Tempo (comics)
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Tempo is a fictional, African-American mutant villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She was first introduced as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front in the comic title New Mutants, when Rob Liefeld took over as the penciller of that series. Although she was first allied with villains, she was able to see the error of her ways and retire to a normal life.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Mutant Liberation Front
[edit] Stryfe's leadership
Tempo was one of the founding members of the terrorist organization known as the Mutant Liberation Front (or MLF). One of their first missions under the leadership of Stryfe was to liberate the incarcerated New Mutants members Rusty and Skids. They broke them out of prison and the pair joined the MLF out of confusion (and, as later evidence showed, neural implants kept them there). Tempo continued to be a mainstay in the team's ventures, including fighting Wolverine, Sunfire, X-Factor and other heroes while causing mayhem in the name of mutant rights.
In the battle with X-Factor, Tempo attempts to use her time-bending powers against the super-speedster known as Quicksilver, but she—along with her teammates—discover that X-Factor is a much tougher foe than X-Force when they are defeated and Stryfe is almost captured.
Following the unsuccessful battle, the MLF decides to blow up the Tucker Clinic—a place where pregnant mothers can have prenatal DNA testing to see whether or not they would have mutant babies. X-Factor shows up in time to stop the clinic from destructing, but they fail to prevent the death of Dr. Tucker. The MLF leaves, not knowing that it was Tempo who had given an anonymous tip to X-Factor about their plans.
After a series of supposedly unconnected art thefts by various strike teams (all of which are related to Apocalypse), the members of the MLF approach Mister Sinister and propose a trade. In exchange for a genetic matrix (none other than the Legacy Virus) which Stryfe owned, Sinister would hand over the captive Cyclops and Jean Grey. These events begin the X-Cutioner's Song crossover. In the end, all of the MLF members are taken into custody.
[edit] Reignfire's leadership
Soon after, a tyrannical despot named Reignfire decides to restart the MLF. He breaks Tempo, Forearm, Reaper, and Wildside out of prison and gives them their first mission: kill Henry Peter Gyrich. The MLF also picks up new members Locus and Moonstar. Their assassination attempt is foiled by X-Force, Locus and Sunspot become lost, but Feral defects to the MLF after having a heated discussion with Gyrich. Tempo intervenes in an attack on Gyrich by Feral and is denounced and exiled from the MLF by Stryfe. Having no place to go, Tempo leaves with X-Force.
[edit] On her own
After leaving the MLF, Cable offers Tempo membership to X-Force, which she declines. Instead, she says that she wants to go off to college and put aside the super-powered lifestyle.
Whether she made it to school or not is a mystery, but when the events of M-Day occurred, where the Scarlet Witch removed the mutant genome from over 90% of the world's mutant population, Tempo was one of the few to retain her powers. She is now a member of the Acolytes as re-created by Exodus, along with Frenzy and Random.
[edit] Powers
Tempo's mutant ability originally allowed her to only psychically manipulate others perceptions of time, giving the illusion that time has slowed down or sped up. Recently however, it was shown in the 2007 Xmen Annual that she can indeed affect time itself, though only in the localized area of her immediate vicinity, if she focuses her concentration enough (she was able to prevent a number of grenades from exploding by keeping them in suspended motion, and she was also able to successfully attack Rogue by amplifying her own personal speed to cause her to crash into a wall while flying). Those Tempo affects may be tired or drained afterward, and extended exposure puts great stress on the subject's body. Tempo can also levitate herself and fly at subsonic speeds through unknown means.
[edit] Notes
Although it was never fully established, it was presumed that Tempo was related to Dr. Tucker of the Tucker clinic (presumably her father).
