Agent Zero
Encyclopedia
David North is a mutant
comic book
character in the fictional Marvel Universe
. He was originally known as Maverick, and more recently as Agent Zero. North first appeared in X-Men (vol. 2) #5 and was created by Jim Lee
.
Later, as Agent Zero, he became a regular in the second series of Weapon X.
regime. He also had an older brother, Andreas. A mutant
, Christoph possessed the ability to absorb kinetic energy
through impact with little to no harm.
, joining a West German
black ops unit named Cell Six. On a mission in Italy
, he was injured by a rival assassin
codenamed the Confessor.
While recovering, he met an Italian nurse, Ginetta Barsalini, whom he fell in love with and married. Over the next three years, Cell Six's field agents were eliminated one by one, except for Nord. Nord realized Ginetta was a spy. Threatening to shoot her, he demanded to know her employer. Saying he didn't have the guts to shoot a defenseless woman in cold blood, she lunged at him with a knife, causing him to shoot her in self-defense
. Dying, she revealed that in killing her, he also killed their unborn child. Long after this incident, Nord continues to be wracked with guilt about the betrayal and still seeks answers as to whom Barsalini was working for. This watershed moment left Nord cold and distrusting of everyone, especially women.
. He agreed, and at this time, changed his name to David North. As a part of Team X, he was one of several mutant operatives the government experimented on and exploited. Each member unknowingly received false memory implants, and North received a slight healing factor culled from Logan's DNA
. North's immediate team consisted of three field agents: North, Logan (who later became Wolverine
), and Victor Creed (who later became Sabretooth
). The mutant teleport
er John Wraith, also referred to as Kestrel, served as the team's intelligence man and extractor. It was at this time that North began wearing his signature yellow and black faceplate.
On a mission in East Germany, both Creed and Logan were badly injured. Rather than follow protocol and leave them, North dragged them to the extraction point. Cornered by Andreas Nord, now an assassin, North saved his teammates the only way he could; killing his own brother in cold blood. Because of this incident, Logan holds North in very high regard.
Another mission saw the three agents confront Omega Red
in Berlin. They succeeded in stealing the carbonadium synthesizer, which was necessary for the Russian to control his death factor pheromone
. Taking down the psychopathic Omega Red was not as easy. In the chaos, Creed panicked, killing Janice Hollenback, the CIA mole
they were attempting to rescue. The team then escaped by jumping from a ten-story window. The synthesizer was thought lost, and a rift formed between Creed and Logan due to Creed's actions on the mission. Unbeknownst to the agency, Logan had recovered the synthesizer and hid it. North suspected as much at the time, but did not know for sure.
By the early 1970s, Team X was summarily disbanded. However, the team's agents were captured by Weapon X
to be used as test subjects. When Logan underwent the adamantium bonding, he went on a murderous rampage, allowing North and the others to escape. Around this time, North inexplicably lost his powers. Undaunted, North continued to work in espionage as a mercenary using the trade name Maverick. The inspiration for the name had come from a conversation in which North boasted that he neither trusted nor needed anyone, to which Logan responded, "A regular maverick, eh?"
He worked for private parties and governmental agencies alike, taking several contracts from retired Major Arthur Barrington, the man who had brought North into the CIA. When Omega Red captured Wolverine as well as several of the X-Men
in Berlin in an effort to locate the carbonadium synthesizer, Maverick was sent in by Barrington. Maverick helped free the captive X-Men, and tracked Sabretooth to Omega Red. With the X-Men's help, he obtained the device from Wolverine and hid it once again. Maverick aided the X-Men in combat against Sabretooth, Omega Red, Fenris
, and Matsu'o Tsurayaba
. During the course of this incident, Maverick murders Dr. Abraham Cornelius
in cold blood.
Barrington later sent him to acquire the Xavier Files, profiles of the powers and weaknesses of various mutants, which were compiled by the X-Men's founder. Maverick battled Warhawk
and killed Dr. Alexander Ryking. In the clash, Warhawk exploded, seemingly destroying the files. Maverick was later hired by the US government to protect Aldo Ferro, a former Weapon X member. Former Team X alumni sought Ferro out after Mastodon
died when his age suppression factor reversed. Unbeknownst to Team X, Ferro was the second Psi-Borg, and was responsible for the planting of false memories during their time with Weapon X. Betrayed by Ferro, Maverick then sided with his former teammates Wolverine, Sabretooth, Silver Fox
, and John Wraith, and Ferro was seemingly killed in the subsequent battle.
Maverick next sought to kill Sabretooth, who was in the midst of a psychotic murderous rampage following the death of Birdy. First seeking Wolverine to aid him in this goal, he reluctantly aids the X-Men in merely capturing Sabretooth, setting in motion what became a failed attempt by Charles Xavier to rehabilitate the serial killer.
. This development brought about the random return of his powers but also a loss of energy and horrible scarring all over his body. He tried to convince Wolverine to kill him, but Wolverine refused. Maverick decided to make the best of it, and "fight the good fight." His health declining, he traveled the world from safe house
to safe house, using his savings to procure treatment for his infection.
During this time, he recruited a very unstable Wolverine to help him rescue Deadpool. Maverick was attacked by a group led by Slayback at his Manhattan safe house. Maverick managed to escape to the X-Mansion and spent several hours in a coma. After coming to, Maverick revealed that he and Deadpool had been targeted because both mutants with healing factors taken from Wolverine's DNA template. Maverick felt they would soon come for Wolverine directly. Deadpool was being experimented on in an attempt to create a cure for the Legacy Virus. Maverick and Wolverine located and rescued Deadpool. It was later discovered by Beast
that Deadpool's body could not generate a cure.
While in New York, he saved a fellow Legacy Virus-positive mutant, teenager Chris Bradley
and his family from an attack by the Friends of Humanity
. The FOH retaliated by firebombing Bradley's home, spurring Maverick to use his connections to relocate the Bradley family to Florida under aliases. He also got Chris medical treatment and set his parents up with new jobs.
He then left for Canada
. While there, former KGB
agent and mutant telepath Elena Ivanova found him, demanding he help her track down Sabretooth
, who had killed her mother during his Weapon X years. Before he could answer her, they were attacked by Omega Red, who had tracked Ivanova to Maverick in hopes of recovering the carbonadium synthesizer. With the help of John Wraith, they succeeded in keeping the device away from the villain.
Ivanova felt that she owed Maverick and stuck by his side, despite his icy demeanor. They traveled together for a time. The Legacy Virus then took hold, killing North. Ivanova used her powers to resuscitate him. To their surprise, the virus seemingly went into remission, all of his wounds from the virus were healed. His powers not only returned but were enhanced. Also Weapon X's memory implants were cleared from his mind. He would later realize that the Legacy Virus made his new powers inconsistent, at times making them a danger to himself. Immediately, trouble found them in the form of Russian mob boss Ivan Pushkin, who sent his enforcers Hammer and Sickle to abduct them.
Pushkin used Ivanova's powers in an attempt to brainwash Maverick into killing Major Arthur Barrington by making him believe it was Barrington who had set up Barsalini's betrayal all those years ago. In reality, Barrington was to deliver testimony at an inquest that would have been damaging to Pushkin's business interests. Attacking but not killing Barrington, Maverick quickly regained his senses. While he blinded the left eye of Sickle with his own weapon, Hammer killed Barrington.
Meanwhile Chris Bradley ran from home, missing his girlfriend in New York. The FOH tapped his friends' phone and when he reached New York, they again tried to kill Chris. Maverick, Ivanova and Wolverine saved him and his friend. Ivanova then used her abilities to make the FOH and Chris' girlfriend think he'd died in the scuffle. Both shaken by the life threatening events of the past few days, Ivanova and North's relationship, platonic up to this point, became physical.
The following morning, Ivanova still expressed the desire to go after Sabretooth. Maverick harshly warned that an assault against Sabretooth was a fool's errand, and implied she'd slept with him to coerce him to aid her goal. Angered, Ivanova left Maverick that night to continue her vendetta. A regretful Maverick traced Ivanova's steps and found her as she was rendered comatose by Sabretooth's assault. Maverick stopped Sabretooth from delivering the killing blow, and left a badly injured Ivanova in the care of the Bradley family.
Maverick then renewed his vendetta with Ivan Pushkin, desperate to avenge Barrington's death. Pushkin captured Maverick, hoping to coerce Maverick to work for him. Maverick, however, freed himself and ruined Pushkin's attempted theft of a payload of A.I.M.
weaponry. In the midst of this, Sickle gained a measure of revenge by gouging out Maverick's left eye and stranding him in the Swiss Alps
Taken to Weapon X near death, Malcolm Colcord
again offered him the chance to join, as he could still be saved. This time, he reluctantly agreed, rationalizing it by saying he couldn't "fight the good fight" as a corpse. He was healed and then upgraded with explicit intent of assassinating Wolverine. He has no scent, makes no sound thanks to a vibranium
suit, possesses an enhanced healing factor
, and a corrosive was added to his concussive blasts that hinders a foes' healing factor. In addition, he was equipped with a wide array of weapons, from wrist-mounted plasma blasters to an adamantium-coated knife. The world believed that North was dead, and he sought to keep it that way. He dyed his brown hair black and adopted a new alias, Agent Zero. After sending him on a few simple missions, Colcord tried to break his will by sending him to kill Wolverine, a mission he purposely botched.
