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Quote1 I fear... I fear the fire within me has been extinguished Quote2
Vulcan[src]

Vulcan is the younger brother of X-Men Cyclops and Havok. Born into slavery on the Shi'ar Throneworld and artificially aged to the prime of adolescence, Vulcan found his way to Earth. After the manifestation of his mutant powers he became a pupil of Moira MacTaggert and was then recruited by Professor X into a secret team of X-Men. After their first mission went awry, Vulcan spent years inert, drifting in Earth orbit until awoken by M-Day.[9]

Embarking on a quest of revenge against all who had wronged him he attacked the X-Men, and eventually made his way back to the Shi'ar Empire where he began a relationship with disgraced Shi'ar princess Deathbird. Utilizing his godlike mutant powers, and a legal loophole, Vulcan was able to usurp the Shi'ar throne and led the imperium into a devastating war with the Kree.[10]

Following his defeat at the hands of Black Bolt, Vulcan was captured and experimented upon by aliens within the Fault. The aliens separated all that was good within him from his fractured and unstable psyche, sending him back seemingly as a changed man, with no memory of what had been done to him, unaware that he was a ticking time-bomb ready to be detonated at the aliens' will.[11]

Vulcan returned to Earth and was welcomed back by his family, joining the mutant nation of Krakoa.[11]

History

Early Years[]

Vulcan's life began on the Shi'ar throne-world, as the unborn child of Christopher and Katherine Summers (parents of Scott and Alex Summers, who would become the X-Men known as Cyclops and Havok, respectively). Katherine Summers was pregnant when the Summers family were abducted by D'ken, ruler of the Shi'ar Empire. Christopher escaped in an attempt to save both mother and child, but she was killed in retaliation by D'ken.[3]

Gabriel Summers (Earth-616) from X-Men Deadly Genesis Vol 1 6 001

Young Gabriel being aged through adolescence through a Shi'ar incubator

Gabriel was removed from his mother's body and placed in an incubation-accelerator, used to breed new slaves, aging him to the prime of adolescence. Sent to Earth to become a slave for Erik the Red, the Emperor's hand on Earth, he escaped and was found by Moira MacTaggart with little or no memories of who he was or where he came from. She took him as her ward, and instructed him in the use of his nascent mutant powers.[9]

Vulcan the X-Man[]

X-Men Deadly Genesis Vol 1 4 Textless

With Sway, Petra, and Darwin

He claimed his name was Gabriel, but chose the code name of Kid Vulcan from a book on Roman mythology. During an encounter with Charles Xavier his mental imprint was recognized as being related to Cyclops, one of Xavier's students. Charles recruited Vulcan, along with Moira's other students; Petra, Darwin, and Sway, to form a new team of X-Men that attempted to rescue the original X-Men from the living island of Krakoa.[3]

Vulcan and his team managed to rescue Cyclops, with Vulcan revealing to him that they were brothers, before sending him away on their jet to safety. As the jet took off, Cyclops watched in horror as the living island struck down and, seemingly, killed Vulcan and his team. Sway was hit first, and severed in two at her torso. Her body released the last of her mutant power to slow time down around them. As Petra was incinerated, she also reacted reflexively and drew them all below the surface into a cave that her power created. There, Vulcan and Darwin lay dying, and Darwin transformed himself into energy and bonded with Vulcan, thus saving them both.[12]

After the apparent deaths of the team, Cyclops returned to Professor Xavier in a hysterical state, blaming himself for their deaths. The Professor decided it was best for all involved if he altered Scott's memories to forget about Vulcan and his team, to spare him the agony of their loss. A new team was assembled and successfully rescued the original X-Men from Krakoa.[3][13]

Vulcan and Darwin were launched into space along with the Krakoan landmass by Polaris[13] and remained inert until years later, when the massive backlash of power resulting from M-Day awakened Vulcan.[14]

X-Men Deadly Genesis Vol 1 5 Textless

Vulcan meeting his brother, Cyclops, after his return

Deadly Genesis[]

Believing the X-Men had abandoned him, he returned from his space exile to exact revenge on them, killing long-time X-Man Banshee in the process, attempting to kill Wolverine, and even kidnapping Marvel Girl and Cyclops.[15]

