History
Fletcher did not realize he possessed mutant powers until he reached the front lines of World War II. Along with two other mutants, Stonewall (Louis Hamilton) and Crimson Commando (Frank Bohannan), he fought the good fight alongside the Allied troops, although his team never achieved the prominence of the Invaders. After the war these three heroes wanted to enlist in the Cold War, but their second-string status and flamboyance led the government to refuse their offer. Fletcher reluctantly left the armed forces and returned stateside.[4]
Once back home and out of the limelight, Fletcher, Hamilton, and Bohannan saw the Invaders become the All-Winners Squad. They and the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) went on to fight Communists. Left with no constructive use for their abilities, the three mutants eventually became vigilantes: they would find a criminal who had escaped prosecution, abduct him, release him in a state park, and chase him down. This "hobby" went on for several years until they made a fateful mistake.[4]
They abducted a woman named Priscilla Morrison, a drug dealer, and Storm, who resembled an arsonist. During the chase, Storm set a trap that nearly decapitated Fletcher, but she then refused to murder him. Fletcher was then caught in a landslide and everyone thought he had died. Bohannan killed Morrison, but Storm then defeated Bohannan and Hamilton, who surrendered to the authorities.[4]
Fletcher had survived, however. When Valerie Cooper, a government agent specializing in mutant affairs, recruited Hamilton and Bohannan for Freedom Force in exchange for pardons, Fletcher came out of hiding and joined the team as well.[5]
Almost immediately Freedom Force had a big job: fending off the Adversary.[6] Later assignments involved tracking down dangerous mutants, typically on the strength of a precognitive warning from Destiny, another member of Freedom Force.[7] As a government-sponsored group, they also had to administer the Mutant Registration Act, which led to trouble with the mutant group X-Factor[8] as well as a mutant terrorist group.[9]
When Cable escaped from prison, Freedom Force tried to recapture him. In the process Fletcher ran into a wire Cable had rigged up, nearly decapitating himself.[10]
Fletcher then accepted an invitation from the Runner, one of the Elders of the Universe, to participate in a qualifying heat for the Galactic Marathon. He ran on a special track from the Earth to the Moon, competing against Black Racer, Makkari, Pulsar, Quicksilver, Speed Demon, and the Whizzer (Stanley Stewart). Another competitor literally came out of nowhere to win the race.[11]
Freedom Force's final mission took place in Kuwait, to rescue a German scientist from the Iraqi army. When they failed to find their charge in Kuwait City, they realized they'd walked into a trap. Without warning Fletcher was decapitated by Aminedi, a member of Desert Sword.[1]
While clinically dead, Wolverine encountered Fletcher and several other past foes in an out-of-body experience.[12] Presumably, this version of Fletcher was a figment of Wolverine's mind and not a true ghost.
Super Sabre, along with many other deceased mutants, was resurrected by Selene and Eli Bard with the Transmode Virus. He was seen with Stonewall fighting Colossus, among others.[13] It was assumed that Fletcher died once more upon Selene's defeat and destruction.Attributes
Powers
- Mutant Physiology: Super Sabre was a mutant with enhanced pshysical capabilities, expecially his speed, who possessed an adapted physiology capable of withstanding moving at great speeds.
- Peak Human Strength[14]
- Superhuman Speed: Fletcher could travel on foot at speeds faster than sound (approximately 761 mph/1225 kph), to an unknown maximum. He could run up and along vertical surfaces and over water. His body (especially his muscles, joints, bones, and skin) was correspondingly sturdier to withstand the pressures and impacts of moving at supersonic velocity. His senses may or may not have compensated for the increase in visual input. By causing a circular draft, he could form a wind barrier; by snapping his fingers, he could project a localized sonic boom; by pulling a supersonic punch, he could still strike a foe with a small mass of air (a technique he called the Mach One Punch).[14]
- Superhuman Stamina: Super Sabre stamina was enahced to superhuman levels.[14]
- Superhuman Reflexes: Super Sabre's reflexes were sharper than the fittest human athlete.[14]
- Superhuman Durability: Super Sabre possessed enhanced durability.[14]
Abilities
- Hand-to-Hand Combat: Fletcher developed a fighting style that exploited his super speed; he also had military training in hand-to-hand combat at normal speeds and was trained by Crimson Commando.[14]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Transportation
Notes
- Fletcher was sometimes referred to as "Silver Sabre."
- Although almost decapitated twice, Fletcher never took measures to protect his neck, making his death an avoidable tragedy.
Trivia
- The North American F-100 fighter plane, nicknamed the "Super Sabre," was the first supersonic military jet. It did not enter service until 1954, though, and Fletcher adopted his code name in the early 1940s.
See Also
- 22 appearance(s) of Martin Fletcher (Earth-616)
- 3 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Martin Fletcher (Earth-616)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Martin Fletcher (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) of Martin Fletcher (Earth-616)
- 7 image(s) of Martin Fletcher (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Mutants Annual #7
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #21
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #25
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Uncanny X-Men #215–216
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #223
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #225–227
- ↑ "fugitive" mutants included Cable (New Mutants #65; X-Factor #30 and X-Factor #31) and Rusty Collins (New Mutants #78)
- ↑ X-Factor #33
- ↑ Captain America #346
- ↑ New Mutants #88–89
- ↑ Quasar #17
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #176
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 3) #22
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #14