our Unusual Suspect 4 Characters were revealed in the following order...
Were you able to guess him or did you forget about him? If not, it is quite appropriate as this poor guy could never catch a break with possibly the most cursed power in all of mutantdom. A man who is immediately forgotten cannot make a mark on the world, or can they? That was the driving desire and ultimate tragedy of the man known as Forget-Me-Not, doubling as a codename and his greatest wish. Normally a retcon to comic history is a divisive choice and such seemed the case at first when introducing an unknown X-Man into the mythology in X-Men Legacy #300. However, his power was cleverly utilized in the story to explain how nobody would notice that this hero had been around helping the X-Men for the last 6 years. A sweet one and done story in that issue would have been sufficient but the main architect of his creation, Simon Spurrier, continued to utilize the character in his X-Force and Legion of X titles. Time and again he chose to make the noble and heroic decision despite knowing he would never receive the credit.
1) SOBUNAR
Marvel has had many Omega-level mutants but all of them very “pretty” until Hickman introduced the mutants of Arrako. Their inhuman appearances served to highlight just how far removed from humanity mutants could be. This pink and blue behemoth was reminiscent of an axolotl fish and with an entire Eco-system contained in his blood, deserved to be feared.
5) BIRDY
Birdy was a mercenary telepath who took a shot at Sabretooth and missed. Instead, Creed used physical and psychological torture to mold her into his sidekick and manager. When she used "The Glow" on him, Sabretooth's animal instincts receded and the higher functioning rationality of his human mind gained more control. He was still a bastard, though, and she tried to escape by betraying him to his son Graydon Creed. Graydon ended up killing Birdy to deprive Sabretooth of "The Glow", and the withdrawal sent his bloodlust over the edge until even Victor couldn't take it and he sought out Charles Xavier for help. Years later, Birdy got a new lease on life from Krakoa. Working with Nightcrawler's Legionaries and Kate Pryde's Marauders, she finally found a place where her talents were valued and used to make people better, rather than just a better killer.
2) WICKED
Our next most guessed entry is one of the few mutants to survive the Genoshan genocide. According to her parents, she was a wicked little girl, but to a mysterious monster, she was a special child. This young mutant found herself working with Charles Xavier and Magneto in the aftermath of Genosha's fall. While she fell into obscurity for a time, with many unanswered questions lingering, she made a welcome return following the birth of another mutant nation, Krakoa. While she didn't live on Krakoa, she found herself a vital figure in bolstering the mutant race, and comforting humans after a devastating event. She may have a bad attitude, but she has a pure heart.
3) EXPLODEY BOY
From the onset of Jonathan Hickman's X-Men run, the resurrection protocols were somewhat controversial among mutant society. Were these resurrected mutants really the same person or were they merely clones? Hickman thought to address this question straight on in the Empyre: X-Men series by having a resurrected mutant meet his “undead” former life.
4) BEDLAM I
Our next guessed entry is one of the creepiest Alpha Flight villains ever - and that's saying something! Originally seen as a potential recruit in the early days of Department H, this dangerous being was effectively placed in suspended animation. But when a paranoid government agent started interfering with Alpha Flight and freed this psychopath, he seemingly paid with his life. This nasty villain destroyed Alpha Flight's home and paved the way for them to leave Canada and go on one of their strangest journeys ever - but not before shaking the team to the core, and pitting them against his own team of villains, appropriately called the Derangers.
6) DAZZLER I
This non-mutant Suspect was the first and criminal Dazzler, Warren Worthington's evil uncle who tried to "Hamlet" his way into the family fortune after arranging for his brother's death. Burt Worthington went unaccounted for for many years, until Chuck Austen of all writers made references to him in Uncanny X-Men and Exiles following the Dominant Species arc. This story has been largely abandoned ever since, and so we may never know how Dazzler the First got his powers, or whether he will ever get out of prison.
And our Final reveal was the Avenger...
8) MASQUE II
Our Unusual Avenger was the last member to join before Onslaught and the renumbering of the original series. Masque was derivative of Madame Masque, one of a series of androids she used as avatars out in the world after becoming agoraphobic and paranoid. This Masque developed a sense of independence, but sought out Iron Man for aid right in the middle of The Crossing. The series was cancelled before her story could unfold, so Kurt Busiek later returned to her arc after Heroes Reborn to wrap up the tale of one of the shortest-lived Avengers ever.
We hope you enjoyed this years Unusual Suspects and Thank you all for 24 wonderful years of UncannyXmen.Net!