CORSAIR: Page 2 of 4

Publication Date: 19th Mar 2019
Written By: Mesmerizer.
Image Work: Douglas Mangum.
Biography

BIOGRAPHY - Page 2

Several months later, a terrorist commando force raided a meeting of the Shi’ar imperial council, slaughtering several ministers and kidnapping Lilandra. The Starjammers were implicated in the crimes and the trail left by the terrorists led straight to Earth. The imperials were determined to rescue or avenge Lilandra and were prepared to destroy Earth itself if need be. After the Starjammers were ambushed by Shi’ar imperial troopers, it was decided that Corsair was to reach Earth and alert the X-Men.

On his way to Earth, Chris realized he hadn’t been to his home planet in almost two decades. He had always dreamed of going to space and his dream had been fulfilled – but at a terrible cost. Still, he realized that, given the opportunity, he would do it all over again. Just then, he realized he was being pursued by a Shi’ar dreadnought. After a long chase, he crash-landed at the X-Mansion and met up with Cyclops and Storm. Cyclops became suspicious when he found a locket with photos of Katherine and Scott and Alex as boys on him. Corsair was obliged to confess the truth: he was indeed Scott’s father. Storm confirmed this, as Phoenix had shared the secret with her. Scott was far from being happy, though. Angry and numb, he refused to allow Chris to call him ‘son’ and even punched him. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #154]

Later, on the X-Men’s airship, Cyclops confronted Corsair over the fact he had known the truth and said nothing, and that for twenty years he hadn’t attempted to find out what had happened to his two sons. Chris tried to explain himself: he thought they were both dead. He didn’t feel like returning to Earth because there was nothing for him there. Nevertheless, Scott refused to forgive his father: his life as an orphan had been hell. On top of everything else, the father he remembered had turned out to be a ruthless, cold-blooded pirate.

Shortly afterwards, the X-Men were attacked in downtown New York by Deathbird, D’Ken and Lilandra’s vicious sister, who had conspired against Lilandra. Deathbird shot Corsair with a ray gun designed to make its target extremely aggressive. Affected by the ray, Corsair turned on Cyclops, hallucinating and thinking he had D’Ken before him. Despite his anger, Scott couldn’t bring himself to seriously harm his own father, even in self-defense. Finally, he had to admit he didn’t know Corsair well enough to love or to hate him, but he did want to get to know him better. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #155]

Corsair and the X-Men were eventually beamed aboard the Starjammer, as Corsair’s teammates had managed to evade capture and were planning their next move. Thanks to their coordinated efforts, Lilandra was released, the Shi’ar who performed the coup d’état were arrested and the Earth was saved by the bell, even though Deathbird and her mysterious allies, the Brood, were still at large. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #156-157]

Corsair planned to stay on Earth for a while and get to know his two sons better. Now gradually admitting Chris into his life, Scott took him to New Mexico to meet his other son, Alex a.k.a. Havok, who was living there with his girlfriend, Polaris. However, when asked by Scott if he would like his two sons to accompany him to space when – and if – he chose to depart, Corsair wouldn’t give a clear answer. For the time being, he was content to spend some time on Earth, staying together with his Starjammers at the Bermuda Triangle island which the X-Men were using as a temporary headquarters. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #158]

Shortly afterwards, a farewell banquet was to take place in a Shi’ar ship that was to take Lilandra back to space. The X-Men were also invited, but Chris and his team declined to attend: they didn’t trust the Shi’ar. It proved to be a wise decision, as Lilandra and the X-Men were ambushed and abducted by Deathbird and the Brood during the banquet. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #161] Corsair made preparations to rescue his son and his friends – or, at the very least, avenge them. He refused to take Havok with him, as he wanted at least one of his sons to be safe, and also because he didn’t want to expose Alex to what would surely be a killing mission. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #163] It took the Starjammers weeks to discover where the planet of the Brood was. Eventually, they came across the X-Men’s ally, Carol Danvers, who had been abducted along with them and had been transformed into Binary, a being of cosmic-scale abilities. Thanks to Carol’s powers, the Brood’s planet was destroyed and the X-Men were rescued and beamed aboard the Starjammer. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #166]

On their way back to Earth, the Starjammer encountered a Sidri ship that was damaged and adrift in space. The X-Men and Starjammers debated whether they should try to rescue that ship or continue en route to Earth, since there was the pressing matter of saving Professor X’s life before the Brood queen inside him hatched. Ultimately, it was Corsair’s call to make, since he was captain of the Starjammer. After giving it some thought, he decided they should continue making their way to Earth. Kitty Pryde took him to task for abandoning the Sidri to their fate and opted to save them herself. [Excalibur (1st series) #116]

With the Brood crisis over, back on Earth, Corsair made up his mind: Scott was welcome to join him if he ever left for space again. For the time, being, though, Chris planned to stay on Earth and took both his sons to Alaska to meet their grandparents, Philip and Deborah, for the very first time. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #167-168] Chris’ stay on Earth was to be brief, though. After finding out that Deathbird had taken over the Shi’ar throne in Lilandra’s absence, the Starjammers decided to assist Lilandra in her attempt to reclaim the throne. Before leaving Earth, Corsair attended Cyclops’ wedding to Madelyne Pryor, happy to see his son enjoy the happiness that had so quickly eluded him. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #175]

Shortly afterwards, Chris bid his farewell to both Scott and Alex, who chose not to follow him to outer space, each building his own life on Earth. Chris was rather happy his sons hadn’t followed him, as he didn’t want them to lead the life of a pirate. The farewell was teary-eyed, as Cyclops was evidently convinced he would never see his father alive again, in light of the upcoming rebellion against Deathbird. Scott promised he would never forget him nor would he stop loving him. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) #177]

Months passed in which the Starjammers fought against the Shi’ar imperial forces, trying to get Lilandra on the throne. At some point, in the midst of an attack by Shi’ar forces, Lilandra felt through their telepathic rapport that Xavier was gravely ill. She and Corsair travelled to Earth and discovered Charles on the brink of death. Their data confirmed that Xavier could still be saved, though he had to come with them back to the Starjammer and abandon his life on Earth, which he did.

Shortly afterwards, Corsair and the rest of the gang were pulled into the M’Kraan Crystal, this time by Rachel Summers. Rachel planned to sacrifice their life-forces in order to trigger the Armageddon effect with which she would vanquish the omnipotent Beyonder, but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The Starjammers were restored to their original location. [Uncanny X-Men (1st series) 200-201, 203]

Note: In a flashback story in X-Men: The Exterminated, Corsair is shown being in Alaska, together with Cyclops and Madelyne, shortly after the birth of their son, Nathan. Chris has a heart-to-heart with Scott and once again apologizes to him for abandoning him as a boy, while also reassuring the troubled Cyclops that he will make a great father and husband. The canon status of this appearance is questionable, though, as it is inconsistent with Corsair’s other appearances around this period (post- Uncanny X-Men #177), in which he is clearly seen being in space for months.