Feeling guilty for joining the enemy, he contemplated suicide daily. His hatred for his teammate Sabretooth still ran deep, as he tried yet again to kill him, only to be stopped from dealing a fatal blow by the Director.
During a mission, Agent Zero encountered a new Maverick, who unbeknownst to Zero, was Chris Bradley. Bradley had infiltrated a mutant terrorist group called Gene Nation
in an effort to destroy them from inside. Bradley had wanted revenge on Weapon X for 'killing' North. To achieve that goal, he received training in black ops from Cable
and assumed the Maverick mantle. Zero, believing this new Maverick was a terrorist, shot and killed him, only to find the truth as Bradley lay dying. Returning to the base after this occurred, Zero found Weapon X had disappeared without a trace. Zero then picked up Bradley's fight, attacking Gene Nation strongholds across the world and also searched for answers as to what happened to the program.
It was revealed that Zero doesn't know what happened to Weapon X was because he was being brainwashed by Mesmero
as Zero had become increasingly harder to control. Zero had gone after Gene Nation because of Weapon X's instruction. Without realizing it, Zero served as executioner at Neverland, a mutant concentration camp set up by Weapon X. But as soon as Weapon X bothered to reveal these truths, they put him under again, and Zero went on, none the wiser.
, as a result of Scarlet Witch's
actions during the House Of M
. It has been revealed that he is among the mutants who have been depowered.
North is seen residing in a center for former mutants and once again using the Maverick alias. Wolverine sought him out for information on carbonadium, reuniting the two and Jubilee
. However, Omega Red soon attacked the building, looking for the carbonadium synthesizer.
Maverick stole Weapon X files and sold them on the black market. In an effort to cover up his involvement in Kick-starting the Strikeforce X program from Wolverine, he killed the man to whom he sold the files.
Upon accepting his first offer to work for the Weapon X Program, North is artificially granted a slight healing factor that allows him to recover from mild to moderate injuries much faster than a normal human. It also renders him immune to most diseases and toxins and also greatly suppressed his natural aging process. However, after contracting the Legacy Virus
, his kinetic absorption ability is dramatically reduced in efficiency and his healing factor burns itself out while fighting the virus.
After the virus claims his life and he is resuscitated by Elena Ivanova, the Legacy Virus immediately goes into remission and his kinetic absorption ability mutates. After absorbing energy, North must release the energy in the forms of powerful concussive or heat blasts. He can also channel the energy into physical attacks, increasing the physical force of his punches and kicks to superhuman levels.
After being forced to join the Weapon X Program once again, North's kinetic absorption ability is artificially mutated further. Now, aside from channeling the energy to increase the strength of his physical attacks, North can expel a corrosive enzyme that is secreted from the tips of his fingers via his energy blasts. Aside from its acidic properties, the enzyme is specifically designed by the Weapon X Program to counteract the effects of an opponent's self-healing capabilities by reversing the process. The more an enemy's body attempts to heal itself from injuries sustained by the enzyme, the worse the injuries become. As a side effect of the procedure used to grant him this ability, North's body now possesses no discernible scent.
Currently, North possesses no superhuman powers. Like most of the world's mutant population, North has lost his mutant powers following the events of M-Day
.
The costume he has worn for most of his mercenary career as Maverick is a suit of body armor consisting of lightweight fiberglass armor plating, a padded kevlar
lining, and airtight seals or shields that allow him to seal the suit for further protection. His mask contained a limited oxygen supply as well as infrared scanning and targeting systems. The suit also harnessed a booster pack that could magnify the kinetic energy his body absorbed. Canadian inventor Isabel Ferguson is the primary source of his specialized gear.
As Agent Zero, North wears a body armor woven from vibranium
, rendering him completely silent as he moves. It also refracts light which renders him practically invisible to conventional detection methods in total darkness.
North has carried a wide array of weaponry including, but not limited to: thermite bombs, hydraulic bolt guns, titanium bullets, wrist-mounted projectile tasers, wrist-mounted plasma blasters, adamantium bullets, anti-metal bullets, and an adamantium-coated knife.
#62. Maverick was forced to join Weapon X, a group of reality-hopping people who had to kill people in order to save realities. Little is known about Maverick, except that he apparently was killed by the bladed shield of an alternate version of Captain America
. For a time, the body was trapped in the Timebroker's Crystal Palace until the Exiles sent his body back home. On his home-world of Earth-1287, Maverick was revealed to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
before his abduction, working alongside Nick Fury
, who later honored his best agent by giving him a proper funeral.
