X-Corporation Paris
Membership: Cannonball, Darkstar, M II, Siryn, Multiple Man, Rictor, Sabra
First appearance: New X-Men #128
Before
- Shortly after X-Force faked their own deaths, another mutant group appeared in the media, calling themselves X-Force. Domino, Cannonball, Proudstar and Meltdown returned and opposed the new X-Force for misusing their name but, apparently, in the meantime the newcomers had bought the legal rights to the name. [X-Force #113, 117]
- Darkstar is a Russian mutant, who was briefly a member of the Champions, along with Iceman and the Angel. Although she returned to her native Russia, she has remained a good friend and occasionally helped out the X-Men.
- When her vocal chords were severed, Siryn was left powerless but, thanks to Deadpool’s effort, her injuries were healed and thus her abilities restored by an infusion of Wolverine’s healing factor. [Wolverine (2nd series) #155]
- After leaving X-Force, Rictor returned to Mexico with his teammate, Shatterstar, where they have been dealing with the criminal activities of his family.
- Shortly after the X-Corporation opened its offices, a paramilitary group called X-Corps appeared in Paris. The new outfit was founded by Banshee with the purpose of policing mutants and protecting them from any threat. However, Banshee failed to notice that his own group became such a threat, as it was undermined by Mystique and several of her Brotherhood comrades. In the end, they caused mass destruction all over the city, before they were detained by the loyal members and the X-Men.
- Possibly to make up for their involvement in the X-Corps debacle, M and Multiple Man both joined the X-Corporation Europe, which apparently moved from Amsterdam to Paris.
- Sabra is an Israeli mutant, who also happens to be an agent of the Mossad. Though she was never a member of an X-Team, she aided them several times and has ties to Xavier’s Mutant Underground network.
Chronology
| New X-Men #128: | In a speech in Paris, Professor Xavier announces the opening of the X-Corporation office in Paris and promises that it will be a refuge for mutants in times of trouble. Any mutant needing assistance can simply think "X" and a team of trained X-Men will arrive to help. After the speech, same said group of X-Corporation members (Cannonball, Darkstar, Multiple Man, M II, Siryn and Rictor), having just assisted a group of pro-mutant rights protestors in need, discuss its next mission; the train running through the Channel Tunnel, which has derailed, trapping passengers. As a possible gene-hazard is on the train, the X-Corporation has been called. Shortly after the squad has departed, Xavier and Phoenix are approached by a mysterious man called Fantomex, requesting sanctuary. He also informs them that, because of something he stole, something big and bad has gotten lose on the train wreck. According to Fantomex, the X-Corporation team is probably already dead. |
| New X-Men #129: | Fantomex explains that Weapon XII was on the train, a genetically engineered monster, bred in incubation units that speed up time and the evolutionary process itself. Proposing a deal, Fantomex offers to help save the X-Corporation rescue team in the Channel Tunnel, if Xavier and Phoenix will assist him in killing Weapon XII itself. Meanwhile, in the tunnel, Darkstar finds herself separated from her team. Although she uses her darkforce powers to repel a group of wolves and other menacing forms, they continue moving forward, step-by-step. Elsewhere in the Channel, Monet was run over by the same creatures and lies either unconscious or dead. |
| New X-Men #130: | Reaching the tunnel, Fantomex informs Xavier and Phoenix of the nature of Weapon XII; it is a mind with bacterial properties, infecting his enemies until they become him. Jean telepathically holds off Weapon XII's thralls so that the surviving members of X-Corporation Paris, who were about to be overwhelmed, can escape. Fantomex and Phoenix enter the tunnel to oppose the rogue mutant, while Xavier uses his telepathy to peer inside and confront Weapon XII mind to mind. Along with his mental assault, Xavier sends in a wave of Madroxes under his command. With their enemy distracted, Fantomex shoots several of the possessed victims, among them Darkstar, and makes his way to its former containment pod. He activates the "kill switch," ending both the threat and life of Weapon XII. The crisis now passed, Xavier and his X-Men confront the arriving military, which offers a deal in the form of a threat; if the X-Corporation wishes to retain the sanction of the appropriate authorities they will back up the following story: that the X-Men have assisted in the saving of passengers from a biological weapons accident in the Eurotunnel. |
| New X-Men #131: | It’s Darkstar’s funeral and, while X-Men and X-Corporation members are gathered around her grave, Xavier telepathically gives the others a taste of Laynia’s life. |
| New X-Men #132: | On their way to visit X-Corporation Mumbai, Xavier and Phoenix stop by on Genosha to investigate some strange electro-magnetic readings. Quicksilver, some other X-Men and Sabra of X-Corporation Europe accompany them. |
Afterwards
- M helped out the X-Men on a mission but apparently returned to the X-Corporation afterwards. [Uncanny X-Men #410-412]
- Shocked by Darkstar’s death, Cannonball quit the X-Corporation and rekindled with his old flame Lila Cheney. However, after several weeks of touring with her, he discovered that he couldn’t leave the heroic life behind him and rejoined the X-Men. [X-Treme X-Men #24].