After Xavier's deception had been exposed, Marvel Girl reached into Vulcan's mind and released the subconscious inert form of Darwin, which Vulcan expelled from his body. Using this opportunity, the X-Men attacked him as they deemed him too dangerous to be left alone. Vulcan easily repelled their attack and fled the planet, renouncing Cyclops as his brother, and headed for space with the vision of D'Ken killing his mother raging in his mind, bent on revenge.[12]

The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire[]

On his way to the Shi'ar galaxy he learned that D'Ken was in a coma and was no longer the ruler of the Shi'ar. He re-focused his anger on the then-current ruler: D'ken's sister Lilandra. He captured a Shi'ar war-bird and its crew and learned of Lilandra's sister Deathbird, who was in exile. As he made his way towards the Shi'ar galaxy, he destroyed the star-gates behind him to hinder the X-Men he knew would be coming, which brought him to the attention of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.[10]

Impulse was killed and several other members were seriously injured as the Imperial Guard engaged him, but Gabriel was ultimately defeated by Gladiator, losing his left eye as a result. Under K'Tor's orders he was taken to the prison orbiting Phygim.[6]

Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 483 Textless

Vulcan and Deathbird

After spending an unknown amount of time in the prison, Gabriel was released by a "Secret Order" of Shi'ar. Unsatisfied with Lilandra's peaceful intentions for the empire, this secret order wished to restore the warlike ways of D'ken, and brought him to meet Deathbird. Deathbird managed to convince him to at least delay his plan for vengeance, after the two became romantically involved. Vulcan used his powers to heal D'ken's injuries. Afterwards, a grateful D'ken asked Vulcan to take his sister's hand in marriage.[16]

After his wedding Vulcan attempted to kill Professor Xavier by throwing him into the M'kraan Crystal, killed D'ken, and named himself emperor of the Shi'ar. In the midst of a battle between the Shi'ar troops loyal to Lilandra (with Corsair's Starjammers and X-Men) and Shi'ar troops loyal to D'ken, Corsair was killed by Vulcan when Corsair commanded Vulcan, as his father, to stop his senseless violence.[17]

Emperor Vulcan[]

The civil war between Vulcan's forces and those loyal to the deposed Lilandra continued to rage on. Led by his brother Havok and the Starjammers, Lilandra's forces gradually whittled away at Vulcan's, which were plagued by defections. The Shi'ar, contrary to Vulcan's expectations, were not happy to have an outsider as their ruler. Vulcan was discouraged by this, but Deathbird convinced him that they would come to accept him in time.[18]

Warned in advance of a rebel raid on Feather's Edge, Vulcan and his fleet ambushed the Starjammers. However, in the middle of the battle, his ship, the Hammer, was destroyed by the Scy'ar Tal (translating as "Death to the Shi'ar"). Vulcan and Gladiator attacked the leader of the Scy'ar Tal and were easily defeated, whereupon they retreated deeper into Shi'ar space.[19]

Marvel Girl made contact with the Eldest Scy'ar Tal and discovered their true origin. The Scy'ar Tal were originally called the M'Kraan. Early in their history, the Shi'ar attacked them, killing a great number of their people, and forcing the rest to flee for their lives. Eventually, the Shi'ar settled on their planet, took the M'kraan Crystal as their own, and passed down the legend of the M'kraan Crystal as a sacred gift from their deities, Sharra & K'ythri. The M'Kraan then changed their names to the "Scy'ar Tal" and devoted their culture and society to the destruction of the Shi'ar Empire. With their first attack, they destroyed Feather's Edge by transporting a star to obliterate it, after which, Vulcan made contact with the Starjammers to call a temporary ceasefire.[20]

Under the ceasefire, the Shi'ar and the Starjammers decided to take out the Finality, thus crippling the Scy'ar's biggest weapon. Once Havok and Vulcan were in position to destroy the Finality, the Eldest Scy'ar tried to stop them. Once Vulcan figured out how the Eldest was powered, he severed the connection the Eldest had with his brothers, making him powerless. Once the connection was severed, the Scy'ar became unorganized, and the tide of the battle shifted in favor of the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar then proceeded to attack both the Scy'ar and the Starjammers. Meanwhile, Vulcan blasted Havok into a sun.[21]

Vulcan decided to use the Finality to destroy the Scy'ar by using the weapon to place a star in the middle of their fleet. Alex returned and, having absorbed enough power to hurt him, decided to put an end to his brother. While they battled, Rachel and Korvus tried but failed to stop the beacon that would initiate the attack by the Shi'ar. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard ended Alex's battle with Vulcan by appearing with the Starjammers in captivity, threatening to kill them. Before surrendering, Alex destroyed the Finality. With Alex and the Starjammers in custody Vulcan declared that he would return the Shi'ar Empire to its former glory.[22]

