Equinox (comics)

Equinox (Terrance Sorenson) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in publications from Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Equinox, the Thermodynamic Man, first appeared in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #23 (July, 1974), and was created by Len Wein and Gil Kane. He also appeared in Giant-Size Spider-Man #1, also in July 1974, and a two-part story in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #59-60 (July–August 1977).

After a nearly twenty year hiatus, the character subsequently appeared sporadically, appearing in Marvel Comics Presents #147 (February 1994), Code of Honor #1 (January 1997), Spider-Man Unlimited #12 vol. 2 (January 2006), and Heroes for Hire vol. 2 #1 (October 2006). A Skrull impersonator of Equinox appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #12 (June 2008), and #18.

Equinox received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4 (2006).

Fictional character biography

Equinox is an African-American youth who gained superhuman powers due to accidental exposure to his father's malfunctioning equipment after a lab accident. (His mother is Margay Sorenson, head of natural sciences at Bard College.)^[1]

Equinox's powers were similar to the heroes the Human Torch and Iceman, with whom he first battled.^[2] He also came into conflict with the superheroes Spider-Man, Yellowjacket, and the Wasp, during which his origin was revealed, the three heroes managing to apparently cure him using technology conceived by his mother and constructed in the Baxter Building while the Fantastic Four were away.^[3]

Years later, he fought the Falcon.^[4]

Afterwards, Equinox joined Vil-Anon, a twelve-step program dedicated to helping individuals overcome their criminal tendencies.^[5]

Equinox appeared during the Civil War event and when the registration law was announced, he wanted to leave the country again. He contacted Vienna to make him a new fake identity, but he did not know Vienna was secretly working for the Heroes for Hire, who later apprehended Equinox and several other super villains.^[6]

Equinox is next seen as a member of the Montana team of the Fifty State Initiative, Freedom Force, alongside Challenger, Cloud 9, Think Tank, and Spinner.^[7]

During the Secret Invasion storyline, Equinox was revealed to be a Skrull infiltrator and attacked his teammates. The Skrull-Equinox not only had the abilities of Firestar and Iceman to match the real Equinox' powers, he also had some of Spider-Man's abilities. He froze Hardball, Ryder and Riot (of the Skrull Kill Krew) in ice and broke the glass over Think Tank's brain. The Skrull-Equinox was sniped in the head by Cloud 9 using adamantium bullets.^[8]

After the invasion is over, the real Equinox is seen, although miscolored, in a support group meeting with the others that had been replaced by Skrulls.^[9] Equinox has since retaken active service with the Freedom Force. Due to his criminal past, Norman Osborn chooses his team between the ones assembled by Stark to help some other Initiative teams to apprehend the seceding Heavy Hitters team.^[10]

At the start of the Ends of the Earth storyline, Equinox was seen on a rampage. Spider-Man uses his own version of Green Goblin's glider and bombs to defeat Equinox.^[11]

Following the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Equinox was seen taking part in a prison riot. Mimic and Rogue were the only ones to respond to the riot. Copying the powers of Equinox, Armadillo, and Man-Bull, Mimic and Rogue were able to stop the riot.^[12]

Powers and abilities

Equinox possesses both pyrokinesis and cryokinesis as well as superhuman strength and durability. He continually undergoes "thermal transitions" so that part of his body is always aflame and part of his body is covered with ice. The strain of these powers has driven him increasingly insane over time.

In other media

Video games

• Equinox appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Jimmie Wood. He is shown injected with a controlling nanite and unleashed upon the heroes when they infiltrate Prison 42.

References

External links

• Equinox at Marvel.com
• Equinox at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Equinox at Marvel Wiki