| Warren Worthington III | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofUncanny X-Men (vol. 4) #7 (July 2016) showing Warren's feathered wings as Angel (left) and metallic wings as Archangel (right). Art byGreg Land. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The X-Men #1 (September 1963) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist/co-plotter) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Warren Kenneth Worthington III |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Place of origin | Centerport, New York |
| Team affiliations | X-Men X-Force X-Club[1] Mutantes Sans Frontières X-Factor Renegades The Champions of Los Angeles The Defenders/The Secret Defenders Hellfire Club Horsemen of Apocalypse X-Terminators Worthington Industries Cheyarafim Jean Grey School Students[2] |
| Notable aliases | Angel Avenging Angel Archangel Dark Angel Death Master of the Seven Seeds[3] |
| Abilities | As Angel:
As Archangel:
|
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerStan Lee and artistJack Kirby, the character first appeared inThe X-Men #1 (September 1963). Warren is a founding member of theX-Men, having used the monikerAngel.[4] Later stories would reveal that prior to joining the team, he had acted as a vigilante under the monikerAvenging Angel.
Warren is amutant, an evolved species of humans who are born with superhuman abilities. The character originally possesses a pair of large feathered wings extending from his back, enabling him to fly. He is the heir of the Worthington family fortune, and this privileged background results in Warren being stereotyped as self-absorbed and unable to deal with hardships during his early years with the X-Men. This personality was ultimately replaced with a more introspective and brooding personality in the late 1980s, when the character was changed into the darkerArchangel persona. While Warren's wings were originally feathered, his transition to Archangel resulted in metallic wings and newfound powers.
As one of the original X-Men, Warren has had a frequent presence in X-Men-relatedcomic books throughout the years and also appeared occasionally in X-Menanimated series andvideo games.Ben Foster played the role of Warren in the 2006 filmX-Men: The Last Stand andBen Hardy portrayed a younger unnamed version in the 2016 filmX-Men: Apocalypse.
The character was created by writerStan Lee and artist/co-creatorJack Kirby and first appeared inX-Men #1 (Sept.1963) as Angel.[5] Lee made Angel rich and conceited, as well as a winged human to make him the first Marvel character with wings.[6] He appeared as a regular character in that title until it was cancelled with issue #66. The title was revived shortly after, reprinting earlier issues from issue #67 to #93. In 1970 and 1971, a three-part Angel solo feature was published as a back-up strip inKa-Zar #2 and #3 andMarvel Tales #30.
Angel appeared in theX-Men revamp byLen Wein andDave Cockrum in 1975 with the introduction of the "All-New, All-Different X-Men" (Giant-Size X-Men #1 May 1975), but left the X-Men title with issue #94. Angel and fellow X-ManIceman were transitioned into a new series calledThe Champions, which ran from 1975 to 1978. Series creatorTony Isabella had wanted to do a series about Angel and Iceman traveling together on the highway, in the vein ofRoute 66, but the editors told him to make it into a full team book.[7][8]
Angel returned to the X-Men briefly inTheUncanny X-Men #134, officially returning to the roster in issue #138 before once again leaving in issue #148. Afterwards, the character, along with fellow founding X-MenBeast and Iceman, joined the roster ofThe Defenders, as part of a short-lived "revamp" of the title, in which the series was renamedThe New Defenders. Angel would stay with the title, as the group's leader, for the book's last three years of publication (1983–1986). The series was canceled in 1986 to free up Angel and his fellow X-Men to star inX-Factor, which debuted in February. Angel remained in the book until issue #70, which was the last issue before the book was revamped with an all-new roster. DuringX-Factor #16–24, the character is presumed dead after losing his wings and apparently killing himself in a plane crash. Angel was dramatically revamped as a character, given a new costume, blue skin, and metallic wings which could fire blades. He first appeared as Archangel inX-Factor #24 (Jan.1988). According toX-Factor writerLouise Simonson and pencilerWalt Simonson, the Archangel revamp was motivated in part by their feeling that Angel was aMary Sue (being wealthy, handsome, and adored by women), and in part by the fact that, due to the inflation of superhero abilities, Angel was underpowered compared to other characters in the Marvel Universe.[9]
Angel was added to the cast ofUncanny X-Men title and appeared in that series and its companion seriesX-Men for most of the 1990s. In 1996, Marvel also published a one-shot story simply calledArchangel, which was written byPeter Milligan. He also appeared alongsidePsylocke in alimited series calledPsylocke & Archangel: Crimson Dawn (August 1997 – November 1997, 4 issues). From 1999 to 2001, Angel also featured in the seriesX-Men: The Hidden Years, which was set in the original X-Men's early days.
