Mister M (comics)

Mister M (Absolom Zebardyn Mercator) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Hine and David Yardin, and debuted in District X #2. Mister M wears a black suit and hat, and has the power to manipulate energy and matter.

Fictional character biography

Early life

Not much is known about the enigmatic man called Mr. M. He grew up in a small village near Ghent, Belgium. After his powers manifested, he left for the United States, and after much wandering, settled in Mutant Town. Once there, he mostly stayed to himself, only leaving his apartment at night to get drunk.^[1]

Mutant Town

From time to time he would intervene in the lives of the other citizens of Mutant Town, but most of it was unwelcome. He once rescued a young boy called Toad Boy from rival gang lords and returned him to his mother, curing him of his mutant abilities to produce hallucinogenic fumes and drug-like secretions. His mother was furious at Mr. M because she, like many other residents in Mutant Town, had become addicted to "Toad Juice"—the mind-altering secretions he produced. Another time, he attempted to stop Jazz from pursuing a man who stole his drugs. While he was trying to liberate Toad Boy, Mr. M killed one of the guards by phasing his hand inside of his body and squeezing his heart.

After seeing a painting (by an artist who painted his premonitions) of himself as a destroyer, Mr. M made up his mind that the only way he could help Mutant Town was by destroying all of the sickness and corruption. He decided to go through with it (although Bishop and Ishmael tried to stop him) leveling the city with huge displays of energy manipulation. When he had finished, his friend and neighbor Hanna Levy asked him if he would want to take it back. He agreed that if he could he would, and then Lara the Illusionist dropped her show to reveal that the destruction had been an illusion, as Ishmael had recruited her last minute to avert the disaster and Bishop had absorbed all of the energy output.^[2]

Mr. M also did good things with his powers: He regularly fixed people's electronics, and once saved Officer Ishmael Ortega's daughter by removing a bullet from her body and sealing the wound.

Mr. M had made several enemies in his lifetime, and one of the dangling plotlines of the series involved a hit put out on his life. The individual actually came very close to succeeding, shooting him three times in the head at point-blank range, however his mutant abilities saved him.

Decimation/The 198

After the events of M-Day, Mr. M was one of the few individuals unaffected. He visited his hospitalized friend Hanna, who was growing insane due to all of the bugs that had begun to attack her when she lost her mutant power, and helped to heal her mind. At her suggestion, he decides to head to the Xavier Institute on foot.^[3]

When he arrives at the encampment around the Institute, he passes through the walls surrounding the school, and the Sentinels attack him. He effortlessly brushes them off, explaining that the giant robot almost stepped on a very rare caterpillar. Cyclops suggests he "must really love caterpillars" and Mister M replies "Not really... I like butterflies".^[3] Other displays of his power in the 198 camp were: creating a small pterodactyl and evolving it into butterflies, restoring the hair of Lorelei that had been cut off by angry Purity members, and creating force fields to stop the fighting between Fever Pitch, Sack, Erg and the Sentinels. The members of the X-Men are very leery about the intentions of Mr. M and the concern over his god-like abilities. It is suggested by an agent of O.N.E. that he is an Omega-level mutant. He then begins a relationship with the girl Lorelei and when the true purpose of the "tracking" chips is revealed he removes them from all the mutants that were implanted, he then declares he is leaving for a new sanctuary and any are welcome to follow. The face in Johnny Dee's chest declares him a threat that must be eliminated. Mr. M leads his followers to an island which they reach by walking across the water, when the X-Men show up to try and talk them into returning, Cyclops is attacked by a mind controlled Erg and when he retaliates Mr. M declares he shall protect his followers.^[4]

Death

Johnny Dee uses his "voodoo dolls" to make Leech take away Absalom's powers and then uses Magma to annihilate Mr. M. That night, as Lorelei and Leech watch over Absolom's coffin, they fall asleep. The pair wake to an empty casket. The story cuts to Lorelei and Leech, surrounded by butterflies, telling the 198 about their experience: "I can't tell you what we saw. I don't have the words. Absolom never appeared to anyone else, but he did not want them to grieve for him, so he sent them a message. 'Some things do not die... THEY EVOLVE!'"^[4]

Powers and abilities

Mister M is believed to be an Omega-level mutant.^[5] Similar to Owen Reece, Mr. M has complete control over the atomic and subatomic structure of matter, and energy. Thus far, M has displayed: repair of machinery, intangibility, super strength, healing injuries either in himself or others, removal or augmentation of mutant abilities, creation of force fields, telekinesis and creation and evolution of lesser life forms, as well as energy manipulation and generation including lightning, fire and explosions.^[6]

Other versions

House of M

In the House of M alternate timeline, Mr. M is the head of a facility named the Centre for Transformation and Illumination, a center that focuses on unleashing the mutant potential in a child through the Rite of Transformation.^[7]

References

External links

• MDP: Mister M (Marvel Database Project)
• Uncannyxmen.net Character Profile on Mr. M