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Gideon (comics)
Encyclopedia
Gideon is a fictional character
, a mutant
supervillain
appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He was created by Rob Liefeld
and Fabian Nicieza
. Gideon was a member of the Externals
, a unique type of immortal
mutant, and an adversary of the X-Men
spin-off group X-Force
.
sailing for the Americas several hundred years ago. On one journey, he succumbed to scurvy
and was buried when the ship reached land. He awoke a few hours later, discovering his immortality.
Over several centuries, Gideon was able to amass a vast personal wealth. He also encountered and allied himself with several other Externals. He became the owner and CEO of Ophrah Industries in Denver, Colorado. At the end of the 20th century, the group began seeking out their newest member, whom Gideon erroneously believed to be Roberto da Costa
, a young mutant who had joined the New Mutants
, the junior division of the X-Men
, and taken the codename Sunspot. Gideon had known Roberto from a young age, having business relations with his father, a wealthy Brazilian businessman. Gideon had his servant Eve poison Roberto's father Emmanuel, and Gideon approached the boy, telling him he needed to take over his family's business. He took the young boy in under his wing and began to mentor him.
Gideon later had AIM
recreate Proteus
. Gideon and Sunspot were later held captive by Arianna Jankos, Black Tom Cassidy
, and Juggernaut
. Gideon then publicly declared Cable
and X-Force
to be criminals. Gideon also clashed with and defeated the group of young superheroes known as the New Warriors
, while mostly naked. He then spent some time brutally torturing them for various reasons.
Gideon mentored Sunspot for a short while, until it was discovered that not Sunspot but his New Mutants teammate and best friend, Samuel Guthrie (a.k.a. Cannonball)
was the new External they had been seeking. Gideon met with the other Externals, and proposed to send Crule
to capture Cannonball. He contacted Crule, and then gave Sunspot over to one of his scientific labs, where they experimented on him and augmented his powers (at the great risk of killing him). Gideon forced Cannonball to promise not to interfere with External affairs in return for Sunspot's life.
Gideon attempted a hostile takeover of Genetech
and the Taylor Foundation, but was thwarted by Night Thrasher
and was defeated by him in physical combat. Gideon witnessed the External Nicodemus's death. Gideon was then offered a position with HYDRA
, but refused and battled a HYDRA strike force. He was aided in defeating them by Nick Fury
and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gideon was attacked and captured by X-Force, who then rescued Boomer
, Siryn
, and Warpath
.
All of the Externals were eventually killed (except for Cannonball
); Gideon was not spared and was killed by the energy vampire, Selene.
Gideon made his final appearance in the not too distant future, working beside Ahab
against fellow External Cannonball (who was briefly killed by Ahab in the same issue).
who has the ability to temporarily endow himself with superhuman abilities by replicating the superhuman energy signatures and genetic templates of superhuman beings. Apparently, he can duplicate even the superhuman capabilities of robots. He has the ability to mimic any nearby skill, talent, or power possessed by a person or mechanical being (such as an android or a battle suit) and then to reapply or redirect that ability back to the attacker. Gideon presumably psionically scans the genetic makeup of superhuman beings in order to duplicate their superhuman abilities within himself.
Gideon was an External, meaning his aging process is greatly retarded and that he can apparently regenerate injured or missing cells from even near-fatal injuries. He was granted with limited immortality
, only ended by an extremely mortal wound such as decapitation, by the Legacy Virus
(two Externals died by this method) or, in the case of his death, by a draining of the life energies.
Gideon is an extraordinary business strategist.
He wears body armor, and has access to androids, advanced vehicles, and other advanced technology developed by Ophrah Industries.
known as the Age of Apocalypse
, Gideon was drafted to be one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse
. Gideon, alongside Sabretooth, Candra, Death and War, planned to fire nuclear missiles at Cape Citadel (in a similar manner to Magneto
in Uncanny X-Men #1). Gideon was selected to hack the computer system and fire the missiles. He was interrupted by Magneto, who he nearly defeated, until Magneto drew upon the Earth's Magnetic Field
to overload Gideon's powers, apparently killing him.
Fictional character
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...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
appearing 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...
. He was created by Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
and Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
. Gideon was a member of the Externals
Externals
The Externals were a fictional group of X-Men antagonists and subspecies of mutants.-Background:All of the Externals were originally portrayed as immortal and important, playing an extremely major role in the future and Apocalypse's rise to power , but eventually most were killed off. Only Selene,...
, a unique type of immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
mutant, and an adversary 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...
spin-off group X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
.
Fictional character biography
Before Gideon's mutant powers emerged, he was a sailor with the Spanish armadaSpanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
sailing for the Americas several hundred years ago. On one journey, he succumbed to scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
and was buried when the ship reached land. He awoke a few hours later, discovering his immortality.