UnderJoe Casey (2001–2002) andChuck Austen (2002–2004), Angel became leader of the X-Men team that appeared in the pages ofUncanny X-Men. AfterChris Claremont replaced Austen on that title, the character went away for several months before reappearing in the pages of another Claremont-written series,Excalibur (vol. 3 2004). He continued to guest-star in theIncredible Hulk title during the events ofWorld War Hulk (2007) and then returned toUncanny X-Men (2008-2011) while simultaneously appearing inX-Force (vol. 3) (2008-2010), where the character regained his metallic wings and again assumed the codename Archangel, and subsequently inUncanny X-Force (2010-2011), in which his mind and personality were wiped.
After his personality was stripped, he appeared in a supporting role as one of the students at theJean Grey School inWolverine and the X-Men (2011–2013). He later joined Magneto's more militant X-Men team inUncanny X-Men (2016-2017) and an international strike force inAstonishing X-Men (2017-2018) after his memory was restored. At the same time, a time-displaced version of Angel's younger self was brought to the present and starred inAll-New X-Men (2012–2017) andX-Men Blue (2017-2018), before being returned to his correct time-period in the mini-seriesExtermination (2018).
Angel appeared inHouse of X and Powers of X (2019), which detailed the birth of the Krakoan Age.[citation needed] He was made the CXO of Krakoa's new X-Corp and appeared in the mini-seriesEmpyre: X-Men (2020),X-Corp (2021) andDark X-Men (2023).[citation needed] As the Krakoa era came to a close, he was the focus of the 50th anniversary issue ofGiant-Size X-Men (2024) and appeared in the mini-seriesX-Men: Heir of Apocalypse (2024).[citation needed]
Warren Worthington III was born inCenterport, New York, to Kathryn Worthington andWarren Worthington II and the grandson of Warren Worthington. He attendsPhillips Exeter Academy in his adolescence when his featheredwings begin to grow from his shoulder blades. At first, Warren feels he is a freak and aberration, but he soon learns that he can use his wings to fly and help people. When there is a fire in his dormitory, he borrows some props from the school's drama department, dresses up as a heavenly angel, and rescues his friends. He soon learns that he is in fact amutant. He dons a mask and costume, calls himself the Avenging Angel, and becomes a solo adventurer, before being recruited byProfessor Charles Xavier for the X-Men.[10]
Warren's status as a wealthy playboy, as well as being an outspoken individual who chafes at the notion of being told what to do, is the subject of much tension within the X-Men. In particular, Warren is in love withJean Grey, who is in love withScott Summers, although he ultimately sets aside his love for Jean, coming to terms with the fact that Jean loves Scott.[11] Angel still harbors an unrequited love for Jean even as he begins datingCandy Southern.[12]
While pursuingSauron in theSavage Land, Angel is attacked byPteranodons and falls to his death. He would have remained dead if not for the "Creator", who isMagneto without his costume. Magneto provides the necessary medical treatment needed to revive Angel and provides him with a new blue-and-white costume.[13] Unknown to Angel, the costume also has a device installed that lets Magneto gain control over Angel, which he does months later when he makes an attack on the X-Men.[14]
Around this time, Angel publicly reveals himself as a mutant after discovering that his uncle Burt Worthington (who goes by the name of the Dazzler — though he is in no way related to Alison Blaire, a later mutant heroine and brief love interest for Warren in her own comic series who also uses the name) has not only murdered his father,[15] but also poisoned his mother to ensure his inheritance of the Worthington fortune.[16]
When the original X-Men are captured by the mutant islandKrakoa, Professor X creates a new team of X-Men to rescue them.[17] When this new team decides to stay on as X-Men, Angel and the rest of the original team, with the exception of Cyclops, leave.[18] He andIceman go to Los Angeles, where they found theChampions withHercules,Black Widow, andGhost Rider.[19][20] Following the apparent death of Jean Grey and Cyclops' subsequent exile from the team, Warren rejoins the X-Men.[21] During this time, Angel unsuccessfully pursues pop star Alison Blaire, also known asDazzler.[22] He grows increasingly disturbed by the behavior and actions ofWolverine,[23] and quits the team in protest.[24]
He is kidnapped by theMorlock leaderCallisto, who intends to force Angel to be her lover.Storm,Nightcrawler,Colossus, andSprite arrive in time to stop Callisto from cutting off Angel's wings (believing that without them, Angel will be unable to flee from her). Storm fights and defeats Callisto for the right to be the leader of the Morlocks, effectively freeing Angel in the process.[25]