, Sunfire, Mystique
, Aurora
, and Deadpool
. After a time, the Director activated Zero's embedded mental directive, and Zero, against his will, slaughtered the X-Men, except for Wolverine. Unable to bring himself to kill his friend and teammate, he fought the mind control just long enough to commit suicide.
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...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character in the fictional Marvel 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...
. He was originally known as Maverick, and more recently as Agent Zero. North first appeared in X-Men (vol. 2) #5 and was created by Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
.
Publication history
North has appeared in a self titled one-shot, Maverick:In the Shadow of Death as well as a self-titled short-lived ongoing series called Maverick.Later, as Agent Zero, he became a regular in the second series of Weapon X.
Early life
Christoph Nord was born in East Germany. His early history is clouded in mystery, though there are whispers that his parents were involved with the NaziNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
regime. He also had an older brother, Andreas. 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...
, Christoph possessed the ability to absorb kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
through impact with little to no harm.
Cell Six
A self-described idealist, he fought against the communist regime during the height of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, joining a West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
black ops unit named Cell Six. On a mission in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, he was injured by a rival assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
codenamed the Confessor.
While recovering, he met an Italian nurse, Ginetta Barsalini, whom he fell in love with and married. Over the next three years, Cell Six's field agents were eliminated one by one, except for Nord. Nord realized Ginetta was a spy. Threatening to shoot her, he demanded to know her employer. Saying he didn't have the guts to shoot a defenseless woman in cold blood, she lunged at him with a knife, causing him to shoot her in self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. Dying, she revealed that in killing her, he also killed their unborn child. Long after this incident, Nord continues to be wracked with guilt about the betrayal and still seeks answers as to whom Barsalini was working for. This watershed moment left Nord cold and distrusting of everyone, especially women.
Weapon X
Fueled by the betrayal, Nord became one of the most efficient covert operatives in Germany. In the 1960s, his exploits caught the attention of the CIA, who offered him a spot in the clandestine Team XTeam X (comics)
-Comics:In the Marvel Universe, Team X was a CIA black ops team that operated during the 1960s and was linked to Weapon Plus. It was made up of Logan , Victor Creed , Mastodon, David North/Christoph Nord , the Major Arthur Barrington, Silver Fox, Noel Higgins , Aldo Ferro and John Wraith...
. He agreed, and at this time, changed his name to David North. As a part of Team X, he was one of several mutant operatives the government experimented on and exploited. Each member unknowingly received false memory implants, and North received a slight healing factor culled from Logan's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
. North's immediate team consisted of three field agents: North, Logan (who later became Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
), and Victor Creed (who later became Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
). The mutant teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
er John Wraith, also referred to as Kestrel, served as the team's intelligence man and extractor. It was at this time that North began wearing his signature yellow and black faceplate.
On a mission in East Germany, both Creed and Logan were badly injured. Rather than follow protocol and leave them, North dragged them to the extraction point. Cornered by Andreas Nord, now an assassin, North saved his teammates the only way he could; killing his own brother in cold blood. Because of this incident, Logan holds North in very high regard.
Another mission saw the three agents confront Omega Red
Omega Red
Omega Red is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #4 , and was created by Jim Lee...
in Berlin. They succeeded in stealing the carbonadium synthesizer, which was necessary for the Russian to control his death factor pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
. Taking down the psychopathic Omega Red was not as easy. In the chaos, Creed panicked, killing Janice Hollenback, the CIA mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
they were attempting to rescue. The team then escaped by jumping from a ten-story window. The synthesizer was thought lost, and a rift formed between Creed and Logan due to Creed's actions on the mission. Unbeknownst to the agency, Logan had recovered the synthesizer and hid it. North suspected as much at the time, but did not know for sure.
By the early 1970s, Team X was summarily disbanded. However, the team's agents were captured by Weapon X
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their...
to be used as test subjects. When Logan underwent the adamantium bonding, he went on a murderous rampage, allowing North and the others to escape. Around this time, North inexplicably lost his powers. Undaunted, North continued to work in espionage as a mercenary using the trade name Maverick. The inspiration for the name had come from a conversation in which North boasted that he neither trusted nor needed anyone, to which Logan responded, "A regular maverick, eh?"
