Abyss (comics)
Encyclopedia
Abyss is a fictional character
, a mutant
in the Marvel Comics
Universe
. An alternate universe's counterpart of the character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and the heroic Marvel Universe version of the character first appeared in Cable vol. 2, #40.
n researcher Renee Majcomb, whom he had been assisting with research into the Legacy Virus
from which Abyss suffered. However, he did not die due to the actions of Colossus
, who sacrificed himself to release an airborne cure to the virus which had taken his little sister Illyana
's life several years prior.
Abyss was later seen in Berlin, Germany battling the former Gene Nation
member known as Fever Pitch
. Both mutants were captured by Banshee
's mutant militia known as the X-Corps
. While being held by the X-Corps, Abyss witnessed Sunpyre
's murder. When the terrorist Mystique
revealed herself and her intentions to use the X-Corps, the wounded Banshee freed Abyss from his confinement. Abyss then sucked Mystique through his interdimensional void, and, unable to shut off his power, almost swallowed Banshee also. The timely arrival of some other members of X-Corps stopped that however. Abyss admitted that he had no idea where Mystique was transported to or if she would ever return.
Abyss later resurfaced when his father Azazel
psychically summoned his many children to attempt to release his army from the Brimstone Dimension that he had been banished to hundreds of years before. In an attempt to free himself and his comrades, Azazel had traversed the dimension barrier many times and sired
children in the hopes that one of them would be able to breach the dimensional barrier. Abyss joined forces with the X-Men
to avert Azazel's attempt to bring his army into Earth's dimension and succeeded in foiling his father's efforts. He was subsequently revealed to be Nightcrawler
's half-brother, as both were sons of Azazel.
Abyss is one of scores of mutants who lost their powers after the events of the House of M
, as he was shown to be among a list of other mutants who lost their powers in New Avengers. Abyss is currently a member of the X-Cell
. He was repowered by Quicksilver. When the side effects of the Terrigen Mist began to take effect, he flung Fatale
and Reaper
into the Brimstone Dimension and followed them. What happened to them is unknown but apparently he along with Fatale and the Reaper are all trapped in the Brimstone Dimension.
does. His body is actually a portal to the same dimension that Nightcrawler
temporarily enters when he teleports, later dubbed the "Brimstone Dimension" from the side-effect of Nightcrawler's powers. He is able to drain the lifeforce of the captives he holds in his form and can deposit them in this dimension permanently, but it is unknown if anything can survive there. He has limited psionic empathy, able to feel the emotions of people contained within him and those in his immediate vicinity.
Artists often differ in the way that they portray Abyss (in fact his appearance has drastically changed within single story arcs, though no other character seemed to think this was odd). Sometimes Abyss will have a green face and a black body, while other times he will be blue and have a body structure similar to Flatman
. During the storyline "The Draco", Abyss appeared very similar to Nightcrawler, though he was depicted as being the age of a young teenage boy.
". He was one of Apocalypse's Horsemen
, a nihilist
with a warped sense of humor. This Abyss has a slightly different appearance but essentially the same powers.
Abyss was rumored to have been a prisoner of Sinister's Breeding Pens, from which he broke out. But instead of rebelling against Apocalypse, he joined his forces, attaining the rank of Horseman after killing Bastion. Abyss became attached to the religious institutions of Apocalypse's regime: the Brotherhood of Chaos and The Madri. He joined them in their attack against refugees escaping from North America and was defeated by Quicksilver
and Storm. Seeking revenge, Abyss faced Banshee
and Quicksilver at the Temple of the Madri, though Abyss died when Banshee sacrificed himself by flying inside of the Horseman's void and activating his powers.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. An alternate universe's counterpart of the character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and the heroic Marvel Universe version of the character first appeared in Cable vol. 2, #40.
Fictional character biography
Nils Styger first appeared as a protector for GenoshaGenosha
Genosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
n researcher Renee Majcomb, whom he had been assisting with research into the Legacy Virus
Legacy Virus
In the fictional Marvel Universe, the Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well....
from which Abyss suffered. However, he did not die due to the actions of Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, who sacrificed himself to release an airborne cure to the virus which had taken his little sister Illyana
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
's life several years prior.
Abyss was later seen in Berlin, Germany battling the former Gene Nation
Gene Nation
Gene Nation is a Marvel Comics mutant terrorist organization and enemies of the X-Men. They originated from a group of Morlocks that survived the Mutant Massacre by escaping to another dimension.-First Incarnation:...
member known as Fever Pitch
Fever Pitch (comics)
Fever Pitch is a fictional villain created by Marvel comics as a member of the second incarnation of the mutant terrorist organization Gene Nation and later as a member of X-Corps...
. Both mutants were captured by Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
's mutant militia known as the X-Corps
X-Corps
The X-Corps is a fictional team created by Marvel Comics. Whether they were good or bad was left up to debate, even within the X-Men, but the team acted as a mutant police force created by former X-Man Banshee, in Uncanny X-Men #401...
