Scrambler (comics)

Publication history

Scrambler first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #210 and was created by Chris Claremont, John Romita Jr. and Dan Green.

Fictional character biography

Scrambler is a mutant and a sociopath, and a member of the Marauders, a band of assassins gathered together by the mutant thief Gambit at the request of the enigmatic mastermind Mister Sinister.

Sinister first sends the Marauders to massacre the Morlocks, a group of mutant outcasts who live underground. In the course of this massacre, the Marauders clash with the X-Men and the original X-Factor team. The Marauders later attempt to assassinate Sinister's former pawn, Madelyne Pryor, in San Francisco, but the X-Men stop them.

Sinister sends the Marauders to battle the X-Men during the demonic invasion of New York City known as the "Inferno". The Marauders are all killed, but Sinister creates several clones of them using samples of their DNA. The Marauders later clash with the dimensionally-displaced mutant Nate Grey after they attempt to assassinate Sinister's former servant, Threnody.

Endangered Species/Messiah Complex

Scrambler later returns alongside the reorganized Marauders.

During the final battle for Hope Summers, the first mutant born since the Decimation, Scrambler shuts off Wolverine's healing factor so that he will not heal from being shot in the eye by Scalphunter. However, X-23 appears and attacks Scrambler, cutting off both his hands.

Recovery/Reformation

Following X-23's attack, Scrambler was found by paramedics, who saved his life. At the suggestion of Jennifer Walters, he agrees to testify against Scalphunter in exchange for being placed on parole. Giving up his supervillain life, Kim obtains a pair of prosthetic hands, takes a job at an auto garage, and falls in love.

After being attacked by a vengeful Scalphunter, Kim is embroiled in one of Loki's schemes and set against Deadpool and Gambit, scrambling both their power sets. The two manage to regain control over their abilities after Gambit charges Deadpool and throws him at Kim. Kim survives the experience and once more swears off villainy, using the land meant for the defeated Loki to make a new home for himself, his girlfriend, and her daughter.

Powers and abilities

Scrambler is a mutant who possesses the ability to disrupt any system with his touch. His touch disrupts systems, whether they be a living being, a machine, or a field of energy. Scrambler must physically touch his target in order to affect it. Scrambler can control the effect so that, in the case of a nervous system, he can cause immobilization, unconsciousness, or seizures. If his target has powers, Scrambler can cancel or disrupt the function of those powers, often causing them to go into overdrive, in which they flare up and then burn out for a certain period of time.

References

References

1. ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' #350 (December 1997)
2. ''Uncanny X-Men'' #210-213 (October 1986 - January 1987)
3. ''[[X-Factor (comic book). X-Factor]]'' #10 (December 1986)
4. ''Uncanny X-Men'' #221-222 (September - October 1987)
5. ''Uncanny X-Men'' #240 (January 1989)
6. ''[[X-Man]]'' #13 (March 1996)
7. ''[[X-Men: Legacy. X-Men]]'' (vol. 2) #200 (August 2007)
8. ''[[New X-Men (2004 series). New X-Men]]'' (vol. 2) #46 (March 2008)
9. ''[[Deadpool V Gambit]]'' #4 (October 2016)
10. ''Deadpool V Gambit'' #5 (November 2016)