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Onslaught (Marvel Comics)

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Onslaught
Onslaught as depicted in X-Men vol. 2, #53 (June 1996). Art by Andy Kubert.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceX-Men vol. 2 #53 (May 1996)[1]
Created byScott Lobdell
Mark Waid
Andy Kubert
In-story information
Full nameNone
SpeciesPsionic entity mutant
Team affiliationsDark Descendants
Notable aliasesCharles Xavier
Patchwork Man
Dark Xavier
Death
The Entity
Magneto
"That Which Shall Survive"
Abilities
See list

Onslaught is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a cameo in X-Men: Prime #1 before making his first full appearance in X-Men vol. 2, #53, where he would eventually serve as the main antagonist of the "Onslaught" storyline from then onward.

Onslaught was written as a sentient psionic entity created from the subconsciousness of two mutants: Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. During a battle between the X-Men and Magneto's Acolytes, Professor Xavier used his telepathic powers to shut down Magneto's mind, rendering him catatonic. It was explained through the Onslaught crossover series that the darkest aspect of Magneto's mind escaped into Xavier's subconscious, where it "merged" with Xavier's own darker nature to eventually grow into a separate persona of its own.

Publication history

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The character first appeared in cameo in X-Men: Prime #1 (July 1995), named in Uncanny X-Men #322 and made his first full appearance in X-Men vol. 2, #53 (June 1996) where he was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert.[2] He was written and introduced as a villain that was part of the effect of events in the 1993 "Fatal Attractions" storyline. Onslaught's introduction into X-Men storylines caused its own crossover event across multiple Marvel comic book titles (including Avengers, Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man issues).

Fictional character biography

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Origins

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Onslaught is a psionic entity created from the subconsciousness of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. During a battle between the X-Men and Magneto's Acolytes, Magneto used his powers to remove the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton. Xavier used his telepathy to shut down Magneto's mind and render him catatonic. During the psionic contact, Magneto's anger, grief, and lust for vengeance entered Xavier's consciousness, mingling with every long-suppressed negative yearnings Xavier had endured during the last 30 years. This result created the being known as Onslaught.

After gaining an independent body, Onslaught possesses Xavier and kidnaps him after being forced to leave his body.[3][4] Onslaught also captures Nate Grey, intending to use his power to transform the human race into a collective consciousness.[5] Several members of the Avengers and Fantastic Four sacrifice themselves to stop Onslaught by entering his energy field, causing him to be destroyed.[6] It is later revealed that the heroes survived, but were transported to a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards and rendered amnesiac.[7]

Onslaught Reborn

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A five-issue limited series, Onslaught Reborn, was released in 2006 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the "Onslaught" storyline; it is written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Rob Liefeld.[8][9]

After Scarlet Witch removes the powers of most of Earth's mutants, the powers of Charles Xavier and Magneto combine to reform Onslaught, whose consciousness survived after his death. Onslaught swears revenge on Franklin Richards and other heroes, transforming into a monstrous form with a skull-like face. However, he is defeated by Rikki Barnes, who transports herself and Onslaught to the Negative Zone.[10]

Onslaught Unleashed

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Some time later, Rikki Barnes, now known as Nomad, begins having nightmares set in the jungles of South America. When her teammate Toro is kidnapped, Rikki begins to suspect that her nightmares are something more sinister than she first thought. Later, while investigating Roxxon, the Secret Avengers come across the plans Project Power, a deadly power source developed in Colombia. As the Secret Avengers investigate the facility, Beast and Ant-Man find the source of the energy to be from the Negative Zone. As Rikki races inside the facility to locate Toro, she stumbles into the control room instead.[11]

Onslaught possesses Rikki and reveals that she is a construct created to act as his host, with the real Rikki having died in the Negative Zone. Rikki has Gravity kill her so that Onslaught cannot return.[12]

Red Onslaught

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A clone of Red Skull later exhumes Charles Xavier's corpse and grafts part of his brain onto his own. He gains Xavier's psychic abilities and becomes known as Red Onslaught.[13] Red Onslaught is defeated by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, who attempt to use their magic to invert his mortals, but their efforts backfire, causing everyone present to morally invert from their usual behavior.[14] With the Skull reverted to a human body, he is hidden from the Avengers by Edwin Jarvis until Steve Rogers can retrieve him.[15] Working with the inverted villains — now referring to themselves as the 'Astonishing Avengers' — and with Brother Voodoo possessing Scarlet Witch, the White Skull is able to undo the inversion.[16]

