Banshee (Marvel)

Banshee in Uncanny X-Men v5 #15.

Banshee is a male comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

Sean Cassidy was a blonde haired Irish male Mutant born in the modern age as a member of the Cassidy family where he had a cousin named Tom Cassidy. (X-Men v1 #101) In his youth, the Leprechaun Finnan Michael O’Bradaigh who served as the Keeper’s librarian came to serve as a teacher to young Sean Cassidy. (Uncanny X-Men: First Class v1 #8)

Whilst out at night, he was mistaken by authorities for being a member of the Irish Republican Army who tried to arrest him with him going on the run. A mysterious biker arrived at the scene who helped him escape but the authorities chased the pair to a cliff. To escape, Sean used his power to fly and took the biker with him as they flew away from the scene. He went to his home at Cassidy Keep where he was surprised to find his rescuer was a woman named Maeve Rourke. Rourke was attractive and Sean fell in love with her whilst his cousin Tom Cassidy was equally smitten by her. Sean took Rourke back to her university residence where she was fascinated at his abilities and came to love him. The pair went on numerous dates over the years and Sean was to take her to the university ball. Whilst driving there, he was pursued once more by the same authorities that believed him to be a member of the IRA forcing him to be unable to attend the ball. He informed his cousin Tom who went in his stead. (Classic X-Men v1 #16) Over time, Sean and Maeve's relationship grew where by the time the were adults they got married with his cousin Tom Cassidy being his best man in the wedding. Afterwards, Sean went regularly away for months at a time from Ireland with no one knowing that he was secretly an Interpol agent. After the return from one assignment, he came back only to find that Maeve had died and went to her grave. Tom attempted to console him and inform him of something important but an angry Sean lashed out at his cousin with a sonic attack as he blamed him for not caring for his wife whilst he was away. The attack injured Tom who was left with a limp from the attack and leading to an enmity between the two cousins who had become estranged. The death of his wife led to Sean immersing himself in his work at Interpol and he began to spend longer periods away from Cassidy Keep in Ireland. (X-Force v1 #31)

Around 20 years ago, he was on the trial of a notorious and mysterious serial killer that had been killing innocent people. He was joined on the case with a French Inspector named Magrite Devereaux with the two pursing the target as Cassidy went rogue in order to bring the culprit to justice. He discovered the killer to be an escaped Russian man by the name of Arkady whose government had kept his existence a secret as they intended to shape him into being a Mutant assassin. Arkady had forced an encounter with Agent Cassidy in the hope of being killed but Sean refused to be his executioner. This led to the Russian using his Death Spore virus to killer Inspector Devereaux with Cassidy failing to save her. He then proceeded with arresting Arkady with the intention that the villain be sent to jail but unknown to him the man was taken in by a special interests group that sought to change him into a living weapon for the Soviets during the Cold War. (Generation X v1 #11)

Sean was later dispatched on assignment by Interpol to investigate an illegal black marketing ring operating in Ireland. On his mission, he came to find that the person in charge of the operation was his cousin Tom Cassidy who was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. (X-Force v1 #31)

X-Men

Through the special headband placed on him, Cassidy was forced to serve Factor Three with the Ogre serving as his handler and having the ability to detonate the device thus forcing Sean's compliance. In his Banshee guise, he was sent on a number of assignments as he was tasked with the Ogre in capturing Charles Xavier. This led to a confrontation with the X-Men who initially struggled to combat the Banshee's sonic attacks but the aid of Mimic allowed the headband to be removed once the Ogre was captured. It was then that Banshee revealed to the X-Men that he was forced to work for Factor Three and that the had machinations aimed at ruling the world. (X-Men v1 #28)

Months later, Mutants found themselves being targeted by the Secret Empire, who needed their energies to empower a special machine. Banshee was one of the few who avoided capture and went into hiding in Nashville, Tennessee. (Captain America v1 #172) Professor Xavier later invited Banshee to join the X-Men, when he was recruiting new members to battle the menace of Krakoa. (Giant-Size X-Men v1 #1) After most of the original team left, Cassidy, along with fellow new recruits Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Wolverine, and Thunderbird, stayed as members of the new X-Men. The second group of X-Men were mostly adults and required no tutoring from Professor X, but trained in the use of their powers, in the Danger Room. (X-Men v1 #94) In the following weeks, Sean became a well-liked member of the group and a confidant of sorts to the Professor. Soon afterwards, they were joined by Moira MacTaggert, who Xavier introduced as their new housekeeper. Cassidy had expected an 80-year old harridan with 40 years service in the Scottish guard and instead Sean was smitten when he met Moira with the two quickly growing very close. (X-Men v1 #96) Sean was among those captured by Steven Lang's Sentinels and taken aboard his space station. (X-Men v1 #98)

