Corsair (character)
Corsair | |
---|---|
The Uncanny X-Men #104 (Apr. 1977) | |
Created by | Dave Cockrum |
In-story information | |
Full name | Christopher Summers |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations | |
Partnerships | (granddaughter) |
Abilities | Highly skilled pilot, swordsman, and marksman |
Corsair (Major Christopher Summers,
Concept and creation
Dave Cockrum created the Starjammers with the intent of having them star in their own series. However, when he submitted the concept for Marvel's two try-out series, Marvel Spotlight and Marvel Premiere, he was repeatedly informed that these series were booked for two years solid. Running out of patience, Cockrum showed the Starjammers, including Corsair, to X-Men writer Chris Claremont, and convinced him to use the characters for this series. In order to provide a plausible excuse for the Starjammers to make repeat appearances in X-Men, they decided to make Corsair the father of Cyclops, leader of the X-Men.[2]
Fictional character biography
Origins
Many years ago, a test pilot for
Christopher and his wife were subsequently teleported aboard the Shi'ar starship and taken to the Shi'ar Imperial Throneworld of
Formation of the Starjammers
In the Pits, Summers met four aliens who had been imprisoned for various crimes against the Shi'ar Empire – a
X-Men
The Starjammers first met the team of superhuman Earth mutants known as the X-Men when the two groups joined forces on a world in the Shi'ar Galaxy to battle the Imperial Guard, the super-powered soldiers who served the ruling Shi'ar emperor or empress – at the time, D'ken.[4] One of the X-Men, the cosmic being known as the Phoenix who had assumed the form of the X-Man Jean Grey, used her telepathic powers to probe Corsair's mind and learned that he was the father of Scott Summers, who had become the X-Man known as Cyclops. At Corsair's request, Phoenix kept his true identity a secret from Cyclops,[5] but both Cyclops and his brother Alex, who had become the X-Man named Havok, eventually learned who Corsair really was.[3]
Starjammers and the Shi'ar
Since the Starjammers aided her against the machinations of her brother
It would not be long before the Starjammers would become outlaws once more. The Starjammers and the X-Men fought the Brood, and battled Lilandra's sister Deathbird.[6] Deathbird's coup d'état was ultimately successful, allowing her to seize the throne.[7] Herself branded a rebel, Lilandra came to join the Starjammers in their fight against Deathbird's tyrannical reign.[8] Later, Corsair rescued Charles Xavier from Fenris and took Xavier into outer space to adventure with the Starjammers and be with his lover Lilandra.[9] Corsair and the Starjammers later embarked on the Phalkon Quest.[10] Eventually, Lilandra and the Starjammers' opposition to Deathbird's rule sparked rebellions across the Empire, and following an attempted takeover of the Empire by the shape-shifting alien Skrulls, Lilandra settled matters with Deathbird, discovering her sister did not want the throne anymore.[11]
The Starjammers subsequently aided Lilandra during the war with the alien
Corsair sought to retire, but soon after the Starjammers were captured by the being known as the
Corsair and Scott reconciled
At one point, Scott was killed by
Death
Corsair has been reunited with
Return
When a time-displaced teenage Jean Grey is kidnapped by the Shi'ar to be placed on trial for her actions as Phoenix, the All-New X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy teamed up and traveled through space to save her. It was then that they encountered Corsair, who was alive and well and back in charge of the Starjammers.[18] The time-displaced Cyclops finds out for the first time that his father was alive. Cyclops decided to remain with the Starjammers to catch up with his father. After pillaging a Badoon ship, Corsair and his teenage son decided to travel the galaxy on their own.[19] The time-displaced Cyclops would later learn that the Starjammers under the insistence of Hepzibah, made a deal with the mysterious Shrouded, who brought Corsair back to life. However, his resurrection came at a price, Corsair had to inject himself regularly with a nano-serum containing a collective artificial intelligence. The serum was illegal, banned by all governments across the cosmos due to the threat it posed, as it allowed A.I.s to use a living body as a host. Corsair had to go to great lengths to buy the illegal serum and to avoid arrest but there was no other way he could remain alive.[20]
Powers and abilities
Corsair had no superhuman powers, though he was athletic for a man of his age. He was trained in basic hand-to-hand combat, as well as fencing skills and Shi'ar fighting techniques. He also had extensive knowledge of both terrestrial and Shi'ar weapons, and had exceptional piloting skills in both terrestrial and Shi'ar aircraft and spacecraft. He was usually armed with a saber-like Shi'ar blade, and utilized various Shi'ar weapons as needed which he carried in an extra-dimensional pocket, notable among which were twin energy blasters accessible by pressing the "jewels" on his gauntlets.[21]
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the harsh reality known as
However, as he was flying his family to safety, their plane was attacked by an alien starship. Summers pushed his sons
Surrounded by prisoners from throughout the galaxy, Summers and his fellow prisoners bonded over their hate for the Shi'ar and formed the
Christopher eventually escaped. He found
Scott and Alex pursued him, not knowing his true identity. After they met him, he convinced them that he was their father. They were attacked by two scavengers,
While sweeping the perimeter, Scott encountered a chained Misty Knight along with the bodies of Colleen Wing and the scavengers Christopher had slain. Scott and Knight returned to the warehouse, but Wing and the other "dead" bodies followed and attacked, transformed into Brood. They fought but lost ground until Sinister arrived to save them. Christopher lost control and fully morphed into a Brood. Sinister claimed that he had learned of Christopher's transformation and concealed his return from Scott and Alex until he could cure their father. Christopher attacked Sinister, and then Alex, before regaining enough control to tell Scott to kill him. Scott reluctantly did so. Although Sinister offered to deal with the remains, Alex and Scott cremated Christopher's body, depriving Sinister of the chance to analyze him further and acquire samples of Brood DNA.[22]
X-Men Forever
In the X-Men Forever alternate reality, Corsair and the Starjammers settle down to work as security for Nathan Summers, his grandson, who is living with Corsair's parents in Alaska. This mission suffers several setbacks due to a family friend being a spy for Mister Sinister.[volume & issue needed]
In other media
Television
- Corsair appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Brian Taylor.[23]
- Corsair makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in a flashback in the X-Men: Evolution episode "The Cauldron".[citation needed]
Video games
Corsair appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Scott MacDonald.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ Meth, Clifford (August 1993). "How a Typhoon Blew in Success". Wizard: X-Men Turn Thirty. pp. 50–52.
- ^ a b c d e The Uncanny X-Men #154-158
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #107
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #109
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #161–166
- ^ The Uncanny 'X-Men #167
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #177
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #200–201
- ^ X-Men Spotlight on the Starjammers
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #277
- ^ Starjammers #1–4
- ^ Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #391
- ^ New X-Men: Academy X #1
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #486 (July 2007)
- ^ X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1
- ^ All-New X-Men #23 (Feb. 2014)
- ^ Cyclops vol. 3 #1 (May 2014)
- ^ Cyclops vol. 3 #3 (July 2014)
- ^ X-Men #154
- ^ Tales from the Age of Apocalypse #2 (December, 1997)
- ^ "Brian Taylor | School of Dramatic Art".
External links
- Corsair at Marvel.com
- Christopher Summers on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki