Tabitha Smith
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Tabitha Smith | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Secret Wars II #5 (Nov. 1985) |
Created by | Jim Shooter (writer) Al Milgrom (artist) |
In-story information | |
Full name | Tabitha Smith |
Species | Human mutant |
Team affiliations | Fallen Angels X-Terminators New Mutants Underground X-Force Nextwave X-Men |
Notable aliases | Time Bomb Boom-Boom Boomer Meltdown Firecracker Mutate #35 |
Abilities |
|
Tabitha Smith is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with The X-Men and related titles. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 (Nov. 1985). She then appeared as a member of X-Force and later as a member of Nextwave.
Tabitha is mentally able to create variably-sized yellow orbs of pure energy that explode with concussive and destructive force. Since her first appearance, she has used a number of different codenames, including Time Bomb, Boom-Boom, Boomer, and Meltdown.[1]
Publication history
Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 (Nov. 1985), in which she and the Beyonder are the primary characters. She next appears as a main character in the 1987 limited series Fallen Angels. This led to her becoming a supporting character in the X-Factor series beginning with issue #11, which then led to a co-star role in the X-Terminators limited series. Following this series, she appeared in The New Mutants, initially guest-starring as a member of the X-Terminators, and eventually becoming a member of the titular group. The team then became X-Force and she remained a member of the team for most of the X-Force series. Sometime later, she appears as a member of Nextwave throughout the Nextwave series. Writer Warren Ellis said that he picked Boom-Boom to be in Nextwave because Boom-Boom is his favorite superhero name in the history of comics for its sheer oddness and silliness, and he loved it when she was in Uncanny X-Men when Joe Madureira was the artist.
"I wanted a character who could blow things up," he said of his choice of Boom-Boom. "I was also looking for a team structure where the women outnumbered the men. I liked her white-trash criminal background, which had uses in the plot set-up. But mostly I wanted a character who could blow things up. I mean, these are characters who no-one at Marvel had any use for, and I could have been stopped at any time, Jen. But a skinny-ass blonde mutant with a kleptomaniac streak had both plot and entertainment value to me. Especially when played against the others."[2]
Despite the appearance of Nextwave characters in other Marvel titles, in 2006 Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada stated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity.[3] However, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and Civil War: Battle Damage Report consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity.[4] To further complicate matters, Nextwave's entry in Civil War: Battle Damage Report states: "Recent intelligence suggests some or all Nextwave members unknowingly had their memories and/or personalities altered by their new employers (H.A.T.E.)."
Fictional character biography
Early life
Tabitha Smith was born in
Fallen Angels and X-Terminators
Living on the streets, Tabitha becomes involved with Maurice "Tiger" Antonini and, after he threatens her and murders her friend Gina, she uses her powers to kill him. Then, the villain known as the
When X-Factor wards
New Mutants
Following two successful team-ups with the
During "
X-Force
The New Mutants team, under the continued tutelage of Cable, is reformed into
Following an attempted murder of
Eventually, the team's headquarters is blown up twice,[30] and without a home, the team moves back into Xavier's mansion.[31] Shortly after, Cannonball graduates and becomes an X-Men member, and their relationship waters down.[32][33] Seeking comfort, Tabitha spends most of her time caring for the lobotomized Sabretooth, also confiding in him.[34] Her teammates attempt an unsuccessful intervention.[35]
Sabretooth reveals that he is faking the ordeal, however, and fully healed, escapes by deceiving Tabitha into destroying his bonds.[36] In his escape, he eviscerates the X-Man Psylocke, who barely survives her wounds.[36]
In an effort to deal with the guilt from this incident, Tabitha travels home to visit her father.
With Cannonball spending his time with the X-Men, Tabitha grows closer to
Peter Wisdom
In the meantime, the sudden power loss really hit home for Cannonball, as to just how little they had been doing lately to help mutant-kind. He got back in touch with Pete Wisdom, and together they devised a plan for reactivating X-Force as a covert strike team. Meltdown, along with Warpath and Bedlam, agreed to enter into this new arrangement, and they took up residence in an abandoned Nevada Hulkbuster base for extensive retraining for martial combat and the use of their powers. In particular, Tabitha learned how to direct the explosive force of her power into streams of guided energy and was also heavily trained in computer hacking and manipulating digital information. The revamped X-Force fought the shadow wars that other people couldn't even see, against the likes of meat-spore storm-troopers, mutagenic bioreactors, and assassins who carried the mutant gene for murder. After she almost lost Sam to that last threat, Meltdown confessed she couldn't bear to see him die, and the two of them became lovers again. While most of their missions were successful, they weren't without their share of troubles. Wisdom was apparently killed on their first mission back in San Francisco since leaving, and on two separate occasions, their enemies tried to kill them in massive explosions.[43]
The team's undercover status turned out to be a weakness, though, for some new organization consisting of mutants that wanted to get rich and famous thought the name was up for grabs. After buying legal rights to use "X-Force" as their name, this group went public and soon became popular. When the original X-Force learned of this, they came out of hiding and confronted the new guys about the name and violating the original concept behind the team, but it was already too late. Apparently, the original X-Force disbanded after this, retreating from their recent hardcore offensive stance on mutant issues. Sam and Tabitha also went their separate ways.[44]
Weapon X and the X-Force mini
When
Sometime thereafter, Cable learns of another threat to mutant-kind, the voracious creatures known as the
Tabitha is one of the few mutants who retain her powers after the events of M-Day.[47]
Nextwave
Shortly afterward, after an initial period of wild arrogance, Tabitha mellows out and settles back into her earlier more bubbly personality, developing a tendency to use chat room-like shorthand when speaking out loud, such as "
Everything appeared to be fine until Tabitha started nosing around and discovered the marketing strategy of the Beyond Corporation, H.A.T.E.'s financial backers. Beyond Corp emerged from the former terrorist cell known as S.I.L.E.N.T. and intended to use H.A.T.E. and Nextwave to further its own sinister agendas. Tabitha brought the files she stole to the squad leader, Pulsar, and Nextwave hijacked a Shockwave Rider transport ship and defected from H.A.T.E.