War of Kings[]

Vulcan began an aggressive war of conquest to expand the Shi'ar Empire, occupying, among other races, the Z'nox. All the while, he became obsessed with making Havok acknowledge his superiority, which Havok refused to do. The Starjammers escaped their prison, nearly killing Vulcan in the process, and severely wounding Deathbird, but were forced to flee to the Kree Imperium.[23]

Vulcan launched a surprise attack on the Kree, now ruled by Black Bolt and the Inhumans, sparking a war between the two empires. The Imperial Guard retrieved Lilandra, who Vulcan planned to execute. However, he was stopped by one of his admirals, stating that by doing so would only make her a martyr and incite factions loyal to her to overthrow him around a similar figurehead. Gabriel then abducted and attacked Adam Warlock. Soon enough, Lilandra was assassinated during an attempt to usurp Vulcan. Immediately, a civil war ignited in the Imperium between factions loyal to her and Vulcan. Though advised by the Fraternity of Raptors and his admirals to sue for peace and return to their planets to restore order, Vulcan refused to listen and flew off to engage the Inhumans. He found Black Bolt preparing to arm the Inhumans' secret weapon; the T-Bomb. Believing the Inhuman intended to destroy his empire, Vulcan engaged the silent king. During the battle, the T-Bomb detonated, and both rulers disappeared in the resulting explosion that tore a hole in the fabric of space and time, which would become known as the Fault.[24]

Gladiator took Vulcan's place as Majestor of the Shi'ar in order to prevent another civil war.[25] His wife was later abducted by the Providian, as she was pregnant with their child, a mutant/Shi'ar hybrid with great potential.[26]

Vulcan survived the detonation of the bomb, which had opened a rift into another reality. Floating through the Fault, Vulcan was pulled away by tentacles, into the mouth of a giant alien creature. While inside, he was vivisected by three Progenitors sent by Orbis Stellaris, who wanted to study him and see if he would be useful. They had wanted Black Bolt and him to carry out their secretive plans, but since Black Bolt escaped their reach, they settled on just using Vulcan. While opening him up, they discovered a great fire within him, but deemed his body and mind to be too twisted and broken to fix, yet still useful to them.[27]

They tinkered with his mind, separating all that was good within him from his truly broken and twisted self. They sent him back to his universe with his memories of this erased, seemingly as a changed man with a whole new and different personality and outlook on life, while trapping his true persona within his mind, only to be unleashed through great emotional turmoil or when they deemed fit in accordance with their mysterious plans.[11]

Krakoa[]

Vulcan returned to Earth and rejoined his family, who in the interim had turned Krakoa into a mutant nation. Distrusting the island, Gabriel made his home in the Summer House, a Krakoan habitat on the Blue Area of the Moon. Gabriel lived with his two brothers Havok and Cyclops, his niece and nephew Prestige and Cable, his sister-in-law Jean Grey-Summers, as well as Wolverine.

While Vulcan was accepted by his family, it was clear his psyche was still damaged. He created energy constructs of his old friends, the deceased Sway and Petra, and spent most of his time getting drunk with them. Believing this was his mind's way of slowly healing, his family indulged his fantasies.[28][29] Despite the fact that the event had been erased from his memories, Gabriel experienced nightmares of the Fault shortly before a Brood invasion of Krakoa.[30]

Empyre[]

Vulcan began to have even more visions of his time in the Fault, and of the interdimensional aliens. After multiple nights of partying and drinking with "Sway" and "Petra", in the Summer house on the Blue Area of the Moon, the visions disturbed him enough to provoke him to leave and take a walk. While walking, he discovered small Cotati Empyre outpost where they were plotting to fire upon the Earth. He greeted them and attempted to peacefully convince them to abandon their violent ways. When attacked, he defended himself, but continued to hold back. A probe unleashed by the Cotati triggered Vulcan's memories from the Fault, prompting his original persona to re-emerge and destroy the outpost. Vulcan was found by his friends, who brought him back to his senses. Vulcan's actions unknowingly resulted in a Cotati invasion of Krakoa, which was easily repelled by the mutant forces.[11]

