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History

Ancient history[]

The Ship’s A.I. was created untold millennia ago by the Celestials, as the operating system for a data collection device. The Celestials had genetically manipulated humanity and they left the Ship after the Second Host in the area that would come to be known as the Ho-Lo Shan Mountains of Northern Mongolia, to monitor humanity's progress.[2]

Around Circa 1100 A.D., a Mongolian immortal and External, known as Garbha-Hsien (and later known as Saul), discovered the Ship and lived next to it while he researched its mysteries.[2] He would even claim pieces of the Celestial technology, and place them in his 12 temples for his 12 dead children.[3]

Fifty years later, the Egyptian immortal, En Sabah Nur, learned of Garbha-Hsien and sought him out as another immortal. In a confrontation, En Sabah Nur slew all of Garbha-Hsien's guards. Garbha-Hsien then sought to humble his fellow "forever-walker" by revealing the secret titanic vessel. Having had previous experience with futuristic technology, Nur attacked Garbha-Hsien and left the other immortal for dead. Garbha-Hsien survived, but fled.[2]

Nur entered the Ship and emerged later as a vastly changed being. Nur lived on the Ship for many years not fully understanding how to communicate with it or control it. Nur was introduced with a solution from a young man, calling himself the Traveler. In a battle between Nur and Traveler, Nur severed Traveler's left cybernetic arm and, during the confusion, the Traveler pulled a gun and shot him in the head. Ozymandias, Nur's servant, had Nur's body returned to Ship. With the Traveler's blood mixed with the Techno-Organic Virus and his own, Nur was healed in a chamber of Ship and, infected with the virus, could then understand Ship. After understanding what he had done, Traveler sent both Ship and its passengers far into space.[4]

Over the next few centuries, Ship's sentience slowly evolved. Apocalypse noticed the evolving A.I. and enslaved it, telling Ship that he had created it.[5]

X-Factor[]

The Ship next appeared as Nur's, cloaked mobile headquarters, as he called himself Apocalypse and attacked New York with his Four Horsemen. After the defeat of Apocalypse, Ship crash landed on X-Factor's Complex. During the battle, the Ship's cloaking and navigation systems were damaged. Conveniently, the Ship also projected a force field that prevented non-mutants from entering. Given these reasons, X-Factor decided to adopt the Ship as their new home base.[5]

While sleeping, X-Factor and their students were attacked by Ship, still under the control of Apocalypse, until Rusty Collins freed its consciousness and X-Factor expelled a bomb and Ship, now able to speak, asked to join them. Ship then became a butler of sorts to the team. Ship had complete control over every part of its structure and could fashion rooms, weapons, and vehicles as needed from various storehouses and parts it had. It was able to design and run training programs for X-Factor, as well as make living quarters and workshop areas for them. Realizing that his presence was unsettling for the citizens of Manhattan, Ship moved X-Factor over the Atlantic Ocean.[6] While playing around on Ship, the students ran into Beast, who was going over old photos of X-Factor in their teens and revealed their origins, as the original X-Men and students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.[7]

After Iceman was tricked by Infectia to allow her on Ship, Beast attempted to warn Iceman, who was being seduced by her, but due to Beast's lack of intelligence, Iceman couldn't understand him and the students and Ship kept her from kissing Iceman. After Infectia retired to her quarters, she threatened to alter Ship on a molecular level if it continued to obstruct her plans and Ship, fearing the same enslavement Apocalypse inflicted, asked Beast to intervene.[8]

After the Xartans and Lord Zano, in Avengers disguise, attacked X-Factor, the children were protected by Ship, who was attempting to atone for endangering Iceman, but later allowed the children to aid X-Factor.[9] After saving Iceman from her kiss, however, the powers of the Infectia's kiss, on Beast, reverted Dr. Maddicks' and Pestilence's change and triggered the Beast's return to his intelligent, blue, furry, more animalistic look, but much stronger, while Ship was caring for his recovery. After Beast was restored to health, Ship teleported him and Cyclops to aid X-Factor and the students against the Alliance of Evil.[10]

After the Inferno of Manhattan, the students of X-Factor began calling themselves the X-Terminators and were partnered with the New Mutants. The two young mutant teams returned to Ship with thirteen mutant babies and Ship individually scanned each of them, for mutants.[11] The aliens, Warlock and Gosamyr set Ship's danger sensors off. Although Ship was convinced to allow Warlock to stay, he refused to allow Gosamyr, stating that she should not be allowed to live, and crafted a ship to send her off planet.[12] Also, Cyclops' son, Nathan Summers, and Marvel Girl's parents were left on Ship (Marvel Girl's parents were literally left "on" Ship, due to the fact that he could not allow humans inside), while X-Factor and the X-Men battled Mr. Sinister and the Marauders. Due to their actions during the demonic invasion, the X-Terminators were expelled from Phillips Academy and, while the New Mutants returned home and X-Factor attended funerals, the X-Terminators found an Atlantean horn and accidentally called a giant sea creature that attacked Ship. The New Mutants returned and, with the aid of Namor the Submariner, they defeated it.[13] After the creature's defeat, X-Factor returned and the New Mutants began to live on Ship, as Professor X's mansion had been destroyed. While X-Factor was on a mission in London, the New Mutants had Ship diagnose Mirage and her horse, Brightwind, and Ship learned that they were infected with a mystical illness. Ship suggested the New Mutants go to Dr. Strange for assistance.[14]

