Wikipedia

Corsair (character)

For other people named Chris Summers, seeChris Summers.

Corsair(MajorChristopher Summers,USAF) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.The character is depicted as a star-faringoutlawwho leads theStarjammers,the father ofX-MenmembersCyclopsandHavok,and thesupervillainVulcan,and the grandfather ofCable,Spider-Girl,andRachel Summers.He first appeared inThe Uncanny X-Men#104, and was created byDave Cockrum.[1]

Corsair
Corsair, as he appeared on the cover ofX-Men: Spotlight on Starjammers#1 (May 1990)
Art by Dave Cockrum
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Uncanny X-Men#104 (Apr. 1977)
Created byDave Cockrum
In-story information
Full nameChristopher Summers
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliations
Partnerships
AbilitiesHighly skilled pilot, swordsman, and marksman

Concept and creation

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Dave Cockrumcreated 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 SpotlightandMarvel Premiere,he was repeatedly informed that these series were booked for two years solid. Running out of patience, Cockrum showed the Starjammers, including Corsair, toX-MenwriterChris 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 inX-Men,they decided to make Corsair the father ofCyclops,leader of the X-Men.[2]

Fictional character biography

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Origins

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Many years ago, a test pilot forNASA,United States Air Force Major Christopher Summers, was flying himself, his wife Katherine Anne, and their two young sons Scott and Alex in their private airplane, a rebuiltde Havilland Mosquito,down the Western American coast fromAlaskawhen their plane was attacked by a starship from the alienShi'ar Empireon an exploratory mission to Earth. The Shi'ar pursued Summers' craft to prevent Summers from making their presence on Earth known to the general public. The Shi'ar craft fired on Summers' plane, which was made of wood, causing it to burst into flame. Unable to find more than one usable parachute in time, Katherine Anne put it on her eldest son Scott, told him to hold onto Alex, and pushed them both out the plane door, hoping to save them both. Scott and Alex thus escaped the Shi'ar.[3]

Christopher and his wife were subsequently teleported aboard the Shi'ar starship and taken to the Shi'ar Imperial Throneworld ofChandilar.There, Christopher was separated from his wife and imprisoned. He soon broke free and discovered the mad Shi'ar EmperorD'Kenattempting to rape Katherine Anne. D'Ken responded to the interruption by murdering Summers' wife before his eyes, and then ordered Summers to be sent to the Slave Pits of Alsibar where criminals and political prisoners were incarcerated.[3]

Formation of the Starjammers

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In the Pits, Summers met four aliens who had been imprisoned for various crimes against the Shi'ar Empire – aSauridnamedCh'od,a Lupin namedCr'reee,aMephitisoidwhom Summers nicknamedHepzibah(as her true name was unpronounceable by most not of her own species), and a Shi'ar cyborg namedRaza Longknife– and together they escaped and stole a starship. Naming their vessel theStarjammer,and themselves theStarjammers,the group functioned as space pirates targeting Shi'ar vessels, thus taking vengeance on the Shi'ar but taking care not to harm innocent passengers in the process. The Starjammers quickly came to be regarded as outlaws by the Shi'ar Empire. In addition, Summers and Hepzibah became lovers.[3]

X-Men

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The Starjammers first met the team of superhuman Earth mutants known as theX-Menwhen the two groups joined forces on a world in the Shi'ar Galaxy to battle theImperial 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-ManJean 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 asCyclops.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 namedHavok,eventually learned who Corsair really was.[3]

Starjammers and the Shi'ar

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Since the Starjammers aided her against the machinations of her brotherD'Ken,the Shi'ar PrincessLilandra,once she was named Empress in D'Ken's stead, put an unofficial end to the Shi'ar Empire's opposition to the Starjammers. Corsair aided the X-Men against theSidri,and then admitted to Cyclops that he was his father.[3]

It would not be long before the Starjammers would become outlaws once more. The Starjammers and the X-Men fought theBrood,and battled Lilandra's sisterDeathbird.[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 rescuedCharles XavierfromFenrisand 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 alienKree Empire,clashed with the Earth team of super-beings known as theAvengers,and were hired by Lilandra to capture the Shi'ar traitor namedCerise.Eventually, the Starjammers would battle with the Shi'ar Empire once more after discovering the poor treatment of the conquered Kree. The Starjammers allied themselves with a group of neutral worlds calling themselves The Clench who provided the pirates with a navigator namedKeeyah.During one of the Starjammers' rescue missions, they discovered a vessel belonging to the alienUncreated,a race of militaristic atheists who intended to destroy any culture that practiced a form of religion, including the Shi'ar. Seeing the Shi'ar as the lesser of two evils, Corsair chose to stop the Uncreated which earned the Starjammers Lilandra's thanks and a pardon for their crimes.[12]

Corsair sought to retire, but soon after the Starjammers were captured by the being known as theCollector.Together with the X-ManWolverine,the Starjammers managed to escape both the Collector and the cosmic world-devourer known asGalactus.The Starjammers would later aid the Shi'ar in fending off the threat of Galactus, and subsequently helped Lilandra and Xavier during their efforts to free Earth from its sentence as an intergalactic prison planet.[13]