Shortly thereafter, Angel joins theDefenders, along with Beast, Iceman, and girlfriend Candy Southern.[26] Using Angel's New Mexico house as their base, the group has several adventures before most of the group are killed freeing teammateMoondragon from demonic possession.[27]
Angel considers retirement following the collapse of the Defenders, but the discovery of Jean Grey alive changes his mind. Jean Grey is furious at the increase in anti-mutant hysteria in the two years she has been missing, and opposes the X-Men's decision to align themselves with the villain Magneto. To appease Jean's desire for action, Warren organizes X-Factor.[28] He recruits his old prep school friendCameron Hodge to run the team, unaware that Cameron hates mutants, particularly Warren.[volume & issue needed] Since Cyclops is married toMadelyne Pryor at the time and reacts coldly to Jean's return, Angel takes advantage of Jean's need for emotional support and expresses his love for her.[volume & issue needed] This destroys Warren's relationship with Candy Southern, after Candy finds Warren consoling Jean.[29]
X-Factor's formation begins a period of upheaval in Warren's life. Cameron Hodge abuses Warren's trust and portrays X-Factor as "mutant hunters" for hire, further fueling anti-mutant sentiment.[volume & issue needed] An altercation with theBrotherhood of Mutants allowsMystique to discover the relationship between the "mutant hunters" and the former X-Men; she exposes Warren as the financial backer for X-Factor, causing a public relations nightmare.[30] Warren's wings are mutilated during the "Mutant Massacre" by theMarauder,Harpoon.[31] When the wings develop gangrene,Cameron Hodge violates Angel's wishes and has the crippled wingsamputated.[32] Despondent over the loss, Warren escapes the hospital and commandeers his private jet. It explodes in the air as the rest of X-Factor watch helplessly from below.[33] It is ultimately revealed that Hodge sabotaged Warren's plane to finish off his nemesis, in an apparent suicide.[volume & issue needed]
Seconds before the explosion, Warren is spirited away by the ancient mutantApocalypse. Apocalypse offers to restore Angel's wings if Angel will serve him as one of theHorsemen of Apocalypse.[34] Apocalypse subjects Angel to extensive genetic alterations, giving him blue skin and organic metal wings which can cut through almost anything. The wings can fire the metal feathers as projectiles. Apocalypse gives Worthington the title of Death. He makes Worthington the leader of his Horsemen after Worthington beats the others in a fight, and gives him a drug that remove his reservations to follow Apocalypse's dark plans.[35] Death is unveiled to X-Factor during their second encounter with the Horsemen,[36] and Warren sadistically exploits the weaknesses of his friends to defeat them in combat.[37] During a later attack on Manhattan, Iceman fakes his own death at Warren's hands, hoping that the shock of killing a friend will enable him to break free of the influence of Apocalypse's drug. Although freed, Warren refuses to rejoin X-Factor, feeling that he has changed too much psychologically to be a hero.[38]
He seeks out Candy Southern, but finds that she is missing.[volume & issue needed] Warren learns that Candy has been lobotomized to protect Cameron Hodge's secrets, including the establishment of the anti-mutant militia "The Right" using funds embezzled from Worthington.[volume & issue needed] In the confrontation that follows, Hodge murders Candy in front of Warren and Warren decapitates Hodge.[39] Changing his codename from "Death" to "Dark Angel", he later rejoins X-Factor and takes the codename "Archangel" during the events of "Inferno".[40]
Warren later meets and becomes romantically involved withCharlotte Jones, aNew York City Police officer and single mother.[volume & issue needed] It is with Charlotte's help that X-Factor frees Warren from the Ravens, a cult of near-immortal psychic vampires.[41] It is during this battle that Warren's survival is made public knowledge, allowing him to regain control over his family's remaining business holdings and his personal fortune.[volume & issue needed] X-Factor rejoins the X-Men following the defeat of theShadow King onMuir Island.[volume & issue needed]
After rejoining the X-Men, Archangel's brooding behavior lessens, after Jean reveals to Warren that his wings (which Warren believes have a mind of their own) have actually been operating off Warren's own unconscious desires for violence.[42] This, combined with Warren's accidental decapitation ofMutant Liberation Front memberKamikaze,[43] leads Warren to try to reject the dark cloud that has hung over his head ever since gaining his new wings. His relationship with Charlotte Jones fades as Warren begins dating fellow X-Men memberPsylocke.[44] In an attempt to put his dark days behind him, Warren retires his "Death" uniform in favor of the blue/white costume Magneto made for him.[volume & issue needed]
