Raza Longknife
Raza Longknife is a male extraterrestrial comic character who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Raza Longknife
Presumably the last survivor of his species other than his brother, Raza was held in captivity by the Shi’ar, where he was brutally tortured, taunted and affixed with cybernetics. Raza came to believe that his cybernetics made him too difficult to kill, thus denying him the decent death dictated by his religion. The Shi'ar scientists may have deliberately done this to Raza as a punishment and in defiance of the religion different than theirs. (Starjammers v1 #2)
Hauled off to a mining prison colony, the cyborg faced a lonely life of hard labor, until he befriended the Saurian Ch’od and the Mephitisoid Hepzibah. The trio fought and evaded the guards for some time, trying to find a way to escape the planet. When Hepzibah was re-captured, Raza and Ch’od went searching for her, but instead found new prisoner Christopher Summers. Though at first too traumatized by a recent beating to respond, Christopher soon regained his courage and helped Raza and Ch’od rescue Hepzibah. Neither Raza, Ch’od nor Hepzibah knew how to fly a ship but, with Christopher’s pilot experience, they had hope. Soon after, the group managed to steal a ship, the Starjammer, and escape the planet. (Classic X-Men v1 #15)
Shortly after, during a clash with the Imperial Guard, Raza was shocked to find his brother Zenith amongst their number. During the battle, Zenith was killed by Binary, who was unaware of his relation to Raza, adding further strain on their friendship. Carol was dismissive about her fight with Zenith, upsetting Raza, who retired to his quarters. It turns out Raza was not upset because Zenith was killed but because he was unable to kill Zenith himself. Furthermore, the blood rites of his people now demanded vengeance on Carol. (X-Men: Spotlight On...The Starjammers v1 #2)
Raza Longknife fought alongside the Starjammers when they encountered the X-Men during the struggle against the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. He entered the battle using his cybernetic enhancements and swordsmanship to engage Imperial Guard members directly, coordinating his attacks with Corsair and the rest of the Starjammers. Raza displayed a readiness to confront heavily armed adversaries, moving between offense and defense as the larger fight unfolded. His primary focus during the confrontation was to protect his teammates while disrupting enemy formations, using a combination of melee combat skills and calculated movement to keep opponents at a disadvantage. (X-Men v1 #107) Raza continued to operate as an integral part of the Starjammers’ efforts against the Shi’ar forces. He fought with precision, favoring close-quarters combat to disable opponents, and displayed awareness of larger tactical objectives during the battle. While his primary role was that of a combatant, he also served as a protector for more vulnerable allies when the tide of battle shifted. His cybernetic arm proved critical in both offensive maneuvers and defensive blocks, allowing him to engage multiple foes in succession without breaking his rhythm. Throughout the conflict, Raza maintained formation discipline and remained in close communication with his team. (X-Men v1 #108)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Raza Longknife was a male humanoid with both organic and cybernetic components. His skin was orange, with a pronounced ridge running over the top of his skull and down the back, and his facial features were sharp and angular. His right arm was entirely mechanical, crafted with a segmented metallic design and ending in a functional hand capable of wielding weapons. He typically wore a Starjammer uniform, which was form-fitting and adaptable to both space travel and combat, incorporating a color scheme of red, yellow, and black with utility straps and armor padding in key areas. His outfit was designed for mobility and durability, befitting his role as a warrior. (X-Men v1 #107)
Longknife’s personality was defined by loyalty, discipline, and a warrior’s sense of honor. He was steadfast in battle, cooperative with his team, and unwavering in his commitment to the Starjammers’ cause. While capable of operating independently, he valued coordinated action and the bonds formed through shared struggle. (X-Men v1 #107)
Powers and abilities
Raza Longknife was of a humanoid alien species augmented with cybernetic enhancements. His natural physiology afforded him above-human durability, reflexes, and strength, while his mechanical arm increased his combat effectiveness by granting additional power, precision, and resilience in melee situations. His alien heritage also provided him with the endurance necessary for prolonged engagements in hostile environments, including space combat scenarios. (X-Men v1 #107)
Raza has been converted into a cyborg, with various bionic body parts, including his left eye, his left arm and hand, and much of his face and thorax. This gives him superhuman strength, enhanced agility, speed, and reflexes thanks to his robotic parts. Raza's cyborg body contains computers that he can utilize for various tasks. Raza can convert his bionic left hand into a bladed weapon at will. His cyborg body contains advanced sensor systems and atmosphere processing systems that enable him to breathe in various alien environments. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, trained in various forms of combat known in the Shi'ar Galaxy. He is a brilliant swordsman and marksman, with various forms of Shi'ar weaponry. He wears battle armor of unspecified composition, and uses Shi'ar knives, swords, and energy guns.
Notes
- Raza Longknife was created by Dave Cockrum where he made his first appearance in X-Men v1 #107 (October, 1977).
Alternate Versions
- In Gambit and the X-Ternals v1 #2 (1995), an alternate version of Raza Longknife appeared in the Age of Apocalypse reality that was designated as Earth-295 in the Multiverse. Raza Longknife was a slave to the Shi'ar empire alongside Christopher Summers. He subsequently escaped and joined the Starjammers, a group of space pirates that were opposed to Emperor D'Ken's rule of the Shi'ar Empire. They were led by D'Ken's sister Deathbird. When Gambit and his X-Ternals arrived in Shi'ar space, they were rescued from a battle with the Imperial Guard by the Starjammers, with Raza among their number. He remained aboard the Starjammer as Deathbird and the X-Ternals went to the planet holding the M'kraan Crystal.
In other media
Television
- In X-Men: The Animated Series, Raza Longknife made a non-voiced appearance in the setting of the animated television series starting from the Phoenix Saga.
Appearances
- X-Men v1: (1977)
- Uncanny X-Men v1:
- New Mutants:
External Links
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