Larry Trask (comics)
Encyclopedia
Larry Trask is a fictional character
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He is a mutant
who is introduced as a villain for the X-Men
.
. At the age of five, Larry's mutant power of precognition
manifested when he predicted the death of his mother. He lost his older sister Tanya soon after, as she was a mutant time-traveler who had become lost in the timestream.
Fearful of the "mutant menace," Bolivar crafted a medallion that would block Larry's powerful visions of the future, as well as erase any memory of them. As his son grew older, Bolivar enlisted Larry's help in the creation of the first wave of Sentinels. Bolivar occasionally removed Larry's medallion so that he could secretly observe and record Larry's predictions about mutants in the future, and Larry accurately predicted the assassination attempt of Senator Robert Kelly
(as told in the classic "Days of Future Past
" storyline).
Larry was skeptical of his father's hatred of mutants, until the night his sister Tanya (now calling herself Madame Sanctity
) returned to the past. Tanya hoped to change the future by stopping her father's creation of the Sentinels, but she was thwarted by her friend Rachel Summers
. Though Rachel successfully prevented Larry from witnessing the psychic duel that ensued, she could not hide the physical damage caused by the fight. This convinced Larry that dangerous mutants did exist.
Larry Trask later blamed the X-Men
for his father's death, and used Bolivar's notes to create a new, stronger wave of Sentinels. He was aided in his effort by Federal Judge Robert Chalmers, who was a friend of Bolivar's and knew Larry's secret. Larry Trask created a base for his Sentinels inside the Colorado Rockies
, and he ordered the robots to abduct and detain all known mutants. One of these mutants was Alex Summers; Larry gave him a containment suit to control his unstable powers, and a new codename: Havok.
Chalmers became disillusioned with Larry's plans, and he forcefully removed Larry's medallion, hoping that Larry would cease his attacks on mutants if he learned the truth about his own mutation. This, however, backfired; when a furious Larry gave the order for Sentinels to destroy all mutants, he himself was targeted for annihilation.
The Sentinels were eventually outwitted by Cyclops
, and flew into space to meet their destruction. Meanwhile, Larry had plunged into a state of catatonic shock, and Chalmers put the medallion back on him to erase the knowledge of what had happened to him.
Larry did not return to his mutant-hunting ways, though he would have another brush with the Sentinels. The Mark II Sentinels returned from space with a new directive, and they abducted the Scarlet Witch
as part of an elaborate plan to sterilize humanity (thus preventing the birth of future mutants). Larry was abducted by Wanda's brother, Quicksilver
, who remembered Trask from when he and his sister were previously abducted by the Sentinels. Quicksilver removed Larry's medallion, restoring Larry's knowledge of a Sentinel base in Australia
. This also re-awakened Larry's precognitive abilities, and he had a powerful vision of an all-encompassing darkness that he interpreted to be the end of the world.
Larry and Quicksilver traveled to Australia and joined the Avengers
in the effort to save the Scarlet Witch. Larry turned on the base's mutant detector, which revealed that Number 2, the leader of the Sentinels, had been mutated due to close contact with the sun's radiation in space. Larry used logic to turn the Sentinels against their "mutant" leader, and the robots destroyed each other. Larry saved the world from his father's creations; however, he was crushed to death when the Sentinels toppled. The black void Larry saw was not the end of the world; he had unknowingly predicted his own death.
Good Shepherd Clinic with a fleet of Sentinels. The strike is unsuccessful, but it spurs the formation of the X-Men in that universe. Later, Larry Trask is revealed to be one of the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club
(along with Sebastian Shaw
, Harry Leland
, and Donald Pierce
). It is unclear if this version of Larry is aware of his own status as a mutant, or that he is working with mutants as well.
, Dr. Lawrence Trask has physically bonded with the Sentinel hardware inside his mountain base, becoming a Prime-Sentinel. He is possessed by the wicked Madelyne Pryor
, who leads his Sentinels in an attack on the heroes of New York City
.
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...
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 is 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...
who is introduced as a villain for 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...
.
Fictional character biography
Larry Trask is the son of scientist Bolivar TraskBolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional character and a military scientist in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #14 . He is the creator of the Sentinels.-Fictional character biography:...
. At the age of five, Larry's mutant power of precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
manifested when he predicted the death of his mother. He lost his older sister Tanya soon after, as she was a mutant time-traveler who had become lost in the timestream.
