Berzerker (comics)

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Berzerker
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance X-Factor #11
Created by Louise Simonson
Walter Simonson
Characteristics
Alter ego Unrevealed
Species Human Mutant
Affiliations Morlocks, The Tunnelers
Abilities Electric manipulation,
Flight

Berzerker is a fictional character, a mutant from the Marvel Comics Universe. His first and last appearance was in X-Factor #11 (December 1986).

Contents

[edit] Ficitional character biography

Berzerker was a member and the leader of The Tunnelers, an offshoot group of Morlocks who hated Callisto's main group and dubbed them Drain Dwellers. Initially a group of ten, six of the Tunnelers were killed when the Marauders were sent to kill the Morlocks. Berzerker and three others survived the attack, only to get in another battle with Beast and Iceman, thinking they were Marauders too. The battle ends when the Tunnelers figure out that the X-Factor members are not their enemies.

Joining X-Factor at their base, the Tunnelers find out about their hosts' mock mutant hunter identities. The Tunnelers eventually leave hoping to find a new home in New Jersey. They ran into a human street gang called the Savage Wolf gang who tried to rob them. The Tunnelers fought back, ending in the deaths of the Tunneler, Blowhard and two of the three gang members. They then got in a confrontation with the police where fellow Tunneler and Berzerker's love interest, Scaleface, was shot dead. Cyclops and Jean Grey arrived to save the remaining two Tunnelers, but it was too late; Berzerker was enraged by the loss of Scaleface and vowed revenge on all humanity. Before Cyclops could reason with him Berzerker let out a giant energy attack at him, blaming X-Factor for the Tunnelers' destruction. Cyclops fired back, overpowering Berzerker's initial shot. The optic blast from Cyclops knocked Berzerker into a river, electrocuting himself with his own powers. Masque was the only Tunneler that survived.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Berzerker's mutant powers allow him to generate and control pulsing bolts of electrical energy. He did this by absorbing and manipulating the energies of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. He could also fly and tap into, absorb, observe or listen to television or radio broadcasts.

[edit] Appearances in other media

[edit] X-Men Evolution

In the cartoon X-Men: Evolution, Berzerker was a member of the New Mutants. Unlike his one-issue semi-villainous comics counterpart, Berzerker was more developed. Unfortunately, this incarnation cannot fly or use his powers to listen to television or radio broadcasts. However, what he lacked in overall mutant powers he made up for in various areas. In Evolution, Berzerker's real name is Ray Crisp. He has a bad temper, but not bad enough to hate or willingly kill a human. Berzerker appeared in 21 episodes of the show, starting from season 2. Two of these episodes, "Day of Recovery" and "X-Treme Measures" even touch upon Berzerker's past with the Morlocks.

Berzerker was put into the show because the writing staff was looking for a bad boy with a mysterious past as well as characters with unique powers. Though an obscure character, Berzerker was exactly what they were looking for. Since then, Berzerker has developed a notable fanbase. He was voiced by Tony Sampson.