Pestilence is the name of several characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Some of them are members of the
Horsemen of Apocalypse.
Plague Plague was originally a member of the
Morlocks with disease-inducing abilities. She was saved from the
Mutant Massacre by Apocalypse, and joined the Horsemen of Apocalypse, becoming Pestilence. The character was created by
Chris Claremont and
Paul Smith and first appeared in
Uncanny X-Men #169 (February 1983). She fell to her death after
Molecula accidentally knocked her off her flying steed.
F.R. Crozier This Pestilence is an adaptation of
Francis Crozier, an
Ulsterman who was second in command in
John Franklin's
expedition to the
Northwest Passage and later disappeared after taking command of the expedition from Franklin. In 1845, F.R. Crozier was appointed doctor and chief science officer for an
Arctic expedition for the fabled
Northwest Passage. Six months after the departure of the expedition, the ships became trapped in ice. The captain set forth with a party in search of help and was never seen again. Crozier led the remainder over the ice, only for much of the crew to die of
exposure. Crozier ingested an elixir he had prepared before, which induced a state of
suspended animation that his men mistook for death. His plan was to remain where he fell, allowing the ice to preserve him until the weather warmed enough to revive him, however, his remaining crew buried him and he was trapped in
permafrost for 148 years, while conscious. When the demigoddess
Snowbird was pregnant with her first child and
Shaman used his power to beseech spirits for a place of power for the birth, he came to Crozier's resting place. However, Shaman's vengeful daughter
Talisman, under the corruption of her powers, had ordered the spirits to take them to a place of death. She wanted to show Shaman up through his failure to save Snowbird's child, and her triumph in binding the spirit. Snowbird's baby was possessed by Crozier, calling himself Pestilence. Talisman, however, was unable to control Pestilence as had never truly died. Pestilence attacked Alpha Flight and tore Talisman's mystical circlet from her head. Pestilence summoned the spirits of the Great Beasts to the battle, but was defeated by Shaman who had donned the circlet of power, becoming the new Talisman. Pestilence fled the battle. Pestilence went south, in possession of the baby, leaving behind him a trail of strange death, until he reached a mining town in Klondike. He was followed by the child's father, Douglas Thompson, who also died of Pestilence's plague, just before he told Snowbird and Talisman about his location. Alpha Flight again battled Pestilence, until he seized control of Snowbird in the form of Sasquatch, forcing her to kill him, releasing Pestilence to seek another host body. In trying to keep Snowbird from being possessed,
Vindicator slew Snowbird, but was too late, as, after Snowbird's and her family's funeral, Pestilence rose from Snowbird's grave, and again attacked Alpha Flight. When hard-pressed, Pestilence's spirit tried to possess yet another, but this time Vindicator was able to trap his spirit in the void held within the medicine bag formerly belonging to Shaman. It is later revealed that Pestilence had found a new host, but he was caught in "some sort of disintegrator blast". Pestilence had a number of supernatural abilities of unknown origin, perhaps deriving from his being buried at a place of power for over a century . He had the power to spontaneously generate life forms symbolic of disease and death, including
maggots and
flies. He could control the spirits of the dead, transform his appearance into that of other people, generate disease, cause instantaneous but temporary rapid aging and had the power to draw upon the "bodily decay" of other living beings to rejuvenate himself. Pestilence had extensive knowledge of chemistry beyond what was commonly known in the 19th century.
Ichisumi Pestilence (First Horseman of Apocalypse) Pestilence is one of four children of
Apocalypse and
Genesis, born and raised on
Okkara. She and her siblings grow up to be the first Horsemen of Apocalypse and fight against the
Brood in
Ancient Egypt. When the forces of the dimension of Amenth invade Earth and split Okkara into
Krakoa and
Arakko, Pestilence, along with her mother, her siblings, all Okkaran mutants, and the newly created island of Arakko, is voluntarily sealed away in Amenth to stop the invasion while her father Apocalypse remains on Earth. After Genesis becomes
Annihilation's new host, Arakko is subjugated and united with the forces of Amenth. Pestilence and her siblings are sent to
Otherworld to destroy the province of Dryador and lay siege to the Starlight Citadel. When
Summoner successfully lure Apocalypse to Otherworld, the Horsemen attack and severely wound their father. When
Saturnyne intervenes and arranges the
X of Swords tournament, Pestilence travels with her sister
War to recruit their aunt
Isca the Unbeaten, the mercenary
Pogg Ur-Pogg, and
Solem. While War and
Death participate in the tournament, Pestilence and
Famine serve as the regents of Dryador and later fight against the
Krakoan mutants to invade Earth. Following the battle, Pestilence returns to Amenth with her siblings (excluding Death) and their parents, though she and Famine continue to act as regents of Dryador. When Genesis incites a civil war on Planet Arakko, Pestilence joins her mother there and fights against
Storm and her allies. When she attempts to kill Storm, she is killed by her enraged brother Death.
Powers and abilities of Pestilence Pestilence is an
Omega-level mutant able to create poisoned arrows that infect their targets with a transmissible fatal disease, an ability known as "Disease Vector". She is also very long-lived, having been alive for thousands of years.
Others The title of the Horseman of Pestilence has also been held by
Polaris and
Caliban. In alternate realities
Spider-Man,
Emplate, and a chimera of Polaris and
Emma Frost known as North have been Pestilence.
Pestilence in other media • The Plague incarnation of Pestilence makes non-speaking appearances in
X-Men: The Animated Series. • In
X-Men: Evolution,
Mystique, voiced by Colleen Wheeler, is forced to become the Horseman of Pestilence. • In
Marvel: Avengers Alliance,
Beast was forced to become the Horseman of Pestilence. • An incarnation of Pestilence appears in
X-Men: Apocalypse, portrayed by Warren Scherer. This version serves Apocalypse in ancient times and displays superhuman strength. •
Psylocke, portrayed by
Olivia Munn, is selected as the modern Horseman of Pestilence in
X-Men: Apocalypse. ==Petra==