CYPHER

Publication Date: 18th May 2023
Alternate Versions

ALTERNATE VERSIONS - Page 1

In the future timeline known as Days of Future Past, Doug Ramsey was transformed into a techno-organic entity by his teammate Warlock. This transformation resulted in a radical change in personality. Calling himself Magus, this version of Doug was quite mad and aggressive, like the majority of the Technarch race. Given the fact that he went by the codename Magus, it is logical to surmise that he may have killed his reality’s Warlock in single combat, as is the tradition among the Technarchy and their “offspring.” Despite being considerably older, Magus was a member of a group of New Mutants being tutored by Banshee, which included Rachel Summers and Franklin Richards (prior to their incarceration by the Sentinels).


 Following a drawn-out conflict in Asgard, Loki offered the X-Men and the New Mutants the chance to stay in fabled Asgard. As is always the case with Loki, there was a catch! If even one of the mutants chose to stay in Asgard, they all would have to stay. The teams were torn in their decisions, but ultimately agreed that they could not force the others to stay there against their will. In the alternate reality depicted in What if (2nd series) #12, Loki changed the rules and decided to allow them each to chose individually whether to stay or go. Cypher was amazed at the untouched tomes and knowledge of ancient Asgard and chose to stay. He became the realm’s chief librarian and used his talent for languages to decipher age-old texts. When Storm assumed leadership of the Aesir, Doug became her vizier and assisted her in her benevolent rule of Asgard.


In the alternate future shown durind the Shattershot crossover, Doug Ramsey and Warlock were merged into a composite being known as Cyberlock. Cyberlock was more mechanical in nature than either of his New Mutant progenitors. Along with Cannonball, Darkchild, Powerpax, Siryn and Sunspot, Cyberlock was a member of the X-Men. These X-Men helped overthrow Mojo and establish Shatterstar as the ruler of Mojoworld, but years later Shatterstar’s regime had become corrupted from within. Arize, the creator of the artificial lifeforms of Mojoworld, sought the X-Men’s help in overthrowing Shatterstar. The arrival of his former teammates helped Shatterstar realize how oppressive his governance had become and he joined them in defeating the evil influences within his ruling class.


The mystic realm of Geshem presented a somewhat happier fate for Douglas Ramsey. In this medieval fantasy world, Doug was a peasant who loved Princess Rain from afar. The two finally met while Rain’s mind was possessed by that of Rahne Sinclair from Earth 616 who was fleeing from a prophesied “Beast” in the form of Wolverine. Doug helped Princess Rain to escape her fate and defeat the beast. He further proved himself leading the Queen’s army in battle against magically animated machines. He lost an arm but was ultimately victorious. His missing limb was replaced with parts from the mechanical automatons he helped defeat. He and Queen Rain eventually wed and Doug became the Prince Consort of the realm.


The Age of Apocalypse brought a new home and purpose in Doug Ramsey’s life. In this reality, he was adopted by the blind mutant precog called Destiny. Together they helped to create Avalon, a safe haven for humans and mutants located in the Savage Land. Doug’s powers were greatly expanded in this reality. He could extend his “language field” enabling everyone in Avalon to understand each other. He also had the ability to read “background noise” from people’s thoughts. What remained the same was Doug’s ultimate fate. When the Shadow King attacked Avalon, Doug dove in front of an energy blast aimed at his adoptive mother.

 

 

 


On the Earth visited by the reality-hopping Exiles in Exiles (1st series) #20-22, the merging of Cypher and Warlock had disastrous results. On this world, Doug Ramsey had contracted the Legacy Virus and  Warlock had merged with him in a desperate attempt to save his beloved friend. However, when the Legacy Virus interacted with Warlock’s techno-organic Transmode Virus, it created an even deadlier disease. It spread rapidly, voraciously infecting others and transforming them into crazed techno-organic beings called Vi-Locks. More than 75% of Earth’s population had been transformed into Vi-Locks, both super-powered individuals and average humans alike. The Exiles joined with this reality’s remaining heroes and set out to collect samples from the original Cypher/Warlock entity in the hopes of creating an antibody. They were thwarted by Forge, who destroyed Cypher/Warlock. The Exiles retreated and planned an all-out assault on the Vi-Locks. With some help from the long-absent Norse gods, they managed to destroy much of the Vi-Lock collective ruling the planet. This decisive victory helped pave the way for a more successful rebellion against the remnants of the Vi-Lock infestation.


Despite being dead at the time that the Scarlet Witch warped reality, Cypher was alive and well in the House of M reality.  He was a staff member of the New Mutant Leadership Institute which helped to educate and train the elite among mutantkind. Along with the Institute’s headmistress Xi’an Coy Manh, Doug helped to uncover a conspiracy to turn ordinary humans into mutants that was hatched by the school’s psychologist Dr. Sean Garrison who was also a deep cover agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.


The Douglas Ramsey of the Ultimate universe wasn’t even a mutant, but an exceptionally intelligent human with an uncanny penchant for languages. His brains made him a champion on the TV game show “Jeopardy!”  and earned him a place at Emma Frost’s exclusive Academy of Tomorrow. Doug befriended the mutant students there but found that he was increasingly isolated from his peers due to his lack of powers. Despite his lack of mutant abilities, Doug’s skills with computers proved instrumental in freeing his fellow student Lorna Dane when she was framed for murder. Doug was killed alongside the rest of his team during the Ultimatum crisis.