Gosamyr
Encyclopedia
Gosamyr is a fictional character
, a superhero
from Marvel Comics
.
#66 (August 1988), and was created by Louise Simonson
and Bret Blevins
.
She subsequently featured in The New Mutants #67-74 (September 1988-April 1989); Power Pack #42 (December 1988); X-Terminators #4 (January 1989); and The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger #4 (April 1989).
Gosamyr received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
#3.
s.
The female of the species also has empathic powers which, even without intent, can cause conflict between even the closest of friends to the point of destruction. It is in their nature to provoke such conflict, thinking that it is "how everyone always behaves" anyway.
As part of this, Gosamyr used her beauty to seduce male humans, though in the case of Sunspot
of the New Mutants
the attraction appears to have been genuine. She even once tried to chat up Jack Power
of Power Pack
who was only about eight-years-old and resented her approaches.
. Spyder kept most of Gosamyr's family imprisoned while she herself was kept at the end of a leash like a pet and was contemptuously referred to as "it" rather than "she" since Spyder saw her as nothing more than property.
Through similar arrangements, Spyder had also acquired "property rights" over Lila Cheney
, an Earth super-hero who could teleport over long distances, including galaxies. Lila was kidnapped by Spyder's men in spite of the efforts of her friends from the New Mutants
.
While in Earth's orbit, Gosamyr gave Spyder the slip, stole a space yacht and also went to Earth to find the New Mutants and ask for their help to save both her family and Lila. Monitoring her from a distance, Spyder decided to let her go and await developments.
As they travelled through space, Gosamyr set about manipulating the New Mutants and causing conflict between them — as was her nature (see above). The boys in the team, Cannonball
and Sunspot
, were putty in her hands, while the girl members, Wolfsbane
, Mirage
and Magik
, were suspicious and resentful, as was Warlock
, the cybernetic alien.
Gosamyr and the New Mutants followed Spyder to a planet where greed and the search for profit was the norm. Her hold on them caused so much passion and resentment that Cannonball and Sunspot even came to blows (albeit not for the first time). Magik
broke the spell by striking Gosamyr with her Soulsword: she didn't kill her but did make her darker side appear for a split-second.
Now back to normal, the New Mutants broke into Spyder's palace in order to rescue Lila, but were captured by Spyder who had been monitoring their progress all this time and had used Gosamyr's nature to lead them into a trap.
The New Mutants were imprisoned, but Gosamyr was able to free them by using another trick which made her invisible. They then discovered that Gosamyr's family was made up of huge monstrous creatures encased in cocoons. Spyder intended to force them out and kill them because their bodies could be used to make valuable textile
s. Exiting their cocoons long before their time, the creatures grew with every passing minute and threatened to destroy the planet and its solar system
. To prevent this, Lila apparently teleported them and herself into the sun.
She appeared to have sacrificed herself, but Lila eventually returned alive and well.
where the Inferno
cycle began. Gosamyr remained on the fringes for most of this event, using her emphatic power to keep the demons away from her. She appears to have tempered her ability to cause conflict at this time and even Mirage
, who had been so critical of her previously, acknowledged her more friendly side.
had passed, Gosamyr helped out clearing the damage. She used her powers to help relieve the pain of male patients in a local hospital.
More controversially, she also helped the kids from Power Pack
reconcile with their parents who, in the course of fighting an enemy, had discovered that their children had super-powers which they had kept secret from them. The parents had suffered a nervous breakdown as a result, but Gosamyr convinced them that their children were still normal. (This "cover-up" was highly criticized in the readers' letters column
.)
Meeting other young mutants (see X-Terminators
), Gosamyr and her companions went to the spacecraft Ship
, the ally and mobile headquarters of X-Factor
. Ship knew all about Gosamyr's kind and tried to destroy her, though it was fought to a standstill by the mutants.
