Tarot (comics)
Encyclopedia
Tarot is a fictional character
, a mutant
in the Marvel Universe
.
and Sal Buscema
.
The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 (May 1985), Firestar
#2-4 (April–June 1986), The New Mutants #39 (May 1986), #43 (September 1986), #53-54 (July–August 1987), #56 (October 1987), #62 (April 1988), The New Warriors #9-10 (March–April 1991), and apparently died in The Uncanny X-Men #281-282 (October–November 1991). The character made posthumous appearances in The New Warriors Annual #1 (1991) and #2 (1992). Tarot mysteriously appeared alive again in X-Force vol. 1 #87-90 (February–May 1999).
Tarot appeared as part of the "Hellions" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#5.
, France
. As Tarot, she was a member of the original Hellions. Unlike some of the more mean-spirited Hellions (namely Empath
, Jetstream
and Roulette
), Tarot was generally of a kind and sympathetic nature. In her earlier appearances, it was revealed by Mirage
's psychic abilities that Tarot was in fact in love with one of the New Mutants
. It was later strongly hinted that the New Mutant in question was Cypher, though nothing ever came of her supposed infatuation with him.
One of Tarot's flying constructs became the ride for the Hellions when they went to chase down the entity known as Bird-Brain
. They battle high above Manhattan, ultimately losing Bird-Brain to the New Mutants.
Tarot and her team would later battle the New Warriors
inside their penthouse headquarters. Both teams confronted each other over the fate of Firestar, who used to be a member of the Hellions. During the fight, the White Queen, consulting with the unofficial power behind the Warriors, Tai, agreed that whatever team lost through attrition would not have control of Firestar. Tarot earned a draw for her side while using her constructs to batter Vance Astrovik, then called Marvel Boy, into submission. However, one last telekinetic blast from him knocked Tarot unconscious as he collapsed from overexertion.
She was ostensibly killed by Trevor Fitzroy
and his Sentinels, who used her life force to fuel one of his temporal displacement portals. However, this was to be merely a comic book death
. She reappeared years later as a member of the second Hellions team. Tarot's life force was now somehow bound to King Bedlam
, who was apparently the key to her resurrection, though this has never been fully explained. The dominant theory is that Bedlam recovered her body and found a way to successfully revive her, which he might have done through his apparent ability to control others' bio functions. After her resurrection, Tarot displayed greater control over her powers, being able to assume the likeness of specific tarot cards herself. During the Hellions' conflict with X-Force
, in which she confronted her former teammate from the original Hellions, James Proudstar
, Tarot ultimately chose to aid them, incurring Bedlam's wrath. In the end, however, she left with him and her new teammates for whereabouts unknown.
.. However, she not only lost her powers, she lost her life as King Bedlam was also amongst the depowered and the loss of his powers apparently returned Tarot to her former state.
She was resurrected yet again, this time alongside her fallen teammates (despite the fact that she, unlike her fellow Hellions, had already lost her powers prior to her death), by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene
's army of resurrected mutants. It is not explained how Tarot's mutant abilities returned. Tarot, alongside her fellow Hellions are dispatched by Eli Bard to collect and reprogram Cypher. They are intercepted by the New Mutants and Warlock knocks them away with an explosion.
who formerly possessed the ability to generate animated constructs composed of tangible psionic energy based on the two-dimensional figures on the tarot cards she carried. It is unknown if Tarot was actually limited to the use of her tarot images for her power to operate, or if this was merely a personal preference. She could create several (up to five, at least) human-sized figures and even massive flying constructs without any apparent strain. Tarot's psionic constructs were superhumanly strong and durable, being resistant to physical damage, temperature extremes, and certain forms of energy. Tarot's constructs were completely under her mental control, and would dissipate on her command. They could only be destroyed by a force that dispersed the majority of their psionic mass, or if Tarot herself was rendered unconscious. Tarot was vulnerable to her psionic constructs being destroyed, as the psionic feedback left her disoriented.
In New Mutants #56 Empath
commented that her Devil
construct "stinks like the devil, too!"
After her resurrection, Tarot had somehow either gained or learned the ability to manifest characteristics of certain tarot cards upon herself, such as weapons and armor, increasing her effectiveness in physical combat. The exact nature and limits of Tarot's power were never revealed.
Tarot also possessed a fair degree of precognitive ability, being able to accurately predict events that would occur years in the future. This power, however, was largely (if not completely) dependent on the use of her tarot cards.
, appear briefly in the Age of Apocalypse
universe as former agents of Apocalypse
. After his death, they became renegades and were hunted down and captured by the X-Men for the United States government. Their fates after being remanded into government custody are unknown.
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...
in 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...
.
Publication history
Tarot first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #16-17 (June–July 1984), and was created by Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
.
The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 (May 1985), Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
#2-4 (April–June 1986), The New Mutants #39 (May 1986), #43 (September 1986), #53-54 (July–August 1987), #56 (October 1987), #62 (April 1988), The New Warriors #9-10 (March–April 1991), and apparently died in The Uncanny X-Men #281-282 (October–November 1991). The character made posthumous appearances in The New Warriors Annual #1 (1991) and #2 (1992). Tarot mysteriously appeared alive again in X-Force vol. 1 #87-90 (February–May 1999).
Tarot appeared as part of the "Hellions" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
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...
#5.
