing on-panel in issue #221 (Sept. 1987), Mister Sinister plays a major role in the Inferno crossover, [4] revealing to have cloned Madelyne Pryor from Jean Grey, with the purpose of her to mate with Cyclops and produce a child, their son Nathan; [5] and also having manipulated Cyclops' life since early childhood. After a battle with the X-Men and X-Factor, the villain is apparently destroyed by Cyclops' optic beam. [6]
Classic X-Men #41 - 42 (Dec. 1989) details the role Mister Sinister played in Cyclops' life at the orphanage in Nebraska. The story features a boy named Nathan who is obsessively fixated on Cyclops - and whom Claremont intended to actually be Mister Sinister. However as Claremont left the X-Men comics, this origin was never picked up. [7]
1990s
Mister Sinister returns in the title X-Factor, leading the Nasty Boys [8] and allied with the mutant terrorist Stryfe. [9] The character features in the X-Cutioner's Song crossover, impersonating Apocalypse and commanding his Four Horsemen to capture Cyclops and Jean Grey. [10] Sinister hands them over to Stryfe in exchange for a canister containing his genetic material, [11] but Sinister finds it empty. [12] The character afterwards confronts Cyclops and reveals that it contained the Legacy Virus. [13]
The character's origin story is told in the limited series, The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, and is established as Nathaniel Essex, a scientist from the 19th century obsessed with evolution. Essex makes a pact with the ancient mutant Apocalypse who transforms him into a virtually immortal being. [14] It is furthermore established that Mister Sinister created Cyclops' son Nathan - who became the time-traveling soldier Cable - to destroy Apocalypse. [15]
2000s
Mister Sinister appears in the title Gambit [16] and a connection between the character and the X-Men member Gambit is revealed. The character attempts to use the High Evolutionary's space station to mutate the human population but is stopped by the X-Men. [17] The character also appears in the alternate universe title Mutant X. [18] [19] In the series Weapon X, Mister Sinister experiments on mutants under the guise of Dr. Robert Windsor; issue #14 reveals that the character worked alongside the Nazis during World War II. The character also appears in the non-canon miniseries, X-Men: The End and the limited series X-Men: Colossus - Bloodline.
Mister Sinister reappears in X-Men: Endangered Species crossover, sending the Marauders and Acolytes out to murder all those who have knowledge of the future; [20] In the Messiah Complex crossover, Sinister seeks out the first mutant child born since Decimation. However, the character is killed by Mystique who presses his face onto an unconscious Rogue. [21]
Miss Sinister/Claudine Renko
The title X-Men: Legacy reveals that Mister Sinister has implanted his own DNA into certain individuals, including Professor Charles Xavier, and upon Sinister's death, a machine will trigger the imprints, and the individual will be transformed into a new Mister Sinister. [22] Sinister manages to take control of Professor Xavier's body to save him from a gunshot wound, [23] however, the combined efforts of Sebastian Shaw and Gambit destroys the machine, enabling Xavier to successfully drive Sinister's consciousness from his mind and body. At the end, a female character appears called "Miss Sinister". [24] Her real name is Claudine Renko, and possesses telepathy and a healing factor similar to Sinister, but not the memories or mind. [25]
Powers and abilities
Mister Sinister is a genetically altered human with superhuman physical and mental abilities. The character is telepathic, able to manipulate the minds of others in various ways, and is capable of energy projection through telekinesis. [26] Using genetic material from the mutant Courier, Mister Sinister gained complete control of his body at the cellular level, allowing him to shape-shift; [27] regenerate [28] and be virtually immune to injuries. [29] [30] The character has exhibited the ability to teleport, though Beast believes this is accomplished through his tesseract headquarter. [31]
Mister Sinister is also a scientific genius, with expertise in the fields of biology; genetic manipulation; cloning; including physics and engineering. The character is a master manipulator and planner, with decades of genetic research behind him.
