Mister Sinister

Mister Sinister
File:-uncanny-x-men-the 400.jpg Cover of Uncanny X-Men #239. Art by Marc Silvestri.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #221 (September 1987)
Created by	Chris Claremont Marc Silvestri
In-story information
Alter ego	Nathaniel Essex
Species	Human Mutate
Team affiliations	Marauders Weapon X Nasty Boys Third Reich
Notable aliases	Various
Abilities	Superhuman durability, strength, speed and longevity Mental powers Energy projection Shape-shifting Regenerative healing factor Scientific genius

Mister Sinister is a supervillain that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe. The character was created by writer Chris Claremont in Uncanny X-Men #212 and a shadowy mental image of Sinister appeared in the following issue. Mister Sinister made his actual appearance in Uncanny X-Men #221 (September 1987, drawn by artist Marc Silvestri.

Fictional character biography

Nathaniel Essex was originally a scientist in 19th century Victorian England who had been obsessed with Darwin's theory of evolution, though he felt Darwin and his contemporaries were shackled by too many moral constraints. Essex had discovered that humanity was undergoing increasing mutation, due to what he called “Essex Factors” in the human genome. Essex's a group called Marauders stumbled upon and awakes the centuries old mutant, Apocalypse; Essex and Apocalypse subsequently forms an alliance, during which Apocalypse used his advanced technology to mutate Nathaniel. With new abilities and a dispassionate outlook, Essex took a new name, "Sinister" (the last word his wife spoke to him as she died). Apocalypse's first command is to create a plague to destroy the weak of the world, but Sinister refused, and instead created a plague that attacked only Apocalypse, driving the ancient mutant into hibernation. Sinister soon came across a time displaced Gambit and Courier who approached him for help. Sinister agreed to do so, as long as he could have a DNA sample from Courier. This DNA sample allowed Sinister to replicate Courier shape shifting abilities. Sinister would a century later use Gambit to assemble a new group of Marauders and order the massacre of the Morlocks.

By the early 20th Century, Sinister had cracked the genetic genome and was willing to share the information with Herbert Edgar Wyndham, who would later become the High Evolutionary. During World War II, Sinister worked alongside with the Nazis, and gave candy to children at the Auschwitz death camp in exchange for blood samples. It was during this time, Sinister also created Experiment N2, a clone of Namor the Sub-Mariner, which had varied success against the original Namor but is defeated by Captain America.

Using an orphanage in Omaha, Nebraska, Sinister secretly observed the development of mutant children and cruelly manipulated their childhood developmental processes. Among his subjects was Scott Summers; Sinister is obsessed with the Summers genetic line and believes that Scott Summers' and Jean Grey's mingled gene lines would create a mutant with power enough to destroy Apocalypse. To this end, Sinister created Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey, though the clone manifested no powers at adolescence, the Phoenix Force upon Jean Grey's death left her body and entered Madelyne Pryor. Sinister then arranged a set of false memories for Madelyne, who soon encountered Scott Summers, and the two wed and produced a child, Nathan Christopher Charles Summers. Sinister took the child, though lost it to Madelyne (who had now become the malevolent Goblyn Queen), briefly regained it following her death, but finally lost it to Cyclops, who blasted him with a supercharged Optic Blast and reduced him to a skeleton (though this defeat was much later revealed to have been a ruse orchestrated by Sinister). However, unknown to Sinister Apocalypse had become aware of the threat the young Nathan posed to him and infected the infant with a techn-organic virus which threatened to consume him. The Askani took Nathan away to the future for a cure, where he became the man known as Cable.

Following events of the X-Cutioner's Song saga, Sinister unwittingly unleashes the Legacy Virus, a plague engineered by Stryfe to kill every mutant and human on the planet. Sinister takes in the mutant Threnody, and uses her unique powers to track down victims of the Legacy Virus, whom he could then study and work on to develop a cure. Moira MacTaggart, long-time ally to the X-Men and one of the top genetic immunologists on the planet, eventually developed a cure for the Virus. This cure was released thanks to the sacrifice of the mutant Colossus. Sinister offered to clone him to his fellow X-men as a form of gratitude, but they refused.

