CH'VAYRE
| Real Name: | Ch'vayre| Former Aliases: |
none |
Height: 12'8” (formerly 5'5") Weight: |
1,675 lbs |
(formerly 131 lbs) Hair color: Bald (originally light brown) Eyes: |
Red with no visible pupils |
(originally blue) X |
X |
First appearance: |
Adventures of Cyclops |
and Phoenix #1 Last appearance: |
Askani'Son #4 |
X |
Known Relatives: |
Luminesca (sister, |
deceased), Stryfe (foster son, deceased) Profession: |
guardian of Stryfe, Prelate Paladin of Apocalypse, Askani priestXXX |
Group Affiliation: |
Legions of Apocalypse, Clan Askani |
XXX Powers: |
- proportionately increase his mass, growing in size, strength and durability, retains some excess mass permanently with each use of his power |
- novitiate in the Askani Order with limited training in the use of telepathy and telekinesis - cybernetic augmentation further enhances his strength and resilience |
BIOGRAPHY
The mutant called Ch’vayre was born in the city of Crestcoast in the Nor-Am Pack region of Earth-4935 in the late 37th century. By the 37th century, Apocalypse had succeeded in conquering the planet. Apocalypse had made mutants his ruling class, particularly Alpha class mutants like Ch’vayre. In his early teens, Ch’vayre joined the Prelates, the elite of the Legions of alongside his older sister Luminesca. It wasn't long before the siblings began to serve directly under Apocalypse's High Councilor, Diamanda Nero. [X-Men: Phoenix Handbook, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes]
When she arrived in this era, the temporally-displaced Rachel Summers lost control of the Phoenix Force and massacred a group called the Scarab Fliers. Ch’vayre and Luminesca were assigned to the investigation by High Councilor Nero. They found out that an unidentified woman had been responsible for the slaughter. Ch’vayre wanted justice for the Fliers and swore to Nero that he would hunt down this “unknown woman” despite the High Councilor’s belief that the Fliers were expendable. 
Ch’vayre and his sister soon met Rachel but were unaware of her identity at the time. During Apocalypse’s Festival of Resurrection, Rachel sneaked into Crestcoast in an attempt to kill the weakened tyrant before he had a chance to take on a new host body. To Ch’vayre’s great embarassment, Luminesca got intoxicated on Skrull Whiskey during the festivities. She spotted Rachel, who had assumed the alias Alyzr'n Summerset, making her way through the celebration. Thinking Rachel looked glum, Luminesca grabbed her in an attempt to pass on her “festive spirit”. Ch’vayre apologized for his sister, who replied that he had no sense of humor. As part of the Festival of Resurrection, a beast from the pens called the Behemoth was unleashed upon the city. The mutant who killed the beast would be given a spot at the festival banquet. Ch’vayre, Luminesca and Rachel were among the very first to face the Behemoth and Ch’vayre subdued the beast with ease. He offered Rachel the killing blow and by proxy the spot at the banquet. Rachel declined saying she didn't see any sport in the kill. Ch’vayre agreed but killed the beast anyway. He considered it an act of mercy as the creature’s life was nothing but misery. Rachel made an excuse to leave the siblings’ company and continued on her mission. As she left, Luminesca teased Ch’vayre, implying that he was attracted to “Alyzr’n” and had been showing off while fighting the Behemoth.
Rachel's attempt to kill Apocalypse failed due to the intervention of Diamanda Nero. However, Rachel defeated Nero in battle and escaped. Shortly after, Rachel founded the first Askani cell and began to conduct terrorist assaults on Apocalypse's strongholds. Once again, Ch’vayre and Luminesca were at the center of the investigation under Nero. As time passed, Luminesca began to worry Nero’s defeat by Rachel was costing their commanding officer her sanity. She attempted to voice these concerns with Ch’vayre. However, Ch’vayre reacted with hostility believing that Luminesca’s opinions regarding Nero could be seen as treasonous and jeopardize their positions and his dreams. 
Eventually, Nero tracked down the Askani cell and Ch’vayre and Luminesca lead the charge against them. Despite their earlier, friendly encounter Ch’vayre displayed no love for Rachel believing her to be a traitor to her race. While Ch’vayre and Luminesca confronted the Askani, Nero unleashed a creature called Plague. Luminesca attempted to use her light-based powers to destroy the creature but was engulfed and killed. Ch’vayre ran after his sister in an attempt to save her but Rachel had a member of the Askani restrain him believing he deserved a second chance at life. Rachel used the Phoenix Force to destroy Plague and offered Ch’vayre a place among the Askani. He declined stating that his sister failed in her duties and died as a result and he wouldn't make the same mistake. Ch’vayre returned to Nero and served her until she was defeated and depowered by Rachel.[X-Men: Phoenix #1-3]
Although he initially declined Rachel's invitation, Ch’vayre eventually changed his mind and became an Askani priest. During his time with the Askani, Ch’vayre was selected by Sanctity, a high standing member of the order, for a special mission. Using her temporal abilities, she sent him back in time to the 20th century. Ch’vayre arrived in this era in the middle of the Swiss Alps. He was found by monks from a nearby monastery who took him into their care. He arrived a mere boy and without his memories or access to his mutant powers. He retained only his knowledge of the Askani ways. [X-Men: Phoenix Handbook #1, Cable (1st series) #52]
NOTE: There are several canonical inconsistencies in Ch’vayre’s chronology. Ch’vayre’s decision to join the Askani and his time with them were never revealed in full and confirmed only in the X-Men: Phoenix Force Handbook. It is not clear if being sent into the past cost Ch’vayre his memories and powers or if Sanctity removed them believing they might distract Ch’vayre from his mission. It is possible that her temporal powers were responsible for these changes and his apparent de-aging as well.
