Windshear (comics)
| Windshear | |
|---|---|
| File:Windshear.jpg Art By Pat Broderick | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Alpha Flight vol. 1 #87 |
| Created by | Fabian Nicieza Michael Bair |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Colin Ashworth Hume |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Alpha Flight Beta Flight Roxxon Oil |
| Abilities | Depowered, formerly: Hard Air Manipulation, Flight |
Windshear (Colin Ashworth Hume) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.
Fictional character biography
Colin Ashworth Hume was born Toronto, Ontario, Canada; he moved with his family to Great Britain when he was five years old, and grew up in England as a Canadian expatriate. He found work as a special operative, using his mutant powers for the superhuman division of Roxxon Oil Corp's United Kingdom branch, where he was given a suit of armor.
When Hume was unable to defeat a machine-creature at Roxxon's Denver Energy Research station, Roxxon called in Madison Jeffries, at the time known as Box who was aided by Diamond Lil.[1] Windshear, Box, and Diamond Lil encountered the "Muir Island X-Men", and recruited Forge to help battle the machine-creature; with Forge, Windshear discovered James MacDonald Hudson at the core of the machine-creature.[2] Hume, upset over the truth of Roxxon's practices, quit Roxxon Oil and returned to Canada with the members of Alpha Flight, and he was soon accepted onto the team of adventurers as a probationary member.[3]
Alongside Alpha Flight, the Thing, and Human Torch, Windshear battled the Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight members controlled by Headlok.[4] Before long, his background as a Canadian citizen was revealed, and he was elected to full membership in Alpha Flight.[5] He and Alpha Flight battled an oil spill and tanker fire.[6] He and the team defended Kismet against the Consortium; this was his first encounter with the Avengers, Nova (Frankie Raye), and Galactus.[7] Windshear was then appointed the Chief Administrator of Alpha Flight.[8] He even becomes a mentor for Beta Flight.[volume & issue needed] Windshear is one of the many superheroes who travels to alternate dimensions in the Infinity War crossover.[volume & issue needed] He also participates in the Infinity Crusade. He is one of the mind-controlled lackeys of the Goddess.[9] He and his brainwashed allies travel out to confront his former friends when their escape pods land all around the Goddess' citadel.[volume & issue needed] He is defeated by the Vision, who phases his hand partway through his body. This causes intense pain and Windshear blacks out.[volume & issue needed]
Eventually, the Canadian government disbanded Department H and the Flight programs, and Hume returned to England.[volume & issue needed] Hume set up a curio shop to sell objects created with "hard air," and his objects command a high price. When the Thunderbolts were investigating a series of murders committed with bullets created out of hard air, they investigated Hume and learned of Roxxon's connection.[volume & issue needed]
He was shown to be depowered[10] and in the wake of M-Day, he has opened up a gallery in England, displaying many of the sculptures he has created with 'hard air' before the loss of his powers.[volume & issue needed] A depowered Hume took up the secret identity of Chinook and continues fighting crime in Toronto.[11]
Powers and abilities
Windshear is a mutant with the ability to project "hard-air" molecules that can be used for various effects. He has the ability to create constructs of "hard-air" molecules, to project streams of "hard-air" molecules from his hands as concussive force, and to utilize "hard-air" molecules for propulsion in flight.
Windshear's armor was developed for him by Roxxon Oil technicians to fully harness his power. Turbojets built into the armor enable Windshear to better control his projection of "hard-air" molecules from his gauntlets and propulsive force from his boots. The battle-suit also grants him superhuman strength and durability, and the ability to fly at subsonic speeds via electrically powered turbines in the boots and jetpack in conjunction with his "hard-air" molecule projection. Later, his armor was modified by Alpha Flight when they all wore identical red costumes as a team. The armor also has a retractable protective tinted acrylic glass/plexiglass faceplate and a radio communicator built into the helmet.
Mutant or mutate
In his appearances in Alpha Flight it was stated that Windshear was not a mutant but in fact gained his powers when he was tested on by Roxxon while an agent for them.[volume & issue needed] It was later confirmed that Windshear first showed signs of his abilities when he was a teenager, explaining that he already possessed his powers before he worked for Roxxon.[12] Adding support to this claim, he appears in the list of mutants depowered by the Scarlet Witch on M-Day.[volume & issue needed]