Black Tom Cassidy
Black Tom Cassidy | |
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Siryn[2] | |
Abilities | (Currently):
(Formerly):
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Black Tom Cassidy (Thomas Samuel Eamon Cassidy) is a
Black Tom is a
Black Tom Cassidy made his film debut in Deadpool 2, played by Jack Kesy.
Publication history
Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, Black Tom Cassidy first appeared as a shadowy figure in Uncanny X-Men #99 (June 1976).[4] He later made his first full appearance in Uncanny X-Men #101 (Sept. 1976), followed by editions #102 (Oct. 1976), and #103 (Nov. 1976). He subsequently appeared in editions #122 (March 1979), #218 (March 1987), #361 (Sept. 1998), #369 (April 1999), #411 (Aug. 2002), #412 (Sept. 2002), #464 (Sept. 2005). Black Tom Cassidy also made an appearance in the Uncanny X-Men vol. 4 series, showing up in editions #11 through #14 (Aug. 2016-Oct. 2016).
Black Tom Cassidy also appeared in other core comics like Spider-Woman editions #37 and #38 (Feb. 1981 and April 1981); The Amazing Spider-Man #229 and #230 (April 1982 and May 1982); Marvel Team-Up #150 (Nov. 1984); Venom: The Madness #1 and #2 (Sept. 1993 and Oct. 1993); Generation X #18, #23, #24, #25, #60, and #61 (June 1996, Nov. 1996, Dec. 1996, Jan. 1996, Dec. 1999, Jan. 2000); and New Excalibur #6, #7, and #13 (April 2006, May 2006, Nov. 2006). He also appeared in two flashback comics: Classic X-Men #11 [A Story] (April 1987) and Classic X-Men #16 [B Story] (Sept. 1987). There were also appearances of him in X-Men Forever #3 (Jan. 2001), and Cyclops #1 (Aug. 2001)
Some other appearances were in several of the Deadpool series including: The Circle Chase #1 and #2 (June 1993 and July 1993), Deadpool #1, #2, #3, #4 (June 1994-Sept. 1994) and Deadpool (2008) #58, #59, #60 (July 2012-Sept. 2012).
Finally, Black Tom was in X-Force (1991) editions #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 (June 1991-Oct. 1991), while also making appearances in Generation X (1994) #18 (June 1996), #23 (Nov. 1996) #24 (Dec. 1996) and #25 (Jan. 1997). He also appeared in X-Men (1991) #88 (March 1999), #158 (June 2004), #160-#164 (Aug. 2004-Nov. 2004).
Fictional character biography
Family
Black Tom was born in
His original principal power was that he could generate blasts of heat through a
While Sean was away, working for
When Sean returned to learn of his wife's death, he was devastated. Before Tom could even tell him of the existence of his daughter, Sean lashed out at Tom with his sonic scream for not having taken better care of Maeve.
While Sean flew away in anger, Tom fell into a chasm, breaking his leg as a result of the attack, which left him with a limp. Angrily, Tom swore to make Sean pay and vowed to never tell him about his daughter, raising her himself instead.
Supervillain
Later Tom became a criminal and came into conflict with the law and was apprehended. While serving time in prison, Tom met and befriended
Alongside Juggernaut and Theresa (now under the codename Siryn), Tom went to San Francisco and stole the USA's entire vibranium supply. Several X-Men and the original Spider-Woman subsequently liberated the vibranium and captured Black Tom and Siryn. Convinced a life of crime was too dangerous for Theresa, Black Tom exonerated her of responsibility for the theft,[2] and wrote a letter to Sean explaining who she was.[8] Juggernaut broke him out of prison the same day.[9]
Tom next sent the Juggernaut to abduct Madame Web, observing Juggernaut's battle with Spider-Man from afar.[10] Black Tom was briefly endowed with half the powers of Juggernaut by the Ruby of Cyttorak, and then teamed with Juggernaut against Spider-Man and the X-Men.[11]
Black Tom next took
Transformation
After being shot by
The effect of Deadpool's cells did not last for long. The spreading began again, to the point where Tom was completely composed of plant matter. As a result, his powers included control and manipulation of all manner of plant life, to the point where he could make plant doppelgangers of himself, or anyone else. He was completely insane as a result.[volume & issue needed]
During this time, Black Tom resurfaced as a member of the latest incarnation of the
M-Day
After M-Day, Black Tom woke up as a human again, losing his secondary mutation but possibly still retaining his old powers, along with his sanity. The organization Black Air hired Tom to attack the new incarnation of Excalibur, of which Juggernaut was now a member. Though he easily defeated the others, Juggernaut confronted his former friend and convinced him to turn himself in for the death of Sammy, saying "He was a kid, Tom. An' you an' me, for all our faults, we used ta be better than that." Tom also showed remorse for killing the child, "That wasn't me, Cain, you know that. I wasn't in my right mind... You've got to understand... that mad life, before... it was like some dream."[17]
Deadpool
Black Tom reappears in
X-Men: Blue
Black Tom resurfaces with the Juggernaut attacking a luxury yacht, but they are confronted by the time-displaced young X-Men, with Jean knocking Black Tom out while Beast - who has been training in magic - creates a dimensional portal that passes through Hell before sending Juggernaut to Siberia.[19]
Dawn of X
Thomas is one amongst many within Homo Superior, both heroes and villains alike, who accepts the invitation to the new mutant home nation of Krakoa on the grounds that all who call it home forgo any petty rivalries or their criminal ways.[20] These are terms that Black Tom gratefully accepts; eventually taking a job at internal/external security through a physiological union between himself and the living isle to better articulate his powers. It is also implied that one of the reasons Black Tom is loyal to Krakoa is because they have promised to resurrect Sammy Squidboy, the kid Tom felt guilty about killing. While he is on watch, mercenaries with Reaver like bioaugmentations descend upon the mutant nation by going around their security systems using flesh samples peeled off the body of one of their own.[21] They quickly begin gunning down Krakoan citizens left and right. Tom and many of the X-Men manage to dispose of their assailants, but not before one of them has gunned down Professor X.[22]
Powers and abilities
Originally, Black Tom was a
Black Tom is a good hand-to-hand combatant, and skilled with bladed weapons: he has carried a sword and battle-axe on occasion. He is also a master of terrorist strategies and tactics.
