Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a female comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Tabitha Smith
She came to hear about a secret school for Mutants in Westchester and decided to make her way there on a train. On her way to Westchester, her train was deconstructed by the all-powerful being known as the Beyonder, who had taken human form to experience life on Earth and the mystery to him that was 'desire'. She figured him for being a mutant, and the two of them became traveling companions, wallowing in each other's misery for a time. Eventually, the Beyonder brought Boom-Boom to the secret school she had heard about – Xavier‘s mansion near Salem Center. Before she could really get the X-Men's attention, however, they noticed the Beyonder and flew right past her, ignoring Tabitha to try and stop the Beyonder's perceived threat. In the midst of that rejection, Boom-Boom ran off into the woods and was ready to commit suicide with a giant time bomb she created until the Beyonder arrived just in time to stop her. They spent some time traveling the universe, but soon the Beyonder's awesome power and blasé attitude towards life started to terrify Tabitha. He didn’t even understand her concerns and tried to make up by giving Tabitha what she was secretly wishing for, but she refused any of his gifts and just demanded to be sent home. As soon as she was back on Earth, Boom-Boom panicked and tipped off the Avengers that she knew of the Beyonder and could summon him if needed. Using his omniscience as a guide, she called out to him and deliberately led the Beyonder into a trap set by the Avengers. She regretted the decision soon after, though, and realized that her instinctive fear of the unknown may have cost her her only friend. (Secret Wars II v1 #5)
New Mutants
Eventually, she was found by the Vanisher, who recruited her into his gang of thieves at their Beat Street clubhouse. He taught her how to steal, but Tabitha eventually got tired of the heavy commission he took out of everything she stole, and quit his gang. As a revenge gag against her former boss, Boom-Boom called the mutant hunters known as X-Factor and went after the Vanisher. He managed to find her and sweet talk her a bit before they showed up, though, and she time-bombed the X-Factor agents instead. When they became angry and started chasing her, the Vanisher left Boom-Boom to the mess she made herself and teleported out alone. Fortunately for Tabitha, the apparent mutant hunters were actually mutants themselves, and they chased her down in their X-Terminator identities of Beast and Iceman. After everyone calmed down, Iceman made Boom-Boom an offer to live at the X-Factor complex with them, and learn more about her mutant powers. Having already developed a crush on Bobby, Tabitha agreed to go with them. (X-Factor v1 #12)
Despite her attitude and habit for playing tricks with her time bombs, Boom-Boom began to fit in with her fellow residents well enough, especially the other kids, Rusty, Skids and Artie Maddicks. Her antics still got on people's nerves from time to time, especially Beast's. Having been on the receiving end of her jokes too many times, he assumed the worst of Tabitha when he saw her using one of her time bombs against Masque, one of the Morlocks who were staying at X-Factor’s base. However, she was actually acting in self-defense, as the Morlock leader had attempted to change Boom-Boom’s face with his flesh-altering powers. (X-Factor v1 #15)
Unfortunately, she arrived at the worst of times, when the complex was under siege by armored agents of the anti-mutant group known as the Right. Seeing the Right goons making off with her friends among X-Factor’s trainees, Boom-Boom fought against her own self-preservation instincts and snuck aboard their airship to try and find some way of freeing them. Landing in Arlington, she found their base was hidden in a science museum, and tried to blend in with the multitude of other school children there on field trips. Once she used a phone to call for help, though, the Right pinpointed her and sent soldiers to bring her in. She held them off with her powers long enough to escape into the ventilation shafts. Wandering through the airducts, she came across the newest of X-Factor's students, Rictor, being tortured by the Right's experimenters. Setting off an explosion as a distraction, Boom-Boom managed to get him out of his shackles and the two of them tried to make a break for it. The Commander – Cameron Hodge – was able to recapture them, however, and they were returned to the holding cells with their fellow students. X-Factor was able to track them down on their own accord, and battled their way through the Right's complex to free the kids. (X-Factor v1 #23)
Boom-Boom and the rest of the kids were stranded in Virginia for a time while X-Factor was unceremoniously teleported away to Manhattan to battle Apocalypse. Still, by the time they returned to the New York, X-Factor had fought off Apocalypse's Horsemen, saved Manhattan and spent their time in the aftermath putting out fires, saving trapped people, and so on. They also openly declared themselves as mutants, and discarded their former cover as mutant hunters. As a result, the media took a great interest in the kids and teenagers in X-Factor’s care, and Boom-Boom and the other trainees suddenly found themselves in the role of celebrities. Many people in New York took pity in the bunch of orphans and outcasts, and sent the X-factor trainees Christmas presents - so many, in fact, the others wanted to visit a children’s ward in a hospital to share their gifts with them. Wanting to keep the presents herself, Tabitha was not as easily convinced of this idea, but eventually agreed. (X-Factor v1 #27)
X-Force