After Psylocke is eviscerated by X-Men prisonerSabretooth during an escape attempt, Warren and the X-Men track him down and capture him, but not before he is able to badly damage Warren's metal wings.[45] Over time, the damage to his wings spreads. Eventually, the metal wings shatter completely, revealing that his feathered wings have been growing back within them and have broken them apart from the inside.[46] This follows a visit fromOzymandias, who tells him that he is indeed one of Apocalypse's chosen ones.[volume & issue needed] Reclaiming his originalAngel powers, Warren still retains his blue skin color.[volume & issue needed]
Angel is one of several X-Men who are present whenGambit's culpability in the events of the "Mutant Massacre" is made public by Magneto, which turns him against his teammate.[47] Shortly afterwards, with the X-Men broke and their mansion stripped bare by the US Government, Angel volunteers money to help keep the team going, though this requires his reclaiming full control over his family company to do so.[volume & issue needed] Tracking some of his company's finances at this time, Warren discovers the former villains theThunderbolts retrieving a jet that was used by the Champions, but although initially suspicious of the Thunderbolts' motives, after joining them in a confrontation withGraviton, Warren accepts their genuine desire to reform, leaving them with the jet as he wishes them luck.[48] Angel returns to the X-Men following the events ofApocalypse: The Twelve, in which his wings (temporarily) further mutate into wings made of light and he gains talon-like hands and healing powers, which Warren uses to restore the mobility of crippled Horseman of ApocalypseWar.[volume & issue needed] Returning to the X-Men, Warren finds his relationship with Psylocke gone, as she has begun dating new X-Men recruitThunderbird.[volume & issue needed]
WhenRogue leaves the X-Men to join Storm's splinter group (X-Treme X-Men), Angel is promoted to head of the X-Men's field team.[volume & issue needed] Angel's squad fights the anti-mutant groupChurch of Humanity[volume & issue needed] and Mystique and her newest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants,[volume & issue needed] and tangles with theVanisher, who has gone into business with several medical companies to create a designer drug that could give humans mutant-like powers.[volume & issue needed] Angel also becomes entangled in a love triangle with rookie X-Men memberPaige Guthrie and the mutant prostituteStacy X.[volume & issue needed] Furthermore, during a battle withBlack Tom Cassidy, Angel's regression to his pre-"Death" state is complete when he reverts to his normal Caucasian skin color when Cassidy (now turned into a plant-typevampire) attempts to drain Angel's life force from him.[49] His healing powers fromThe Twelve also manifest themselves again, in the form of the revelation that Angel's blood has miracle healing properties.[volume & issue needed][50]
Following the death of Jean Grey, Warren and Paige take an extended leave of absence from the team.[volume & issue needed] Warren begins doing overseas charity work at this point, in the form of a charity called "Mutants Sans Frontières" inZanzibar (a reference toDoctors Without Borders), where he then proceeds to help stop acoup with the aid of Professor X's newest charges from nearbyGenosha.[51] InExcalibur, Warren meets up again withCallisto. As Paige reminds Warren of his history with Callisto, Viper attacks, but Warren and Callisto defeat Viper together.[52]
InGeneration M, Angel fakes having lost his wings to capture theGhoul, a derangedserial killer who uses his retained mutant powers to murder ex-mutants.[53]
Though not an active member of any team, Warren reunites with the other surviving original X-Men — Cyclops, Iceman, and Beast — in a mission to stopBishop from recapturing the fugitive mutants known asthe 198,[volume & issue needed] though Bishop later joins them in their rescue attempt.[54]
Angel joins withHercules,Namora, andAmadeus Cho to calm down the rampagingHulk.[55] Afterward, Angel discovers thatAmadeus Cho has hacked into Warren's bank accounts and stolen several million dollars from him, to help him further aid the Hulk.[volume & issue needed]
Angel is part of the team that investigates the new mutant birth in Alaska.[56] He is later part of the team who is looking for formerAcolytes.[57] He is next seen part of the same team, but attacking theMarauders.[58] Warren goes againstMister Sinister, but is easily defeated once Sinister recovers fromEmma Frost's mental attack.[59] Angel is knocked out, but recovers and is present with the X-teams for the final battle over the fate of the baby.[60]