After putting an end to the threat of Fin Fang Foom in Abscess, North Dakota, Nextwave moved on to Illinois. Tabitha manages to subdue Mac Mangel, a corrupt police officer who had been taken as a hostage by the Ultra Samurai Seed. The Ultra Samurai metallic shell disintegrates, leaving Mangel crushed. Upon learning that he was a police officer, Tabitha and Aaron began to beat Mangel before Rambeau intervened, unknowingly handed him to his violent, vengeful victims.[50] The team then go on to purge one of Beyond Corporation broccoli man operatives growing field, fending off H.A.T.E.'s full frontal attacks and defeating the employed Mindless One's trap in Shot Creek, Colorado as well as then spitefully humiliating the contracted employee Rorkannu with a toilet brush.[51]
The team was later attacked by The New Paramounts, a team consisting of Not Brand Echh characters including Forbush Man, The Inedible Bulk and Charlie America. Forbush Man attempted to use his mind control powers on Tabitha, but was shocked to find they didn't work on her as she apparently has no mind. Tabitha subsequently killed Forbush Man, saving her teammates.[52] When they awoke, she explained "The little guy did something to your heads. I gave him the explodo because I am clever."[53] Not long after, they eventually exposed and destroyed the true mastermind behind S.I.L.E.N.T.[54] It would be revealed that Beyond Corporation actually kidnapped and brainwashed the team, placing them in this alternate universe for their own indulgence.[55]
Manifest Destiny
Tabitha moves to San Francisco to help with the X-Men's new relocation plans, and resumes using the codename Boom-Boom. While shopping in San Francisco, she confronts the mutant
Kidnapping, death and salvation
Tabitha is later kidnapped, along with Surge and Hellion, by the Leper Queen and her Sapien League. The Leper Queen attempts to inject her with a modified version of the Legacy Virus, a virus that had been cured years before and afflicted mostly mutants, when the members of X-Force arrive to try and save her. After Cyclops refuses to wait long enough for Wolverine and Domino to kill the Leper Queen, they are sent through time to help Cable, leaving the Leper Queen and Tabitha all alone. The Leper Queen reveals to Tabitha that she had intended using X-Force to kill her, since Bastion will not let her commit suicide and that the plan was for Wolverine to kill her and rescue Tabby. The Leper Queen shoots Tabitha between the eyes, saying that X-Force "failed them both."
Utopia
Boom-Boom is later seen during the events of "
Cable and X-Force
Boom-Boom returned in the
All-New X-Men
Tabitha later appeared in
Krakoa
Now a Krakoan citizen, Tabitha was accidentally caught snooping around in Sunspot's room by Armor and was informed of her excursion to extend Krakoa's citizenship to Beak's family. She was able to rescue Armor and friends from an ambushed cartel hostage situation.
Powers and abilities
Tabitha Smith possesses the ability to create variably-sized yellow orbs and spheres of pure plasma, fiery-like energy, which she calls her "time bombs." These "time bombs" explode with concussive force.
Reception
Accolades
- In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Tabitha Smith 87th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[76]
- In 2018, CBR.com ranked Tabitha Smith 18th in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members Ranked From Weakest To Strongest" list.[1]
- In 2020, Scary Mommy included Tabitha Smith in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[77]
- In 2021, Screen Rant included Tabitha Smith in their "10 Most Powerful Members Of The New Mutants" list.[78]
- In 2022,
Other versions
House of M
Tabitha appears as a member of the NYPD strikeforce known as the Brotherhood.
Marvel Zombies
Tabitha is also shown in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness #3 with her Nextwave team, all uninfected, to save Ash from a zombified Power Pack. The entire team is "humiliatingly and ruthlessly dispatched off panel" moments later.
Rahne of Terra
In the "
X-Men: The End
In
X-Force: Shatterstar
In the X-Force: Shatterstar miniseries, Tabitha is still known as Boomer and she is seen as a part of Cable's rebel forces against
In other media
Television
- Tabitha Smith makes a non-speaking appearance in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "No Mutant is an Island" as a child orphan who, among others, Zebediah Killgrave attempts to take advantage of until they are rescued by Cyclops.