Shortly afterwards, X-Force were attacked by Weapon: Prime, a joint S.H.I.E.L.D./Department K task force built to bring down Cable, and X-Force too if necessary. Boom-Boom was surprised to find herself facing off against Rictor, who had joined Prime since he believed Cable was responsible for murdering his father. When Rictor said that under Cable’s leadership the team had become hunted criminals and suspected terrorists - everything they despised - Tabitha could not deny that there was not some truth in his words. A final confrontation between the two teams was delayed, however, as a villain had hacked into the base‘s systems and triggered a self-destruction sequence. Cable went missing after the explosion and, with him out of the picture, Tabitha quickly supported bring Rictor back into the team. (X-Force v1 #14)
In the aftermath, Tabitha and the other members of X-Force were confined to the mansion's grounds while Xavier and the government decided what, if any, charges should be brought against them for working with Cable. She decided to change her name to Boomer, and used a Shi'ar clothes synthesizer to whip up a new outfit for herself, and some of the other X-Force members. Boomer was initially uncomfortable having Sam's ex-flame, Lila Cheney, around the mansion, but she felt much better after they had a talk and Lila assured Tabitha she had no more interest in Sam, nor he in her. (X-Force v1 #19)
After that they returned to X-Force, they also paid a visit to the Massachusetts Academy, where a new generation of mutants were training to eventually become X-Men. Both Sam’s sister, Husk, and Jubilee had enrolled there, and while the Guthries sorted out some family business, Boomer and Jubilee went shopping. Obviously, they had moved past their earlier animosity. (X-Force v1 #42)
House of X
Following the establishment of Krakoa, the living island was declared a sovereign nation and a homeland for all Mutants who were all invited to reside on it. She was one of many Mutants that travelled to the island became a citizen of the newly formed nation. Whilst there, she learnt that Sunspot and the rest of her comrades had gone off into space on a mission. Tabitha then decided to help out Armor in finding the location of Barnell Bohusk. (New Mutants v4 #3) Afterwards, she came to learn that Armor and her comrades had not returned from their assignment to Nebraska and Boom Boom decided to investigate the matter. (New Mutants v4 #4)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Her old friends were responsible for giving her the nickname Boom-Boom. She had said that she hated the name Boom-Boom but hated her actual name of Tabitha even more. Ultimately, she came to accept it and noted that it was actually a funny kind of name considering her powers. When she manifested her powers, she considered giving herself the code name of Time Bomb. (Secret Wars II v1 #5)
Powers and abilities
Tabitha Smith was a female human Mutant—an individual born with the X-gene, a genetic anomaly that emerged naturally within Homo sapiens and triggered the development of superhuman abilities, typically manifesting during puberty or periods of extreme stress. This biological distinction categorized her within Homo superior, a subspecies of humanity known collectively as Mutants. The presence of the X-gene placed her among a growing population of individuals who often faced discrimination, suspicion, or persecution due to their natural-born powers. As with many other Mutants, Boom-Boom's abilities were not the result of technological augmentation, radiation exposure, or mystical intervention, but rather an innate and hereditary genetic trait. Her classification as a Mutant conferred no universal set of powers, as each X-gene expression manifested uniquely in different individuals, but it did bind her to a broader community and struggle within the Marvel Universe, particularly as tensions between Mutants and baseline humans intensified. Her powers, while unique to her alone, arose directly from this Mutant heritage, making her a target of organizations seeking to control. (Secret Wars II v1 #5)
As a Mutant, Tabitha had the power to create balls of energy of varying sizes going as small as a marble and she could set them to go off whenever she wanted thus causing them to explode. (Secret Wars II v1 #5)
Under the direction of Pete Wisdom she learns to focus her power as streams of concussive force. (X-Force v1 #107)
Notes
- Tabitha Smith was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom where she made her first appearance in Secret Wars II v1 #5 (November, 1985).
- In an interview on ComicCon, Warren Ellis wrote about his inclusion of the character on Nextwave, "I wanted a character who could blow things up. I was also looking for a team structure where the women outnumbered the men. I liked her white-trash criminal background, which had uses in the plot set-up. But mostly I wanted a character who could blow things up. I mean, these are characters who no-one at Marvel had any use for, and I could have been stopped at any time, Jen. But a skinny-ass blonde mutant with a kleptomaniac streak had both plot and entertainment value to me. Especially when played against the others."
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In X-Men, Tabitha Smith appeared in the 1990s animated television series in the episode "No Mutant is an Island".
- In X-Men: Evolution, Tabitha Smith appeared in the animated television series where she was voiced by actor Megan Leitch.
- In Wolverine and the X-Men, Tabitha Smith appeared in the animated television series where she was voiced by actor Jennifer Hale.
Video games
- In Marvel Heroes, Tabitha Smith appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game where she was voiced by actor Kari Wahlgren.
Other
Appearances
- Secret Wars II v1: (1985)
- New Mutants v1:
- Cable and X-Force v1:
- New Mutants v4: (2019)
External Links
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