Angel is later seen flying over San Francisco, going to meet withHepzibah,Warpath, and Iceman, when he stumbles across an area that looks as if the 1960s never ended. He contacts Scott and Emma, asking them for assistance before suffering the mind-altering effects of the zone, which are revealed to be caused byMartinique Jason.[61] Angel and the three other ensnared X-Men are sent by Martinique to confront Scott and Emma.[62] Emma manages to free them from the illusion and, during the fall-out battle, Angel rescues Mayor Sadie Sinclair. Thankful for the assistance and for the idea of having real superheroes in their city, Mayor Sinclair then talks to Cyclops and Angel about helping them resettle the X-Men in San Francisco.[63]
InX-Force vol. 3 #4, Warren is brutally attacked by a mind-controlledWolfsbane. During the attack, Wolfsbane rips Warren's wings off and runs away, taking the wings with her.[64] It is revealed byElixir that Warren's wings, despite appearing fully organic, are actually stilltechno-organic constructs that he is unable to regenerate.[volume & issue needed] Wolfsbane later delivers the wings to thePurifiers, who are seeking the Apocalypse Strain, the techno-organics which comprise Warren's wings. The Purifiers use the Apocalypse Strain to modify an army of Purifier agents, giving them the same metallic wings that Archangel once had.[volume & issue needed] Meanwhile, although Elixir is able to heal all of Warren's injuries, he cannot regrow his wings due to interference from the Apocalypse Strain. Later in the story, Warren is gripped by a series of excruciating seizures that not only mysteriously regenerate his techno-organic wings, but also transform him back into Apocalypse's version of Death/Archangel, complete with blue skin and a techno-organic version of his uniform.[65]
X-Force attacks Archangel, who eventually asks for relief from the pain of losing his wings and transforming into Archangel.[66] Archangel escapes, to take revenge on the Purifiers, and at their headquarters he slaughters most of them in a blood-maddened rage. Once the battle is over, he reverts to his normal Caucasian, feather-winged appearance. He comments toWolverine that he can still feel the metal wings inside him, and that they want to come out again. According to Elixir, Warren's transformation is permanent, implying that he is fully capable of transforming back into Archangel again at any time.[67]
In an attempt to understand what was done to both Wolfsbane and Angel, the pair of them are placed in a room together, where Rahne is forced to gaze at Warren. The mere sight of him causes her to become murderous once again, and she attempts to rip the wings from Warren's body once more. The sight of a psychotic Wolfsbane, as well as the fear of having his wings torn from his body again, causes a defensive reaction in Warren, reverting him back into his violent Archangel persona.[volume & issue needed]
From then on, Angel takes dual membership with both the X-Men and X-Force, though Cyclops forbids Angel from telling the rest of the team about the return of his Archangel powers.[volume & issue needed] While recruiting a scientist for Beast's "Science Squad", the X-Club, Angel is forced to transform into Archangel to destroy a giant rampaging monster. Beast reacts in anger that Angel has not told him that his "Death" powers have returned, creating tension between the two friends. Angel knows telling Beast would expose the latest incarnation of X-Force and effectively end Cyclops' latest tenure as leader if the truth about his personal black ops squad became public knowledge.[volume & issue needed]
During the X-Club's trip to 1906 to discover the origins of the modern mutant race, Angel transforms into Archangel a number of times to help further their mission.[volume & issue needed]
During theFear Itself storyline, Wolverine and Archangel interrogate Purifiers member Benedict Ryan on where Jonathan Standish is hiding out.[68]
In the "Dark Angel Saga", the "Archangel" persona of Warren, which was secretly created when he was first transformed by Apocalypse into his Horseman of Death, has finally taken over his mind, and he plans to be the heir to Apocalypse, bringingOzymandias,Dark Beast,the Final Horsemen,Autumn Rolfson, and her son Genocide as his army to destroy humanity.[69] At the conclusion of the story arc Betsy stabs Archangel in the chest with the Celestial Life Seed, seemingly killing him. In the aftermath of the explosion of Apocalypse's citadel, Warren is seen by the members of X-Force walking in the snow. Psylocke, shocked that he is alive and apparently free of Apocalypse, runs up and embraces him. This Warren then reveals he had no idea who Psylocke is and appears to have amnesia. Warren has his normal white skin again but seems to have retained his metallic wings.[70]