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom appears in Xavier Institute and joins the X-Men's junior team, the New Mutants. However, her lack of discipline and mischievousness leads to her temporarily moving in with the Brotherhood of Bayville before Mystique evicts her. Additionally, Boom-Boom is best friends with fellow New Mutant Magma and displays a romantic interest in Nightcrawler.
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Hindsight, Part 1", voiced by Jennifer Hale.[86]
Video games
Tabitha Smith appears in Marvel Heroes, voiced by Kari Wahlgren.[87]
Miscellaneous
Tabitha Smith appears in the Wolverine versus Sabretooth motion comic, voiced by Kazumi Evans.[87]
Merchandise
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom received a figure in HeroClix's "Xplosion" series.
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom, based on her Nextwave appearance, received a figure in HeroClix's Giant Size X-Men set.
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom received a figure in HeroClix's "Deadpool and X-Force" box set.
- Tabitha Smith, based on her 1990s X-Force appearance, received a figure in the Marvel Minimates line.
- Tabitha Smith / Boom-Boom received a figure in the Marvel Legends toyline.
References
- ^ a b Wyse, Alex (2018-04-11). "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members Ranked From Weakest To Strongest". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Ellis& The Nextwave @ ComicCon.com Archived May 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gum, Wade (2006-07-01). "Heroes Con: Joe Quesada Panel", WizardUniverse.com (archived)
- ^ Anthony Flamini & Ronald Byrd (w), Scott Kolins (p), Scott Kolins (i). Civil War: Battle Damage Report, no. 1 (March 2007). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Secret Wars II #5
- ^ X-Force #-1
- ^ X-Factor #11
- ^ Fallen Angels #3-8
- ^ X-Factor #22-23
- ^ X-Terminators #1-4
- ^ X-Terminators #4, The New Mutants #73 and 76
- ^ The New Mutants #77
- ^ The New Mutants #76-78
- ^ The New Mutants #89
- ^ The New Mutants #93-94
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #270
- ^ X-Factor #60
- ^ The New Mutants #95
- ^ The New Mutants #96
- ^ The New Mutants #97
- ^ X-Factor #62
- ^ The New Mutants #100
- ^ X-Force #7, 9
- ^ X-Force #16
- ^ X-Factor #85
- ^ X-Men #15
- ^ X-Force #19
- ^ X-Force #32-33
- ^ The New Warriors #45-46
- ^ X-Force #39
- ^ X-Force #43
- ^ X-Force #44
- ^ Weyer, Michael (2018-11-06). "20 Relationships That Hurt X-Men Comics (And 10 That Saved Them)". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ X-Force #47
- ^ X-Force #48
- ^ a b The Uncanny X-Men #328 (Jan. 1996)
- ^ a b X-Force #49
- ^ X-Force #51
- ^ X-Force #52
- ^ X-Force #75
- ^ X-Force #76
- ^ X-Force #101
- ^ X-Force #102-115
- ^ X-Force #117
- ^ Weapon X #12
- ^ Cable & Deadpool #18
- ^ X-Men: The 198 Files #1
- ^ a b Nextwave #1
- ^ Nextwave #2
- ^ Nextwave #3-4
- ^ Nextwave #5-8
- ^ Nextwave #8-10
- ^ Nextwave #10
- ^ Nextwave #12
- ^ Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #7
- ^ X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1 preview, Comic Book Resources
- ^ Read About Comics » X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1
- ^ X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #13
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #17
- ^ X-Force #18
- ^ Dark Avengers #8 (2009)
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #517 (2010)
- ^ Cable and X-Force #6
- ^ Cable and X-Force #19
- ^ All-New X-Men #40-41
- ^ New Mutants vol. 4 #3, 4
- ^ New Mutants vol. 4 #9, 10
- ^ Cable Reloaded
- ^ X-Terminators (2022) #2-5
- ^ X-Men vol. 6 #18
- ^ Donohoo, Timothy (2019-12-27). "OK, Boomer: The X-Men Finally Call Out Marvel's Most Chaotic Mutant". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ The Uncanny X-Men #517
- ^ New Mutants vol. 3 #14
- ^ First used in issue X-Force #102, and recap of training seen in issue X-Force #107
- ^ June 09, Darren Franich Updated; EDT, 2022 at 12:31 PM. "Let's rank every X-Man ever". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic". Scary Mommy. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- ^ Lealos, Shawn S. (2021-09-24). "10 Most Powerful Members Of The New Mutants, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Cunis, Peter (2022-07-19). "The 10 Best X-Men Mutants Who Haven't Been In A Movie Yet". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Allan, Scoot (2022-10-19). "Every Member Of The New Mutants, Ranked By Growth". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Cunis, Peter (2022-08-04). "10 Marvel Mutants We Want To See In The MCU's Phase 5". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ House of M: Avengers #2
- ^ House of M: Avengers #4
- ^ Wolverine: Rahne of Terra graphic novel (Aug. 1991)
- ^ X-Men: The End #4
- ^ "Voice Of Boom-Boom – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ a b "Voice Of Boom Boom". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 10, 2015. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link)