Although she appeared to feel a genuine attraction to Sunspot, she decided that her nature made her too much of a danger to the New Mutants and their friends and resolved to leave Earth before causing more, albeit unintentional, conflict: "With me around, the minute you stop fighting villainy, you'll start fighting each other". Ship informed her of a planet of mystic
s who might be able to teach her to curb her nature and provided her with a spacecraft with which to go there.
The boys in the groups each offered to accompany her, but she insisted on going alone. She kissed Cannonball and Sunspot good-bye — Rictor
and Rusty Collins
were kept away by the jealous Boom-Boom
and Skids
(another example of how Gosamyr would affect different sexes) — and left Earth.
Once out of her hibernation Gosamyr will gain in great size and strength. If used too early her power could destroy a whole planet, even a solar system.
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 superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
from 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...
.
Publication history
Gosamyr first appeared in New MutantsNew 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....
#66 (August 1988), and was created by Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
and Bret Blevins
Bret Blevins
Bret Blevins is an American comic book artist, animation storyboard artist, and painter. He is perhaps best known for his stint as the regular penciler of New Mutants.-Career:...
.
She subsequently featured in The New Mutants #67-74 (September 1988-April 1989); Power Pack #42 (December 1988); X-Terminators #4 (January 1989); and The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger #4 (April 1989).
Gosamyr received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#3.
Character
Gosamyr is a member of an ancient, but rare, race of alien beings. In line with her heritage, Gosamyr is a very beautiful and delicate humanoid creature, but this is her early stage. Once they reach adulthood her race cocoon themselves for several thousand years before finally emerging as large powerful monstrosities. If released too early they can be powerful enough to destroy planets, even solar systemSolar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
s.
The female of the species also has empathic powers which, even without intent, can cause conflict between even the closest of friends to the point of destruction. It is in their nature to provoke such conflict, thinking that it is "how everyone always behaves" anyway.
As part of this, Gosamyr used her beauty to seduce male humans, though in the case of Sunspot
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....
of 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 attraction appears to have been genuine. She even once tried to chat up Jack Power
Jack Power
Jonathan "Jack" Power, currently known as Mass Master, formerly Counterweight and Destroyer, is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Power Pack #1 and was created by Louise Simonson and June Brigman.-Publication history:Jack was a founding member of the superhero...
of Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
who was only about eight-years-old and resented her approaches.
Meets the New Mutants
Through some bad business dealings by her brother, Gosamyr and her family were forfeited to the evil alien businessbeing SpyderSpyder (comics)
Spyder is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Spyder is the alien head of the Webb, an intergalactic trading organization...
. Spyder kept most of Gosamyr's family imprisoned while she herself was kept at the end of a leash like a pet and was contemptuously referred to as "it" rather than "she" since Spyder saw her as nothing more than property.
Through similar arrangements, Spyder had also acquired "property rights" over Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport, but only over vast intergalactic distances.-Publication history:...
, an Earth super-hero who could teleport over long distances, including galaxies. Lila was kidnapped by Spyder's men in spite of the efforts of her friends from 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....
.
While in Earth's orbit, Gosamyr gave Spyder the slip, stole a space yacht and also went to Earth to find the New Mutants and ask for their help to save both her family and Lila. Monitoring her from a distance, Spyder decided to let her go and await developments.
As they travelled through space, Gosamyr set about manipulating the New Mutants and causing conflict between them — as was her nature (see above). The boys in the team, 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 ....
and Sunspot
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....
, were putty in her hands, while the girl members, Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (comics)
Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf...
, Mirage
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
and Magik
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:...
, were suspicious and resentful, as was Warlock
Warlock (New Mutants)
Warlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
, the cybernetic alien.
Gosamyr and the New Mutants followed Spyder to a planet where greed and the search for profit was the norm. Her hold on them caused so much passion and resentment that Cannonball and Sunspot even came to blows (albeit not for the first time). Magik
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:...
broke the spell by striking Gosamyr with her Soulsword: she didn't kill her but did make her darker side appear for a split-second.