Vulcan was present in the final battle in Otherworld between the X-Men and the Swordbearers of Krakoa against the Swordbearers of Arakko, the first Horsemen of Apocalypse, the forces of Arakko, the Amenthian Daemons, and the Summoners.[31]

He along with many other Omega-Level Mutants later used their powers to terraform Mars to create a new home for Arakko.[32]

Vulcan's psyche soon began to rapidly deteriorate, causing him to revert to his old self. When aid from the Scarlet Witch made resurrecting the real Petra and Sway possible, Professor Xavier and Cyclops attempted to break through to him. Xavier attempted to use his telepathy to make Vulcan see the truth, but the violation of his mind triggered Vulcan into killing them. He was subsequently made unwelcome at the Summer House.[33][28] When Magneto left the Quiet Council, Vulcan declared his candidacy for Magneto's seat, making his case before the council. The seat would eventually go to his great-niece Hope Summers.[34]

Planet Arakko[]

Following his exile from the Summer House, Vulcan made his way to Arakko and began harassing Shi'ar visitors, declaring himself the rightful Majestor of the Shi'ar Empire. After a brawl with Sunspot and Thunderbird, he was incapacitated by Cable and taken into S.W.O.R.D. custody.[33]

Abigail Brand, head of S.W.O.R.D., offered Vulcan a place among her new X-Men team, which was to be active on Arakko and provide a positive example for the warlike Arakkii mutants. Quickly realizing that she wasn't using Vulcan to his full potential, Abigail offered to help him learn more about his powers. Desiring an inside man on the Great Ring of Arakko, Abigail encouraged Vulcan to challenge Tarn the Uncaring for his seat, exploiting Gabriel's desire to be adored.[28]

Vulcan challenged Tarn, the two negating each other's powers. While Vulcan struck the first blow Tarn quickly dismantled him, brutally beating him to death.[7]

Eventually, Vulcan later resurfaced as he had returned to his full potential and later reappear at the Diplomatic Ring.[27]

Attributes

Power Grid[41]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Some Training:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Virtually Unlimited:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Superhuman:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Superhuman:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Normal

Powers

Vulcan is an Omega-level mutant.[35][6][36] He was not originally an Omega-level mutant: he was elevated to the Omega-level when he was exposed to a massive burst of mutant energy,[10] expelled from mutantkind on M-Day.[14] He was also described to be "at least Omega Level" by Emma Frost,[14] "past Omega" by Professor X,[12] and "way past Omega" by Rachel Summers[3] (though it should be noted that Vulcan was fused with Darwin when these statements were made).[12] More recently, due to his resurrection from his death by Tarn the Uncaring, besides being restored to his full power, he had an increased in it, as Krakoan resurrection does (even powerful enough to partially resurrect himself).[8]

Magus (Earth-7528) and Gabriel Summers (Earth-616) from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 14 001

Warlock's statement

Thus far, he has displayed the following abilities:

Energy Manipulation: Vulcan can psionically manipulate, control, and absorb vast amounts of energy as he sees fit. He can project radiation along the electromagnetic spectrum and even manipulate some exotic variants such as Cyclops optic blasts or Adam Warlock's magical energies. He was additionally capable of manipulating the Nova Force directly from Richard Rider.

