Longshot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section is missing citations and/or footnotes.
This article or section may use words or ideas of other works in its text without citing sources. Using citations to support claims outside the realm of elementary knowledge helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. Please improve the article or discuss this issue on the talk page. Help on using footnotes is available. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
| Longshot | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Longshot is a fictional character a Marvel Comics superhero best known as a member of the X-Men. He was created by writer Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams.
Longshot debuted in a six-part, eponymous 1985/86 mini-series that parodied television. The series featured the "Mojoverse" an alien dimension addicted to gladiator-like entertainment and ruled by the tyrant network head Mojo. Longshot, who possessed probability altering or "luck" powers, was an action star who escaped enslavement by Mojo. The series became a cult classic.
After the series, Longshot briefly joined the X-Men. He has appeared in Marvel comic books occasionally since. He currently appears in the series Exiles.
He is one of the few X-Men (along with Wolverine, Cable, and Banshee) to have a relatively well defined archenemy separate from Magneto.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
Longshot is an artificially created humanoid life-form, with the mutant ability to defy probability.
His original six issue series features an early example of Art Adams' detailed art and Ann Nocenti's slightly trippy dialogue and ideas. In this story, Longshot is an artificial humanoid who originated in the dimension known as "Mojoworld" or the "Mojoverse". He was one of many slaves created by genetic engineers in the employ of Mojoworld's masters, the grossly obese, virtually immobile Spineless Ones, who were ruled by the media-obsessed delusional maniac named Mojo. The Spineless Ones based Longshot's human-like design upon creatures of their own nightmares, which had actually been inspired by humans at some point in the past. The head geneticist, Arize, gave Longshot and his other creations such as the ram-headed Quark, free will and a conscience, hoping that one day they would rise up against their masters.
Longshot and many of his fellow slaves rebelled against the slave-masters. They underwent a mystical ritual that gave them the power to create good luck for themselves. Despite this power, their masters won the war due to their superior weaponry and the limits of the slaves' luck. Longshot was mind-wiped, but he managed to flee to Earth. A number of Mojo's servants led by the hound-like Gog and Magog pursued him, but got stuck between Longshot's world and Earth. Unable to remember his real name, Longshot took the name "Longshot" after several humans called him that for his incredible good luck. While recovering, Longshot befriended the human stunt-woman named Ricochet Rita. He also adopted the docile Magog, who he renamed "Pup". Finally, Mojo and his assistant, the six-armed sword-wielding assassin named Spiral, followed Longshot to Earth. Longshot, Quark, Rita and Doctor Strange sent Mojo and his minions back to the Mojoverse. Longshot, Quark and Rita return to the Mojoverse to free the other slaves. It would later be revealed that the rebellion failed and a future version of Rita was displaced into the past where she would be transformed into Spiral.
Longshot later joined the X-Men cast in the late 1980s. He was in a relationship with fellow X-Men member, Dazzler and they may or may not be married. For a short time, they lived in Mojoworld, leading a rebellion first against Mojo and his temporary successor, "Mojo II: The Sequel". The pair also cared for the X-Babies, a group of Mojo-manufactured child clones of the X-Men. Dazzler was revealed to be pregnant with Longshot's child at one point, but this has not since been mentioned; the child may have been born and never seen by the readers, although evidence suggests that Dazzler may have had a miscarriage. Both Longshot and Dazzler have since returned to Earth separately from one another with Dazzler believing that Longshot had been killed. It seems that their relationship has come to an end.
In the alternate reality future seen at the end of the "Shattershot" series (which ran through the 1992 annuals of the X-Men-related titles), a mysterious hooded figure appears in the background when the former slaves and the Spineless Ones finally make peace. The hooded figure throws back his hood, revealing himself to be an aged Longshot. He makes a philosophical pronouncement, then says "Gotcha!" as he did while he was with the X-Men. Longshot is very old in this universe, likely having spent a great deal of time after coming back to Mojoworld hiding from its rulers. Shatterstar came from 100 years into Longshot's future, and ruled for 10 years during this series. Longshot is likely well over 150 at the end of this series.