Members
Cannonball II (Samuel Guthrie)
First appearance: Marvel Graphic Novel #4
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128, 130-131
Powers: releases thermochemical energy as a highly durable blast field around his body, using it for personal or group protection, focusing it into rocket thrust or bio-kinetic blasts, shaping the field around another person to imprison them, or absorb outside kinetic impact into his own field and discharge it as hyperforce punches or explosive shock waves upon impact
Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna)
First appearance: Champions #7
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
Last X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #130 (shot after being possessed by Weapon XII)
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128-130
Powers: Dark-Soul allows her to tap into an extra-dimensional source of Darkforce energy, which she can direct as concussive blasts, protective force fields, solid energy constructs, inter-dimensional flux that can propel her through the air, and can transport matter from place to place by creating portals through the Darkforce Dimension
M II (Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix)
First appearance: Generation X #1 (as Penance), Generation X #40 (as Monet)
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128-131
Powers: superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes and hearing, telescopic and night vision sight, invulnerability to all forms of physical damage, hyper-intuitive thought processes, telepathic powers that can be used for psionic communication or to paralyze and mind-wipe others, self-propelled flight
Siryn (Theresa Rourke Cassidy)
First appearance: Spiderwoman (1st series) #37
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128, 130-131
Powers: manipulate her vocal chords to generate hypersonic frequencies that act as a high-decibel sonic scream to shatter or disintegrate solid matter, repels objects to shield herself or lift through the air, emit sonar pulses, and focus her sonics at another person to send them into a trance, paralyze them, or render them unconscious, compensates for her powers with superhuman hearing and a resistance to intense sound
Multiple Man (James Arthur Madrox)
First appearance: Giant Size Fantastic Four #4
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128, 130-131
Powers: utilize the kinetic energy released upon impact as a catalyst agent to initiate a complete and total replication of his body‘s cells, splitting off exact duplicates of himself with whom he shares an empathic link, operate independently, and can be absorbed back into himself later
Rictor (Julio Esteban Richter)
First appearance: X-Factor #17
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #128
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #128, 130-131
Powers: generates waves of vibration out from his body to cause any nearby objects to shake, crumble, shatter or disintegrate, destabilize the ground beneath him to cause earth tremors, and focus his emissions into vibe-quakes, tightened seismic shockwaves with tremendous concussive force
Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph)
First appearance: Incredible Hulk #250
First X-Corporation appearance: New X-Men #131
All X-Corporation appearances: New X-Men #131-132
Powers: empowered by a form of physical enhancement energy which amplifies her strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, leaping ability, durability, and recuperative powers, and can be transferred at will to endow others with superhuman physical power for as long as she chooses; uses an anti-gravity cloak that enables her to fly and wrist-shooters which fire bursts of low-density plasma or paralyzing razor spikes