Zachary Jenkins

Zachary Jenkins co-hosts the podcast Battle of the Atom and is the former editor-in-chief of ComicsXF. Shocking everyone, he has a full and vibrant life outside all this.

Entry 046 – Rogue

Name: Anna Marie Code Names: Rogue First Appearance: Avengers Annual #10 (Oct ’81) Powers: Absorbs people’s powers and memories. Teams Affiliation: Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, X-Men, Avengers About Teenagers are chameleons. They find a way to blend into their environments, to adapt to their surroundings, to absorb the influences all around them. One of my biggest worries as a…

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Entry 045 – Arcade

Art by John Byrne, Terry Austin, and Glynis Wein Name: Unknown Code Names: Arcade First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up #66 (Feb ’78) Powers: None Teams Affiliation: None Say what you will about the Comics Code Authority, and there are plenty of negative things to be said, but it allowed the genre trappings of superhero comics to evolve in a unique way….

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Entry 044 – Cypher

Art by Diogenes Neves, Edgar Tadeo, and John Rauch Name: Douglas Ramsey Code Names: Cypher First Appearance: New Mutants #13 (Mar ’84) Powers: Understands all language Teams Affiliation: New Mutants, X-Factor About The intrinsic nature of superhero comic books requires action. It is great character development when the Avengers sit around the dining room table and talk about their feelings,…

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Entry 043 – Kid Omega

Art by I don’t know and I despretly want to credit them Name: Quintavius Quirinius Quire Code Names: Kid Omega First Appearance: New X-Men #134 (Jan ’03) Powers: Telepathy Teams Affiliation: Omega Gang, X-Men, Hellfire Club About As much as I hate to admit it, I am not a great person. I am angry, arrogant, entitled, and unkind. I have good…

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Entry 042 – Jubilee

Name: Jubilation Lee Code Names: Jubilee, Wondra First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #244 (May ’89) Powers: Creates fireworks, is a vampire Teams Affiliation: X-Men, X-Corps, Generation X, New Warriors About One of the useful tools a writer has to introduce readers to a new world is the audience surrogate. This is a character that is new to the environment, say the…

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Entry 041 – Shark-Girl

Art by Nick Bradshaw and Ian Herring Name: Iara Dos Santos Code Names: Shark-Girl First Appearance: Wolverine & the X-Men #20 (Jan ’13) Powers: She is like a werewolf but, you know, a shark Teams Affiliation: X-Men About The “mutant metaphor” is malleable and ever changing. From the red scare to civil rights it has always been used to…

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Entry 040 – Dani Moonstar

Art by Bill Sienkiewicz Name: Dani Moonstar Code Names: Psyche, Mirage First Appearance: Marvel Graphic Novel #4: New Mutants (Nov ’82) Powers: Creates psychic manifestations, connection to animals Teams Affiliation: New Mutants, SHIELD, X-Force, X-Men, Defenders About The biggest benefit of the shared continuity of superhero comics is the ability to mash together elements that would feel ridiculous otherwise. The…

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Entry 039 – Mastermind

Name: Jason Wyngarde Code Names: Mastermind First Appearance: X-Men #4 (March ’64) Powers: Illusions Teams Affiliation: The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Factor Three, The Hellfire Club About Life is a perception of your own reality. You interpret what you see and define your entire existence around it. You become your own person because of how you analyze each choice, each action…

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Entry 038 – Siryn

Art by Ryan Sook and Jose Villarrubia Name: Theresa Cassidy Code Names: Siryn, Banshee, the Morrigan First Appearance: Spider-Woman #37 (April ’81) Powers: Sonic Scream, Persuasion Teams Affiliation: Fallen Angels, X-Force X-Corps, X-Factor Investigations About One of the biggest things the DC Universe has to differentiate itself from Marvel is the sense of legacy. The most famous Green Lantern isn’t the…

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Entry 037 – M

Art by Todd Nauck Name: Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix Code Names: M, Penance First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #316 (Sep ’94) Powers: Strength, Flight, Telepathy Teams Affiliation: Generation X, X-Corps, X-Factor Investigations, X-Men About Perfection, the condition, state, or quality of being as free as possible from all flaws or defects. For many people, life is a pursuit…

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