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Quote1 There's only room for one at the top of the food chain...and Romulus? He's getting too old for this. It's time to name a successor--but first, they have to prove, they're worthy. By killin' off all the others. Quote2
Wild Child[src]

History

Early Life[]

When Kyle Gibney's mutant powers began to emerge at an early age, he was left with a freakish appearance. Horrified, his parents kicked him out of his home, and he was left wandering the streets. Eventually found by the subversive organization, the Secret Empire, Gibney was experimented upon in their attempts to create a perfect killing machine. As a part of the experiment, Gibney was injected with DNA from the assassin Wyre, which left Gibney near-mindless, animalistic, and uncontrollable. Wyre later rebelled and destroyed the Secret Empire's headquarters.[9]

Gamma Flight Trainee[]

Gibney was found by agents of the Canadian government and given over to Department H, then headed by James Hudson as a sanctioned program for developing Canada's superhero teams. Hudson placed Gibney in the entry-level Gamma Flight with the code-name Wild Child. (Like all recruits, those who developed their powers sufficiently would be placed in the premiere team, Alpha Flight.) During his training, Wild Child was mentored by Wolverine until he left to join the X-Men. During one of their training sessions Kyle lost control and almost ripped Stich's face off, Wolverine wanted to kill him him but Hudson stopped him.[10]

Department H provided Kyle with special pills to suppress his animalistic tendencies, which were a side-effect of his mutation.[11]

Omega Flight[]

Unfortunately, the government disbanded the Department H program and, by extension, its hero teams.[12] Gibney's subsequent activities remain unrevealed until Delphine Courtney and Jerry Jaxon recruited him for Omega Flight. Jaxon hoped to destroy Hudson and his Alpha Flight, which had reassembled as a private team, but Omega Flight was captured by Alpha Flight and its members imprisoned.[13] Gibney managed to break out only once, and in his rampage, began killing indiscriminately. Nearly killing Heather Hudson, it took Wolverine to hunt him down and capture him again.[14]

Gamma Flight[]

During a period of time in which Alpha Flight was believed dead, the Canadian government decided to reinstate a fully-sanctioned hero team under the name Gamma Flight. Gibney was recruited for the team and pardoned for his previous activities. When Alpha Flight reappeared, the two teams clashed, and Alpha Flight was forced to go on trial. Ultimately, Alpha Flight rejected the government's support and decided to operate independently once more. Gamma Flight continued as the government-sponsored team, and the two teams eventually met again to fight the evil Llan the Sorcerer. Gamma Flight was nearly destroyed in the final battle, but Llan was defeated. Afterward, the two teams combined into one, with Alpha Flight again reinstated as Canada's official superhero group.[15]

Becoming Weapon Omega[]

Kyle soon found himself slipping into his bestial nature more and more often. One time in particular, he savagely went on another rampage, in the process attacking his teammate Pathway. Gamma Flight's former leader, Nemesis, teleported Kyle away to an unknown location, professing to have a solution.[16] He reappeared months later as Weapon Omega, mysteriously cured of his animalistic rages and possessing a handsome appearance. He helped Alpha Flight on numerous occasions, soon joining their team once more.[17]

Aurora[]

To further disassociate from his past, Kyle took a new code-name, Wildheart.[2] During this time, Gibney and his teammate Aurora fell in love and began a relationship. However, Kyle eventually began to mutate back to his ugly appearance. Since he could not stand to be seen that way by his lover, he left, unaware that his sudden departure would cause Aurora's fragile psyche to deteriorate even further.[18]

X-Factor[]

Kyle Gibney, now calling himself Wild Child once more, accepted an offer to join the United States' sanctioned mutant team, X-Factor. This caused a bit of friction between Gibney and X-Factor's associate, Sabretooth, who was impressed into service. Eventually, however, Gibney's body began mutating even further, and he quit the team to explore his new mutations and to find his true self.[19]

Weapon X[]

Weapon X Vol 2 4 Textless

Aurora & Wildchild

Somehow, Kyle ended up in custody of the new Weapon X program, under the auspices of the mysterious Director, who hoped to use the program's mutants for the benefit of humankind, even if that meant performing deadly missions and interning mutant captives. The program’s scientist experimented on Kyle, who became more intelligent but more feral-looking, and was once again dubbed Wild Child. The Director found that Gibney had been twisted so many times that he no longer held an identity of his own, needing only minimal suggestions via conventional methods to follow orders like a machine or an animal.[citation needed]