Corsair and Scott reconciled

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At one point, Scott was killed byApocalypse,only to be resurrected after some months. After Scott's revival, Corsair apologized to his son for not checking up on him during his time with the Starjammers. Corsair felt that since he could not keep the plane from crashing and that he could not save his own wife, that Scott and Alex were in better hands in the care of the various homes that his two sons stayed at rather than with him.[14]This apology clearly sunk in: prior toHouse of M,Cyclops' student team of X-Men was called theCorsairs.[15]

Death

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Corsair has been reunited withHavok,his son, who brought him news aboutVulcan.Corsair decided to support the X-Men (this time the group includesRachel Summers,Nightcrawler,Warpath,Darwin,PolarisandProfessor X) and Lilandra in preventingD'Kenfrom becoming emperor once more (with the help of Vulcan and Deathbird). In the midst of a battle between the Shi'ar troops loyal to Lilandra (aided by the Starjammers and X-Men) and Shi'ar troops loyal to D'Ken, Vulcan kills D'Ken and proclaims himself emperor. Corsair commands Vulcan to stop the senseless violence, but Vulcan kills Corsair.[16]Subsequently, Alex (Havok) becomes the new leader of the Starjammers, who now include Corsair's granddaughter Rachel, Polaris, and original members Ch'od and Raza.[17]

Return

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When a time-displaced teenageJean Greyis kidnapped by the Shi'ar to be placed on trial for her actions as Phoenix, theAll-New X-Menand theGuardians of the Galaxyteamed 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 aBadoonship, 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

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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 andShi'arfighting 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

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Age of Apocalypse

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Corsair Brood, by Moore, Vaughan, Epting and Napolitano

In the harsh reality known asAge of Apocalypse,when the war against humanity byApocalypsewas just beginning, Major Christopher Summers wanted to stay and fight, but instead chose to fly his family to Canada to keep them safe.[volume & issue needed]

However, as he was flying his family to safety, their plane was attacked by an alien starship. Summers pushed his sonsAlexandScottout of the plane with their only parachute. He and his wife Katherine were then abducted by theShi'ar,and Katherine was killed after the Shi'ar, who were implanted byBroodeggs, put her under severe experiments. Meanwhile, Alex and Scott were found and raised byMr Sinisterand eventually became Prelates under the rule ofApocalypse.[volume & issue needed]

Surrounded by prisoners from throughout the galaxy, Summers and his fellow prisoners bonded over their hate for the Shi'ar and formed theStarjammers.Summers eventually led a mutiny against his captors and for years the Starjammers tried to take their revenge on the Shi'ar, who were fighting a losing war of their own against the Brood. Summers apparently began to feel tired and left the Starjammers to return to Earth to reunite with his sons, however on his way, Christopher Summers tragically encountered the Brood once again and while he managed to escape he was implanted with a brood egg. As Summers crashlanded he was immediately captured by Apocalypse's forces. For five years,Hank McCoystudied him, trying to figure out his odd DNA. Mr Sinister kept Summers' presence on Earth hidden from his two sons.[volume & issue needed]

Christopher eventually escaped. He foundJoe Robertsonwho told him what his kids had become. He lost control of his Brood half, killed Robbie, infected him with a Brood egg, and ran. Sinister sentEmplate,theMonets,NorthstarandAuroraafter him, but Summers shot Emplate through the chest, killing him and frying the Monets' brains. He then blew up a car, knocking out Northstar and Aurora. Summers ran to a scavenger camp, where he killed and infected all of the scavengers and their intended victimColleen Wing.[volume & issue needed]

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,Mister HydeandCobra,and Christopher almost lost control again. They ran to an old warehouse to find shelter from the coming storm.[volume & issue needed]

While sweeping the perimeter, Scott encountered a chainedMisty Knightalong 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

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In theX-Men Foreveralternate 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

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Television

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Video games

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Corsair appears inMarvel: Ultimate Alliance,voiced byScott MacDonald.

See also

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References

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  1. ^DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019).The Marvel Encyclopedia.DK Publishing. p. 93.ISBN978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^Meth, Clifford (August 1993). "How a Typhoon Blew in Success".Wizard:X-Men Turn Thirty.pp. 50–52.
  3. ^abcdeThe Uncanny X-Men#154-158
  4. ^The Uncanny X-Men#107
  5. ^The Uncanny X-Men#109
  6. ^The Uncanny X-Men#161–166
  7. ^The Uncanny 'X-Men#167
  8. ^The Uncanny X-Men#177
  9. ^The Uncanny X-Men#200–201
  10. ^X-Men Spotlight on the Starjammers
  11. ^The Uncanny X-Men#277
  12. ^Starjammers#1–4
  13. ^Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet#1
  14. ^The Uncanny X-Men#391
  15. ^New X-Men: Academy X#1
  16. ^The Uncanny X-Men#486 (July 2007)
  17. ^X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#1
  18. ^All-New X-Men#23 (Feb. 2014)
  19. ^Cyclopsvol. 3 #1 (May 2014)
  20. ^Cyclopsvol. 3 #3 (July 2014)
  21. ^X-Men#154
  22. ^Tales from the Age of Apocalypse#2 (December, 1997)
  23. ^"Brian Taylor | School of Dramatic Art".
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