Marauders (Marvel)
The Marauders are a supervillain team that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Marauders
In Victorian London, during the 1860s, Nathaniel Essex was a biologist and surgeon interested in evolution and the work of Charles Darwin. His interest became an obsession after the death of his son Adam due to multiple birth defects. Believing morality had no place in scientific research, Essex decided to experiment on humans to further his research into human genetics, hoping to one day create a perfect race. He met the criminal Cootie Tremble and his gang called the Marauders and hired them. For years, the Marauders kidnapped the homeless and neglected people off the streets of London, bringing them to Essex's lab for his experiments. One test subject who survived was a man named Daniel Summers. During this time, Essex met the Egyptian terrorist and cult leader En Sabah Nur, who might be the earliest example of a mutant on Earth, a person born with an X-gene that grants them superhuman powers and traits. Like Essex, En Sabah Nur believed in the creed of 'survival of the fittest', though their methods and ultimate goals differed from one another. Essex's wife Rebecca later discovered his work and condemned him with her dying during labor soon afterward. Afterwards, Nathaniel Essex decided to leave behind his humanity and turned to using Apocalypse's technology to turn himself into an ageless superhuman with chalk-white skin. It was then that Essex decided to take on the name Mister Sinister. (Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix v1 #4)
In 1907, Sinister worked at the Ravencroft Institute and temporarily employed the Mutant killer Sabretooth as an agent. (Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth v1 #1) During World War II, Sinister came to work for the Nazis where he operated under Dr. Josef Mengele. (Excalibur v3 #7) In 1944, John Greycrow of the US Army was executed by firing squad for murdering fellow officers. He was a Mutant though with the ability to regenerate from even potentially lethal wounds allowing him to emerge from his grave and was found by Mister Sinister who was waiting for him. Sinister explained he learned of Greycrow's abilities and deadly nature where he wished to recruit him. Greycrow accepted the offer and began calling himself Scalphunter. Around this time, Sinister created a clone of the Atlantean warrior Namor, the Sub-Mariner, calling it Experiment N2. After the clone was defeated by Captain America, and seeing that the Nazis will lose the war, Sinister and Greycrow left to pursue their own agenda. Sinister's research during World War II was later recovered and used by the scientists behind the Weapon X project. (Weapon X v2 #14)
Mutant Massacre
Mister Sinister prepared for a plan that did not allow for wild cards like the Morlocks and wanted to assemble a team to resolve the issue. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #212) He would hire Gambit to assemble a group of mercenaries to break into an impenetrable community. In exchange for this, Sinister had performed an operation on the Mutant so he could control his abilities again. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #350) Gambit travelled to all corners of the world to find all kind of mercenaries. In a jungle, he persuaded Arclight to join who was willing to do violence but no sex. Sabretooth gave Gambit one minute to talk threatening to rip out his throat. Gambit located Riptide in his home who, while reading a book was fascinated hearing the name Essex. Scalphunter was willing to hear him out but would walk if he heard something he wouldn't like. Gambit had more trouble locating Scrambler, finally wrestling the Korean to the floor in a club until he gave in. When Gambit approached a destitute Vertigo she asked if she had gotten money in return. Sometime later, Mister Sinister presented the assembled team of Marauders to Gambit. He then revealed his plans to the Marauders who all agreed, Gambit was kept in the dark concerning their mission. (X-Men Origins: Gambit v1 #1) Once the Marauders had been assembled Mister Sinister wanted Gambit for one last job that would require his specific talent to get into secluded areas, he agreed to do this one job. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #350) Prism and Blockbuster would later join the ranks of the Marauders. (X-Men Origins: Gambit v1 #1) Acting on Mister Sinister's standing orders, the Marauder Scalphunter anonymously killed Annalee's children. Their bodies were discovered by Sunder and the other Morlocks, who returned them to the Alley where Annalee was. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #193) Mister Sinister then hired Pryor to fly a cargo to San Francisco, at the last minute she decided to bring her baby. (X-Factor v1 #38) Afterwards, he tasked Arclight and Scalphunter to kill Madelyne Pryor and kidnap her baby, Sinister had created Pryor as a clone from Jean Grey. Dressed as ambulance personnel Arclight and Scalphunter were on hand at San Francisco's International Airport where Madelyne Pryor crash landed the cargo. After they took Pryor aboard the van she suddenly realized she was missing her baby, causing her to panic and hit Arclight in the face. Pryor busted the doors of the ambulance and tried to flee with the Marauders hot on her tail. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #215) Prism and Harpoon joined the hunt for Pryor. (X-Factor v1 #38) Once the Marauders found Pryor, it was Scalphunter who shot her, believing she was dead they returned to Sinister with the baby. Pryor, however, survived the shot and wound up in San Francisco's General Hospital. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #215)
Messiah Complex
They struck at Cooperstown, Alaska where they began massacring the people whilst in search for the newborn Mutant Messiah. (X-Men: Messiah Complex v1 #1)
House of X
Overview
Members
- Mister Sinister :
- Sabretooth :
- Scalphunter :
- Prism :
- Blockbuster :
- Arclight :
- Harpoon :
- Malice :
- Riptide :
- Scrambler :
- Vertigo :
- Gambit :
Notes
- The Marauders were created by Chris Claremont, John Romita, Jr. and Dan Green where thry made their first appearance in Uncanny X-Men v1 #210 (October, 1986).
Alternate Versions
- In Mutant X v1 #26 (2000), an alternate Earth version of the Marauders was shown. They were a ream of mercenaries consisting of Cannonball, Husk, Jubilee, Sunspot and Wolfsbane. The Marauders were employed to steal a box from the Vault which unknown to them contained the vampire Dracula. Despite their efforts, they lost the box to Bloodstorm and Gambit.
In other media
Television
- In X-Men, the Marauders did not feature in the animated television series with the Nasty Boys instead being used as Mister Sinister's henchmen. Several Marauder members did, however, appear such as Sabretooth and Vertigo with the latter being a member of the Nasty Boys.
- In Wolverine and the X-Men, the Marauders appeared in the setting of the animated television series and made their first appearance in the episode "Excessive Force". They were shown as henchmen that served Mister Sinister where they gathered genetic material for him. Their numbers included Arclight, Multiple Man, Vertigo, Blockbuster and Harpoon who had previously fought the X-Men. After seeing Blockbuster, Cyclops started hunting the Marauders down in order to find Mister Sinister as he came to believe that the geneticist had Jean Grey hostage. He was nearly defeated by Multiple Man until the X-Men arrived to save him.
Appearances
- Uncanny X-Men v1: (1986)
- X-Factor v1:
- Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix v1:
- X-Men: Messiah Complex v1:
- Marauders v1:
External Links
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