SHATTERSTAR: Page 4 of 4

BIOGRAPHY - Page 4

Rictor and Shatterstar finally had a serious talk about their relationship after they returned. Ric explained to 'Star that his efforts to constantly experience new things (and people) was hurtful to him. Shatterstar apologized and told Julio that, as much as he enjoyed being with other people, it would be empty and joyless if Rictor wasn't with him. They were in the process of making up when Wolfsbane suddenly returned to X-Factor after months away — and very, very pregnant. Her strict upbringing led Rahne to be less than understanding at first about Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship, to the point that she tackled 'Star out a second story window. The situation only became more complicated when, in her desperation, Rahne claimed that Rictor was the father of her unborn child. [X-Factor (1st series) #207-208]

Shatterstar was accommodating enough to leave Rictor alone with Rahne to deal with the fallout of her revelation. Still, his behavior during X-Factor's mission to Las Vegas made it clear that he was on a short fuse about the idea of losing Rictor. He picked a fight with some pirate actors and overreacted at a bar when someone made a joke about his star tattoo. This reckless streak got him into trouble when he challenged some of Hela's undead Asgardian warriors. Still, Guido stepped in on his behalf, repaying a debt as the two put aside their differences. In the midst of that same conflict, Shatterstar confronted one of Hela's vassals, the wolf-prince Hrimhari, and learned he was the true father of Wolfsbane's child. [X-Factor (1st series) #209-212]

By the time they returned from Las Vegas, Rictor had already been to a sonogram appointment with Rahne and deduced the truth for himself. Ric was furious and prepared to write Rahne off completely for having lied to him so seriously, but Shatterstar convinced him to reach out to Rahne despite her mistake and offer whatever help he could as a friend. [X-Factor (1st series) #213]

While things started to go back to normal, Monet still encouraged Shatterstar to "mark his territory" with Rahne. After some consideration, he ultimately decided against literally urinating on Ric, but still met with Rahne on her walk to church one day. Rahne disavowed her initial, close-minded response to Star and his relationship with Rictor, and so the two started to connect as friends. When they reached the church, however, Shatterstar and Wolfsbane were confronted by a sin-eater, the first of many supernatural forces targeting the demigod child Rahne carried within her. In the chaos that followed, Shatterstar found himself in joyous battle with the armies of myth, fighting creatures of Irish, Japanese, Egyptian, Greek and Norse lore. The glory of battle was dimmed, however, by the tragedy Rahne experienced. After literally coughing up her wolfen child in a mystical birthing process, Rahne thoughtlessly rejected her baby and then lost track of the child before she could reconsider her actions. [X-Factor (1st series) #220-224]

When Wanda Maximoff regained her senses, Rictor was her first (and ultimately, only) test case for reversing the effects of the Decimation. [Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6-9] Although he was happy Ric had his powers back, Shatterstar felt they were drifting apart. Rictor was cocky and over-compensating a bit now that his power had returned, adamant about showing he was no longer the perceived weak link on the team. He was also focused on Rahne, doting on her in the aftermath of her tragedy. Feeling neglected, Shatterstar went so far as to suggest he and Layla renew their "connection" from Latveria. Layla, in her own way, shut him down immediately and got him to refocus on making his relationship with Rictor work, instead of sabotaging it. [X-Factor (1st series) #225-226]

Later on, a group of amateur heroes in Seattle were being killed by an unknown assailant. When Longshot fell into a coma trying to read a psychic imprint on the video of the slaying, Shatterstar forcefully volunteered to accompany Madrox on the investigation. Going "undercover" as new heroes Multitask and Star-Face, they met with Lord Defender and his compatriots about the situation. When the attack came, Shatterstar was surprised to find the assailant was from Mojoworld, a new fighter called Scattershot. After a harrowing battle against "next year's model," Shatterstar beat Scattershot, but the villain was apparently recalled to Mojoworld before anything further could be made of his actions. For some reason, Shatterstar chose to hide the name of his adversary from the rest of X-Factor. [X-Factor (1st series) #235-236]

