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TheLegacy Virus is a fictionalplague appearing inAmerican comic books featuring theX-Men published byMarvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline in Marvel Comics titles, from 1993 to 2001, during which it swept through themutant population of theMarvel Universe, killing hundreds, as well as mutating so that it affected humans as well.
The Legacy Virus is aviroid released byStryfe, aterrorist and clone ofCable from 2,000 years in the future. It originally exists in two forms,Legacy-1 andLegacy-2, which specifically affect mutants and kill the infected by preventing their body from producing healthy cells. Legacy-3 was accidentally created in the body of the mutant womanInfectia, a mutant with the ability to visualize and alter the genetic structure of others. When Infectia was infected with the Legacy-2 virus, her powers caused a replication error that removed the viroid's conditioning to infect individuals only if the X-gene was present and allowed it to infect humans.[1]
The Legacy Virus is strongly suggested to be an allegory for theAIDS epidemic.[2][3][4][5] Although all strains of the Legacy Virus are more dangerous thanHIV, they share similar symptoms such as lesions, fever, fatigue, and coughing.[6][7][8][9] In addition, comics featuring the Legacy Virus illustrate the similar social impact of the further isolation of a stigmatized group.
The Legacy Virus first appeared inX-Force #18.[10] It is based on a virus created byApocalypse in the distant future, which was intended to kill the remaining non-mutants. At the time that this version of Apocalypse was killed, the virus had not been perfected, and much like Legacy-3, it targeted all humans indiscriminately. As a result, this virus was not deployed until Stryfe acquired and modified it for his own purposes.[11]
During theX-Cutioner's Song event,Stryfe givesMister Sinister a canister containing the Legacy Virus. Gordon Lefferts, a scientist working for Sinister, opens the canister after Stryfe is apparently killed byCable, releasing the virus.[10][1] The virus kills various mutants, includingMagik,Mastermind, andPyro, beforeMoira MacTaggert andBeast develop a cure. However, the cure will kill whoever activates it.Colossus, not wanting any more people to suffer his sister Magik's fate, sneaks into Beast's lab and sacrifices himself by injecting the cure into his body. This stops the spread of the virus and instantaneously cures everyone who is already infected with it.[12][1][2][9][11][13]
During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, it was discovered by Beast that anySuper-Skrull who has the powers of a mutant is vulnerable to the Legacy Virus.[14] Cyclops uses the Legacy Virus on the Super-Skrulls to get the Skrull fleet to surrender.[15]
The Legacy Virus later returns inX-Force (2009), withBastion having obtained a sample. Bastion and theLeper Queen infectBeautiful Dreamer andFever Pitch with the virus, causing them to go berserk and kill themselves and thousands of civilians during an anti-mutant rally.Hellion andSurge are also infected, but are cured byElixir.[16]
InDeadpool/Wolverine (2025), Stryfe creates a new version of the Legacy Virus that enables him to control the minds of those affected.[11][17]
Listed below in alphabetical order are the mutants (with their powers) infected by the Legacy Virus:
| Character | First Appearance of Infection | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Absalom | X-Force (vol. 1) #37 (August 1994) | Virtual immortality, ability to extend razor-sharp spines from his body. Killed bySelene inX-Force (vol. 1) #54 before the Legacy Virus could claim him. |
| Abyss | Cable (vol. 2) #40 (February 1997) | Malleable body houses a dimensional vortex. Was saved from death when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure. |
| Aminedi | X-Men Annual Vol. 2 #2 | Air Particle Transformation. Dies from the Legacy Virus. |
| Avalanche | Powerful vibration generation. Survived the Legacy Virus. | |
| Bolt | X-Men Unlimited (vol. 1) #8 (September 1995) | Bio-Electric generation/manipulation. Survived the Legacy Virus. |
| Burke | X-Force (vol. 1) #34 (August 1994) | Killed by the Virus. |
| Feral | X-Force (vol. 1) #37 (August 1994) | Feline appearance. Survived the Legacy Virus. |
| Infectia | X-Men (vol. 2) #27 (December 1993) | Mutagenic touch. Killed by the Legacy Virus inX-Men (vol. 2) #27 (December 1993). |
| Gordon Lefferts | X-Men (vol. 2) #23 (December 1993) | Telekinesis and Telepathy. Revealed to have been the first victim killed by the Legacy Virus inX-Men (vol. 2) #27 (December 1993) |
| Moira MacTaggert | Excalibur (vol. 1) #80 (August 1994) | Publicly designated as the first human to contract the Legacy Virus inX-Men Prime. Killed byMystique before the Legacy Virus could claim her. |
| Multiple Man | Duplicate infected inX-Factor (vol. 1) #91 (June 1993). | Duplicate died from Virus inX-Factor (vol. 1) #100 (March 1994). |
| Magik (Illyana Rasputin) | Magic user, chrono-variant teleportation. Killed by the Legacy Virus inUncanny X-Men #303 (August 1993). Later revived. | |
| Mastermind | Illusionist. Killed by the Virus inUncanny X-Men Annual #17. | |
| Maverick | Healing factor put Virus into remission. | |
| Mister Sinister[citation needed] | Immortal. May have been infected.[citation needed] Though if so, his own healing factor must have greatly slowed its progression[citation needed], nevertheless saved when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure. | |
| Mutate #24601 | OnlyGenoshan Mutate "named"; many others infected and presumed killed. | |
| Nicodemus | X-Force (vol. 1) #20 (March 1993) | Undefined fire-based abilities. Revealed to have been killed by the Virus in the same issue. |
| Pyro | X-Men Annual (vol. 2) #2. | Psionic manipulation (but not generation) of fire. Killed by the Virus inCable (vol. 2) #87 (Jan 2001) after savingSenator Robert Kelly from an assassination attempt. |
| Psynapse | Was "killed" by teammates for being infected and causing him to be "unfit". Revealed to have tricked his teammates and saved from death when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure. | |
| Revanche | X-Men Annual (vol. 2) #2. | Telepathy, psionic blade generation. Mercy-killed by Matsu'o before she succumbed to the Virus inX-Men #31 (April 1994). |
| Numerous X-Skrulls | Secret Invasion: X-Men #4 (November 2008) | Powers based on the X-Men. |
| Beautiful Dreamer | Behind the scenes prior toX-Force (vol. 3) #12. | Injected with the Legacy Virus by the Leper Queen to be used as a biological weapon, killing thousands of humans and herself. |
| Fever Pitch | X-Force (vol. 3) #12. | Similar fate to Beautiful Dreamer, perishing along with hundreds of other humans in a wave of fire. |
| Hellion | X-Force (vol. 3) #13. | Captured by the Leper Queen and injected with the Legacy Virus to be used as a biological weapon. Healed from the Legacy Virus by Elixir. |
| Surge | X-Force (vol.3) #13. | Similar fate to Hellion. She was healed from the Legacy Virus by Elixir. |
TheUltimate Marvel universe version of the Legacy Virus is created byNick Fury in an attempt to replicate theSuper Soldier experiment that createdCaptain America. The virus turns normal humans into super-strong beings, but is fatal to mutants, prompting Fury to holdBeast inS.H.I.E.L.D. custody to coerce him to find a cure for it in the event of an outbreak.[volume & issue needed]
The Legacy Virus appears in theX-Men: The Animated Series two-part episode "Time Fugitives".[18] This version was developed byGraydon Creed with the aid of Apocalypse.
