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| Manuel de la Rocha Empath | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The New Mutants #16 (June 1984) |
| Created by | Chris Claremont Sal Buscema |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | X-Corporation Hellfire Cult[1] The 198 Hellions |
| Notable aliases | Mr. Roache[1] Empath |
| Abilities |
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Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerChris Claremont and artistSal Buscema, the characterfirst appeared inNew Mutants #16 (June 1984). De la Rocha is amutant, a subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities, who possesses the power to sense and manipulate the emotions of others.[2] He is known under thecodenameEmpath.[3]
Manuel de la Rocha debuted as a member ofEmma Frost's originalHellions inNew Mutants #16 (June 1984), and was created byChris Claremont andSal Buscema.[4] He subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, includingThe New Mutants #17,Uncanny X-Men #193,Firestar #2–4,The New Mutants #26, 28, 38–40, 43, 53, 56, 62,Annual #4,The New Mutants #81,X-Treme X-Men #31, 34–35, andX-Men: The 198 #1–5.[5]
Empath is born inCastile,Spain. He is a mutant who attends school at theMassachusetts Academy, and is one of the original students of then-villain, theWhite Queen (Emma Frost). Frost's students, known as theHellions, are rivals ofCharles Xavier's students, theNew Mutants. Empath fancies Frost so much that during the night, he attempts to read her mind but she notices instantly, deciding to show him everything about her. Empath describes her as cold as ice.[volume & issue needed] Empath is one of the few Hellions, along withJames Proudstar,Amara Aquilla, andAngelica Jones to survive an attack by time-travelling villainTrevor Fitzroy (although Empath's former teammate,Tarot is eventually resurrected).[volume & issue needed]
The White Queen once uses Empath to manipulate Magneto into allowing the New Mutants to join the Hellions.[volume & issue needed] This is made easier as the New Mutants were deeply traumatized by a powerful enemy known as theBeyonder.[volume & issue needed] During the course of this plan, he meets two of Xavier's allies,Tom Corsi andSharon Friedlander. He takes the opportunity to attack them mentally, changing a subtle attraction to full-blown obsessive sexual desire between the two.[6]
During his tenure with the Hellions, Empath meets and falls in love with Amara Aquilla, the New Mutant known as Magma. Aquilla eventually leaves her team and becomes a member of the Hellions, so that she can be close to Empath. He even accompanies her back to her home in Nova Roma. The romance ends, however, when Aquilla realizes that Empath was using his abilities to control her emotions. When the colony of Nova Roma is discovered to be a ruse by the witchSelene, Empath uses his abilities for a time to convince Magma that this is ahoax. This sets a bond of mistrust between the two that never is broken.[volume & issue needed]
Later, Empath joinsX-Corporation and becomes the Communications Director for itsLos Angeles chapter along with his former love Magma. However, afterM-Day,Cyclops orders the closure of the X-Corporation headquarters to better focus all available resources on protecting their members and allies. Empath is one of the few mutants to retain their powers in the wake ofHouse of M.[volume & issue needed]
After M-Day, Emma Frost uses Empath immediately to reel in Magma who, in her devastation over the death of her boyfriend because of the decimation, wrecked aSouth American village. Empath stays at theXavier Institute along with some of the other198, but his shared history with Magma makes her suspicious that he is still toying with her emotions. AfterJohnny Dee uses his powers to control Magma andLeech and make them killMister M, Magma becomes aware that someone was controlling her, and, thinking it is Empath, blames him.[volume & issue needed]
Empath resurfaces inSan Francisco leading a new group of regular humans calling themselves the Hellfire Cult who are conducting vicious attacks on mutants, despite him retaining his own mutant powers. However, he himself appears to be under the control of a mysterious woman called theRed Queen, with whom he shares an S&M sexual relationship.[1] In the next issue she asks him about Emma Frost and then telepathically makes herself appear as Emma Frost as she sexually dominates Empath. When the X-Men discover the Hellfire Cult's base, she flees leaving Empath behind.[7]
Empath makes a run for it, and his powers seem to be going out of control. While being chased by various X-Men, he takes them down untilPixie appears and beats him savagely. She then stabs him in the head with her soulknife, weakening his powers and blinding him.[8] He is held in prison-like quarters in the X-Men's headquarters, frustrated over his condition and angry against the X-Men. Despite this and the deeds he has committed against her friends and herself, Amara takes pity upon him; hers is the only company Empath accepts.[9]
It is later revealed that Empath was meant to be a Trojan Horse, whose rejuvenated powers disabled many of the X-Men, while the Red Queen and her Sisterhood took a locket ofJean Grey's hair. Pixie then attacked him again with her soulknife, shattering his consciousness.[10]
Empath is moved to the X-Men's newUtopia prison, made out ofAsteroid M, alongsideSebastian Shaw andDonald Pierce. He is trapped in a psychic illusion where he is with Amara, before the illusion is shattered whenSelene's minions appear on Utopia's shores.[11]
Empath is later seen onKrakoa using his powers to cause chaos by making people attack each other. He is assessed by the island's scientists and psychics, who find that his X-gene is the cause of his violent sociopathy due to the early development of his powers never letting him experience negative feedback. The Quiet Council discuss the matter and task Sinister with gathering a team to send into "therapeutic" missions where they are allowed to use their powers. The team's first mission is to destroy the now abandoned clone farm that Sinister left under the orphanage whereAlex Summers andScott Summers lived.[12][13]
Empath uses his powers during the mission, agitatingJohn Greycrow to the point that he kills Empath.[13][14] He is soon afterwards resurrected bythe Five.[15]
The team next fights the Locus Vile. During this conflict, several of Essex's secrets are brought to light such as his secret clone lab inMurderworld. Greycrow andHavok try to destroy the facility after learning this, butPsylocke begs them not to, as he has a mental copy of her dead daughter in it. They agree to stand down only for Manuel to abruptly take over and make Havok destroy it on Emma's behalf.[16]
After the Fall of X, Empath, manipulatedHellion and most of theStepford Cuckoos for his plans to create a new Krakoa that he would lead. He was thwarted by Sophie Cuckoo.[17][18][19]
Manuel de la Rocha can telepathically sense the emotional states, desires, and moods of those around him. He can psionically manipulate and alter these emotions into any state he chooses, such as love, hate, or fear.[20] He is able to influence large groups of people simultaneously, with his control ranging from subtle emotional manipulation to the total negation of feeling, reducing individuals to a zombie-like state in which they can be commanded with ease.[21]
An alternate version of Manuel de la Rocha appears in theAge of Apocalypse storyline.[22] Empath is held hostage byMikhail Rasputin and exploited to control the population ofEurasia, causing him Empath immense pain. After accidentally touching him,Keeper Murdock realizes the pain Manuel is in and kills him.[23]