[edit] Longshot: Fools
The 1997 one shot FOOLS has Longshot restlessly searching the Mojoverse for "something" he felt he has lost. After being "killed" by the Thingy and denied entrance into Heaven, Longshot realizes he has lost his innocence, the main source of his luck power. Ejected from Heaven and Mojoverse, Longshot finds himself stranded between Baum and Barrie, Kansas, pursued by the vengeful Thingy. When a child who has befriended the broken hero is damaged by the monster, Longshot, helped by a group of mental patients, must rediscover his faith in himself and his own purity despite the suffering of his life to restore her to health. Ultimately, the childlike belief of his friends gives him back his abilities and cleanses not only the girl, but also the Thingy, who had once been an Innocent itself before succumbing to the evils of the world.
In the end, the unlikely group sets out for the big city, searching for adventure, secure in their luck and their innocence.
[edit] Exiles
Longshot has recently been recruited for the Exiles by Heather Hudson to help against Proteus. Mojo claimed in Exiles #18-19 that he and all the other inhabitants of Mojoworld were "unique" in that there is no parallel counterpart to his realm. This would extend to Longshot, though what impact this will have on his membership in the Exiles is unknown. It is interesting to note that there have been several Alternate Reality versions of Longshot shown in the "What If?" series. This would tend to cast doubt on Mojo's claims of being a "unique" being. In issue #74 of the Exiles, it was discovered that Longshot has once again been mind-wiped by Mojo, and does not remember his former adventures with the Exiles. Morph revealed that Longshot's abilities cancel Proteus' reality warping powers, making him a perfect candidate for the team. He was also brought aboard to replace the dead Mimic. Longshot saved Blink from Proteus in 2099, and saved Blink, Morph, Sabretooth, Star Brand, Lenore Fenzl, and Nightmask from Proteus in the New Universe Approximation. Since then, he has played a minor role. During the visit to Squadron Supreme, he was easily defeated, had no role in saving the day or helping, and only spoke once. When the Exiles visited Future Imperfect, Longshot tried to stop Maestro's rampage and stop Proteus from taking over Maestro's body. The Exiles finally cornered Proteus at the "Heroes Reborn" world, and trapped Proteus in Morph's body. With the hunt for Proteus at an end, Longshot remained an Exile to continue fixing damaged realities. During their last mission, Longshot was brainwashed into attacking Blink by Madame Hydra and the Hand.
[edit] Powers, abilities, and equipment
Longshot has only three fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. He also has leather-like skin, hollow bones and two hearts, giving him superhuman speed, agility and endurance. He has exhibited advanced healing abilities as well.
He has a star shaped scar on his left eye from being branded. The scar is only visible (glowing brightly) when Longshot uses his powers. He was genetically engineered and augmented by magical means to have certain superhuman abilities. The mystical augmentation gave him the ability to affect probability fields through psionic means in order to give himself "good luck" in his activities. This allows incredibly unlikely events to happen in Longshot's favor. This ability is tied into the positive aspects of his personality: should he attempt to use his powers for a selfish or evil act, or should he give up hope, his powers will fail to function or even backfire, giving him bad luck.
Longshot has demonstrated some degree of supernatural attractiveness which tends to compel women to fall in love with him upon first sight, most notably the X-Men's Rogue and Dazzler, indicated in #216 of the Uncanny X-Men, as well as Kitty Pryde.
Longshot can also telepathically "read" the recent memories of a person by making physical contact with him or her. Moreover, Longshot can read "psychic imprints" that people leave on objects that they have handled and sometimes can even look into the future of the person or object he touches, otherwise known as psychometric powers.
Longshot carries blades which he hurls with inhuman accuracy. Initially and most often depicted as skien style shuriken (straight edged blades with a trailing balance pinion), some artists have depicted the blades as much larger, and a recent Exiles artist has depicted them more akin to tapering spikes more resembling bo-shuriken. His throwing blades have always been carried in a bandolier which artists have never been consistent in depicting. The lowest number of pouches in the bandolier has been seen to be 33 exactly, but the bandolier has also been seen with upwards of 60 pouches and the more common depictions seem to be somewhere in the 40's. During his original incarnation, until his return to the X-Men in the early 90's, Longshot carried a long dagger in a sheath strapped to his right thigh, and a small knife in a sheath on his right boot. Longshot has always carried a shoulder bag and large belt pouches, in which he has kept many collected objects that have caught his fancy. Originally, his belt held three pouches (two on the right, one on the left side where he normally wears his shoulder bag), though four pouches were much more regularly depicted thereafter. Small pouches were seen on his boot until the early 90s, but disappeared along with his dagger and knife. A larger pouch strapped to his right thigh has been depicted in all appearances of Longshot since the dagger ceased to be used. During his X-Men years, Longshot also carried a folding grappling hook and rope either carried looped around one shoulder or stored in his shoulder bag, and a set of throwing spikes which produced net-like wires between them to restrain a target.