Fearful of the "mutant menace," Bolivar crafted a medallion that would block Larry's powerful visions of the future, as well as erase any memory of them. As his son grew older, Bolivar enlisted Larry's help in the creation of the first wave of Sentinels. Bolivar occasionally removed Larry's medallion so that he could secretly observe and record Larry's predictions about mutants in the future, and Larry accurately predicted the assassination attempt of Senator Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly (comics)
Robert Edward Kelly is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He most often appears in Marvel's X-Men and X-Men-related comic books. He is a prominent United States Senator who began his career on an anti-mutant platform, and as the X-Men team is made up entirely of mutants, his role...
(as told in the classic "Days of Future Past
Days of Future Past
"Days of Future Past" is a popular storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book The Uncanny X-Men issues #141 and #142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian alternate future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps...
" storyline).
Larry was skeptical of his father's hatred of mutants, until the night his sister Tanya (now calling herself Madame Sanctity
Madame Sanctity
Madame Sanctity is a Marvel Comics character created by Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb and Gene Ha. She first appeared in Askani'Son #1, though her true identity was revealed in Uncanny X-Men # -1...
) returned to the past. Tanya hoped to change the future by stopping her father's creation of the Sentinels, but she was thwarted by her friend Rachel Summers
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
. Though Rachel successfully prevented Larry from witnessing the psychic duel that ensued, she could not hide the physical damage caused by the fight. This convinced Larry that dangerous mutants did exist.
Larry Trask later blamed 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...
for his father's death, and used Bolivar's notes to create a new, stronger wave of Sentinels. He was aided in his effort by Federal Judge Robert Chalmers, who was a friend of Bolivar's and knew Larry's secret. Larry Trask created a base for his Sentinels inside the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, and he ordered the robots to abduct and detain all known mutants. One of these mutants was Alex Summers; Larry gave him a containment suit to control his unstable powers, and a new codename: Havok.
Chalmers became disillusioned with Larry's plans, and he forcefully removed Larry's medallion, hoping that Larry would cease his attacks on mutants if he learned the truth about his own mutation. This, however, backfired; when a furious Larry gave the order for Sentinels to destroy all mutants, he himself was targeted for annihilation.
The Sentinels were eventually outwitted by Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, and flew into space to meet their destruction. Meanwhile, Larry had plunged into a state of catatonic shock, and Chalmers put the medallion back on him to erase the knowledge of what had happened to him.
Larry did not return to his mutant-hunting ways, though he would have another brush with the Sentinels. The Mark II Sentinels returned from space with a new directive, and they abducted the Scarlet Witch
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...
as part of an elaborate plan to sterilize humanity (thus preventing the birth of future mutants). Larry was abducted by Wanda's brother, Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, who remembered Trask from when he and his sister were previously abducted by the Sentinels. Quicksilver removed Larry's medallion, restoring Larry's knowledge of a Sentinel base in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. This also re-awakened Larry's precognitive abilities, and he had a powerful vision of an all-encompassing darkness that he interpreted to be the end of the world.
Larry and Quicksilver traveled to Australia and joined the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
in the effort to save the Scarlet Witch. Larry turned on the base's mutant detector, which revealed that Number 2, the leader of the Sentinels, had been mutated due to close contact with the sun's radiation in space. Larry used logic to turn the Sentinels against their "mutant" leader, and the robots destroyed each other. Larry saved the world from his father's creations; however, he was crushed to death when the Sentinels toppled. The black void Larry saw was not the end of the world; he had unknowingly predicted his own death.
What if?
In the one-shot special What If...Magneto & Professor X Had Formed the X-Men Together?, Larry Trask is the billionaire leader of Trask Industries. His anti-mutant prejudice leads him to attack Charles Xavier'sProfessor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
Good Shepherd Clinic with a fleet of Sentinels. The strike is unsuccessful, but it spurs the formation of the X-Men in that universe. Later, Larry Trask is revealed to be one of the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
(along with Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw (comics)
Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
, Harry Leland
Harry Leland
Harry Leland, also known as the Black Bishop is a Marvel Comics supervillain, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Leland possesses the ability to increase the mass of an object or person, making it extremely heavy...
, and Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:...
). It is unclear if this version of Larry is aware of his own status as a mutant, or that he is working with mutants as well.
Mutant X
In the alternate universe of Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
, Dr. Lawrence Trask has physically bonded with the Sentinel hardware inside his mountain base, becoming a Prime-Sentinel. He is possessed by the wicked Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
, who leads his Sentinels in an attack on the heroes of New York City
New 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...
.