Shortly after his arrival, Sanctity projected her consciousness across time and told Ch’vayre of his purpose in this era. She ordered him to manipulate the Askani’son, Cable, into a direct conflict with Apocalypse. She hoped that Cable would kill Apocalypse in the past thus preventing his rise to power in the future. Ch’vayre spent 30 years creating a cult to the Askani in the Alps while he waited for Cable to arrive in the past. During this time, the increasingly unstable Sanctity visited him regularly to reiterate the importance of his mission. Ch’vayre was very dedicated to his mission but grew to resent Sanctity for giving him such a difficult task and questioned the ethics of this mission of manipulation. [Cable (1st series) #42, 44]
Despite his reservations Ch’vayre continued to follow Sanctity’s orders. He eventually decided to take a more direct approach to fomenting the desired conflict between the Askani’son and Apocalypse. He contacted Sebastian Shaw and Donald Pierce of the Hellfire Club and offered them an alliance. He had hoped to manipulate the Club into awakening Apocalypse by luring them to Apocalypse's hibernation base in the Swiss Alps with the promise of advanced technology. Even when they arrived, Ch’vayre struggled privately with his mission and the path it was leading him down. He had already bequeathed his monastery to his disciples and seemed to have accepted the fact that the forces he was about to unleash would mean his death.
When Ch’vayre and his “allies” finally made their way into Apocalypse's base, Ch’vayre realized he had made a mistake. Apocalypse had already risen and he had just given the Hellfire Club access to extremely advanced and dangerous technology. Cable had followed Ch’vayre and the Hellfire Club to Apocalypse's base and warned them that it was about to self destruct. Hearing this, Shaw turned on Ch’vayre and sealed him within one of Apocalypse's hibernation pods. Cable attempted in vain to release Ch’vayre from the pod. The two men communicated telepathically and Ch’vayre urged Cable to not abandon his mission. Just as the pod launched into orbit, Ch’vayre told Cable that he hoped that he would awaken in a better future. [Cable (1st series) #50-53]
Unfortunately for Ch’vayre he didn't awake in a better future but the one he had originally come from. During the millennia he had slept, the pod that Ch’vayre had been placed in had transformed him body and mind. He was now a cyborg and completely re-indoctrinated into the ways of Apocalypse. Though it took time, Ch’vayre moved up the ranks yet again and became Apocalypse's most trusted lieutenant.
NOTE: The circumstances of Ch’vayre rejoining Apocalypse were not shown on panel but were revealed in the X-Men: Phoenix Handbook #1.
When Apocalypse learned that the Askani had brought their messiah, the infant Nathan Summers forward through time, he ordered Ch’vayre to lead an assault against the Askani cloister. Apocalypse wanted to claim the boy for himself and use him as a host body. Ch’vayre and his troops massacred the Askani and he faced Rachel Summers, now the Mother Askani, in battle and defeated her. Mother Askani had just psionically transported Cyclops and Jean Grey through time, transferring their psyches into new bodies. Despite being disoriented, the newlywed couple managed to rescue Rachel and baby Nathan from Ch’vayre and fled. The Askani had created a clone in case he succumbed to the techno-organic virus he had been infected with. Ch’vayre found this clone amongst the ruins of the Askani Cloister and brought him back to Apocalypse. [Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1]
Over time, Ch’vayre became conflicted by his allegiance to Apocalypse. He felt significant guilt over his failure to completely wipe out the Askani but was becoming disillusioned with Apocalypse. Ch’vayre truly believed in the survival of the fittest but felt Apocalypse had strayed from this principle. 
In his opinion, the mutants serving Apocalypse were no better than pampered aristocrats and Apocalypse himself had become so concerned with prolonging his own survival that he was neglecting his empire. Ch’vayre was also increasingly worried about the behavior of Apocalypse's son Stryfe, the clone of Nathan Summers. Stryfe was prone to violence and murder and Apocalypse indulged the child’s every sadistic impulse. Apocalypse was also accelerating Stryfe’s mutant powers, which Ch’vayre viewed as a betrayal of Apocalypse's tenets about natural selection. Ultimately, Ch’vayre felt he had no choice but to betray Apocalypse. He aided the Summers family when they made their final attack on Apocalypse. After the Summers killed Apocalypse, Ch’vayre vowed to raise Stryfe and attempt to undo the damage that Apocalypse had done to his mind. [Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #2-4]
Despite his altruistic motivations, Ch’vayre failed to stop Stryfe from descending into madness as he grew older. He grew to fear the growing darkness he saw in Stryfe and the boy was well aware of his guardian’s thoughts, having forged a psi-link with him. Though he knew that Ch’vayre mistrusted him, he kept the old man around 
out of a warped sense of affection and perhaps, to toy with him. Eventually, Stryfe located Sanctity, the last sister of the Askani. Ch’vayre was terrified that Sanctity might teach Stryfe about his powers so he attempted to kill the boy. Stryfe read his mentor’s intentions via their psi-link and easily protected himself from Ch’vayre's attack. Stryfe then murdered Ch’vayre for his betrayal. [Askani'Son #1-4]