Following the Dark Angel Saga, it is revealed that Warren had indeed died and his soul departed for the afterlife, with his Celestial-mutated body now hosting an all-new personality with its own soul. He lost leadership of Worthington Industries and became a student inWolverine's new school for mutants.[2]Although the new entity, who has chosen to retain the same name of Warren Worthington III and the code name of "Angel" is making efforts to be integrated, it is clear that he has no memory at all of the original Warren Worthington's friends and acquaintances, as his discussions with Iceman demonstrate and how he turned away former lover Psylocke.[2]
In an apocalyptic possible future, an agingFrank Castle warns the present-dayDeadpool of the "son of Archangel".[71] DuringUncanny Avengers (2013), it is revealed that while preparing to ascend as Apocalypse during the "Dark Angel Saga", Warren fathered two children with Pestilence ofthe Final Horsemen, who appear asUriel andElimin, the time-travelingKang the Conqueror-disciples "Apocalypse Twins".[72]
As part of theAll-New, All-Different Marvel event, Angel has mysteriously reverted somehow to his pre-LifeSeed blue-skinned Archangel form, and appears as a member of Magneto'snew Uncanny X-Men to protect mutantkind at all costs.[73]
Psylocke and Magneto travel to Green Ridge, Colorado to investigate reports of an up-and-coming preacher who looks identical to the original Angel. They discover that he is indeed the Angel who was created by the Celestial LifeSeed and he is attracting a cult of religious fanatics around him.[74] It is revealed that during the 8-month timeskip after the events of Secret Wars, Angel allied himself with Apocalypse's son,Genocide and theClan Akkaba in exchange for their help in controlling his Horseman of Death split-personality, which has revived as it is permanently linked to his own metal wings. Clan Akkaba are constantly harvesting Angel's rapidly-regenerating metal wings (to prevent the Death persona from fully possessing Angel) and grafting them into his clones, creating a mindless clone army of blue-skinned Archangels. The silent Archangel who is a member of Magneto's team of X-Men was merely the first such clone who retained trace memories of the original Angel and thus managed to escape to join Magneto's X-Men. Magneto and Psylocke are captured, but Psylocke easily escapes. She gets into a fight with Fantomex, who was sent by Magneto as back-up with Mystique, who herself freed Magneto.[75] Psylocke in a panic calls for the Archangel who is their teammate, who then telepathically controls the rest of the clone army into destroying the town, but the clones are all killed.[76] In a flashback, it is revealed that Magneto accidentally found Angel's unconscious and injured body in a barn during the 8-month timeskip and helped him recover. Magneto at the time gave up on being a hero, as the rest of the X-Men had either disbanded or fled to Limbo, but then was inspired by Angel to restart his own version of the Uncanny X-Men.[77] It is implied that Angel disappeared after that encounter, only to "reappear" as the silent Archangel. In the present, a chastised and repentant Angel explains to Magneto and Psylocke that he and the silent Archangel are ultimately two half-parts of the same one being, so they physically combine into a new blue-skinned persona..[78]
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Warren's primary power is that of naturalflight, due to his large feathered wings. His wings havesuperhuman strength, and they have a very flexible skeletal structure that enables him to press them to the back of his torso and legs with only the slightest bulge visible under his clothing. His bones are hollow, his body processes food much more efficiently than a normal human body and does not store any excess fat, and he possesses a greater proportionate muscle mass than normal. As a result, his strength, speed, agility, flexibility, endurance, reflexes, coordination, balance, eyesight and hearing are at their peak. Elements of his anatomy are comparable to those of birds, especiallybirds of prey. His eyes can withstand high-speed winds which would damage the average human eye. He can breathe at high velocities or altitudes, and he can cope with the reduced temperatures at high altitudes for prolonged periods of time, giving him a greater-than-normal capacity to endure low temperatures in areas such as the Arctic. The strength in his natural wings can easily break a man's arm or leg, or even put someone through a wall.