At one point, the team were believed to had perished at the hands Magneto. In reality, they were actually stranded in the Savage Land, from where they eventually made their way to Japan, hooking up with their estranged former teammate, Sunfire. At that time, Japan was beset by a number of unnatural earthquakes, caused by the villain, Moses Magnum. In front of the X-Men, Magnum issued an ultimatum. Japan was to accept him as its sole ruler or he would sink the entire nation. The X-Men attacked Magnum’s island headquarters but the villain slipped away, intent on making his threat true by unlashing the so-called Magnum-force. Sean realized that the quakes were triggered by intent blasts of energy, so he used his sonic power to slide a wall across the base of the island, blocking Magnum’s energy beam and reflect it back upon itself. It took all the X-Man had to give, until the island finally exploded and the threat of Moses Magnum was ended. It was touch and go for Sean and it took ten days to recover in the hospital. While Sean recovered his health, his sonic power seemed to be gone for good. (X-Men v1 #119)

Death

During the Chaos War, Amatsu-Mikaboshi destroyed the dreaming causing the living to fall into a slumber whilst he shattered the underworld allowing the dead to rise. Among those to arise were many members of the X-Men including Banshee who awoke to see his old love Moira MacTaggert. These X-Men under the leadership of Thunderbird sought out answers when they came under attack from the demonic Apache trickster god named the Carrion Crow. (Chaos War: X-Men v1 #1) Sean's corpse was later recovered by the Apocalypse Twins who resurrected him with a Celestial Death Seed to turn him into one of the Horsemen of Death alongside the Sentry, Daken and the Grim Reaper. (Uncanny Avengers v1 #9)

House of X

He alongside Unus the Untouchable were sent to accompany the Summoner in an attempt to find Arrako located passed the External Gate. Upon making their way through, they came to find Arrako but discovered that instead of being conquered by the Amenthi horde had actually sided with them. Thus, the Summoner betrayed the two Krakoans with Unus being captured and Banshee left unconscious as well as critically wounded with the Summoner taking him back to Krakoa where he gave a fake story about how they had been attacked by the enemy. This was in order to draw out Apocalypse and the X-Men in order to lead them into an ambush. Banshee was taken to the healing gardens whilst Apocalypse gathered a team of volunteers to rescue his family but unaware about the true nature of the plot against him. (X of Swords: Creation v1 #1)

Overview

Personality and attributes

Serving the Cassidy family was Eamon O'Donnell who was a seneschal and steward of Cassidy Keep. (X-Men v1 #101)

Powers and abilities

As the Horseman of Death in Uncanny Avengers v1 #13.

The intensity of the constant sonic attack could leave individuals passing out and rendered unconscious. He could also unleash sonic blasts that could tear through metal. (X-Men v1 #28)

Such was his speed in flight that at times he could not be seen but he could be heard. (X-Men v1 #28)

Sean was able to vary the sonic vibrations that propelled him in the air in order leave people in a hypnotic state. (X-Men v1 #28)

Banshee was later resurrected and implanted with a Death Seed making him an enforcer for evolution according to the dictates of the Celestials. (Uncanny Avengers v1 #9)

His ancestral home was Cassidy Keep in Ireland that had been built by Liam Cassidy a thousand years ago where it served to protect the coastline from Viking raiders and had been rebuilt numerous times over the years. (X-Men v1 #101) According to its history, the Keep was founded by Liam Cassidy and the Leprechaun Malachy Quinn who used it as a bulwark to protect the world from threats such as Vikings, rival Chieftains and even threats from the Faerie World such as the Sidhe sorcerer Craeliach. The Keep was then built as a symbol of friendship between the two and as a bastion against Sidhe treachery. In addition to its library, the Keep maintained a museum that was over a century old and honoured the lords of the Cassidy clan. (Uncanny X-Men: First Class v1 #8)

One of the most prized relics of the Keep was Liam Cassidy’s Chieftain Ring. (Uncanny X-Men: First Class v1 #8)

Notes

• Banshee was created by Roy Thomas and Werner Roth where he made his first appearance in X-Men v1 #28 (January, 1967).

In other media

Television

• In X-Men: The Animated Series, Banshee appeared in the setting of the 1990s animated television series where he was voiced by actor Phillip Williams. This version was the older brother of Tom Cassidy where they two were both rivals as well as Mutants which meant they were immune to each other's powers. Sean eventually grew up and met Moira MacTaggert. He moved to Muir Island where the two researched genetic mutation. While there, he met Moira's former boyfriend Professor Charles Xavier and his X-Men. He helped the X-Men several times such as rescuing Lilandra from Black Tom and Juggernaut, as well as assisting Beast, Mister Sinister, and Forge against the Phalanx.
• In X-Men '97, Banshee returned in the setting of the revival animated television series where he was now voiced by actor David Errigo Jr.

Films

• In X-Men: First Class, Sean Cassidy as Banshee appeared in the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Caleb Landry Jones.

Video games

• In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Banshee appeared as an non-playable character in the video game where he was voiced by actor Quinton Flynn.

Appearances

• X-Men v1: (1967)
• Classic X-Men v1:
• Generation X v1:
• Chaos War: X-Men v1:
• Uncanny Avengers v1:
• Astonishing X-Men:
• Uncanny X-Men:
• X-Men v5:
• X of Swords: Creation v1: (2020)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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