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I found the vital stats from an earlier edition of Marvel Entertainment Comics character bios and edited and supplemented them with some of my own observations.
Rictor
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Real name: Julio Estaban "Ric" Richter Legal status: Unrevealed citizenship, presumably Mexican, with no known criminal record Place of birth: Unrevealed, presumably Mexico Marital status: Single Group affiliation: X-Force, (former) Trainee of X-Factor I, X-Terminators II, New Mutants, Weapon PRIME First appearance: X-Factor #17 Height: 5’9" Weight: 145 lbs. Eyes: Brown [sometimes brown on black] Hair: Brown Strength level: Normal |
Known superhuman powers: Ability to generate powerful waves of vibrations, which can produce effects resembling those of earthquakes. Rictor is immune to the harmful effects of the vibrations he creates.
History: He was once captured by the Right (a subversive organization founded by Cameron Hodge and dedicated to the elimination of all superhuman mutants to ensure that they cannot dominate normal humanity) and used by them to create havoc in San Francisco. Rictor was freed by X-Factor and became their trainee. During this time he became a member of the X-Terminators.
Rictor joined the New Mutants and was later severely injured by Sabretooth, although Cable and the New Mutants arrived in time to save him. Rictor, convinced that Cable had been the man who killed his father (it was actually Cable’s clone, Stryfe), agreed to join Weapon PRIME in trying to capture Cable. [Don’t look at me like that; I didn’t write it.] By this time the New Mutants had evolved into X-Force and with their help Weapon PRIME’s mission to capture Cable failed. Rictor eventually returned to join X-Force.
[Considering that he’s been used and abused and lied to by so many parties--with his first appearance having him being tortured by an anti-mutant organization to make him use his power to destroy cities--it’s no surprise that he has attitude and trust problems. None of that explains the various ways he’s butchered his hair over the years, with the mohawk being the worst. I liked Storm’s way back when, but his was pathetic. At least it only lasted a few issues.
And just as Shatterstar learned Spanish to have private conversations with Ric, Ric learned Cadre Alliance to do the same with him.]
Shatterstar
| Real name: Gaveedra-7, inhabits the body of Benjamin Russell Place of birth: Mojoworld in an alternate future Marital status: Widowed Group affiliation: X-Force, (former) The Cadre Alliance First appearance: New Mutants #99 Height: 6’3" Weight: 195 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Reddish blond Other distinguishing features: Shatterstar has a black starburst design over his left eye. Strength level: Shatterstar possesses enhanced human strength. |
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Known superhuman powers: Shatterstar’s original body was genetically engineered to give him enhanced strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. He apparently also possesses these attributes in the body of Benjamin Russell. Other abilities: Shatterstar has had extensive training in many forms of the martial arts of Mojoworld; in particular, he is a master swordsman. Paraphernalia: Shatterstar wears body armor composed of alien materials from Mojoworld. His principal weapons are two 2 ½ -foot single-edged swords with spiked hand guards |
History: Shatterstar comes from a hundred years in an alternate future of the extradimensional planet Mojoworld, which is ruled by the alien tyrant Mojo. He was genetically engineered to have enhanced physical capabilities so he could serve as a warrior.
Shatterstar learned the arts of battle as a warrior in arenas on Mojoworld, where he was forced to participate in combats staged for Mojo’s television programs. Eventually, however, he escaped and became a rebel and joined the Cadre Alliance that sought to overthrow Mojo’s dictatorship.
Shatterstar was either teleported or traveled back in time to Earth at the point just before Cable reorganized the New Mutants into X-Force and became a founding member of the new team. His teammates became his friends, especially Rictor, who became his best friend.
But later Shatterstar discovered, to his bewilderment [and the readers’], that he also had the memories of an Earthman named Benjamin Russell. In the course of one battle, Shatterstar was mortally wounded. Spiral brought Cable, Shatterstar, Longshot, (who was Shatterstar’s ally on Mojoworld), and the X-Force member Siryn to the Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane in Rutland, Vermont. There Spiral directed them to the bedside of one of its patients, a mutant named Benjamin Russell who had no living relatives, had been in a coma since his powers had emerged, and greatly resembled Shatterstar. Longshot transferred Shatterstar’s "uemeur," or soul, into Benjamin Russell’s body, and the two became one. Apparently Shatterstar’s body merged with Russell’s as well, for the resulting body bore the starburst pattern that Shatterstar had around his left eye. Restored to full health and consciousness, Shatterstar resumed his work as a member of X-Force.
However, this does not explain why Shatterstar had some of Benjamin Russell’s memories before they merged with each other or why they looked so much alike. [This is Marvel’s note, I swear.
Would you learn a whole new language just so you could talk privately with a friend? (See the panels from X-Force #34 involving ‘Star picking up Spanish and why here.)
There are rumors that the series was going to reveal that Shatterstar is gay, but then a new creative team came in. So it didn’t happen, and instead we got the Benjamin Russell thing. I doubt even the writers who put that together really understand it. A writer, Fabian Nicieza, who wasn’t involved with creating it actually had the characters riff on the situation in X-Force ‘99 Annual, with Ric and ‘Star trying to hash it out for themselves and getting nowhere. <g>
(Speaking of X-Force ‘99 Annual, when one of their host’s flunkies asked if they wanted private rooms, they said they would share a room. Guess what lots of folks take that to mean?)
They were a real odd couple when the series first started putting them together as friends--matching the informal guy with an attitude up with a character who was like a homicidal, nasty version of Mr. Spock--but it worked. Watching them begin to rub off on one another was interesting, especially since ‘Star didn’t really bond with anyone prior to that. Ric worked at loosening Shatterstar up, while he himself seemed to be steadier in ‘Star’s presence. Then a new creative team came in, split them up, and changed everything else I’d enjoyed in the series, so I left after three issues of wondering what the hell was going on. But folks kept me apprised of what happened when the new writer brought Ric back:
In Cable #22, ‘Star comes to see Rictor off. Again ‘Star asks him not to go; "What am I going to do without you?" but Rictor will not stay, and as his plane departs, ‘Star gazes longingly out of the window. The narrative box reads; "Cable watches this young man with an odd sort of empathy... As with most pains of the heart, this, too, will take it's time to heal." "Pains of the heart"? Hmmm. Later in the same issue Shatterstar gets himself shot because he acts without thinking.
X-Force #49 picks up the theme again. ‘Star is having a walk, brooding, when he finds himself back at the nightclub featured in #43. Yet again he refuses the advances of a woman, and he walks on. His first thought afterward? "I miss Julio." Then he stumbles upon a scene of violence; a gay-bashing. The bigots accuse ‘Star of being the victim's boyfriend. Shatterstar beats the crap out of them.
In #56, Siryn and ‘Star are training, and the narrative box reads; "She has lost Warpath. He has lost Rictor. Both see these missing team-mates as ‘friends.’ Both too stubborn to admit they may mean more than that." Sounds like they’re comparing Siryn's unrequited love to ‘Star's friendship with Ric. Hmm again. After that issue, the implications are stopped and the Benjamin Russell confusion begins. 1
As far as we know, Ric and ‘Star are currently out there being a major thorn in Ric’s family’s side, trying to put an end to their illegal gunrunning.]
1 Paraphrased from information provided by Carmen W. Thanks!
I'm taking a ride with my best friend....
Image editing by Angel Negra. Thanks!