Mercenary
Time passed and Maverick developed a reputation as one of the best hired guns available. Maverick compensated for his lack of powers with meticulous planning and a reliance on the latest technology.He worked for private parties and governmental agencies alike, taking several contracts from retired Major Arthur Barrington, the man who had brought North into the CIA. When Omega Red captured Wolverine as well as several of 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...
in Berlin in an effort to locate the carbonadium synthesizer, Maverick was sent in by Barrington. Maverick helped free the captive X-Men, and tracked Sabretooth to Omega Red. With the X-Men's help, he obtained the device from Wolverine and hid it once again. Maverick aided the X-Men in combat against Sabretooth, Omega Red, Fenris
Fenris (comics)
Fenris are two fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe, namely German twins Andrea and Andreas von Strucker. They are the children of supervillain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA and the half-brother of Werner von Strucker. Andrea is female, Andreas is male...
, and Matsu'o Tsurayaba
Matsu'o Tsurayaba
Matsu'o Tsurayaba is a comic book fictional character associated with the Hand, and part of the Marvel Comics universe. A member of the Hand, Tsurayaba's first appearance came in Uncanny X-Men #255 and was directly involved with the "body swap incident" between Betsy Braddock and Kwannon just after...
. During the course of this incident, Maverick murders Dr. Abraham Cornelius
Abraham Cornelius
Doctor Abraham Cornelius is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was first mentioned in Barry Windsor-Smith's eight page preview prequel chapter to the original "Weapon X Saga" in Marvel Comics Presents #72 but first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #73 .-Fictional character...
in cold blood.
Barrington later sent him to acquire the Xavier Files, profiles of the powers and weaknesses of various mutants, which were compiled by the X-Men's founder. Maverick battled Warhawk
Warhawk (Marvel Comics)
Warhawk is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Warhawk was a master assassin used by the C.I.A. in Vietnam who later went insane and battled Iron Fist. Later, Warhawk regained his sanity and became a costumed criminal for hire...
and killed Dr. Alexander Ryking. In the clash, Warhawk exploded, seemingly destroying the files. Maverick was later hired by the US government to protect Aldo Ferro, a former Weapon X member. Former Team X alumni sought Ferro out after Mastodon
Mastodon (comics)
Mastodon is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, primarily featured in the Wolverine comic books. He first appeared in Wolverine #48 .-Fictional character biography:...
died when his age suppression factor reversed. Unbeknownst to Team X, Ferro was the second Psi-Borg, and was responsible for the planting of false memories during their time with Weapon X. Betrayed by Ferro, Maverick then sided with his former teammates Wolverine, Sabretooth, Silver Fox
Silver Fox
Silver Fox is a fictional character, a human in the Marvel Comics universe.- Fictional character biography :Silver Fox is a lover of Wolverine who first appeared in Wolverine vol.2 #10, where she is killed by Sabretooth...
, and John Wraith, and Ferro was seemingly killed in the subsequent battle.
Maverick next sought to kill Sabretooth, who was in the midst of a psychotic murderous rampage following the death of Birdy. First seeking Wolverine to aid him in this goal, he reluctantly aids the X-Men in merely capturing Sabretooth, setting in motion what became a failed attempt by Charles Xavier to rehabilitate the serial killer.
Legacy Virus
Maverick swiftly contracted the Legacy VirusLegacy 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....
. This development brought about the random return of his powers but also a loss of energy and horrible scarring all over his body. He tried to convince Wolverine to kill him, but Wolverine refused. Maverick decided to make the best of it, and "fight the good fight." His health declining, he traveled the world from safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
to safe house, using his savings to procure treatment for his infection.
During this time, he recruited a very unstable Wolverine to help him rescue Deadpool. Maverick was attacked by a group led by Slayback at his Manhattan safe house. Maverick managed to escape to the X-Mansion and spent several hours in a coma. After coming to, Maverick revealed that he and Deadpool had been targeted because both mutants with healing factors taken from Wolverine's DNA template. Maverick felt they would soon come for Wolverine directly. Deadpool was being experimented on in an attempt to create a cure for the Legacy Virus. Maverick and Wolverine located and rescued Deadpool. It was later discovered by Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
that Deadpool's body could not generate a cure.
While in New York, he saved a fellow Legacy Virus-positive mutant, teenager Chris Bradley
Bolt (comics)
Christopher Bradley, formerly known as Bolt and Maverick, is a fictional comic book character who appears in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. He is a young mutant who first appeared in X-Men Unlimited #8.-Legacy Virus:Chris Bradley was first introduced as a...
and his family from an attack by the Friends of Humanity
Friends of Humanity
The Friends of Humanity are one of the many anti-mutant hate groups in the Marvel Universe. Notable anti-mutant activists such as one time presidential-hopeful Graydon Creed and the robotic Bastion were among its members.-History:...