Black Tom very briefly possessed the powers of the Juggernaut at half their full might.[11]
Later, his physiology and morphology were radically changed, and he became a humanoid plant form capable of living in several different bodies and infecting foliage and trees to make them a part of his body.[23] This made him difficult to restrain or destroy because it was nearly impossible to destroy every part of his body, as much of it could be kept underground.[24] Because he could invade other plants with his life force, he could assimilate them into himself, adding the excess plant mass to his own body.[25]
Through this secondary mutation, Cassidy also had the ability to generate plantlike clones of himself and others, even recreating their powers as he had done through a clone of Mondo he controlled for months.[26]
While in his plant form, he was also able to directly supplant a person's physical motor skills by latching vines/coils directly into their nervous system to hotwire their motor skills.[27] These specialized tendrils could also be used to siphon off the life energy of living beings by sending them into living body cavities.[28] However, the process seemed to have affected his mind, and he was not in full control of himself.[29]
After M-Day, on which most mutants lost their powers, he lost his
Having come to Krakoa, the new mutant homeland for all Homo Superior, Cassidy has gained new powers and abilities reminiscent of those he lost as a result of the Decimation. Black Tom now has a deep gestalt link with the living island and can focus his mutant power through its facilities, with Krakoa's sentient landmass now serving as an extension of his own skillset, broadening his senses beyond physical and visual reach, giving him control over its topographic and geographic landscaping, such as causing earthquakes, raising stone bedding, making trees collapse and altering plants and foliage to attack adversaries.[32]
Other versions
X-Men Noir
In the Marvel Noir reality, "Blackie" Cassidy is depicted as an Irish drug dealer with ties to the Brotherhood, a secret society of corrupt police officers and detectives.[33]
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Cassidy is referenced to be a contact of Fenris in Ultimate X-Men and is said to be an Irish arms dealer.[34]
Days of Future Past
Black Tom is mentioned in thought by Rachel Summers as having been alive in her original timeline, where the Juggernaut shared the power of the Cyttorak Jewel with him and they assisted the mutant resistance in their fight against the Sentinels for a time.[11]
In other media
- Black Tom Cassidy appears in X-Men: The Animated Series.[citation needed] This version is Banshee's younger brother.
- Black Tom Cassidy appears in Deadpool 2, portrayed by Jack Kesy.[35] This version is an inmate of the Ice Box who is later killed during a fight between Deadpool and Cable amidst a prison transfer.
References
- ISBN 9780780809772.
- ^ a b Spider-Woman #37-38. Marvel Comics.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-3141-8.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ X-Men #99. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men #101-103. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #122. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #148. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Spider-Woman #38. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #229-230. Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b c Marvel Team-Up #150. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Force #1-5. Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Deadpool vol. 2 #3 (1994). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Vol. 2 #161 (Nov. 2004). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Vol. 2 #163 (2005). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Vol. 2 #164 (2005). Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b New Excalibur #7. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Deadpool #58 (2012). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men: Blue #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ House of X #4. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Force vol. 6 #1 (Nov. 2019). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Force vol. 6 #2 (Nov. 2019). Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #410. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Generation X #25 (March, 1997). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men #164 (Jan. 2005). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Generation X #1 (Nov. 1994). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Generation X #25 (March 1997). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #411 (Oct. 2002). Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #412 (Nov. 2002). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Deadpool vol. 2 #59. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men: Blue vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Force vol. 6 #1-2 (Nov. 2019). Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men Noir #1. (Dec. 2008). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #53. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Faierman, Leo (May 17, 2018). "Deadpool 2 Almost Had More Mutants Using A Lot More Mutant Powers". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
External links
- Black Tom Cassidy at Marvel.com