Reign of X

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Following the establishment of Krakoa as a mutant nation, Nightcrawler becomes aware that a dark presence is haunting Krakoa, which is dubbed "Patchwork Man". Believing the culprit to be his son Legion, Xavier recruits Nightcrawler to investigate and bring Legion to Krakoa. Nightcrawler rescues Legion from Orchis and learns that the Patchwork Man is Onslaught, who was restored and weaponized by Orchis.[17] Nightcrawler and Legion embrace Onslaught instead of fighting him, weakening Onslaught and enabling Nightcrawler to kill him.[18]

Powers and abilities

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Onslaught is a psionic entity with superior physical and mental power; possessing the combined abilities of Professor X and Magneto. He is capable of telepathy, telekinesis, energy projection, sensing mutant presences, manipulating magnetic fields, mind control, flight, mental manipulation, possession, astral projection, perceiving magnetic and electrical energy, absorbing any mutant into his being, and affecting reality itself. Onslaught can also enhance his physical size and strength.

After fully evolving into his own, separate consciousness and having Professor X ripped from him in the Astral Plane, Onslaught evolved into a second, cybernetic form. In this form, thanks to adding the full potential of Franklin Richards and Nate Grey combined, his powers were increased to god-like levels, including the ability to create and reshape matter at will, and apparent omniscience.

Other versions

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Jean Grey's Onslaught

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When an alternate Phoenix recruits the original X-Men to stop yet another Phoenix who is using its powers to influence its world, they learn that she was from a universe where she and the X-Men stopped Magneto, but not before he killed Professor X. In response, they began using more decisive methods to bring peace between mutants and humankind. While they stopped threats like Ultron and Annihilus, Phoenix also began controlling her allies like Tony Stark, and set her eyes on ways to increase her powers.

After being teleported to Earth-696, the original X-Men initially clashed with their older counterparts, whom they were able to convince to help them stop the Phoenix.

X-Men '92

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During the battle against the Shadow King (who was possessing Cassandra Nova) in the Secret Wars storyline, Professor X faced Shadow King on the Astral Plane in the form of Onslaught.[19]