. The FOH retaliated by firebombing Bradley's home, spurring Maverick to use his connections to relocate the Bradley family to Florida under aliases. He also got Chris medical treatment and set his parents up with new jobs.
He then left for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. While there, former KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent and mutant telepath Elena Ivanova found him, demanding he help her track down Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, who had killed her mother during his Weapon X years. Before he could answer her, they were attacked by Omega Red, who had tracked Ivanova to Maverick in hopes of recovering the carbonadium synthesizer. With the help of John Wraith, they succeeded in keeping the device away from the villain.
Ivanova felt that she owed Maverick and stuck by his side, despite his icy demeanor. They traveled together for a time. The Legacy Virus then took hold, killing North. Ivanova used her powers to resuscitate him. To their surprise, the virus seemingly went into remission, all of his wounds from the virus were healed. His powers not only returned but were enhanced. Also Weapon X's memory implants were cleared from his mind. He would later realize that the Legacy Virus made his new powers inconsistent, at times making them a danger to himself. Immediately, trouble found them in the form of Russian mob boss Ivan Pushkin, who sent his enforcers Hammer and Sickle to abduct them.
Pushkin used Ivanova's powers in an attempt to brainwash Maverick into killing Major Arthur Barrington by making him believe it was Barrington who had set up Barsalini's betrayal all those years ago. In reality, Barrington was to deliver testimony at an inquest that would have been damaging to Pushkin's business interests. Attacking but not killing Barrington, Maverick quickly regained his senses. While he blinded the left eye of Sickle with his own weapon, Hammer killed Barrington.
Meanwhile Chris Bradley ran from home, missing his girlfriend in New York. The FOH tapped his friends' phone and when he reached New York, they again tried to kill Chris. Maverick, Ivanova and Wolverine saved him and his friend. Ivanova then used her abilities to make the FOH and Chris' girlfriend think he'd died in the scuffle. Both shaken by the life threatening events of the past few days, Ivanova and North's relationship, platonic up to this point, became physical.
The following morning, Ivanova still expressed the desire to go after Sabretooth. Maverick harshly warned that an assault against Sabretooth was a fool's errand, and implied she'd slept with him to coerce him to aid her goal. Angered, Ivanova left Maverick that night to continue her vendetta. A regretful Maverick traced Ivanova's steps and found her as she was rendered comatose by Sabretooth's assault. Maverick stopped Sabretooth from delivering the killing blow, and left a badly injured Ivanova in the care of the Bradley family.
Maverick then renewed his vendetta with Ivan Pushkin, desperate to avenge Barrington's death. Pushkin captured Maverick, hoping to coerce Maverick to work for him. Maverick, however, freed himself and ruined Pushkin's attempted theft of a payload of A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
weaponry. In the midst of this, Sickle gained a measure of revenge by gouging out Maverick's left eye and stranding him in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
Agent Zero
The Weapon X project was soon reinvigorated, and having brought Sabretooth and Wraith back into the fold, they were sent to recruit Maverick. Wraith lured an unwitting Maverick into a rendezvous. Maverick refused to join, and a fierce battle ensued. Sabretooth caught Maverick off guard, impaling him in the chest then throwing him off the roof of a 20-story building and onto the street below.Taken to Weapon X near death, Malcolm Colcord
Malcolm Colcord
Malcolm Colcord, also known as The Director, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He appeared as a villain in the series Wolverine and was an important character in the Weapon X-comics.-Fictional character biography:...
again offered him the chance to join, as he could still be saved. This time, he reluctantly agreed, rationalizing it by saying he couldn't "fight the good fight" as a corpse. He was healed and then upgraded with explicit intent of assassinating Wolverine. He has no scent, makes no sound thanks to a vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
suit, possesses an enhanced healing factor
Healing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
, and a corrosive was added to his concussive blasts that hinders a foes' healing factor. In addition, he was equipped with a wide array of weapons, from wrist-mounted plasma blasters to an adamantium-coated knife. The world believed that North was dead, and he sought to keep it that way. He dyed his brown hair black and adopted a new alias, Agent Zero. After sending him on a few simple missions, Colcord tried to break his will by sending him to kill Wolverine, a mission he purposely botched.
Feeling guilty for joining the enemy, he contemplated suicide daily. His hatred for his teammate Sabretooth still ran deep, as he tried yet again to kill him, only to be stopped from dealing a fatal blow by the Director.