Now back to normal, the New Mutants broke into Spyder's palace in order to rescue Lila, but were captured by Spyder who had been monitoring their progress all this time and had used Gosamyr's nature to lead them into a trap.
The New Mutants were imprisoned, but Gosamyr was able to free them by using another trick which made her invisible. They then discovered that Gosamyr's family was made up of huge monstrous creatures encased in cocoons. Spyder intended to force them out and kill them because their bodies could be used to make valuable textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s. Exiting their cocoons long before their time, the creatures grew with every passing minute and threatened to destroy the planet and its solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
. To prevent this, Lila apparently teleported them and herself into the sun.
She appeared to have sacrificed herself, but Lila eventually returned alive and well.
Inferno
Magik then used her own teleportation powers to get the New Mutants and Gosamyr away from the planet and into LimboOtherplace
Otherplace, is a fictional location in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in Uncanny X-Men #160, and was created by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson.-History:...
where the Inferno
Inferno (Marvel Comics)
Inferno was a Marvel Comics company-wide crossover in 1989 that mainly involved the mutant titles, namely The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants...
cycle began. Gosamyr remained on the fringes for most of this event, using her emphatic power to keep the demons away from her. She appears to have tempered her ability to cause conflict at this time and even Mirage
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
, who had been so critical of her previously, acknowledged her more friendly side.
Aftermath
Once the Inferno over New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
had passed, Gosamyr helped out clearing the damage. She used her powers to help relieve the pain of male patients in a local hospital.
More controversially, she also helped the kids from Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
reconcile with their parents who, in the course of fighting an enemy, had discovered that their children had super-powers which they had kept secret from them. The parents had suffered a nervous breakdown as a result, but Gosamyr convinced them that their children were still normal. (This "cover-up" was highly criticized in the readers' letters column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
.)
Meeting other young mutants (see X-Terminators
X-Terminators
The X-Terminators are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-History:The name "X-Terminators" was originally used by X-Factor at that group's inception. The five original X-Men had founded X-Factor Investigations, and posed as normal humans purported to be an organization of mutant-hunters...
), Gosamyr and her companions went to the spacecraft Ship
Ship (comics)
The fictional A.I. entity originally known as Ship has appeared in several incarnations in the Marvel Universe. At times controlled by both the X-Men and their enemies, the sentient Ship A.I. has been at the core of a Celestial starship, two space stations, and a techno-organic being.-Ancient...
, the ally and mobile headquarters of X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
. Ship knew all about Gosamyr's kind and tried to destroy her, though it was fought to a standstill by the mutants.
Although she appeared to feel a genuine attraction to Sunspot, she decided that her nature made her too much of a danger to the New Mutants and their friends and resolved to leave Earth before causing more, albeit unintentional, conflict: "With me around, the minute you stop fighting villainy, you'll start fighting each other". Ship informed her of a planet of mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
s who might be able to teach her to curb her nature and provided her with a spacecraft with which to go there.
The boys in the groups each offered to accompany her, but she insisted on going alone. She kissed Cannonball and Sunspot good-bye — Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
and Rusty Collins
Rusty Collins
Russell "Rusty" Collins, formerly known as Firefist, is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Created by Bob Layton and Jackson Guice, Rusty Collins first appeared in X-Factor #1 ....
were kept away by the jealous Boom-Boom
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...
and Skids
Skids (comics)
Skids is a Marvel Comics mutant. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, she first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #7 .-Morlocks:...
(another example of how Gosamyr would affect different sexes) — and left Earth.
Powers and abilities
While in the pre-cocoon stage, Gosamyr possesses wings that allow her to glide over short distances. She can also become invisible once she wraps herself in them. She also possesses some empathic control over the male species, which she mostly uses to seduce or bring about conflict.Once out of her hibernation Gosamyr will gain in great size and strength. If used too early her power could destroy a whole planet, even a solar system.