In other media

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Collected editions

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Title Material collected Published date ISBN
X-Men: Prelude To Onslaught X-Men #50, Uncanny X-Men #333, X-Man #15-17, Cable #32-33 April 2010 978-0785144632
X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 1 X-Men Prime #1, Uncanny X-Men #322-326, X-Men #42-45, Annual '95, X-Men Unlimited #8 February 2014 978-0785188254
X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 2 X-Men/Clandestine #1-2, Uncanny X-Men #327-328, Annual '95, X-Men #46-49, X-Men Unlimited #9; Sabretooth #1 July 2014 978-0785188308
X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 3 Uncanny X-Men #329-332, Archangel #1, X-Men/Brood #1-2, X-Men Unlimited #10, X-Men #50-52, Wolverine #101, Xavier Institute Alumni Yearbook January 2015 978-0785190059
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Book 1 X-Men #53-54, Uncanny X-Men #334-335, Avengers #400-401, Onslaught: X-Men, X-Man #18, X-Force #57, Cable #34, Incredible Hulk #444 January 2008 978-0785128236
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Book 2 Excalibur #100, Wolverine #104, X-Factor #125-126, Sensational Spider-Man #8, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Green Goblin #12, Spider-Man #72, X-Man #18, X-Force #57, Punisher #11 June 2008 978-0785128243
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Book 3 Incredible Hulk #445, Iron Man #332, Avengers #402, Punisher #11, X-Man #19, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Green Goblin #12, Spider-Man #72, Fantastic Four #416, Wolverine #105 September 2008 978-0785128250
X-Men: The Complete Onslaught Epic Book 4 Fantastic Four #416, X-Men #56-57, Onslaught: Marvel Universe, Cable #36, Uncanny X-Men #337, Onslaught Epilogue, X-Men: The Road to Onslaught January 2009 978-0785128267
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Vol. 1 Cable #32-33, Uncanny X-Men #333-335, X-Force #55, X-Man #15-17, X-Men #53-54, X-Men Unlimited #11, Onslaught: X-Men #1, Avengers #401, Fantastic Four #415 March 2020 978-1302922818
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Vol. 2 Cable #34-35, Incredible Hulk #444-445, Wolverine #104, X-Factor #125-126, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Green Goblin #12, Spider-Man #72, X-Man #18-19, X-Force #57-58, X-Men #55, Uncanny X-Men #336, Iron Man #332 October 2020 978-1302923990
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Vol. 3 Avengers #402, Punisher #11, Thor #502, Wolverine #105, X-Men #56-57, Annual '96, Onslaught: Marvel Universe, Onslaught: Epilogue, Cable #36, Uncanny X-Men #337, X-Men: The Road to Onslaught #1 and material from Fantastic Four #416 May 2021 978-1302922986
X-Men: Onslaught Aftermath Uncanny X-Men #338-340, Annual '96-97, X-Men #58-61, Annual '97, X-Men Unlimited #12-14, X-Factor #130 April 2019 978-1302916510
Cable & X-Force: Onslaught Rising X-Force #49-56, Cable #29-31, X-Man #14, X-Force/Cable Annual '95 June 2018 978-1302909499
Cable & X-Force: Onslaught! Cable #32-39, X-Force #57-61, Incredible Hulk #444, X-Man #18-19, X-Force/Cable Annual '96 March 2019 978-1302916190
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Omnibus Cable #32-36, Uncanny X-Men #333-337, X-Force #55, 57-58, X-Man #15-19, X-Men #53-57, X-Men Annual '96, X-Men Unlimited #11, Onslaught: X-Men, Onslaught: Marvel Universe, Onslaught: Epilogue, Avengers #401-402, Fantastic Four #415, Incredible Hulk #444-445, Wolverine #104-105, X-Factor #125-126, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Green Goblin #12, Spider-Man #72, Iron Man #332, Punisher #11, Thor #502, X-Men: Road to Onslaught #1 and material from Excalibur #100, Fantastic Four #416 March 2022 978-1302931612
X-Men Milestones: Onslaught Uncanny X-Men #333-337, X-Men #53-57, Onslaught: X-Men, Onslaught: Marvel Universe, Onslaught: Epilogue, Avengers #401, Fantastic Four #415, Wolverine #104, Cable #35 January 2020 978-1302921927
Onslaught Reborn Onslaught Reborn #1-5 March 2008 978-0785131342
Onslaught Unleashed Onslaught Unleashed #1-4 August 2011 978-0785157762
Heroes Reborn: The Return Omnibus Onslaught Reborn #1-5, Onslaught Unleashed #1-4, Marvel Spotlight: Heroes Reborn/Onslaught Reborn and Heroes Reborn: Doomsday, Heroes Reborn: Doom, Doom #1-3, Doom: The Emperor Returns #1-3, Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4, Thor Annual 1999, Heroes Reborn: Ashema, Masters of Evil, Rebel, Remnants, Young Allies, Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #25, 31, Thunderbolts #51-52, 60-62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, Exiles #81-82 September 2020 978-1302925178
Way Of X X-Men: The Onslaught Revelation #1 and Way of X #1-5 February 2022 978-1302928070

References

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  1. ^ Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006). The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 9780780809772.
  2. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  3. ^ Onslaught: X-Men one-shot (August 1996)
  4. ^ X-Men Prime one-shot (July 1995)
  5. ^ X-Men (vol. 2) #55 (August 1996)
  6. ^ Onslaught: Marvel Universe one-shot (October 1996)
  7. ^ Heroes Reborn: The Return #4 (December 1997)
  8. ^ Taylor, Robert (October 25, 2006). "REFLECTIONS: Talking With Jeph Loeb". CBR. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009.
  9. ^ George, Richard (October 26, 2006). "Onslaught's Assault Begins". IGN. Archived from the original on January 16, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
  10. ^ Onslaught Reborn #1–5 (January 2007-February 2008)
  11. ^ Onslaught Unleashed #1 (April 2011)
  12. ^ Onslaught Unleashed #2-3 (May–June 2011)
  13. ^ Uncanny Avengers #2 (January 2013)
  14. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #4 (January 2015)
  15. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #8 (February 2015)
  16. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #9 (February 2015)
  17. ^ Way of X #2 (July 2021)
  18. ^ X-Men: The Onslaught Revelation one-shot (November 2021)
  19. ^ X-Men '92 #4 (November 2015)
  20. ^ Norton, Brad (November 29, 2023). "Every card in Marvel Snap: Complete list of all iconic characters & abilities". Dexerto. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  21. ^ What X-MEN LEGENDS 3 Would've Been Had the Series Continued, August 17, 2021, retrieved February 13, 2024
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