Surge (Marvel Comics)
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Surge | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | New Mutants (vol. 2) #8 (January 2004) |
Created by | |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Noriko "Nori" Ashida |
Species | Human mutant |
Team affiliations | |
Abilities |
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Surge (Noriko "Nori" Ashida) is a superhero appearing in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a mutant, a member of the student body of the Xavier Institute, and a member of the former New Mutants squad. She maintained her powers post M-Day and was the leader of the New X-Men.
Publication history
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2012) |
Surge was created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Keron Grant and first appeared in New Mutants, vol. 2 #8 (January 2004).[1]
Fictional character biography
Noriko Ashida was born in
With no training or practice in the use of her powers, Noriko's body automatically absorbs all nearby electricity and, once fully charged, releases it in a storm of electrical bolts. Additionally, her acceleration ability forces her to speak so quickly that no one can understand her. Though she finds no treatment for most of these problems, the drugs sedate her body enough that she can control her outbursts of electrical power. Keeping herself regularly supplied proves impossible, however, and during a robbery, Noriko accidentally hits the young owner of a coffee shop with an electric bolt. A group of young mutants finds her and brings her back to the X-Mansion. There,
Nori becomes a student of the Xavier Institute and, when the school adopts a squad system, is assigned to the
David asks Emma Frost to remove a mental block in his mind inhibiting him from recalling all the information and skills he has acquired. David sees a possible future in which he becomes the world's foremost genius, marries Noriko, and leads to her death. Disturbed, David begins to avoid her. Annoyed at such treatment, Nori ultimately confronts David, which leads to the two becoming an active couple.[6]
Noriko retains her powers after the events of
Caught in an argument over the rescue of
After their return from Limbo, Surge finds out from X-23 the torture David went through in Limbo. In hopes of driving him away from the school and out of harm's way, Surge kisses Hellion in front of David and the other students.[9] After confronting her of the incident, she insists that she doesn't love him anymore and pleads that he should leave the institute. This backfires, as David regains his memories of the knowledge he once had and copied up until he lost his power with the help of the Stepford Cuckoos. David decides to both stay at the Institute and end their relationship.[10]
Following the dissolution of the X-Men, Surge runs to Colorado, seeking help from Dani Moonstar. Nori is overwhelmed by the pain she has endured as a New X-Man and doesn't know how to cope. Nori realizes that her fear of being hurt has affected her judgment and driven her actions over the past months.[11] She later officially joins the X-Men based out of San Francisco: she is seen working on one of the street crime patrols.[12]
Surge is later kidnapped along with Boom Boom and Hellion by the Leper Queen and her Sapien League. The Leper Queen injects her with a modified version of the Legacy Virus.[13] X-Force rescues their friends after completing their mission. Elixir is able to cure Surge before she could destroy the UN.[14]
We next see Surge defending the Golden Gate bridge during the 'Second Coming' event in which
Powers and abilities
Surge absorbs electricity continuously, from sources like static in the air, electrical appliances, and outlets, often causing lights to flicker. She can't control the absorption, requiring her to wear specially designed gauntlets all the time to regulate it. Surge can discharge the energy through powerful lightning-like blasts or channel it into bursts of superhuman speed. If she absorbs too much energy, it causes mental overloads, making her speak too fast, scatter her thinking, and worsen her control over the blasts.
Her blue hair is not related to her mutation. According to Nori, it came in a bottle labeled "electric blue" (and, indeed, she debuted with black hair).
Personality
Very forthright and strong-minded, Nori often clashes with her peers and superiors, from nearly getting into a brawl with Hellion after he insulted Prodigy's baseline status post-M-Day,[16] and challenging Cyclops' assertion that the students are safe at the institute (this taking place immediately after a series of devastating attacks by the Purifiers).[17] Nori also considers herself a feminist, attacking Dust's choice of garb as a betrayal of women's rights when the two are roomed together.
Regardless, Nori is a loyal figure, dedicated to her friends and increasingly feeling the responsibilities placed upon her as the leader of the New X-Men. Surge was particularly incensed by Hellion's decision to rescue Mercury from the Faculty without backup, taking it upon herself to mold the team into an effective unit capable of defending the rest of the students. She has trouble welcoming X-23 back to the team after the latter's involvement in X-Force, possibly due to how the latter seemingly doesn't have to take responsibility for what she did as part of that team, in comparison to her own mounting responsibilities.[18] Chris Yost has stated that, "Surge is the right candidate, because she wants it the least. And you'll see, it's taking a big toll on her. Being a leader when you're doing team sports and field day exercises is one thing, but leading when the stakes are life and death is another thing."[19]
Other versions
House of M
Nori is a member of the Hellions in the House of M reality, a group of junior agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her father, a human terrorist, was separated from her at a young age. She was taken off the squad and replaced with Magic due to her father's involvement in their latest mission. She recruits help from some students from the New Mutant Leadership Institute, and they travel to Japan where they come across Project Genesis.[20]
In other media
- Surge appears in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, voiced by Kokoro Kikuchi in the Japanese version and Stephanie Sheh in the English version. This version's hair is naturally blue and is initially a student of Techno Isle’s International Academy. After briefly becoming romantically attracted to Hikaru Akatsuki, she leaves for the Xavier Institute with Wolverine to receive protection from Magneto.
- Surge appears in X-Men: Destiny,[21] voiced by Aileen Ong Casas.
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ New Mutants, vol. 2 #8-10 (January - May 2004)
- ^ New X-Men: Academy X #2 (August 2004)
- ^ New Mutants, vol. 2 #12 (June 2004)
- ^ New X-Men: Academy X #1 (July 2004)
- ^ New X-Men: Academy X #10-11
- ^ New X-Men #22
- ^ New X-Men #40
- ^ New X-Men (vol. 2) #42
- ^ New X-Men (vol. 2) #43
- ^ X-Men: Divided We Stand #2
- ^ Uncanny X-Men Vol. 2 #1 (2012)
- ^ X-Force (vol. 3) #13
- ^ X-Force (vol. 3) #16-18
- ^ X-Force (vol. 3) #27-28
- ^ New X-Men #21
- ^ New X-Men #29
- ^ X-23 #1
- ^ Benjamin Ong Pang Kean (March 12, 2007). "Chris Yost on New X-Men and Magik's Return". Newsarama. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ New X-Men Academy X #15-17 (2005)
- ^ "MTV".
External links
- Surge at Marvel.com