Infectia

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Infectia

Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	X-Factor (1st series) #28 (May 1988)
Created by	Louise Simonson Walt Simonson

Characteristics
Alter ego	Josephine
Species	Human Mutant
Abilities	Ability to induce mutations in other beings

Infectia (Josephine) is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She was a mutant with the ability to perceive the molecular structure of living beings and induce mutations in them by altering their genetic makeup. She typically manifested her power by kissing her intended target. When used on baseline humans, this power caused them to become deformed monsters with superhuman strength and a fanatical loyalty to Infectia, who called them her "Anti-Bodies". Unfortunately these mutations were unstable, and the Anti-Bodies would spontaneously combust after a short time.

She was a skilled geneticist having picked up her skills from her father who was also a well known scientist who'd made a lot of money from his research. Her mother appears to have died when Infectia was young and her father died whilst Infectia was in high school, leaving her his house and all his money. Infectia dropped out of school and started studying her powers. She started flirting with humans that wanted superpowers, (normally meeting them in bars). Infectia gave them super strength, by turning them into Anti-bodies, in return, they had to do something for her.

She originally appeared as an adversary of X-Factor. Infectia wished to take control of X-Factor's sentient headquarters Ship. She first gathered together some of her Anti-bodies and sent them to fight X-Factor. Jean Grey killed the three minions. She then decided to seduce and control Iceman with her powers, but she didn't know exactly what would happen as she'd never tried her powers on another mutant. Beast foiled her plan when he intercepted a kiss intended for Iceman. The kiss left Beast comatose, and when he recovered he regained his intelligence (which Apocalypse had caused to fade) and his blue furry form as an effect of Infectia's powers. She later made amends with Beast before dying from the Legacy Virus. Beast cared for Infectia in her final days.

[edit] Powers

Can psionically scan and visualize the molecular structures of living things, including her own, and then rearrange their physical forms with a touch in any way she can imagine.