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| Cameron Hodge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Factor #1 (February 1986) |
| Created by | Bob Layton Jackson Guice |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human mutate-cyborg |
| Team affiliations | Phalanx Purifiers The Right N'astirh Genoshan Cabinet X-Factor |
| Notable aliases | The Commander |
| Abilities | Immortality, Superhuman physical attributes through cybernetic body |
Cameron Hodge is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics, usually as an adversary in stories featuring theX-Men. Created by writerBob Layton and artistJackson Guice, he first appeared as a supporting character inX-Factor #1 (February 1986),[1]
The original volume ofX-Factor was a spinoff ofThe Uncanny X-Men featuring an eponymous team composed of the original five members of the X-Men, which was conceived by Hodge, the former college roommate of founding memberWarren Worthington, and who served as its public relations agent.[2][3] Later, under writerLouise Simonson, Hodge was revealed to be secretly acting against X-Factor[4] as the leader of the anti-mutant terrorist organization known asThe Right. He is decapitated in a confrontation with Worthington,[2][5] but his head is later revealed to have been attached to a large robotic body during the 1990 "X-Tinction Agenda".[2][6][7] The character is later revealed in a 1993 storyline to have merged with the extraterrestrial cybernetic race known as thePhalanx.[2]
Cameron Hodge first appeared inX-Factor #1 (February 1986), and was created byBob Layton andJackson Guice. The book was a spinoff ofThe Uncanny X-Men featuring an eponymous team composed of the original five members of the X-Men, which was conceived by Hodge, the former college roommate of founding memberWarren Worthington III (aka Angel), and who served as its public relations agent.[2][3] Under Hodge's plan, the five mutants would pose as professional mutant hunters under the name X-Factor. They would use this cover to contact and teach young mutants.[8]
Later, under writer Louise Simonson, Hodge was revealed to be secretly acting against X-Factor.[4] The company's advertising campaign actually increased anti-mutant hysteria. In addition, the team suffered a series of major setbacks. After suffering severe injuries during theMutant Massacre, Angel has his wings amputated, and then seemingly dies in a private jet explosion. Tensions arose between X-Factor membersCyclops and Marvel Girl when Cyclops saw manifestations of thePhoenix aroundJean Grey. X-Factor later discovered that Hodge had orchestrated Angel's amputation and plane accident and had created holograms simulating the Phoenix Force.[9] They too discover that Hodge had secretly been the Commander of an anti-mutant terrorist group known asThe Right.[10] He had fully intended to exacerbate anti-mutant tensions through his advertising campaign.[2][5][11]
Hodge and The Right had made a pact with the extradimensional demonic entityN'astirh. In exchange for collecting mutant babies the Right needed for a spell to open up a portal from Limbo to Earth, N'astirh promised Hodge immortality and the continued existence of The Right and its work creating conflict between humans and mutants. Hodge later kidnaps and killsCandy Southern, Warren's former girlfriend. Warren is revealed to have survived the plane explosion and is transformed into Archangel byApocalypse. Archangel invades the Right's headquarters and confronts Hodge, decapitating him.[2][5][11]
Hodge's efforts would provide unexpected blows against his enemies. TheAni-Mator, one of his armored employees, kills New Mutant memberCypher,[12] and another employee would end up becoming the powerful cyberneticistNanny who, with the assistance ofOrphan-Maker, would plague the X-Men multiple times.[13]
In 1989 an entry for Cameron Hodge was included in theOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #3, a reference book that served as a biographical encyclopedia of Marvel Comics' characters.
During the 1990crossover storyline "X-Tinction Agenda", Cameron Hodge is revealed to be alive, his severed head having been attached to a large, non-humanoid robot body, a fate Hodge says he survived as a result of the pact he made with N'astirh. Hodge had become allied with government of the island nation ofGenosha, where mutants were enslaved as obedient servants.[2][6][7] Hodge and the Genoshan government launched an attack upon the X-Men (which had united with the members of X-Factor), and its junior team, theNew Mutants. During these events,Warlock, the alien member of the New Mutants, is killed in the course of Hodge's experiments upon him. His captives free themselves and defeat Hodge, whose still-surviving head is buried beneath a collapsed building.[14]
In a 1993 storyline, Cameron Hodge is revealed to have merged with thePhalanx, a cybernetic alien species.[2] He was again apparently slain by Archangel.[15] Hodge was defeated bySteven Lang when the Phalanx' human interface caused the Phalanx citadel to fall from the top of Mount Everest.[16]
Cameron Hodge's remains are found in the Himalayas by a group ofPurifiers. He is later revived whenBastion infects him with the transmode virus gained from one of Magus' offspring.[17] Cameron and his whole army of "Smileys" are killed by Warlock of the New Mutants at the behest of Douglas Ramsey when his life force and the life forces of the Smileys are forcibly absorbed by Warlock.[18]
When first revealed to be a villain, Cameron Hodge was the commander of The Right, and had access to all the weaponry and resources of the organization, including a ruby quartz battle suit capable of deflectingCyclops's optic blasts. The demonic beingN'astirh granted Hodge immortality, that allowed his head to survive after being decapitated.[citation needed]
In his cyborg form, he had the ability to become intangible and used various special weapons. His spider/scorpionlike robot body was equipped with tentacles, a powerful stinger, plasma and laser weapons, and a molecular adhesive gun, and could also fire bolas, knives and spears of varying sizes. He also possessed a high degree of invulnerability, enough to protect him from the combined attacks ofStorm, Cyclops andJean Grey. This effect was supposedly augmented by external generators linked to his mainframe computer. When these had been destroyed, Cyclops andHavok could destroy his mechanical body, but not kill him. In addition, in his mechanical body's first appearance, it had a cardboard cutout of a man's suit and body that hung from Hodge's neck, presenting, in his mind, a more normal appearance when his attempt to absorbWarlock's techno-organic abilities had failed.[citation needed]
As part of thePhalanx, he had all their typical abilities, but seemingly lost his magical protection.[citation needed]
An alternate universe variant of Cameron Hodge from Earth-58163 appears inHouse of M. This version is a member of the Human Liberation Front, a human supremacist terrorist group, before being killed byNoriko Ashida.[19][20]
Maxwell Hodge, a fusion of Cameron Hodge andDC Comics characterMaxwell Lord, appears in theAmalgam Comics one-shotJLX Unleashed.
An alternate universe variant of Cameron Hodge appears inX-Men Forever.[21]