In X-Men: Endangered Species 2007 crossover, Sinister sends the Marauders and Acolytes out to murder all those who have knowledge of the future and acquire objects such as the Destiny Diaries which contain future knowledge. Sinister also has a Cerebro Machine which allows him to detect any mutant anywhere. In the midst of a battle with the X-Men, Gambit destroys the Destiny Diaries, with Sinster stating this is a serious setback to his plans.

Sinister played a key role in the Messiah Complex as he and his Marauders sought out the first mutant child born since Decimation. However, when he confirms to Mystique that he could not save Rogue's life, Mystique pressed his face to the unconscious Rogue. This appears to have killed him, at least temporarily .

Powers and abilities

Mister Sinister's physiology was altered by Apocalypse, giving him an extended lifespan including superhuman strength and tremendous resistance to injury. Since then, Sinister has copied mutant genes into his own body to provide for additional powers; shapeshifting, allowing him to regenerate from massive damages; formidable mental powers; Sinister has been referred to as one of the six most skilled telepaths known to Exodus, and has demonstrated telekinetic abilities in the past. He has also been able to project force bolts and generate force fields possibly psionic in nature.

Sinister is a geneticist of the highest order, capable of creating superhuman abilities and enhancing or controlling mutant abilities, including being able to predict genetic mutations and splice DNA. He is also able to produce large amounts of clones; he has done so with all his Marauders and with Jean Grey. He is a skilled manipulator and engineer. Many of his bases seem to have some quasi-biological properties, such as being able to “grow” tentacles from a surface to hold a prisoner at Sinister’s mental commands.

Origin

Originally, according to creator Chris Claremont, Mister Sinister did not have the Victorian background, but was a mutant whose natural non-enhanced form was an eight-year old child who could never age, while his enhanced form was an eight-year old’s image of a supervillain; his enmity with Cyclops stemmed from their shared childhood in an orphanage. In his original appearances in X-Men and Classic X-Men, these plot lines were hinted at, but others ended up writing an alternate origin for the character once Claremont left the franchise. The appearance of Sinister as a child at the orphanage was later written off as a disguise.

Other versions

File:MisterSinisterAoA2.png

Mister Sinister in the Age of Apocalypse.

• In the Age of Apocalypse, Sinister was brought back into Apocalypse’s servitude as one of his Horsemen. Sinister ruled over a part of North America and was tasked with creating stronger, more powerful generations of mutants, for which he was given control over vast Breeding Pens, in which thousands of mutants and humans were captured for genetic experimentation. To maintain control over the Breeding Pens, Sinister assembled his personal taskforce, the so-called Elite Mutant Force, formed mostly by mutant siblings with great genetic potential. The EMF lineup was formed by Beast (Hank McCoy, Sinister’s apprentice), the Summers Brothers (Cyclops and Havok, both raised by Sinister), the Beaubier twins (Aurora and Northstar), and two of the Guthrie Clan (Amazon and Cannonball), who replaced the deceased Emplate and the catatonic Monet Twins. Those mutants who refused to join the EMF were imprisoned in the Breeding Pens. Thanks to his access to nearly infinite genetic material and test subjects, Sinister was one of the people responsible for the creation of the Infinites, Apocalypse’s genetically engineered army, the Madri, a fanatical cult formed by the duplicates of Jamie Madrox, and the Brain Trust, using the brains of six telepathic mutants, intended to pacify the prisoners of the Breeding Pens. However, like he had done in the past, Sinister would betray Apocalypse, as Sinister considered that Apocalypse’s plans would bring about the total annihilation of life on Earth. Sinister secretly gave classified information to the Human High Council through Jean Grey and Weapon X (Logan). He also created Nate Grey, using the genetic material of Cyclops and Jean Grey, a nearly all-powerful psychic intended to assassinate Apocalypse. To cover up his actions, Sinister destroyed his personal lab, hidden in the Statue of Apocalypse and disappeared. He approached the runaway Nate Grey while disguised as a man named "Essex". Sinister killed some of Grey's companions in the process, such as Forge and Brute (who recognized Essex whom had experimented on him.) Sinister informed Grey of his destiny, but was attacked by Grey. Sinister realized that Grey was even more powerful than intended, and believed that he might actually die from the wounds the boy inflicted. However in the tenth-anniversary limited series, Sinister had recovered from Nate's attack and finds that Jean's DNA contains special properties and that she should have access to the powers of "Mutant Alpha", the legendary "first mutant". Sinister blackmailed Magneto in order to obtain the body of Jean Grey. With her, Sinister was capable of creating his new team: the Sinister Six.

