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| Wild Child | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Alpha Flight #1 (Aug 1983) (cameo) (full introduction)Alpha Flight #11 |
| Created by | John Byrne |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Kyle Gibney |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | Weapon X Alpha Flight X-Factor Omega Flight Gamma Flight Hellions |
| Notable aliases | Weapon Omega Wildheart |
| Abilities |
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Kyle Gibney is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writer and artistJohn Byrne, the characterfirst appeared inAlpha Flight #1 (August 1983).[1] Gibney is amutant—a subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities—and is known under thecodenameWild Child (also spelledWildchild). He has also used the aliasesWeapon Omega andWildheart.[2] Gibney has been portrayed as both asuperhero and asupervillain and has been affiliated with several teams, includingAlpha Flight,X-Factor, andWeapon X.[3]
Kyle Gibney made acameo appearance inAlpha Flight #1 (August 1983), created byJohn Byrne, but did not appear in full untilAlpha Flight #11.[4] He subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, includingDarkhawk (1991),[5]Death Metal (1994),[6]Weapon X: The Draft - Agent Zero (2002),[7] andHellions (2020).[8]
Kyle Gibney is amutant who manifested aferal mutation duringpuberty; this mutation grants him enhanced physical abilities, an increased rate of regeneration, and a bestial appearance.[9] This prompts his parents to throw him out of their house. Living on the streets, he is kidnapped by the conspiratorialSecret Empire and subjected to experimentation that alters his mind and body, making him mentally unstable and prone to violent and animalistic behavior.[10] During this time, he becomes acquainted withValerie Cooper, aUnited States government official who is unaware of the Secret Empire's true nature or activities. He is freed byWyre, a man who has unwittingly been the source for the genetic material used in the Empire's experiments. Gibney (now Wild Child) is detained by the military and taken into the custody ofCanada's secretDepartment H, which oversees the formativeAlpha Flight team. Flight memberWalter Langkowski, wanting to protect Wild Child from the military, places him in the trainee team dubbedGamma Flight. After Alpha Flight and its trainee groups are disbanded, Gibney is recruited to joinOmega Flight.[11]
Wild Child is given membership in the new Gamma Flight.[12] When Gamma Flight is disbanded, he goes berserk over his deprecated status and attacksPathway, another trainee. Gamma's leaderNemesis teleport him away during a fight with Heather Hudson (Guardian) andWolverine, and he is captured by Wolverine.[13] Department H helps him overcome his psychological problems, trains him in unarmed combat, and places him as a special operative of the Canadian government assigned to Alpha Flight under the codename Weapon Omega.[14] Wild Child later defeats Wyre in personal combat; he then learns about his true origin, and changes his codename toWildheart.[15][9]
Wild Child's appearance deteriorates back to his initial feral form, which prompts him to leave Alpha Flight and his loverAurora.[9][16] He follows Valerie Cooper to the United States, where he joins X-Factor. There he begins a romantic relationship with his teammateShard. His teammateSabretooth unsuccessfully attempts to convince Wild Child to become a hunter and killer like himself. Wild Child degenerates to a near-mindless state and is recruited into the newWeapon X team.[volume & issue needed]
As part of his draft into Weapon X, Wild Child is paired with Sabretooth to try and recruitSunfire to the program. However, he refuses and badly burns Sabretooth. When Wild Child mocks his burns, Sabretooth slits hisvocal cords, leaving him mute.[17] His past flame, Aurora, is later recruited into the team but is not herself. She becomes cocky and aloof, snubbing Wild Child and engaging in a relationship with Weapon X directorBrent Jackson.
Wild Child is one of the mutants depowered afterM-Day.[18] His energy signature is found within theCollective, along with the energy signatures of many other depowered mutants.[19] It is later revealed that Wild Child regained his powers and his previously erased memories, along with his capability of speech.[20]
In the new status quo for mutants post-House of X and Powers of X,Professor X andMagneto invite all mutants to live onKrakoa and welcome even former enemies into their fold.[21] Wild Child joins a loose group of outcast mutants, operating underMister Sinister: theHellions, which also includeHavok,Kwannon,Empath,John Greycrow, andNanny and Orphan-Maker.[22][23][24][25]
During a mission toArakko, the Hellions encounterTarn the Uncaring and his Locus Vile. In the ensuing battle, Wild Child is killed.[26] He is resurrected, albeit stronger and with a more aggressive and impulsive personality as a result of dying in the dimension of Amenth.[27][9][10][16][28]
Kyle Gibney is amutant who was experimented upon and genetically engineered by Secret Empire scientists using DNA replicated from Wyre. He has superhumanly acute senses, as well as superhuman speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance. His teeth and nails are hardened and strong enough to rend substances as thick as bone. His body heals at a rate several times greater than that of a normal human being but not at the rate ofSabretooth's healing factor.[29] He also has various animal-like mutations common for "feral" mutants: leaf-shaped ears and eyes with neither pupils nor irises.
He is an excellenthand-to-hand combatant with both special ops and martial arts training fromWolverine as well as the Canadian government's superhero Flight program, and is also trained in acrobatics and gymnastics. In his bestial rages, he relies more on sheer ferocity than fighting skill. As Wildheart, the savage, bestial side of his personality was suppressed by an unknown drug, but still threatened to overwhelm his mind.
Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly ranked Wild Child 93rd in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[30]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-295 appears in "Age of Apocalypse". This version is a member of the X-Men who possesses a low level of intelligence comparable to that of a dog and is incapable of speech.[31] Wild Child is later found by an alternate universe version ofQuentin Quire and taken to his universe to replace its version of Wild Child, who was not supposed to have died.[32] After returning to his original universe, Wild Child is killed while trying to stopArchangel's genocidal plans onEarth-616.[33][34]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-58163 appears inHouse of M. This version is a member of the Red Guard, a group that servesExodus.[35]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-1298 appears inMutant X. This version roams the wilds of Canada along with Sabretooth and Wolverine, collectively known as the Pack.[36]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-21923 appears inAvengers of the Wastelands. He is among the villains who attackDanielle Cage's group in Osborn County, only to be killed by insects summoned by Dwight Barrett.[37]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-5700 appears inWeapon X: Days of Future Now.[38]
An alternate universe version of Wild Child from Earth-1610 appears inUltimate Comics: Wolverine #2. He and a group of soldiers are sent to killJimmy Hudson's adoptive parents,James Hudson andHeather Hudson. Wild Child nearly kills Jimmy untilQuicksilver appears and kills him.[39]
The Hellions team is presently under the leadership of Mr. Sinister, with Psylocke mostly there to make sure the team doesn't get into too much trouble. However, the team is quickly blindsided by Madelyne Pryor, the clone of Jean Grey, who attacks with zombie-like clones of Sinister's Marauders - and quickly succeeds in bringing Havok to her side. Psylocke can't do much to stop this when feral teammate Wild Child literally tears into her.
The upcoming series has Mister Sinister assemble a team including Scalphunter, Wild Child, Havok, Psylocke and other hot-headed mutants.
[Wild Child] has powers similar to Wolverine's — claws, enhanced senses, and a healing factor.