During a mission, Agent Zero encountered a new Maverick, who unbeknownst to Zero, was Chris Bradley. Bradley had infiltrated a mutant terrorist group called 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:...
in an effort to destroy them from inside. Bradley had wanted revenge on Weapon X for 'killing' North. To achieve that goal, he received training in black ops from Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
and assumed the Maverick mantle. Zero, believing this new Maverick was a terrorist, shot and killed him, only to find the truth as Bradley lay dying. Returning to the base after this occurred, Zero found Weapon X had disappeared without a trace. Zero then picked up Bradley's fight, attacking Gene Nation strongholds across the world and also searched for answers as to what happened to the program.
It was revealed that Zero doesn't know what happened to Weapon X was because he was being brainwashed by Mesmero
Mesmero
Mesmero is a fictional mutant, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in [Uncanny] X-Men #49.-Fictional character biography:...
as Zero had become increasingly harder to control. Zero had gone after Gene Nation because of Weapon X's instruction. Without realizing it, Zero served as executioner at Neverland, a mutant concentration camp set up by Weapon X. But as soon as Weapon X bothered to reveal these truths, they put him under again, and Zero went on, none the wiser.
Decimation
Agent Zero lost his powers on M-DayDecimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
, as a result of Scarlet Witch's
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
actions during 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...
. It has been revealed that he is among the mutants who have been depowered.
North is seen residing in a center for former mutants and once again using the Maverick alias. Wolverine sought him out for information on carbonadium, reuniting the two and Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
. However, Omega Red soon attacked the building, looking for the carbonadium synthesizer.
Maverick stole Weapon X files and sold them on the black market. In an effort to cover up his involvement in Kick-starting the Strikeforce X program from Wolverine, he killed the man to whom he sold the files.
Powers and abilities
North's primary mutant power is an ability to absorb the kinetic energy generated by an impact without harm to himself. While there are limits to this power, North is able to survive falls from tremendous heights, energy blasts, and being struck by superhumanly strong foes without being injured.Upon accepting his first offer to work for the Weapon X Program, North is artificially granted a slight healing factor that allows him to recover from mild to moderate injuries much faster than a normal human. It also renders him immune to most diseases and toxins and also greatly suppressed his natural aging process. However, after contracting 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....
, his kinetic absorption ability is dramatically reduced in efficiency and his healing factor burns itself out while fighting the virus.
After the virus claims his life and he is resuscitated by Elena Ivanova, the Legacy Virus immediately goes into remission and his kinetic absorption ability mutates. After absorbing energy, North must release the energy in the forms of powerful concussive or heat blasts. He can also channel the energy into physical attacks, increasing the physical force of his punches and kicks to superhuman levels.
After being forced to join the Weapon X Program once again, North's kinetic absorption ability is artificially mutated further. Now, aside from channeling the energy to increase the strength of his physical attacks, North can expel a corrosive enzyme that is secreted from the tips of his fingers via his energy blasts. Aside from its acidic properties, the enzyme is specifically designed by the Weapon X Program to counteract the effects of an opponent's self-healing capabilities by reversing the process. The more an enemy's body attempts to heal itself from injuries sustained by the enzyme, the worse the injuries become. As a side effect of the procedure used to grant him this ability, North's body now possesses no discernible scent.
Currently, North possesses no superhuman powers. Like most of the world's mutant population, North has lost his mutant powers following the events of M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
.
Skills and equipment
North is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and covert operative. He is also an expert marksman, skilled in the use of virtually all types of firearms. He has also worn a variety of uniforms over the course of his career.The costume he has worn for most of his mercenary career as Maverick is a suit of body armor consisting of lightweight fiberglass armor plating, a padded kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
lining, and airtight seals or shields that allow him to seal the suit for further protection. His mask contained a limited oxygen supply as well as infrared scanning and targeting systems. The suit also harnessed a booster pack that could magnify the kinetic energy his body absorbed. Canadian inventor Isabel Ferguson is the primary source of his specialized gear.
As Agent Zero, North wears a body armor woven from vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
, rendering him completely silent as he moves. It also refracts light which renders him practically invisible to conventional detection methods in total darkness.
North has carried a wide array of weaponry including, but not limited to: thermite bombs, hydraulic bolt guns, titanium bullets, wrist-mounted projectile tasers, wrist-mounted plasma blasters, adamantium bullets, anti-metal bullets, and an adamantium-coated knife.
Exiles
An alternate version of Maverick was revealed to exist in ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
#62. Maverick was forced to join Weapon X, a group of reality-hopping people who had to kill people in order to save realities. Little is known about Maverick, except that he apparently was killed by the bladed shield of an alternate version of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. For a time, the body was trapped in the Timebroker's Crystal Palace until the Exiles sent his body back home. On his home-world of Earth-1287, Maverick was revealed to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
before his abduction, working alongside Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
, who later honored his best agent by giving him a proper funeral.