Fictional character biography
Marie-Ange Colbert was born in LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. As Tarot, she was a member of the original Hellions. Unlike some of the more mean-spirited Hellions (namely Empath
Empath (comics)
Empath , is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Empath was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema and first appeared in New Mutants #16-17 as a member of Emma Frost's original Hellions.The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 , Firestar #2-4...
, Jetstream
Jetstream (comics)
Jetstream is a fictional Moroccan mutant character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Created as a part of the group known as the Hellions, he exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
and Roulette
Roulette (Marvel Comics)
Roulette is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Roulette was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema in New Mutants vol...
), Tarot was generally of a kind and sympathetic nature. In her earlier appearances, it was revealed by Mirage
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
's psychic abilities that Tarot was in fact in love with one 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....
. It was later strongly hinted that the New Mutant in question was Cypher, though nothing ever came of her supposed infatuation with him.
One of Tarot's flying constructs became the ride for the Hellions when they went to chase down the entity known as Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain
Bird-Brain is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Bird-Brain first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #55 , and was first fully seen in New Mutants vol. 1 #56...
. They battle high above Manhattan, ultimately losing Bird-Brain to the New Mutants.
Tarot and her team would later battle 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:...
inside their penthouse headquarters. Both teams confronted each other over the fate of Firestar, who used to be a member of the Hellions. During the fight, the White Queen, consulting with the unofficial power behind the Warriors, Tai, agreed that whatever team lost through attrition would not have control of Firestar. Tarot earned a draw for her side while using her constructs to batter Vance Astrovik, then called Marvel Boy, into submission. However, one last telekinetic blast from him knocked Tarot unconscious as he collapsed from overexertion.
She was ostensibly killed by Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy
Trevor Fitzroy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 .Fitzroy hails from the same dystopian future as Bishop...
and his Sentinels, who used her life force to fuel one of his temporal displacement portals. However, this was to be merely a comic book death
Comic book death
In the comic book fan community, the apparent death and subsequent return of a long-running character is often called a comic book death. While death is a serious subject, a comic book death is generally not taken seriously and is rarely permanent or meaningful...
. She reappeared years later as a member of the second Hellions team. Tarot's life force was now somehow bound to King Bedlam
King Bedlam
King Bedlam is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created for their comic book series X-Force...
, who was apparently the key to her resurrection, though this has never been fully explained. The dominant theory is that Bedlam recovered her body and found a way to successfully revive her, which he might have done through his apparent ability to control others' bio functions. After her resurrection, Tarot displayed greater control over her powers, being able to assume the likeness of specific tarot cards herself. During the Hellions' conflict with 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...
, in which she confronted her former teammate from the original Hellions, James Proudstar
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....
, Tarot ultimately chose to aid them, incurring Bedlam's wrath. In the end, however, she left with him and her new teammates for whereabouts unknown.
M-Day and Necrosha
Tarot was later revealed to be one of the many mutants depowered as a result of M-DayDecimation (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...
.. However, she not only lost her powers, she lost her life as King Bedlam was also amongst the depowered and the loss of his powers apparently returned Tarot to her former state.
She was resurrected yet again, this time alongside her fallen teammates (despite the fact that she, unlike her fellow Hellions, had already lost her powers prior to her death), by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene
Selene (comics)
Selene Gallio is a fictional character, a comic book supervillainess from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a mutant, and an enemy of the X-Men often associated with the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.-Publication history:...
's army of resurrected mutants. It is not explained how Tarot's mutant abilities returned. Tarot, alongside her fellow Hellions are dispatched by Eli Bard to collect and reprogram Cypher. They are intercepted by the New Mutants and Warlock knocks them away with an explosion.
Powers and abilities
Tarot 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 formerly possessed the ability to generate animated constructs composed of tangible psionic energy based on the two-dimensional figures on the tarot cards she carried. It is unknown if Tarot was actually limited to the use of her tarot images for her power to operate, or if this was merely a personal preference. She could create several (up to five, at least) human-sized figures and even massive flying constructs without any apparent strain. Tarot's psionic constructs were superhumanly strong and durable, being resistant to physical damage, temperature extremes, and certain forms of energy. Tarot's constructs were completely under her mental control, and would dissipate on her command. They could only be destroyed by a force that dispersed the majority of their psionic mass, or if Tarot herself was rendered unconscious. Tarot was vulnerable to her psionic constructs being destroyed, as the psionic feedback left her disoriented.
In New Mutants #56 Empath
Empath (comics)
Empath , is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Empath was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema and first appeared in New Mutants #16-17 as a member of Emma Frost's original Hellions.The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 , Firestar #2-4...
commented that her Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
construct "stinks like the devil, too!"
After her resurrection, Tarot had somehow either gained or learned the ability to manifest characteristics of certain tarot cards upon herself, such as weapons and armor, increasing her effectiveness in physical combat. The exact nature and limits of Tarot's power were never revealed.
Tarot also possessed a fair degree of precognitive ability, being able to accurately predict events that would occur years in the future. This power, however, was largely (if not completely) dependent on the use of her tarot cards.
Age of Apocalypse
Tarot, along with several other members of the original HellionsHellions (comics)
There have been several groups of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe who have been known as the Hellions. These groups were rivals of various teams of younger mutant heroes in the X-Men franchise....
, appear briefly in 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...
universe as former agents 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...
. After his death, they became renegades and were hunted down and captured by the X-Men for the United States government. Their fates after being remanded into government custody are unknown.