Stryfe is a clone of
Nathan Summers (Cable) who was created by Mother Askani as a backup in case Nathan died from the
techno-organic virus he had been infected with. The Askani ultimately succeed in halting the virus, while the clone is kidnapped by
Apocalypse. Apocalypse takes the child as his own and names him Stryfe, intending to use him as a host body. Years later, as Apocalypse is about to transfer his essence into Stryfe, he discovers that Stryfe is a clone and cannot act as a vessel. After Apocalypse's essence is dispersed, Stryfe is raised by Apocalypse's second-in-command Ch'vayre. Stryfe grows up to be an embittered madman and opponent of Cable, intending to take vengeance on both what he believes to be his real parents (
Cyclops and
Jean Grey) and his spiritual parent Apocalypse. In 3806, the New Canaanites take full control of the planet, but Stryfe manages to travel back in time two thousand years. He forms a
mutant terrorist group, the
Mutant Liberation Front (MLF). Stryfe battles Cable, who learns that Stryfe is his clone. As a final insurance, Stryfe gives
Mister Sinister a canister containing the
Legacy Virus. During a battle with Stryfe, Cable opens a temporal rift by detonating a self-destruct system, destroying Stryfe's body. Stryfe's consciousness enters Cable's mind, where he stays for some time before leaving. By unknown means, Stryfe revives and attempts to subjugate
Latveria. Stryfe is opposed by Cable and
Nate Grey, and at first beats them easily, even going as far as to siphon Nate's power.
Madelyne Pryor appears to join forces with Stryfe, but secretly steals the psionic energy from Stryfe and gives it back to Nate. Madelyne, Nate and Cable join forces to defeat Stryfe. Stryfe experiences a personal existential crisis and becomes depressed at the futility of his efforts after the
X-Men manage to cure the Legacy Virus. He hunts down
Bishop, who has possessed by the entity Le Bete Noir. Its power rivals the
Phoenix Force and threatens to consume Bishop's body and unleash evil upon the universe. However, Stryfe ultimately regrets the path he took and the choices he has made in his life. He frees Bishop from the entity and sacrifices himself to save Earth by absorbing Le Bete Noir into himself.
Gambit is suspicious and believes that Cable may have telepathically forced Stryfe to sacrifice himself.
Messiah War In the storyline
Messiah War, it is revealed that Stryfe was able to transport himself into the future instead of dying, where he was discovered by Bishop. Cable, Deadpool, the time-displaced X-Force and Apocalypse join forces to defeat Stryfe and Bishop. Cable and
Hope Summers travel further into the future, the X-Force return to the present, and Apocalypse drags Stryfe away, intending to use him as a new host body.
Vendetta Stryfe is able to prevent Apocalypse from using his body as a new host and travels back in time to the present in the
Cable and X-Force and
Uncanny X-Force crossover "Vendetta". Upon discovering that Bishop has returned to the present, Hope tries to kill him in an act of vengeance. Stryfe appears and kidnaps both and brings the two to an old, abandoned Mutant Liberation Front base. There, he attempts to manipulate Hope into killing Bishop, who has come to realize the error of various past mistakes. Stryfe explains to Bishop how he wants him to suffer after he betrayed him and claims that he was imprisoned and tortured by Apocalypse for years until he planned a successful escape and killed him. Stryfe tries to corrupt Hope by making her give in to her feelings of hatred towards Bishop, convincing her to take revenge and murder Bishop, although he is shackled and refuses to fight back out of remorse. Cable and both teams of X-Force soon intervene and combat Stryfe. Hope sees that Stryfe is trying to undo the lessons which Cable taught and refuses to kill Bishop, but Hope severely injures him. Stryfe is defeated by Cable and both X-Force teams, but before escaping, he telepathically forces Hope to mimic his power with the intention that Hope will destroy her own friends. Bishop helps Hope to disperse Stryfe's energy and the two come to an uneasy truce. ==Powers and abilities==