• Mister Sinister’s had a small, yet significant, presence in the divergent House of M reality (as seen in Cable & Deadpool #17). While remaining a physiologically altered geneticist, this Sinister was a quite gentle, friendly person—even to the point of offering the visiting trio of Deadpool, Cannonball and Siryn a (drugged) barbecue dinner. Sinister was apparently rejected from society for experimenting on mutants, which was taboo under Magneto’s rule, and lived on a secluded Nebraska farm. Despite the difference in personality, this Sinister was also responsible for the birth of an infant Cable, who Sinister believed was a potential savior for the world of the House of M.

• In the Earth X alternate timeline, Sinister is actually an older Colossus who became obsessed with Jean Grey and traveled back in time to the Victorian Era. This was possibly a joke, to make Nightcrawler feel better about his existence as Belasco.

• In the Mutant X timeline, Sinister had Gambit steal two children from a fortified facility, of whom the boy was artificially grown into the X-Man, and the girl was left with Gambit, to be raised as his "daughter" Raven. Sinister originally wanted to kill the girl, but Gambit protested and turned to mist (he had just been changed into a vampire), and Sinister relented. At some point, Sinister joined forces with Xavier in a plan to control the world. However, in the final battle, Sinister realized that Xavier was going to destroy the conditions he needed for his genetic manipulations of mutants, and he protested, whereupon Xavier blasted him, apparently killing him.

Ultimate Sinister. Art by Brandon Peterson.

• In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Sinister has been heavily reimagined. He is portrayed as a scientist working for Norman Osborn who is specialized in stealth and mind-altering drugs. It is also hinted that he might have experimented on Gambit and other young mutants during his youth. Striking is also that Sinister’s outer appearance is heavily different from his mainstream Victorian gentleman ways: in this universe, he is a muscle-bound, heavily tattooed bodybuilder. He has the word Sinister tattooed on his forearm, hence the name. He experimented on himself and acquired superhuman powers, namely the ability of mind control—so strong that even Professor X could not neutralize him, allowing Sinister to throw him down a flight of stairs—and being invisible to anything but the naked eye. His powers are strong enough that he can kill a person by telling them “Choke yourself.” However, he also lost his sanity in his process, and began to hallucinate of a Lord Apocalypse, who “ordered” him to kill mutants. In Magnetic North, Sinister mentioned that "A child is coming. The master will be reborn", presumably referring to Apocalypse. After shooting several young mutants (possibly Marrow, Maggott, Synch and Destiny), he failed to kill Jean Paul Beaubier and tried to kill the X-Men, but was incapacitated by Rogue and imprisoned in the Triskelion of the Ultimates. It is there that he sees a vision of Apocalypse, which reveals that he might not have been hallucinating (though whether this 'vision' was merely another of his hallucinations is unclear). The vision has one command for him. “Choke yourself.” In issue 81 "Cliffhangers" he is found dead, having suffocated himself with his shirt. However, in Magnetic North he commented that "For those who serve Lord Apocalypse death is only part of evolution". He also made comments that suggested he was still developing his powers, so it is possible that this "Death" is merely a stage leading to him becoming more powerful. In Issue 90, Sinister completes his mission of killing ten mutants by attacking the Morlocks and in the process killing Angel. At the end of the issue, Sinister transforms into Apocalypse.