Wolfsbane came to deeply regret the rejection of her child and vowed to track him down and make amends. When Rictor heard her plans, he and Shatterstar volunteered to assist her in her quest. Eager to get started, 'Star impulsively teleported them to Hel to contact Hrimhari. [X-Factor (1st series) #238] After a lengthy series of conflicts with the forces of the netherworld, the trio recovered a mystical amulet that would lead them to the child. Their search was complicated by the arrival of their former teammate Darwin, who was hunting Rahne's son (now called Tier) in order to kill him. Darwin's brush with the death goddess Hela left him with a unique insight, and he foresaw the Hell-on-Earth War and Tier's part in bringing it about. Despite Darwin's efforts, Ric and Shatterstar helped Wolfsbane reunite with her son before teleporting to a safehouse Wolverine had set up in Nova Scotia. After staying over for a few days to make sure mother and son got settled, Shatterstar and Rictor returned to X-Factor Investigations. [X-Factor (1st series) #242, 245]

Darwin's visions weren't wrong, however. Soon, the Hell-on-Earth War began in earnest. It had been prophesized that once the population of Earth reached seven billion, the Hell-Lords of the various netherworlds (Mephisto, Satana, Asmodeus, Pluto, Satannish, Hela) would go to war. Whoever killed Tier, the seven billionth person on Earth, would become ruler of all the underworld kingdoms. Shatterstar and X-Factor found themselves at the center of an inter-dimensional slugfest, as the invading armies of Hell breached Earth through various tears in the fabric of reality. Tier was the prize the Hell-Lords sought, but he also had the power to kill them. Wolfsbane and Tier reunited with X-Factor as they struggled to stay afloat in a wave of demons and hellfire. Shatterstar's arm was broken early in the war fighting Pluto, Lord of Hades, and he struggled to use his teleporting powers while injured to keep the team one step ahead of their enemies. When Mephisto declared an early victory after defeating his fellow Hell-Lords through trickery, X-Factor and Tier stormed his lair to end the war. In the final conflict, however, Tier was killed by the soulless Guido (who claimed the throne of Hell himself), and Mephisto apparently incinerated Shatterstar and Rictor as they struck out at him. [X-Factor (1st series) #248-256]

Instead, Shatterstar found himself years in the past on Mojoworld. He was discovered, unconscious, by the scientist Arize early in the Cadre Alliance's rebellion against Mojo. Shatterstar became involved in the rebels' cause for a time, until he tried to attack Mojo himself and was captured. He was brainwashed into fighting for Mojo in gladiator combat until the rebels stormed the arena and rescued him, as well as Rictor who was also found among the gladiators. Among the rebels who rescued them was a newly engineered biped: Longshot. It seems that when Shatterstar first arrived on Mojoworld, Arize took genetic samples and scans of him before he awoke. Arize then used this genetic material to "clone" a new biped for the rebellion. And, in a temporal paradox, Rictor accidentally named him by calling the biped "Longshot" for the first time, thinking this was the present day version of his teammate.

As Shatterstar and Rictor were recovering, Mojo and his dog soldiers attacked the headquarters of the Cadre Alliance. Now that they were reunited, Shatterstar used his blades to transport himself and Rictor into the future... but not quite the present. They arrived on Mojoworld shortly after the first fall of Mojo to find a very pregnant Alison Blaire in labor, ready to give birth to Shatterstar himself. Star and Ric attended to her during the delivery, and baby Shatterstar was soon born. Shatterstar told Rictor they needed to use Arize's machinery to remove any memory Dazzler or Longshot had of the baby, then transport the baby into the future where he would grow up to become present day Shatterstar. Star explained to the confused Rictor that, as a time traveler, he knew certain things about his own past/future history, and somehow knew he had to perform certain acts like this in order to maintain the timeline.

Whether Shatterstar and Rictor actually made it to the future with baby 'Star is unknown, but certainly they will one day reappear on Earth and continue their adventures. [X-Factor (1st series) #259]