One of Gibney's initial assignments was to recruit mutants for the Weapon X program. On one particular mission, to recruit Sunfire, Kyle's teammate Sabretooth became annoyed with him, lashing out and severing Gibney's vocal cords, rendering him mute. Another assignment was to recruit Kyle's one-time lover, Aurora. (In fact, this assignment was one of the reasons the Director of the program wanted Kyle in the first place.) Wild Child successfully freed Aurora from the mental asylum she was assigned, but, unfortunately, after Aurora was believed cured of her mental condition, she rejected Gibney due to his new freakish appearance.[citation needed]

Wild Child continued to serve in Weapon X, even to the point of capturing innocent mutants to be interned at the camp Neverland. In watching Aurora, who was becoming increasingly romantic with the Director, Malcolm Colcord, Gibney was persuaded to join agent Brent Jackson who was hoping to form a group to stage a coup with the Director. Gibney agreed, and Jackson's allies joined the team Underground, led by Cable who hoped to take down the Weapon X program. The Underground was able to infiltrate the Weapon X complex, ousting the Director and nearly crippling the program. However, before the final defeat, agent Jackson betrayed the Underground, turning Cable's psychic powers against his allies. Jackson captured the Underground members and altered their memories to erase everything they saw and learned about the program. Jackson took credit for saving the program and was named the new Director of the Weapon X program.[20]

Gibney continued to serve the Weapon X program under Jackson, being named the Head of Security. However, when investigating Weapon X, Wolverine found the program disappeared, its compound suddenly vacant. Wild Child’s whereabouts and subsequent activities remain unrevealed.[citation needed]

Post-M-Day[]

James Howlett (Earth-616) and Kyle Gibney (Earth-616) from Wolverine Vol 3 55 001

Wild Child vs Wolverine

After reality was twisted by the Scarlet Witch, many of Earth’s mutants were stripped of their powers. Wild Child was believed to have been among these, as his mutant energy signature was recognized as having been absorbed by the Collective.[21] However, he reappeared not only with his powers, but with a noticeable enhancement to them. His appearance also reverted more to resemble his original form, only he had numerous piercings in his ears, eyebrows, and face. He claimed to be working for the mysterious figure claiming to have guided Wolverine for his entire life, Romulus.[22]

Death & Resurrection[]

Wild Child appeared once more in conflict with Wolverine aiding Omega Red and attempting to kill Logan. He was doing so under the order of the enigmatic Romulus. His plan consisted of dropping Logan into molten steel, however he was interrupted by Omega Red. While Wild Child and Omega Red battled each other, Logan managed to flee. A distracted Wild Child was consequently thrown into the molten steel by Omega Red after having his chest punctured.[5]

Sometime later Kyle was mysterious reborn again, being seen attending a party in Japan being thrown in Sabretooth's honor after ascending in the criminal circuit. He was subsequently beaten down by a wayward Logan whom had intruded on the latter's party and disappeared for a time afterward.[6]

The Hellions[]

Following the establishment of the mutant nation of Krakoa, Kyle was one of many mutants who went to live on the island. No longer taking the pills Department H had developed for him, Kyle became feral. After attacking a small child who interrupted him in a hunt, he fell under the care of Sage who attempted to medicate him. Kyle resisted the attempts at treating him, feigned taking the pills until he saw his opportunity to attack Sage.[11]

Due to this, Kyle was assigned by the Quiet Council to Mister Sinister's team of Hellions; composed of mutants who were too violent or troubled due to their mutation, led by Psylocke (Kwannon).

Their first mission led them to taking down the State Home for Foundlings in Omaha, Nebraska, which was a cover for Sinister's still active Marauders cloning farm.[11] When Kyle and the Hellions arrived, they were confronted by and battled the Goblin Queen and her perverse Marauders, whom she had been magically torturing. After a swift defeat, most of the Hellions were captured, except for Kyle and Psylocke, who he had the urge to attack after believing she was faulting as the alpha. After his quick defeat and Psylocke cleansing his mind of his feral nature (for the moment), Kyle returned to his more civilized self, speaking in coherent and complete sentences.[23].

