Zero (Marvel Comics)
Zero is the name of several characters in the Marvel Comics Universe.
Kenji Uedo
Zero (Kenji Uedo) is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Generation Hope #1, in the final chapter of the "Five Lights" storyline, and the first storyline of the Generation Hope book. He was created by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen,[1] and is one of the "Five Lights"—a group of mutants who manifested their abilities after the events of "Second Coming".
Zero (android)
| Zero | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New Mutants #86 (February 1990) |
| Created by |
Louise Simonson Rob Liefeld |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | ADAM unit Zero |
| Team affiliations |
Mutant Liberation Front New Canaanites |
| Abilities | Enhanced strength, computerized intelligence, open teleportation portals, energy damping and absorption, scan for bio-mechanical and technological weapons and neutralize them. |
Zero first appeared in New Mutants as a member of the Mutant Liberation Front and was killed in Excalibur #80.[2]
Fictional character biography
Zero was an android created 2000 years in the future by the Askani as a prototype for the Ambient-energy Damping Automated peacekeeping Mechanisms (ADAMs). Only one other ADAM has appeared in comics: Eleven, who worked for the Askani Clan Chosen. Zero was damaged and found by the mutant Stryfe, who opposed both the Askani and their enemies, the Neo-Canaanites. Stryfe reactivated Zero, but didn't repair its speech-functions, leaving Zero mute. Zero would function as Stryfe's most trusted ally, bodyguard and, due to its ability to teleport, transportation as Stryfe's "displacement unit." Its programming ensured complete obedience to Stryfe. When Stryfe's armies were defeated by the Neo-Canaanites, Stryfe and Zero fled, traveling back in time to the late 20th century.
In the 20th century, Stryfe gathers several young mutants like himself, who are displeased with the way mutants are treated and form the terrorist organization the Mutant Liberation Front. Stryfe's technology and Zero's teleportation make the MLF one of the most dangerous organizations in existence, and they are opposed initially by Cable and the New Mutants, and later by X-Force and X-Factor. Though unable to teleport to places he has not been before, Zero's ability is still useful as an all-purpose escape route, allowing the MLF to infiltrate high-security installations, set bombs without needing to worry about leaving themselves a way out.[3][4][5] Zero also teleports Stryfe seven years in the past, and teleports the Mutant Liberation Front members on museum thefts in the present.[6] Zero later brought Cyclops and Jean Grey to Stryfe.[7] At the conclusion of a lengthy conflict between Stryfe and his many enemies, Stryfe is defeated on the moon[8] and Zero disappears and is deactivated.
Zero ends up in the possession of the arms dealer Tolliver, an alias of Tyler Dayspring, son of Cable. Zero is reactivated while the mercenaries Deadpool, Copycat, Garrison Kane and Slayback are all looking for "the ultimate weapon", which turns out to be Zero. Zero is now capable of speech and following its original programming: peacekeeping. It scans its surroundings for any threat to peace on Earth and eliminates Slayback. He is about to eliminate Deadpool as well, but Deadpool convinces Zero that he has potential for good as well by saving Copycat's life.
Zero joins Tyler Dayspring for a short while, helping him in finding out the true relationship between Cable and Stryfe, but it leaves Tyler to go on its own quest: to achieve full sentience and become "alive". It senses the potential to be alive in the techno-organic being Douglock and gives it independence from the Phalanx.[9] Zero sets out to teach Douglock about his new existence, but Zero is now hunted by killer androids, programmed by Stryfe to destroy Zero in case of his death. Zero and Douglock are assisted by Excalibur and together they try to deactivate the androids from Stryfe's secret base below The Pentagon. Here, Zero realizes that he has become sentient and also the reason why Stryfe wanted him killed: locked within his databanks, Zero has all the secrets of the Legacy Virus, Stryfe's final "gift" to the world. This revelation activates Zero's self-destruct sequence and the killer androids in Stryfe's base. Shadowcat manages to remove the self-destruction device, but Zero realized that it was just programmed to think it was alive. Zero sacrifices itself to protect Excalibur, Douglock and a family of innocents from the base's self-destruction, but in its last few moments on Earth, Zero is granted full sentience and becomes truly alive, but also sets off a self-destruct device in the base to kill Zero. As this happens, a recording of Stryfe delivers the taunting message, "Congratulations. You're human. For the next eight seconds." In its last moments on Earth, Zero transfers all of its memories to Douglock.
After Zero's destruction, the Mutant Liberation Front reappears. At one point they had multiple Zero androids working for them, but these probably were copies of the original.
Powers and abilities
Zero's primary task was peace-keeping and to do so it was equipped with scanners, capable of determining a person or objects capabilities, purpose and potential. It could then use its ability to damp and project energy to neutralize any threats, turning most advanced weapons useless and killing any potentially dangerous humans.
Zero also had the ability to teleport: it creates teleportational warps between two different points through which it and others could travel, but it could only keep these portals open for a short period of time. Zero cannot teleport to any location it has not been to before.[10]
Ultimate Marvel
In Ultimate X-Men #84, the leader of the Mutant Liberation Front, Ultimate Stryfe, is saved from a Sentinel attack by a young teleporter named Zero. This Zero appears to be a pale-skinned young man or teen with no mouth, but otherwise normal facial features. Whether Zero is a mutant or an artificial being remains to be seen. Zero is used multiple times as a getaway plan for Stryfe; his leader was simply a shill for the company Fenris International. Said company actually controlled the Sentinels.
When Stryfe again used Zero to teleport away from an attacking fleet of Sentinels and encountered the X-Men, Zero fled, teleporting himself away to an unknown location and leaving Stryfe at the mercy of the X-Men [11]
In Ultimate Comics: X-Men #18, during the mutant liberation a character identified as 'ADAM a.k.a. ZERO.' is seen aiding in the dismantling of Stryker Camp 14. However unlike the previous appearance the character is able to speak.[12]
Notes
References
- Zero at the Comic Book DB
External links
- Monolith. "Uncannyxmen.net character bio on Zero". Retrieved April 14, 2006