Returning to the Celestials[]

After being recalled across space by Gammenon the Gatherer, Ship took to space, with X-Factor unwittingly along for the ride. After Gammenon sensed their presence, X-Factor was sent to the alien planet below, where they were split-up during a battle between the Chosen and Rejects.[15] While being held in the hand of Gammenon, Ship remembered his prime directive and recited all of his data knowledge, after Apocalypse enslaved his conscience.[16] Gammenon did not release Ship and Ship realized that he did not correctly recite all of his knowledge, which forced Ship to remember his past before Apocalypse's enslavement. The Celestials collected the data Ship had gathered during its stay on Earth and Ship came to realize that Apocalypse hadn't created it. Noticing that the Celestials were heading towards the planet below to destroy it, Ship broke free of the tractor beam and descended to rescue the planet and his friends.[17] The Ship A.I. decided to return to Earth with X-Factor. Upon return from the space journey, Ship landed on-end as a building in Lower Manhattan.[18]

Merging With Nathan Christopher[]

Apocalypse later sent his Riders of the Storm to kidnap the infant Nathan, from within Ship.[19] The Riders of the Storm infected Ship with the Techno-Organic Virus, that damaged its systems and caused Ship to attack New York. Explosion imminent, Ship launched itself into space to protect the city.[20] The Ship A.I. managed to salvage itself as an energy construct, which was able to protect and ferry X-Factor to the Blue Area of the Moon, where they joined the massive confrontation against Apocalypse, with the Inhumans.[21] After Nathan was rescued, X-Factor found that baby Nathan had also been infected with the T-O virus and that it threatened his life. Ship created a protective electromagnetic field and merged with Nathan's electrical parts, to keep the child alive. As the virus spread through Nathan's body, threatening to turn Nathan into a body of liquid metal and organic steel, a member of the Askani Cult, Sister Askani, who sacrificed her physical body to become energy, appeared from the late 37th-early 39th century to Cyclops, claiming that Nathan would become a savior in their time and that the Clan would cure him of the virus. Choosing to save his son's life, believing that he would never see him again, Cyclops agreed and Nathan was taken into an alternate future ruled by Apocalypse.[22] As Ship's energy form lost cohesiveness, it spent the remainder of its energy protecting Nathan Christopher on the trip. Although Ship's energy was dissipated in this way, when Nathan arrived in the future, there was no trace or mention of Ship.[23]

Prosh (Earth-616) from Cable Vol 1 25 001

Professor in a bottle

Professor[]

After arriving in the future, Nathan traveled on his own and was captured, by 'Strator Umbridge, and met Blaquesmith. While Nathan was imprisoned, his Techno-Organic Virus infection worsened and Blaquesmith, a member of Clan Askani, broke into his cell and extracted a glowing orb from the metallic flesh of Nathan's chest. The orb was Ship's A.I., which, forgetting its past, had begun to call itself "Professor". Nathan then kept the Professor as an ally, who spoke and could control electronic devices. At one time, Stryfe, Nathan's evil clone, captured Tetherblood, one of Nathan's soldiers, and the Professor from Nathan's camp and Stryfe tortured Tetherblood to find out its importance. The withdraw of the Professor from Nathan caused him to become very sick and Blaquesmith sent Aliya, another Clan member, to the past to find Cable, the adult Nathan. Aliya was successful, though unaware of Cable's true origin. Cable returned with the flask and activated Ship's A.I., which again merged with Nathan. Professor lived within Nathan's techno-organic flesh, acting as adviser to him and helping to control the T-O infection.[24]

Graymalkin[]

Nathan learned that the Neo-Canaanites defeated Stryfe's armies and he used the Tinex and, with the A.D.A.M. Unit Zero, fled, traveling back in time to the late 20th century. As part of his mission as the Askani'son, Nathan returned to the 20th century to foil the plans of Apocalypse and Stryfe. After learning the English language and current events from a mind-link with Dr. Moira MacTaggert, Nathan, now calling himself Cable, shuttled between the past and future multiple times, at one point bringing with him his orbital space station, Graymalkin (named after the address of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters), and setting-up technologically advanced safehouses all over the world. Professor had assumed control of Graymalkin and the safehouses, performing duties similar to those it had as Ship. Graymalkin not only served as a base for Cable, but also allowed Cable to teleport through time and space, with the time displacement core (TDC). Cable simply had to command Professor to "Body-Slide" him to a destination. On Graymalkin, Cable had robot servants that he named after the original X-Men. After being betrayed, by "Domino", Cable teleported the both of them on Graymalkin and asked Professor to retrieve X-Force, the former members of the New Mutants, but he was unable, due to the high electromagnetic signatures surrounding them.[25]