. While being held by the X-Corps, Abyss witnessed Sunpyre
Sunpyre
Sunpyre is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe associated with the X-Men. She is the sister of Sunfire. The name "Leyu" is of an undetermined origin although the character is Japanese.-Fictional character biography:...
's murder. When the terrorist Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
revealed herself and her intentions to use the X-Corps, the wounded Banshee freed Abyss from his confinement. Abyss then sucked Mystique through his interdimensional void, and, unable to shut off his power, almost swallowed Banshee also. The timely arrival of some other members of X-Corps stopped that however. Abyss admitted that he had no idea where Mystique was transported to or if she would ever return.
Abyss later resurfaced when his father Azazel
Azazel (Marvel Comics)
Azazel is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics and is the biological father of Nightcrawler. His first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #428, during "The Draco" storyline, written by Chuck Austen...
psychically summoned his many children to attempt to release his army from the Brimstone Dimension that he had been banished to hundreds of years before. In an attempt to free himself and his comrades, Azazel had traversed the dimension barrier many times and sired
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
children in the hopes that one of them would be able to breach the dimensional barrier. Abyss joined forces with the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
to avert Azazel's attempt to bring his army into Earth's dimension and succeeded in foiling his father's efforts. He was subsequently revealed to be Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
's half-brother, as both were sons of Azazel.
Abyss is one of scores of mutants who lost their powers after the events of the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
, as he was shown to be among a list of other mutants who lost their powers in New Avengers. Abyss is currently a member of the X-Cell
X-Cell
X-Cell is a terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional team biography:Made up of ex-mutants, the group targets government authorities in an attempt to regain their lost powers after the Decimation event, which de-powered over 90% of the world's mutant population and which they...
. He was repowered by Quicksilver. When the side effects of the Terrigen Mist began to take effect, he flung Fatale
Fatale (comics)
Fatale is a fictional character who first appears in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an assassin, usually working for Dark Beast. She first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #112, but in X-Men vol...
and Reaper
Reaper (Marvel Comics)
Reaper is the name of several fictional characters in the pages of Marvel Comics, most notably the Reaper whose real name is Pantu Hurageb, a mutant in the X-Force comic book series...
into the Brimstone Dimension and followed them. What happened to them is unknown but apparently he along with Fatale and the Reaper are all trapped in the Brimstone Dimension.
Powers and abilities
Abyss is a mutant who can unwind his body into highly tensile strands that can be stretched or used to ensnare a victim. While holding them he can absorb anything within the shadowy confines of his form, akin to what the superhero known as CloakCloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
does. His body is actually a portal to the same dimension that Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
temporarily enters when he teleports, later dubbed the "Brimstone Dimension" from the side-effect of Nightcrawler's powers. He is able to drain the lifeforce of the captives he holds in his form and can deposit them in this dimension permanently, but it is unknown if anything can survive there. He has limited psionic empathy, able to feel the emotions of people contained within him and those in his immediate vicinity.
Artists often differ in the way that they portray Abyss (in fact his appearance has drastically changed within single story arcs, though no other character seemed to think this was odd). Sometimes Abyss will have a green face and a black body, while other times he will be blue and have a body structure similar to Flatman
Flatman (comics)
Flatman is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989.-Great Lakes Avengers:...
. During the storyline "The Draco", Abyss appeared very similar to Nightcrawler, though he was depicted as being the age of a young teenage boy.
Age of Apocalypse
Before his introduction in the mainstream Marvel universe, a variant of Abyss appeared in the alternate timeline of the "Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
". He was one of Apocalypse's Horsemen
Horsemen of Apocalypse
The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fictional supervillain characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team is first mentioned in X-Factor #10 , and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15...
, a nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
with a warped sense of humor. This Abyss has a slightly different appearance but essentially the same powers.
Abyss was rumored to have been a prisoner of Sinister's Breeding Pens, from which he broke out. But instead of rebelling against Apocalypse, he joined his forces, attaining the rank of Horseman after killing Bastion. Abyss became attached to the religious institutions of Apocalypse's regime: the Brotherhood of Chaos and The Madri. He joined them in their attack against refugees escaping from North America and was defeated by Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and Storm. Seeking revenge, Abyss faced Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
and Quicksilver at the Temple of the Madri, though Abyss died when Banshee sacrificed himself by flying inside of the Horseman's void and activating his powers.
Video games
- The main antagonist in the video game Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of HeroesMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesis a fighting game, developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the fourth installment of this series, Capcom simplified the controls to make the gameplay more accessible for casual players. The button configuration was trimmed down to 4 main...
goes under the name Abyss, although the two bear no real similarities apart from the name. - Abyss appears as one of Apocalypse's Horsemen in X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
voiced by Quinton FlynnQuinton FlynnQuinton Joseph Flynn , is an American voice actor, actor and writer....
. There is no mention of him being Nightcrawler's brother and he sucks the players into the Brimstone Dimension at the end of the fight.