Hairbag
Encyclopedia
The Nasty Boys, sometimes referred to incorrectly as the Nasty Boyz, are a group of supervillain
mutants
who have appeared in various comic book
series published by Marvel Comics
. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe
, known as the Marvel Universe
.
They are the personal strike force of X-Men
and X-Factor
nemesis Mister Sinister
. The Nasty Boys can be distinguished from the Marauders
, who were a group of mercenaries brought together by Mister Sinister to specifically kill the Morlocks
.
before the full team appeared, The full team battled X-Factor in the next issue seemingly led by U.S. Senator Steven Shaffran. Shaffran was, in fact, a disguised Mister Sinister who had taken the Senator's form in order to publicly discredit him as a mutant terrorist. While Sinister's reasons for doing this remain somewhat mysterious (as do most of his actions), it was probably because Shaffran was attempting to use his "ricochet" probability
powers on different members of X-Factor, with the ultimate goal of killing them. Sinister's interest in the Summers' bloodline probably caused him to intervene, as he did not want anything happening to Alex Summers, X-Factor's leader Havok.
The Nasty Boys were taken into custody following their first appearance and battle in Washington D.C. Ramrod is subsequently deported from the U.S. due to his immigrant status. Both Hairbag and Slab are rescued from prison by the Mutant Liberation Front
(MLF). Sinister collects Hairbag from them, but Slab stays with the MLF for several weeks to spend time with his sister, the MLF's Thumbelina
.
The five members of the Nasty Boys are reunited when Sinister orders them to capture and kill former Maurader Malice. Malice interrupts the Hawaiian vacation of Havok and his girlfriend Lorna Dane (a.k.a. Polaris
) in order to kill the latter mutant, whom she fears (at Sinister's request) she may be forced to bond to permanently. The Nasty Boys have a hard time controlling the situation, as Malice continues to jump back and forth between Alex and Lorna. She uses their considerable powers against anyone in her way. Both Alex and Lorna are willing to die in order to end Malice once and for all, and their combined willpower forces Malice to be stuck between them, allowing Sinister to trap and eventually kill her. The Boys get away, as their battle does not draw the attention of the local authorities until after their getaway.
Later, one Nasty Boys member, Ruckus, appears at a speech given by Senator Kelly in an attempt to assassinate the senator. The X-Men stop Ruckus, and he is placed in custody.
While the Nasty Boys are barely a footnote in the extensive history of the X-Men comics, the villainous team was featured several times in FOX's
1992 X-Men
animated TV series, apparently used as the series' version of Sinister's Marauders. Appearing first in the episode "'Til Death Do Us Part, Part II", the cartoon featured four of the Boys: Gorgeous George (the Boys' field leader), Ruckus, Hairbag, and Slab; Ramrod never appeared in the series. The X-Man Morph, who had been resurrected by Sinister, had an "evil" side to his personality. "Evil" Morph was often a part-time member of the Nasty Boys, but Sinister increasingly lost control of him.
The Nasty Boys reappeared in both parts of "Reunion" where, teamed with the Savage Land
Mutates
, they proved to be quite imposing to the X-Men whom Sinister had rendered powerless. The X-Men eventually regained their powers, freed Morph from Sinister completely, and defeated Sinister and the Boys. After leaving the Savage Land, the Boys reappeared with Sinister in all four parts of "Beyond Good and Evil". Vertigo apparently accompanied them (Sinister had given her a Magneto
-inspired energy boost in "Reunion") and was made into a member, despite her female status. (In the comics, Vertigo was originally a member of the Savage Land Mutates, but then ended up joining the Marauders
and helped to annihilate most of the Morlocks
during the Mutant Massacre
.)
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...
mutants
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...
who have appeared in various 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...
series published by 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...
. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, known as the 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...
.
They are the personal strike force of 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 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...
nemesis Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
. The Nasty Boys can be distinguished from the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
, who were a group of mercenaries brought together by Mister Sinister to specifically kill the Morlocks
Morlocks (comics)
The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared...
.
Fictional team biography
Self-proclaimed "Nasty Boy" Slab faced X-Factor member Strong GuyStrong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
before the full team appeared, The full team battled X-Factor in the next issue seemingly led by U.S. Senator Steven Shaffran. Shaffran was, in fact, a disguised Mister Sinister who had taken the Senator's form in order to publicly discredit him as a mutant terrorist. While Sinister's reasons for doing this remain somewhat mysterious (as do most of his actions), it was probably because Shaffran was attempting to use his "ricochet" probability
Probability
Probability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
powers on different members of X-Factor, with the ultimate goal of killing them. Sinister's interest in the Summers' bloodline probably caused him to intervene, as he did not want anything happening to Alex Summers, X-Factor's leader Havok.
The Nasty Boys were taken into custody following their first appearance and battle in Washington D.C. Ramrod is subsequently deported from the U.S. due to his immigrant status. Both Hairbag and Slab are rescued from prison by the Mutant Liberation Front
Mutant Liberation Front
The Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
(MLF). Sinister collects Hairbag from them, but Slab stays with the MLF for several weeks to spend time with his sister, the MLF's Thumbelina
Thumbelina (comics)
Thumbelina is a mutant super villain in the Marvel Comics universe best known as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front.-Fictional character biography:...
.
