Shatterstar
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Shatterstar (aka Gaveedra-Seven and Benjamin Russell) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, he first appeared in The New Mutants #99 (March 1991) and has been a regular in the title, X-Force since its inception.
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[edit] Publication history
Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in X-Force with some issues devoted solely on him. In 2006, he had his own limited series, X-Force: Shatterstar.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Shatterstar comes from the planet Mojoworld (about a century in the future, as opposed to the Mojoverse which co-exists with the contemporary Earth dimension, making him a time traveler as well as a dimension-hopper) which is ruled by the alien tyrant Mojo V. There, Shatterstar was created to be a slave, he claims to have had no parents, only a "gestation chamber." Genetically engineered to have enhanced physical capabilities so he could serve as an arena gladiator. It’s been speculated that Shatterstar was made from some of the same genetic material as the X-Man Longshot who was also artificially created on Mojoworld. As Beast has found that the two have some identical DNA.
Shatterstar learned the arts of battle as a warrior in arenas on Mojoworld, where he participated in combats staged for Mojo's television programs. It’s assumed it was here he developed his strong sense of honor and pride as a warrior, to combat the constant violence and death in his life. Eventually he escaped and joined the Cadre Alliance, the rebel group that sought to overthrow Mojo V's dictatorship. Learning the Cadre’s language and eventually taking part in a mission that sent him back in time to find the X-Men and get their assistance in defeating Mojo.
He did not find the X-Men though, Shatterstar was either teleported or traveled back in time to Earth at the point just before Cable reorganized the New Mutants into X-Force[1]. With Cable’s assurance that they would help him defeat Mojo (though with the use of time travel it was not urgent that they leave leave anytime soon) Shatterstar became a founding member of the new team.
But later Shatterstar discovered, to his bewilderment, that he also had the memories of an Earthman named Benjamin Russell[2]. Soon afterwards, Mojo made Cable and Shatterstar his prisoners and transformed them into digital images in one of his television programs. In the course of the program, Shatterstar was mortally wounded in combat. Mojo's sometime ally Spiral teleported Cable and Shatterstar back into reality, where they regained their true forms. 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, curiously, identically 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 and his hair lengthened greatly. Restored to full health and consciousness, and feeling "whole" for the first time in his life, 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. There are still mysteries yet to be explained about Shatterstar's origin. It was hinted that Shatterstar may have been the child of Longshot and the mutant X-Man Dazzler in the early run of X-Men in 1992. Dazzler revealed that she was pregnant with Longshot's child and Longshot suggested the name "Shatterstar" for the unborn child[3]. Longshot and Dazzler returned to MojoWorld to free Longshot's people and Dazzler later appeared without Longshot and without a child. It has been speculated that Dazzler miscarried[4], however it has not been established officially what became of the infant.
Shatterstar accompanied Rictor to the Richter home in Mexico to try and end Rictor's family's arms-dealing business. Both characters have since appeared separately so one assumes they succeeded, though it’s not known why they later parted.
Shatterstar is later seen in Madripoor, earning his money by fighting in arenas. He was sought out by Spiral and had one of her agents make Shatterstar believe she wanted to kill him[5]. With a fake quest, Spiral lured Shatterstar to an alternate universe she had conquered and ruled. On that Earth, Spiral had also killed most of that world's heroes and mutants. That Earth's Shatterstar had been killed as well. Shatterstar was found by that Earth's rebel forces, including Cable and some other members he knew from X-Force. Together, they eventually defeated Spiral. Upon returning to the mainstream Earth, Shatterstar was contacted by Cable and requested to temporarily join him on a mission to defeat the Skornn[6]. Shatterstar agreed, but first Cable wanted him to train with monks on Mount Xixabangma. After those monks got killed by Skornn's worshipers, Shatterstar was reunited with his old team and they eventually killed the Skornn.
Following M-Day and the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act, Shatterstar teamed up with Domino to break the 198 out of the encampment set up for mutants on the grounds of the Xavier Institute. They took the escapees to a secret base provided to them by Captain America via Nick Fury. While fighting O*N*E he fatally wounded Micromax, claiming that while there is no such thing as murder during war, he had only meant to disable him. Now that The 198 are free his whereabouts is unknown.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Shatterstar possesses an overall superhuman level of physical and mental power (strength, speed, reflexes, agility, dexterity, coordination, stamina, endurance, and senses), as a result of the extra-dimensional genetic engineering that created him. He is an excellent strategist and has had extensive training in many forms of the martial arts of Mojoworld; in particular, he is a master swordsman. His bones are hollow, making him far lighter than he looks and further increasing his athletic and acrobatic skills. He also has enhanced learning capabilities, being able to quickly learn and master languages and technology. He customarily wields two swords and on occasion carries other weaponry as well. Shatterstar is able to regenerate damaged or destroyed tissue much faster than an ordinary human. Injuries such as slashes, puncture wounds, and bullet wounds heal completely within a matter of hours. He has also has the mutant ability to channel and generate powerful vibratory shock waves and bio-electricity charges through these blades, though he rarely uses them as they tend to exhaust him, and prefers to depend instead on his martial prowess.
[edit] Relationships
Although Shatterstar was revealed to have a designated "genetic bond mate," Windsong (whom he never met and is now deceased), in the Mojoverse, he later claimed that even though he was fully capable physically, he had never felt any sexual stirrings or romantic love and has long felt incomplete, even in his native dimension. It is not known if this is still the case as it happened before the joining with Benjamin Russell, who is assumed to have a fully developed sexuality. Since then his emotional state has been fluctuating. While in X-Force he displayed emotion, having developed a strong affection for his friend Rictor, but after his time training on Mount Xixabangma he claimed there was no emotion within him.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
- Shatterstar at MarvelDirectory.com
- Shatterstar on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