After Madelyne Pryor was shot dead by John Greycrow, Havok blew up the clone farm in anger, with Kyle and the Hellions escaping safely outside. After returning to Krakoa, Kyle was seen following Psylocke around, having accepted her as his alpha.[24]

He was later killed by the Locus Vile while on a mission with the Hellions to Arakko,[25] and was resurrected by the Five. As a result of dying in the dimension of Amenth he came back with stronger abilities and a drastically different personality.[8] These changes made him more aggressive, confident and impulsive, taking the lead in a fight against The Right[26] and attacking Daken at the Hellfire Gala[27] and gave him the desire to be stronger than other feral mutants.[28] Unfortunately this upgrade was short lived as the Locus Vile soon came confront them on their theft of Locus Vile DNA, and Kyle was stripped of his new powers by Tarn the Uncaring becoming meek and submissive as a result.[29] After the team was disbanded and he witnessed Nanny and Orphan-Maker be put in the Pit of Exile for losing control, Kyle was put back into the care of Dr. Reyes and Sage but this time took his medication willingly without a sound or movement.[30]

Attributes

Power Grid[33]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Experienced Fighter:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/None:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Regenerative:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Superhuman:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Peak Human:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Normal

Powers

  • Enhanced Mutant Physiology: Wild Child is a mutant with enhanced strength and agility who was genetically enhanced by the Secret Empire, which granted him several new abilities. Wild Child's genetic alteration resulted in an animal-like physiology granting him a number of superhuman attributes, many of which are enhanced to levels greater than he possessed prior to his being depowered. After being depowered he lost his mutant abilities but retained his genetic alterations.[31] After dying in Amenth and resurrected by The Five, his powers and skills have been enhanced. These gifts were soon stripped from him however, and he was reduced to his pre-Amenth resurrected state once again.
    • Regenerative Healing Factor: Wild Child's primary genetic alteration is an accelerated healing factor that allows him to regenerate damaged and destroyed bodily tissues much faster and more extensively than an ordinary human.[31] Prior to his being depowered, Wild Child could heal from severe slashes and puncture wounds within a matter of hours. He was, however, unable to regenerate his vocal chords after having them severed during a brief scuffle with Sabretooth. However, Wild Child's accelerated healing powers have been restored and possibly increased to higher levels as he now has the ability to speak. Wild Child's healing powers extend to his body's immune system and render him immune to most diseases and toxins. The unique regenerative qualities of Wild Child's healing factor cause him to age at a pace much slower than an ordinary human.
    • Peak Human Strength: Currently, Wild Child is known to at least have physical strength beyond the natural limits of a man of his height, weight, and build.[31] He possesses sufficient strength to easily lift and hold Wolverine, who weighs 300 lbs due to the additional weight of his Adamantium skeleton, off of the ground with one arm.
    • Superhumanly Acute Senses: Wild Child's senses of sight, smell, and hearing have been enhanced and are now superhumanly acute and comparable to those possessed by certain animals.[31] Wild Child can see things at much greater distances, and with perfect clarity, than an ordinary human. He retains this same level of clarity in near-total darkness. His sense of hearing is similarly enhanced, allowing him to hear sounds that ordinary human's can't detect and sounds that they normally could hear but at much greater distances. Wild Child can use his highly developed sense of smell to track or recognize someone by their scent, even if the scent has been covered up to a certain degree or if the scent has been eroded over time by natural factors.
    • Superhuman Speed: Wild Child's genetic alteration granted him the ability to run and move at speeds that are unattainable by the physically finest human athlete.[31] Since regaining his powers, Wild Child is faster than ever before.
    • Superhuman Stamina: Wild Child's accelerated healing factor enhances the efficiency of his musculature so that it produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. Prior to his being depowered, Wild Child could physically exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair him. Given the apparent increase in the efficiency of his mutant healing factor, it is likely that Wild Child's physical stamina has also increased beyond his original limits.
    • Superhuman Agility: Wild Child's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.[31]
    • Superhuman Reflexes: His reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of even the finest human athlete.
    • Fangs & Claws: Each of Wild Child's fingers and toes have been equipped with retractable claws that are razor sharp. His claws are capable of rending substances as durable as flesh, bone, wood, stone, and some types of metals. Wild Child also possesses elongated canines that he can use as weapons during close combat situations by biting.[31]
    • Zoopathy: Kyle has a limited form of zoopathy, the psionic ability to communicate with and control animals. His zoopathy only works on wolves.
    • Mind Control Immunity: Kyle is completely immune to mind control, of course, his excuse for it is, in his words, "I don't have enough of a mind to control".[32]

Abilities

  • Skilled Fighter: Wild Child is an excellent and experienced hand to hand combatant, having received training from the likes of Wolverine.
  • Multilingualism: Wild Child is fluent in both English and French.[31]

See Also

Links and References

References

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