At one time, Cable teleported Wolverine and Bishop on-board, while they were attempting to learn the location of Stryfe, who had attempted to murder Professor Charles Xavier and kidnapped Cyclops and Jean Grey. After battling Stryfe, Cable was lost.[26]

While attempting to find Cable, G.W. Bridge infiltrated Cable's Safehouse 14 and Professor served and aided him, until Cable returned.

After hearing a report of the discovery of an orbital ship, X-Force immediately believed it was Graymalkin and wanted to get to it quickly to try to salvage what they could from it. Upon their arrival, Professor immediately greeted Cannonball, who recognized Professor's voice as "Ship". Cannonball inquired Professor's origins, but Professor remembered nothing of his past as Ship. While X-Force was searching around Graymalkin for weapons and resources, Nick Fury, agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and War Machine tried to investigate it for whereabouts on Cable. The two groups battled and, after the damage began to override the security systems, the base began to lose power and defenses. At that point, Professor announced that emergency measures were being taken and a destruct sequence had began. After Professor announced that his self-preservation scan was completed, he teleported both Sunspot and Cannonball to the command center of the ship and told them that they must begin jettisoning portions of the ship, to conserve power to the main core before the destruct sequence ran out. Professor stated that Cannonball was the only one other than Cable that could turn-off the sequence. Cannonball and Sunspot began to dump parts of Graymalkin all over the world, sending the weapons depot and the cargo bay to their Camp Verde base, and learned that the TDC was taking up the largest power. Knowing that if Cable ever did return, he would need the TDC, Cannonball did what he was trained to and sent it off to the deepest portion of the Pacific Ocean. At that point, a majority of Graymalkin exploded, but Professor faked its destruction, by keeping the remaining parts, including its core, cloaked to hide itself.[27]

Magneto discovered the abandoned space-station, deactivated the Professor, and used the Shi'ar technology stolen from his time with the X-Men to expand it with pieces from his older space station, Asteroid M, and create Avalon. After Magneto sent out his new servant, Exodus, to bring his former students, members of X-Force, who had been students of Magneto when they were part of the New Mutants, Cable followed and managed to disable Avalon's teleportation system and, despite suffering heavy damage, copied the Professor from the core of the station into his own techno-organic body parts. Returning home, Cable installed Professor in X-Force's Camp Verde, Arizona bunker base.[28]

Prosh[]

During the Phalanx Covenant storyline, the Phalanx attempted to assimilate the camp's systems, but were overwhelmed by the Professor's Celestial and future technology. X-Force returned to find that the Ship A.I. had gained a T-O body and was now calling itself Prosh. X-Force learned that Prosh's techno-organics were interfering with Cable's control over his own infection. Having come out of remission, the infection was killing Cable. Despite having befriended the X-Force team, Prosh had to leave and, with Warpath's permission, assimilated the remainder of the base, with the exception of the burial grounds and formed a spaceship again and rocketed into space.[29]

X-Men Forever[]

At some point, Prosh collected Toad, Iceman, Jean Grey, Cain Marko, and Mystique to be brought through time, fighting his own programming to warn them of the impending threat he represents against them. He made them be present at various moments in recent mutant history, such as the assassination of Graydon Creed (which was done by his own mother, the Mystique displaced in time by Prosh) and the Black Womb Project, as well as a future overrun by sentinels. Eventually, he confronted the five mutants face to face, and warned them of how he was infected with a virus by Stranger to act as a harbinger for the annihilation of the human race, in response to their rapid evolution into mutants becoming a threat. When Prosh lost control of his security systems and began attacking them, he managed to get Iceman to freeze him entirely, stopping the Stranger's plan.[30]

Attributes

Power Grid[34]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Poor:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Multiple Types:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Virtually Indestructible:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Warp:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Incalculable:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Super-Genius

Powers

Abilities

Super-Genius Intelligence:[33]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Cloaking Device, Interstellar-Range Hyperdrive

Transportation

He is himself a ship.

Notes

  • In the 616 universe, Ship commits suicide rather than submit to Apocalypse's control again.
  • In the Age of Apocalypse universe, Ship was destroyed by Sunfire when in orbit of the Moon.

Trivia

  • This entity gave himself the name "Prosh" by combining his two former names, Professor and Ship.[32]

See Also

Links and References

References

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