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the fictional crossover event "Age of Apocalypse", Mister Sinister is one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen and the foster father of Cyclops and Havok. [32]
House of M
A version of Mister Sinister appears in the House of M storyline and fights a dimension-hopping Deadpool over an infant Cable. [33]
Earth X
In the alternate universe title Earth X, an older Colossus reveals himself to have been Mister Sinister; in love with Jean Grey, he time-travelled back in time to preserve her as a clone. [34]
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate X-Men series, Sinister is reimagined as a heavily tattooed street thug nicknamed after his tattoo. He is a former scientist who experimented on himself and appears schizophrenic, hallucinating of a "Lord Apocalypse" who orders him to kill a number of mutants to complete his transformation. [35] After commiting suicide, [36] Sinister returns to life, completes his mission and transforms into Apocalypse. [37] However, the Phoenix Force appears, destroys Apocalypse's body, revealing Sinister inside. [38]
What If?
The character features in the alternative universe title What If? issues #46 - 47 (Feb. – Mar. 1993); #74 (June 1995) and #100 (Sept. 1997).
In other media
Television
- Mister Sinister appears in a number of X-Men animated series episodes and is voiced by Christopher Britton. He is among the major villains of the series, even having speaking roles in at least one episode per season. He is most promient in Season 2 for resurrecting Morph and trapping Professor Xavier and Magneto in the Savage Land. His henchmen are not the Mauraders, but instead the Nasty Boys (who he refers to as his children, implying that he created them). His other most notable actions during the series include aiding Apocalypse in the "Beyond Good and Evil" four-parter and helping defeat the Phalanx-powered Cameron Hodge. Like in the comics, Sinister is obsessed with Cyclops and Jean Grey's DNA, as well as vulnerable to the former's optic blasts. His final appearance was in "Descent", which depicts his origin and is set during the 1800s. In this continuity, Nathaniel Essex's changed appearance and powers are the result of his own "sinister experiments" – not Apocalypse. The episode shows that he knew the ancestors of Cyclops, Jean Grey and Professor Xavier – thus explaining his obsession with them. Also, it is Xavier's ancestor's quote above that prompts Essex to take up his current moniker.
- Mister Sinister is voiced by Clancy Brown in Wolverine and the X-Men (2009).
Video games
Mister Sinister appears in X2: Wolverine's Revenge voiced by Chris Smith and X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, voiced by Daniel Riordan. [39]
Toys
Toy Biz; Diamond Select Toys and Bowen Designs have released mini-busts and statues of the character.
References
- ^ http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?p=1411447#post1411447
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #212 (Dec. 1986)
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #213 (Jan. 1987)
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #241 (Dec. 1988)
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #241 (
- ^ X-Factor #39 (April 1989)
- ^ http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/11/23/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-78/
- ^ X-Factor #74 - 75 (Jan - Feb. 1992)
- ^ X-Factor #78 (May. 1992)
- ^ X-Factor #84 (Nov. 1992)
- ^ X-Men #14 (Nov. 1992)
- ^ X-Force #18 (Jan. 1993)
- ^ X-Men #23 (Aug. 1993)
- ^ The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1 - 4 (June - Sept. 1996
- ^ Cable Annual '99
- ^ Gambit #14 - 23
- ^ X-Men #99
- ^ Mutant X Annual #2 (May, 2000)
- ^ Mutant X #17 (Feb. 2000) & #22-23 (Aug. - Sept. 2000)
- ^ X-Men #203
- ^ New X-Men vol. 2 #46
- ^ X-Men: Legacy #211 - 212
- ^ "X-Men Legacy #213
- ^ "X-Men Legacy #214
- ^ X-Men Legacy #217
- ^ X-Factor #39
- ^ Gambit #14
- ^ X-Men #23
- ^ X-Force #16
- ^ X-Men #23
- ^ X-Men #34
- ^ Tales from the Age of Apocolypse - Sinister Bloodlines
- ^ Cable & Deadpool #16
- ^ Paradise X #03
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #49
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #81
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #90
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #93
- ^ http://mutantvault.xmenlegends2.com/archives/mr_sinister/index.php
External links
- Sinister Observations at UncannyXmen.Net
- Citadel
- Mister Sinister at Marvel.com
- Mister Sinister at Marvel Wikia
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