  • Energy Absorption: Vulcan could absorb virtually any type of energy and channel that energy through his blasts. It is unknown if Vulcan could absorb energy to achieve other effects to increase his strength, physiology, or the like. His energy absorption ability and his ability to wield energy had their limits. For example, his brother Havok was capable of easily overpowering him with his raw power and had him at his mercy after Vulcan threw him into a Sun. Whether these limits still constrain him, is unknown. He described himself as a "High Order Energy Manipulator"[35] and an "Omega-Level Energy Manipulator".[24]
  • Energy Blasts: Vulcan could generate light, heat, force, electricity, and other forms of energy and project them in the form of powerful energy blasts. He could generate these blasts from his hands as well as his eyes.
  • Flight: Vulcan was able to fly and levitate using his powers. He was capable of interstellar flight (adding more energy to become increasingly fast, presumably sub-light).[10]
  • Energy Constructs: Vulcan could solidify his energy into force-fields and other shapes. The effect of his energy constructs could be used to simulate a form of telekinesis by lifting and moving objects. His energy constructs can even take the form of people, such as Petra and Sway.[28]
  • Power Suppression: Vulcan could apparently use his powers to override those of another person's mutagenic aura by manipulating the electrical current of their brain, making them temporarily unable to use them.[37] He can drain mutants of their powers,[7] additionally using this ability to incapacitate people.
  • Energy Detection: Vulcan was capable of detecting energy signatures from great distances when the power in question was potent. This included other mutants with energy powers usually at lesser ranges and starships at far greater rangers based on their star engines.[10]
  • Energy Self-Sustenance: He also appeared capable of breathing in space as well as speaking by transmitting his voice as pure energy, though this ability seemed to be limited. If he didn't rest or find power other than his own, his reserve would leave him seemingly scarce until he did.[10]
  • Healing: Also shown capable of healing from seemingly mortal injuries by manipulating his body's energy composition.[24] The full extent and speed of Vulcan's capacity to heal isn't known. The term healing is used in lieu of regeneration as Vulcan did not regenerate his eye or heal the scar inflicted on him by Gladiator.
  • Power Siphoning: Vulcan demonstrated the ability to siphon his opponents' powers. Vulcan was able to siphon Marvel Girl's power of telepathically accessing the psychic remnants of events that certain places held while he was suppressing her powers, it unknown whether or not he can siphon someones powers when that person is still able to access them. It is not known whether Vulcan permanently kept these powers or not, but it's unlikely.[38]

Superhuman Durability: Vulcan has also displayed a remarkable resistance to physical damage, easily resisting the blows of Frenzy without damage.[8]

Superhuman Strength: After his resurrection Vulcan displayed greatly increased physical strength, being able to take down Nova with a single powerful kick that sent him flying to the other side of the room.[8]

Psionic Resistance: Vulcan proved highly resistant to psionic attacks. The only such attack to be successful was performed by Marvel Girl after he had already lowered his defense in order to show the X-Men his memories of Krakoa.[12] In most cases he is able to use a telepath's own psionic energy to protect himself from the same.

Weaknesses

Extensive use of his powers over a long period of time could deplete his reserves though he does not need his reserves to manipulate energy.

Though extremely powerful and showing an aptitude for strategic thinking, his overconfidence often led him to defeat.

Paraphernalia

Transportation

Shi'ar Imperial Warbird, flight under his own power

Notes

  • In Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #4 his likeness was made into a construct as one of the many dead mutants involved in the X-Men's lives by the Phoenix. Seeing as he was never dead, it remains unexplained why the Phoenix believed it to be so.[39]
  • He apparently was able to understand and speak the language of the Cotati. If having the ability to understand different languages is a part of his powers or he happens to just speak Cotati is unknown.[11]

Trivia

  • The idea of a third Summers brother was first brought up in X-Men (Vol. 2) #23 when Mister Sinister mentioned off-handedly that Cyclops had "brothers". When Cyclops pressed him on the added "s", Sinister said it was accidental.
  • Each of the Summers brothers has a signature energy color: Scott has red, Alex has blue, and Gabriel has yellow.
  • He can't get brain freeze because of his powers[11]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13
  2. 2.0 2.1 Uncanny X-Men #485
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 X-Men: Deadly Genesis #4
  4. X-Men: Kingbreaker #1
  5. X-Men (Vol. 4) #1820
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Uncanny X-Men #480
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #3
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #9
  9. 9.0 9.1 X-Men: Deadly Genesis #46
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Uncanny X-Men #477
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 X-Men (Vol. 5) #10
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 X-Men: Deadly Genesis #6
  13. 13.0 13.1 Giant-Size X-Men #1
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1
  15. X-Men: Deadly Genesis #13
  16. Uncanny X-Men #483
  17. Uncanny X-Men #484486
  18. X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1
  19. X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #12
  20. X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #2
  21. X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #34
  22. X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #5
  23. X-Men: Kingbreaker #14
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 War of Kings #6
  25. War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1
  26. X-Men (Vol. 4) #1821
  27. 27.0 27.1 X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #8
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #2
  29. X-Men (Vol. 5) #1
  30. X-Men (Vol. 5) #8
  31. X of Swords: Destruction #1
  32. Planet-Size X-Men #1
  33. 33.0 33.1 X-Men: Red (Vol. 2) #1
  34. Immortal X-Men #1
  35. 35.0 35.1 Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2) #14
  36. House of X #1
  37. X-Men: Deadly Genesis #2
  38. X-Men: Deadly Genesis #3
  39. Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #4
  40. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13
  41. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 13
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