Over several centuries, Gideon was able to amass a vast personal wealth. He also encountered and allied himself with several other Externals. He became the owner and CEO of Ophrah Industries in Denver, Colorado. At the end of the 20th century, the group began seeking out their newest member, whom Gideon erroneously believed to be Roberto da Costa
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
, a young mutant who had joined the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
, the junior division 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...
, and taken the codename Sunspot. Gideon had known Roberto from a young age, having business relations with his father, a wealthy Brazilian businessman. Gideon had his servant Eve poison Roberto's father Emmanuel, and Gideon approached the boy, telling him he needed to take over his family's business. He took the young boy in under his wing and began to mentor him.
Gideon later had AIM
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:...
recreate Proteus
Proteus (comics)
Kevin MacTaggert, best known as Proteus and also called Mutant X, is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men.Kevin was the mutant son of Scottish genetic researcher Moira MacTaggert and politician Joseph MacTaggert...
. Gideon and Sunspot were later held captive by Arianna Jankos, Black Tom Cassidy
Black Tom Cassidy
"Black Tom" Cassidy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, and archenemy of Banshee. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, he first fully appeared in Uncanny X-Men #101...
, and Juggernaut
Juggernaut (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....
. Gideon then publicly declared 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 X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
to be criminals. Gideon also clashed with and defeated the group of young superheroes known as the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, while mostly naked. He then spent some time brutally torturing them for various reasons.
Gideon mentored Sunspot for a short while, until it was discovered that not Sunspot but his New Mutants teammate and best friend, Samuel Guthrie (a.k.a. Cannonball)
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
was the new External they had been seeking. Gideon met with the other Externals, and proposed to send Crule
Crule (comics)
Crule is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in X-Force vol. 1 #12.-Fictional character biography:...
to capture Cannonball. He contacted Crule, and then gave Sunspot over to one of his scientific labs, where they experimented on him and augmented his powers (at the great risk of killing him). Gideon forced Cannonball to promise not to interfere with External affairs in return for Sunspot's life.
Gideon attempted a hostile takeover of Genetech
Genetech
Genetech is a fictional corporation in the Marvel Comics universe. It is located in Sayville, Long Island in the state of New York.Genetech is involved in many scientific endeavors and appears as both an ally and an adversary of the superhuman team the New Warriors. Genetech should not be confused...
and the Taylor Foundation, but was thwarted by Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
and was defeated by him in physical combat. Gideon witnessed the External Nicodemus's death. Gideon was then offered a position with HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
, but refused and battled a HYDRA strike force. He was aided in defeating them by 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...
and 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....
Gideon was attacked and captured by X-Force, who then rescued Boomer
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
, Siryn
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
, and Warpath
Warpath (comics)
James Proudstar, previously known as the second Thunderbird but also known as Warpath, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men....
.
All of the Externals were eventually killed (except for Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
); Gideon was not spared and was killed by the energy vampire, Selene.
Gideon made his final appearance in the not too distant future, working beside Ahab
Ahab (comics)
Ahab , a fictional character who is a cyborg supervillain from the future in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a native of the "Days of Future Past" timeline that first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
against fellow External Cannonball (who was briefly killed by Ahab in the same issue).
Powers and abilities
Gideon is a mutantMutant (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...
who has the ability to temporarily endow himself with superhuman abilities by replicating the superhuman energy signatures and genetic templates of superhuman beings. Apparently, he can duplicate even the superhuman capabilities of robots. He has the ability to mimic any nearby skill, talent, or power possessed by a person or mechanical being (such as an android or a battle suit) and then to reapply or redirect that ability back to the attacker. Gideon presumably psionically scans the genetic makeup of superhuman beings in order to duplicate their superhuman abilities within himself.
Gideon was an External, meaning his aging process is greatly retarded and that he can apparently regenerate injured or missing cells from even near-fatal injuries. He was granted with limited immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
, only ended by an extremely mortal wound such as decapitation, by 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....
(two Externals died by this method) or, in the case of his death, by a draining of the life energies.
Gideon is an extraordinary business strategist.
He wears body armor, and has access to androids, advanced vehicles, and other advanced technology developed by Ophrah Industries.
Age of Apocalypse
In the alternate realityParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
known as the Age of Apocalypse
Age 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...
, Gideon was drafted to be one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
. Gideon, alongside Sabretooth, Candra, Death and War, planned to fire nuclear missiles at Cape Citadel (in a similar manner to Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
in Uncanny X-Men #1). Gideon was selected to hack the computer system and fire the missiles. He was interrupted by Magneto, who he nearly defeated, until Magneto drew upon the Earth's Magnetic Field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
to overload Gideon's powers, apparently killing him.