Longshot is proficient in the use of jetpacks for flight, and in the use of beam weapon side-arms.
[edit] Influences
The character of Longshot was created by a desire from Ann Nocenti to portray a perfect being in an imperfect world. It was her opinion that this would necessitate that Longshot be a "tabula rasa" or blank slate consisting of no memories of his own. The limitation on Longshot's powers that he must always do what he believes is right and his confusion regarding these complex issues fill the bulk of this work.
Focus on media in the identities of Mojo and Major Domo were likely inspired by the works of Marshall McLuhan and other media theorists which Nocenti credited on a similar work of hers on the title New Mutants.
Not long after Longshot left the X-Men, the team received a new member in Gambit. The two characters have personalities as distinct as night and day, however they share long hair, agility, thrown weapons, stunningly good looks, a mysterious history and a love interest in Rogue. In one issue, Wolverine even says sparring with Gambit is like sparring with Longshot. They're also the same height, 6' 2‘‘, and have generally been drawn at a similar build, though Longshot's hollow bones make him 100 pounds lighter than Gambit; the former weighing in at 80 lbs. and the latter at 180.
Longshot also inspired Shatterstar, a character written for Rob Liefeld's X-Force series, and Domino, another X-Force character with similar powers as Longshot. At times it was hinted that Shatterstar might be Longshot's son, but this idea seems to have been dropped.
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Ultimate Longshot
Like many Marvel characters, Longshot has been reinvented for the Ultimate Marvel universe. Ultimate Longshot first appeared in Ultimate X-Men #54, written by Brian K. Vaughan. In the Ultimate Universe, Longshot is not an alien but an ordinary mutant named Arthur Centino. His name is a tribute to creators Art Adams and Ann Nocenti.
Centino is accused of murdering a Genoshan politician. Genosha is rabidly anti-mutant and Longshot is put on a reality show on an island where he is hunted by humans who try to kill him to win the game; much like Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, where the story arc gets its title. The show is run by Mojo Adams, the Ultimate version of Mojo (whose last name is also a tribute to Art Adams), who in this universe is a morbidly obese, albino human with dreadlocks.
The X-Men journey to the island Longshot is on, assuming he is innocent and was framed. It is later discovered that he is guilty; he had stumbled upon his girlfriend Spiral with the politician and killed him in a fit of rage. The X-Men, not knowing this, help him escape from the island. It is only after he is gone do they discover the truth. Later, Longshot is in the Savage Land foraging for food when he runs into the Ultimates' Scarlet Witch, who captures him and has him imprisoned in their Triskelion base. Longshot later successfully escapes from the Triskelion along with Magneto, and it is discovered that Magneto was the one who tipped the authorities on his location. His presence within the Triskelion was needed in order to manipulate the probabilities or "luck" into Magneto's favor.
Longshot's probability-altering powers in the Ultimate universe appear to be the same as they are in the regular one. He has hollow bones that allow him to become more agile, but at the same time make his skeletal structure more fragile. He also has four fingers including opposable thumbs on each hand. As a homage to his regular version, his right eye glows whenever his abilities are taking effect.
This version of Longshot despises normal human beings; he regularly uses the epithet "flatscan" when referring to them, introducing the term to the Ultimate universe.
Longshot is last seen in issue 79. When the death of Charles Xavier is announced, the news reaches "Somewhere Else," apparently Magneto's latest stronghold. Longshot is seen, still bearded from his time on the run, seated on his own low stool at Magneto's right hand side, suggesting that the sociopathic young mutant holds special favor with the Master of Magnetism. This story by Yanick Paquette and Serge LaPointe is entitled Aftermath: Part 1, the multi-issue arc seemingly guaranteeing that Longshot will feature prominently in Magneto's plans to capitalize on his old adversary's death.
[edit] Appearances in other media
- Longshot guest starred in the X-Men animated series episodes Mojovision and Longshot. In the animated series it seemed to indicate that he might have a relationship with Spiral.
- Longshot is a playable character in the DOS video-game called "X-Men II: The Fall of the Mutants" . The storyline is based on the actual crossover from the X-Men comics.
- An item called "The Luck of The Longshot" is available in X-Men Legends
