Hepzibah (Marvel)
Hepzibah is a female extraterrestrial character who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Hepzibah
She was on the prison colony when one day she was being pursued by people in the mines in order to eat her alive as a banquet. This led to her encounter Christopher Summers a human who had been recently captured and transferred to the site. Colliding into him, she ended up being captured by her pursuers and prompted up whilst they prepared to eat her as a gruesome death sentence. She was only saved by the intervention of Summers alongside other prisoners named Raza Longknife and Ch'od. For his help, she then made a life bond with Summers where they were to be comrades until death. The group then looked to escape the prison colony where Summers said his skills would help him pilot a ship. It was during this time that the human introduced himself to his new comrades under the name of Corsair. (Classic X-Men v1 #15)
Together with the Starjammers, Hepzibah had many encounters with the X-Men. Their first meeting came when the X-Men arrived on the planet that was home to the M'Kraan crystal in pursuit of Eric the Red who had kidnapped Lilandra. The X-Men immediately had to battle the Imperial Guard forces of D'Ken, who was planning to use the crystal's power for his plans of conquest. The Starjammers came to the rescue of the X-Men against D'Ken's Imperial Guard and together they prevented the destruction of the Universe by the M'Kraan crystal.
Later, with the other Starjammers, she fought off an alien attack on the HMSS Starjammer starship. After that, she helped save Wolverine's life in outer space, and then engaged in mock combat with Carol Danvers. Hepzibah and the Starjammers helped the New Mutants neutralize the threat of the Magus. Together with Ch'od, she sought the "map-rod" holding information on the location of the "Phalkon" power source. The Phalkon turned out to be the Phoenix. She and the Starjammers were attacked by Deathbird's Shi'Ar starships. With the other Starjammers, she first met Excalibur on Earth and aided a rebellion against Deathbird on a Shi'Ar border world. Later, she was captured by Warskrulls and impersonated by one of them, until she was freed by the X-Men.
Warpath and Hepzibah continue to try to track the Morlocks but the subterranean environment of the Morlock tunnels suddenly triggers Hepzibah's primal instincts, causing her to immediately go into heat as she is now newly single after the death of Corsair, her previous mate. She tells an astonished Warpath that her species "burrows to nest" and then tries to mate with him, but he refuses saying that it was neither the time nor place, as they were in the middle of a mission. They are then interrupted by a surprise attack of the very Morlocks they were attempting to track. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #390) Later after the conflict with the Morlocks, she speaks with Cyclops at the X-Mansion, where he accepts her having chosen Warpath as her new mate. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #391)
She was seen in an altered standard X-Uniform and entering the Morlock Tunnels alongside Warpath, Storm, and Caliban. As a group, they are attempting to discover the reason for the Morlocks' increased activity, which has included the capturing of X-Men ward Leech. Hepzibah, as a furred female with enhanced senses, has multiple problems with the sewers. Hepzibah's name has been written on a Morlock wall, along with the names of the other X-Men team members. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #488)
Hepzibah came to be one of the X-Men who answered the call for help from the Stepford Cuckoos when the Hulk attacked Professor Xavier. (World War Hulk: X-Men v1 #2)
She came to be one of many Earth-based alien residents who faced deportation at the hands of S.W.O.R.D.. (S.W.O.R.D. v1 #2)
Overview
Personality and attributes
As a member of the Mephitisoid race, Hepzibah's features are supposed to resemble that of a humanoid skunk, with a huge skunk-like tail and fur having the black-and-white coloring pattern of an Earth skunk.
For saving her life, Hepzibah formed a lifebond with Corsair with this bloodbond binding them as comrades until death. (Classic X-Men v1 #15)
Powers and abilities
Hepzibah possesses superhuman attributes, such as superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes. Her Mephitisoid heritage grants her superhuman senses, night vision, retractable claws, and the ability to emit pheromones at will to control others.
Additionally, Hepzibah is a brilliant natural athlete and acrobat. She is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat known in the Shi'ar galaxy. She is also an expert marksman, and is knowledgeable in the operation of a wide variety of ship-sized weaponry. Hepzibah is often armed with Shi'ar energy guns.
Notes
- Hepzibah was created Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont where she made her first appearance in X-Men v1 #107 (October, 1977).
Alternate Versions
- In Gambit and the X-Ternals v1 #2 (1995), an alternate version of Hepzibah appeared in the Age of Apocalypse reality that was designated as Earth-295 in the Multiverse.
- In Heroes Reborn: Hyperion & the Imperial Guard v1 #1 (2021), an alternate version of Hepzibah appeared in the new Heroes Reborn reality that was designated as Earth-21798 in the Multiverse.
In other media
Television
- In X-Men, Hepzibah appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the "Phoenix Saga" where she was voiced by an uncredited actress. At some point she met Corsair and joined the Starjammers. They helped the X-Men when Jean Grey became possessed by the Phoenix Force.
Video games
- In X-Men: Battle for the Atom, Hepzibah appeared as a support card in the setting of the mobile video game.
Appearances
- X-Men v1: (1977)
- Classic X-Men v1:
- Uncanny X-Men:
- Starjammers v2:
- New Mutants:
External Links
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