The five members of the Nasty Boys are reunited when Sinister orders them to capture and kill former Maurader Malice. Malice interrupts the Hawaiian vacation of Havok and his girlfriend Lorna Dane (a.k.a. Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
) in order to kill the latter mutant, whom she fears (at Sinister's request) she may be forced to bond to permanently. The Nasty Boys have a hard time controlling the situation, as Malice continues to jump back and forth between Alex and Lorna. She uses their considerable powers against anyone in her way. Both Alex and Lorna are willing to die in order to end Malice once and for all, and their combined willpower forces Malice to be stuck between them, allowing Sinister to trap and eventually kill her. The Boys get away, as their battle does not draw the attention of the local authorities until after their getaway.
Later, one Nasty Boys member, Ruckus, appears at a speech given by Senator Kelly in an attempt to assassinate the senator. The X-Men stop Ruckus, and he is placed in custody.
Members
There are five Nasty Boys:- Gorgeous GeorgeGorgeous George (comics)Gorgeous George is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor #75.-Fictional character biography:...
, a mutant whose body is composed of an unspecified semi-solid, tar-like substance. In effect, George possesses limited shape-shifting powers enabling him to elongate, inflate, or open holes into his body at will. His semi-solid form gives George a certain degree of resistance to physical harm. Like the other members of The Nasty Boys, not much has been revealed regarding the early life and origin of Gorgeous George.
- Hairbag was recruited by Mister Sinister and possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, hyper-keen senses, and resistance to injury. His body is covered in fur and he has razor sharp fangs and claws, as well as flexible hair follicles. During altercations with X-Factor, Hairbag often fought against WolfsbaneWolfsbane (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...
, his opposite number. In the Nasty Boys' final fight, Hairbag was captured along with his teammate Slab and taken to a holding cell by X-Factor. While waiting for his lawyer to negotiate bailBailTraditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
, Hairbag and Slab were broken out of prison by the Mutant Liberation FrontMutant Liberation FrontThe Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
and returned to the Nasty Boys shortly afterwards. In the cartoon, Hairbag has poisonous breath and can eject his hair like a porcupinePorcupinePorcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
. The hairs are poisoned, though not fatally so.
- RamrodRamrod (comics)Ramrod is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor #75.-Fictional character biography:...
can psionically control wood and plants. He always carries with him a staff of wood in order to make certain that he has something to use his powers on should the need arise. He is also an illegal immigrant in the United States. Unlike the other Nasty Boys, Ramrod did not appear in the TV series.
- RuckusRuckus (comics)Ruckus is a fictional mutant super villain in the Marvel Comics universe and flamboyant leader of the Nasty Boys.-Fictional character biography:...
, the field leader, possesses the mutant power to absorb ambient sounds, amplify them in his body and scream them back with great force. The resulting sonic attack (a nearby police siren amplified a thousandfold, for example) can be released in the form of a concentrated blast or with a larger area of effect. Ruckus believes himself to be above the law, and tries to show off this superiority at every chance he gets; he once hit a grocery store, severely wounded the store clerk and blasted his way through police just to get some free beer.
- SlabSlab (comics)Slab , a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in X-Factor #74.-Fictional character biography:...
(Kris Anderson), is the team's resident powerhouse, able to increase his size and thereby boost his strength and durability. Slab was the first of the Nasty Boys to appear, after calling out Strong GuyStrong GuyStrong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
in X-Factor #74. His sister is the villainous ThumbelinaThumbelina (comics)Thumbelina is a mutant super villain in the Marvel Comics universe best known as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front.-Fictional character biography:...
, once a member of StryfeStryfeStryfe is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld, and first appears in The New Mutants #87...
's Mutant Liberation FrontMutant Liberation FrontThe Mutant Liberation Front, or MLF, is a Marvel Comics supervillain group, primarily enemies of X-Force. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, the original MLF first fully appeared in The New Mutants #87 ....
.
Television
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
1992 X-Men
X-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...
animated TV series, apparently used as the series' version of Sinister's Marauders. Appearing first in the episode "'Til Death Do Us Part, Part II", the cartoon featured four of the Boys: Gorgeous George (the Boys' field leader), Ruckus, Hairbag, and Slab; Ramrod never appeared in the series. The X-Man Morph, who had been resurrected by Sinister, had an "evil" side to his personality. "Evil" Morph was often a part-time member of the Nasty Boys, but Sinister increasingly lost control of him.
The Nasty Boys reappeared in both parts of "Reunion" where, teamed with the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
Mutates
Savage Land Mutates
The Savage Land Mutates are a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain group based in the Savage Land, a hidden Antarctic environment of dinosaurs and primitive people in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional team biography:...
, they proved to be quite imposing to the X-Men whom Sinister had rendered powerless. The X-Men eventually regained their powers, freed Morph from Sinister completely, and defeated Sinister and the Boys. After leaving the Savage Land, the Boys reappeared with Sinister in all four parts of "Beyond Good and Evil". Vertigo apparently accompanied them (Sinister had given her a 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...
-inspired energy boost in "Reunion") and was made into a member, despite her female status. (In the comics, Vertigo was originally a member of the Savage Land Mutates, but then ended up joining the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
and helped to annihilate most of the Morlocks
Morlocks (comics)
The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared...
during the Mutant Massacre
Mutant Massacre
"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
.)