Radian (comics)
Encyclopedia
Christian Cord codenamed Radian and later Phaser is a fictional mutant
character in the Marvel Comics
Universe. His first appearance was in New X-Men #135, created by Grant Morrison
and Frank Quitely
.
after the revelation to the public that Professor X
is a mutant. When Cassandra Nova
makes her second attack on the school, Radian and other students, even knowing how dangerous Nova was, want to face her. Instead, they are put under her control and turned against X-Men
members Wolverine, Beast, and Xorn. Radian and the others are freed soon after thanks to the intervention of the Stepford Cuckoos
.
After the death of mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation, Radian joins the Omega Gang. This group is led by fellow student Quentin Quire, who is also known as Kid Omega
. Radian and the Omega Gang participate in an assault on a small group of human racists whom they believe responsible for the death of Jumbo. They also attack a team of U-Men
, isolationist murderers who kill mutants for their powers.
The Omega Gang then cause a riot at the Xavier Institute during Open Day, when the school was going to accept human students. During the riot, Radian and other members of the gang confront several X-Men on the mansion's front lawn. Radian is stopped by Cyclops
, who breaks his leg with his optic blasts. Afterwards, Radian, along with Redneck
and Tattoo
, are sent to a jail, run by humans. Wolverine informs him that he and the others would be sent overseas to do charity work after they completed their jail time. Radian was one of many mutants that lost their superhuman powers after the M-Day
.
His powers become part of the being known as The Collective.
However, he appears to have been let out of jail, and then decided to pay his debt in another way: by joining the newest incarnation of the New Warriors. After being given new armor, he takes up the codename Phaser, and began training with the team, which includes his sister Tattoo. However, on one of the team's first missions out to stop the Zodiac, she got too cocky when fighting Cancer, and was brutally killed in front of the rest of the team. He is currently in mourning over her death, and now has to deal with the deaths of Ripcord and Skybolt.
As Phaser, Christian can generate intense bursts of energy from the chest of his armor as well as deflect energy through specialized gauntlets on his arms. All New Warriors have up to five powers so he may have additional abilities yet to be shown on-panel.
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...
character 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. His first appearance was in New X-Men #135, created by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely
Vincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
.
Fictional character biography
Radian is one of the many mutant teenagers that enrols into the Xavier InstituteX-Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion is the common name for Professor Xavier's mansion. It is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted...
after the revelation to the public that Professor X
Professor 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....
is a mutant. When Cassandra Nova
Cassandra Nova
Cassandra Nova is a fictional enemy of the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, Cassandra first appeared in New X-Men #114 . Cassandra is a "mummudrai," a parasitic life form born bodiless on the astral plane...
makes her second attack on the school, Radian and other students, even knowing how dangerous Nova was, want to face her. Instead, they are put under her control and turned against 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...
members Wolverine, Beast, and Xorn. Radian and the others are freed soon after thanks to the intervention of the Stepford Cuckoos
Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutant psychically linked quintuplets . They are students at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning and appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
.
After the death of mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation, Radian joins the Omega Gang. This group is led by fellow student Quentin Quire, who is also known as Kid Omega
Quentin Quire
Quentin Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in New X-Men #122 , although he went unnamed until New X-Men #134...
. Radian and the Omega Gang participate in an assault on a small group of human racists whom they believe responsible for the death of Jumbo. They also attack a team of U-Men
U-Men (comics)
The U-Men are a fictional group of villains, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:In the Marvel Universe the U-Men are a collection of characters that first appeared in Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men. Their name is an allusion to the early Seattle...
, isolationist murderers who kill mutants for their powers.
The Omega Gang then cause a riot at the Xavier Institute during Open Day, when the school was going to accept human students. During the riot, Radian and other members of the gang confront several X-Men on the mansion's front lawn. Radian is stopped 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...
, who breaks his leg with his optic blasts. Afterwards, Radian, along with Redneck
Redneck (comics)
Vincent Stewart, codenamed Redneck and later Skybolt is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in New X-Men #126 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.-Fictional character biography:...
and Tattoo
Tattoo (comics)
Tattoo, later Longstrike, is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her first appearance was in New X-Men #126, created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.-Fictional character biography:...
, are sent to a jail, run by humans. Wolverine informs him that he and the others would be sent overseas to do charity work after they completed their jail time. Radian was one of many mutants that lost their superhuman powers after the 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...
.
His powers become part of the being known as The Collective.
However, he appears to have been let out of jail, and then decided to pay his debt in another way: by joining the newest incarnation of the New Warriors. After being given new armor, he takes up the codename Phaser, and began training with the team, which includes his sister Tattoo. However, on one of the team's first missions out to stop the Zodiac, she got too cocky when fighting Cancer, and was brutally killed in front of the rest of the team. He is currently in mourning over her death, and now has to deal with the deaths of Ripcord and Skybolt.
Powers and abilities
Before he was depowered on M-Day, Radian had the superhuman ability to generate blinding flashes of ultraviolet light from his body. Radian could control the intensity of these bursts, choosing to either blind or burn his opponents.As Phaser, Christian can generate intense bursts of energy from the chest of his armor as well as deflect energy through specialized gauntlets on his arms. All New Warriors have up to five powers so he may have additional abilities yet to be shown on-panel.