• In the miniseries X-Men: The End: Heroes and Martyrs, Gambit was revealed to be the clone of Mister Sinister, created from Sinister's own pre-mutated DNA. Sinister wished to destroy his master, Apocalypse, and to do so he needed a body that had not been subject to Apocalypse's altering. Sinister then engineered mutant powers for the clone, using the DNA of Cyclops, which technically makes Gambit the third Summers brother in that alternate reality. However, Apocalypse learned of Sinister's plan and had the child stolen and left it in the care of the Thieves Guild.

In other media

Television

File:Sinistertas.jpg

Mister Sinister in the X-Men animated series.

• Mister Sinister appeared on the X-Men animated series and was voiced by Christopher Britton. Like in the comics, Sinister was originally a British scientist during the Victorian era, though he wasn't mutated by Apocalypse. This version of Sinister experimented on mutants and obtained organs from his minion, Jack the Ripper, and used the knowledge obtained through his activities to mutate himself. An ancestor of Professor X, Dr. Xavier, was one of Sinister's opponents and attempted to save his victims. Despite his origins having no link to Apocalypse, Sinister joined forces with him when Apocalypse plotted to rewrite reality by harnessing the power of the axis of time. Interested in the creation of more powerful mutants, Sinister had an obsession with Cyclops and Jean Grey, as well as other powerful mutants such as Magneto. Like his comics counterpart, this Sinister was capable of projecting energy blasts from his hands and could regenerate from any damage (even after his entire body was destroyed). However, Sinister was vulnerable to Cyclops' optic beams. He was served both by the Nasty Boys and the Savage Land Mutates. In an alternate, Age of Apocalypse-esque reality glimpsed in the episode "One Man's Worth", Sinister was seen fighting alongside Magneto's mutant resistance forces. Sinister was also set to appear in the Spider-Man The Animated Series 3 part episode adapting the Secret Wars. His appearance was canceled due to the decision to pull the X-Men cast (save for Storm) from the story. The Secret Wars storyline also had an additional episode which would center around Spider-Man and The X-Men infiltrating Sinister's base.

• There were suggestions to bring Sinister in as a leading antagonist in X-Men Evolution however the writers of the show were apprehensive about his inclusion feeling it would over-populate the show with too many major villains. Producer Boyd Kirkland suggested that had X-Men Evolution been renewed for a 5th Season it was possible that Sinister would have been brought in as a new threat. Before being canceled, Sinister was set to appear an issue of the X-Men Evolution comic book spin-off. It was part a of plot that started in issue #8 (which centered around Beast meeting a friend online who knew of his mutant condition). Unfortunately, the storyline wasn't followed up in issue #9, a stand alone issue, which was the final issue published. The cover for the issue featuring Sinister has since circulated across the Internet.

Film

• In X2, Dr. Nathaniel Essex' name was shown when Mystique was going through the files on Yuriko's computer.

Video games

• Sinister appears as the final boss in the Silver Surfer video game for Nintendo.

• Sinister makes a cameo appearance in X2: Wolverine's Revenge.

• In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse voiced by Daniel Riordan, Sinister appears as Apocalypse's right hand man. He is hinted to have sabotaged Apocalypse's experiment; the end of the game shows him standing on top of an Egyptian Pyramid, laughing menacingly.

References

• Knightmare6.com; Mister Sinister FAQ
• Sinister Observations at UncannyXmen.Net
• Mister Sinister Russian site

External links

• http://www.marvel.com/universe/Mister_Sinister