| Ernst | |
|---|---|
Ernest, by Phil Jimnez |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New X-Men vol. 1 #135 (April 2003) |
| Created by | Grant Morrison (writer) Frank Quitely (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Xavier Institute The 198 Brotherhood of Mutants Jean Grey School Students |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength |
Ernst is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her first appearance as Ernst was in New X-Men vol. 1 #135 (April 2003).
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The curiously-named Ernst, whose physical appearance suggests that she may be a teenage girl suffering from progeria or dyskeratosis congenita, became a student at the Xavier Institute not long after the psionic entity called Cassandra Nova had disappeared there. While Nova's disappearance and Ernst's subsequent appearance may or may not be connected, no information on Ernst's life before becoming a student in Charles Xavier's so-called Special Class could be obtained, nor could the nature of her genetic mutation be identified. Ernst, who appears to have befriended her disembodied fellow student Martha Johansson, briefly joined the so-called Brotherhood assembled by the mutant Xorn when he went on a drug-induced, destructive rampage as Magneto in New York.[1] Ernst did not show any signs of aggression herself. Ernst is considered one of the few mutants who have retained their powers after the events of "M-Day". She continues living at the Xavier Institute.
During the Quest for Magik arc, she was transported to Limbo alongside the other students and was captured by Belasco. She returned to the school with the rest of her classmates when Magik/Darkchilde sent them all back to the human world.
Her diminutive body supposedly houses superhuman strength, though this has not yet been seen on-panel in the canon comics.
Ernst was briefly assumed to be Cassandra Nova by readers who felt that Grant Morrison had given enough clues that Cassandra Nova, after combining with the Shi'ar Superguardian named Stuff, had been named Ernst in the new memory-free physical form. In the penultimate issue of Grant Morrison's New X-Men arc 'Here Comes Tomorrow', Cassandra Nova point-blankly tells Martha Johansson, to refer to her as Ernst. Ernst had little backstory and the two characters have similar faces.
However, in the wake of Xorn's attack on the school and the destruction of the school, Cyclops and Beast are shown rushing to make sure that the power stayed on to Cassandra's cell.[2] It was from this cell that she manipulated Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde during Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-men.