Earth-5700
In a possible future timeline (Earth-5700), Agent Zero joined a Wolverine-led version of the X-Men, teaming with Archangel, JuggernautJuggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, Sunfire, 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...
, Aurora
Aurora (comics)
Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....
, and Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
. After a time, the Director activated Zero's embedded mental directive, and Zero, against his will, slaughtered the X-Men, except for Wolverine. Unable to bring himself to kill his friend and teammate, he fought the mind control just long enough to commit suicide.
Television
- Maverick appeared in one episode of the '90s X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
cartoon, "Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape", searching answers about his past and his involvement with Weapon X, teaming with Wolverine, Sabretooth, Beast, and Silver Fox to take down the robot Talos. In the episode "Whatever It Takes", the character Morph briefly turns into Maverick to taunt Wolverine. Maverick also appears in flashbacks that depict himself and Wolverine battling Omega Red, though that memory could be one of Weapon X's implanted memories. His voice actor was uncredited.
- In X-Men Evolution, Omega Red tells Wolverine that he has a vendetta against him, Maverick, and Sabretooth which Logan does not recall.
- Maverick appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Past Discretions", voiced by Crispin FreemanCrispin FreemanCrispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
. He primarily appears in a flashback as a target for capture by Wolverine (Weapon X) and Sabretooth. He was captured by Weapon X and brainwashed. His only shown powers are kinetic absorption. He also had a daughter (Christy NordPetra (comics)Petra is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in the limited series X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 . Petra was created by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Pete Woods and is one of the "Missing X-Men".-Fictional character biography:Petra...
), who was revealed to be a mutant with geokinesis, but his memories of her were removed by Weapon X. In "Stolen Lives", Maverick was sent to abduct his daughter causing Wolverine to team-up with Mystique. Like Wolverine's problem when being recruited for Weapon X, the majority of North's memories have been permanently erased. However, his memories of Christy are restored by Emma FrostEmma FrostEmma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
.
Film
- In X2X2 (film)X2 is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is the second film in the X-Men film series...
, the name David North appears on a computer screen among the names of other well-known characters.
- David North/Agent Zero appears in the film X-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
as a member of Team XTeam X (comics)-Comics:In the Marvel Universe, Team X was a CIA black ops team that operated during the 1960s and was linked to Weapon Plus. It was made up of Logan , Victor Creed , Mastodon, David North/Christoph Nord , the Major Arthur Barrington, Silver Fox, Noel Higgins , Aldo Ferro and John Wraith...
played by Daniel Henney. Depicted as Asian in ethnicity, he is a superhumanly accurate sniper/assassin and Stryker's second in command. He and Victor CreedSabretooth (comics)Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
are the only ones from Team X that stayed faithful to Stryker. When Wolverine breaks out from the Weapon X facility, Zero pursues him to an old barn belonging to an elderly couple who have taken Wolverine in. Zero kills the couple and orders a helicopter strike to kill Wolverine. When Wolverine gets away on a motorcycle Zero pursues him in the helicopter which Wolverine eventually causes to crash. After mocking Wolverine about how "good-innocent people die around him" Wolverine ignites a trail of fuel with his claws that causes the helicopter to explode, presumably killing Zero who is apparently trapped inside. Zero was also allegedly the one who told Fred Dukes and John Wraith about Stryker and Victor Creed working together and hunting down mutants. This version of the character is depicted as being exceptionally ruthless - killing several innocent civilians over the course of the film in order to complete his mission. Agent Zero in fact, refers to himself as a soldier at heart. His powers in the film are enhanced speed, agility and superhuman accuracy with firearms. Lauren Shuler DonnerLauren Shuler DonnerLauren Shuler Donner is an American film producer who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment.-Early life and career:...
says on the DVD commentary that Agent Zero has no scent, and that a sequence was planned that he escapes the crash and Logan cuts down the forest to stop him. The character is repeatedly referred to as Zero, rather than using his given name. However, in the video game adaptationX-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 action-adventure game loosely based on the film of the same name. The game release coincided with the release of the film on May 1, 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed...
of the film, his name is given as David Nord.
Video games
- Maverick is briefly mentioned in Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
. - Agent Zero appears in the X-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 action-adventure game loosely based on the film of the same name. The game release coincided with the release of the film on May 1, 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed...
video game voiced by Robert Wu. He hunts Wolverine after he escapes the facility that bonded the adamantium to his skeleton, at one point attempting to take Wolverine out with a sniper rifle.
External links
- David North at Marvel.com