While he generally flies below the height of clouds, Angel can reach almost twice this height with little effort. At his absolute maximum, he can reach the highest recorded altitude of a bird in flight — about the height ofMount Everest — but he can only remain that high for a few minutes. Although flight is as natural a mode of transportation for Angel as for a bird, he can only fly nonstop under his own power for around half a day.
He has undergone heavy training withProfessor X, especially in mastering his flight indoors. He has demonstrated superior agility, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, and balance while flying, and has been shown defeating superbeings much faster than him (like theHuman Torch[volume & issue needed]) by dodging them and having them smash against the ground or a wall at full speed.
Angel is also an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant,[79] having defeated several of the werewolf-likehomo superior when Wolverine is defeated.[volume & issue needed] He is trained in hand-to-hand combat at Xavier's school; while dating Psylocke, he receives a considerable amount of martial arts instruction.[volume & issue needed] During his years on the team, he is given extensive training from Wolverine, and when he once surprises Wolverine after taking down some men, he says, "My father spoiled me with more than money."[volume & issue needed] He also receives further instruction fromBlack Widow andHercules during his days with theChampions.[volume & issue needed]
As the result of asecondary mutation which has been shown inconsistently, Angel also develops a healing factor and can heal others by mixing his blood with theirs, provided they have a matchingblood type to Warren's.[volume & issue needed] His healing blood does not work withNightcrawler.[80] Although powerful, this mutation varies in potency. At times, he cannot aid the terminally wounded; at others, he can raise the recently deceased.[volume & issue needed] This secondary mutation suggests that he may be descended from the ancientCheyarafim mutants.[volume & issue needed] He is nearly immune to injury because his healing blood is constantly flowing through him. At its onset, he repairs broken bones in days,[volume & issue needed] but his healing abilities have enhanced since then.[volume & issue needed] In an issue ofX-Force it is apparent that this healing factor comes from his wings as seen when Warren is savagely attacked and his wings are ripped from his body, his healing factor fails to work, and he instead must be healed byElixir. It is revealed that the Celestial Technology bonded to him by Apocalypse prevents Elixir from regenerating his wings.[volume & issue needed] They eventually regenerate on their own.[volume & issue needed]
Aside from his superhuman powers, the original Warren was a most-highly capable businessman and the new Warren has accordingly retained or "inherited" his position as the primary stockholder and chairman emeritus (former chairman) of the board-of-directors of Worthington Industries.
Archangel possesses a set of metal techno-organic wings grafted onto him by the genetic engineering ofApocalypse when Apocalypse renames him the Horseman of Death.[81] These wings are composed of a durable, organic material that resembles the "organic steel" ofColossus' body.[82] The wings give him the ability to project his metallic feathers out from his wings at great speed and with tremendous force, enabling them to pierce even steel, tipped with poison.[83]
Archangel does not have complete control over his feathers, which sometimes shoot from his wings against his conscious will in response to his unconscious aggressive drives. The feathers are laced with a neural inhibitor chemical, generated by Archangel's body, which induces temporaryparalysis.These wings allow him to fly at speeds much faster than his natural, feathered wings. The edges of these metal wings are also razor sharp, allowing them to be used as weapons.
While he believes he has lost his metal wings when he re-grows his organic ones, the Celestial Technology never leaves his system, and his natural-appearing wings contain the Celestial technology. When implanted into regular human beings, the technology induces a transformation similar to that of Warren's. When his feathered wings are severed from his body by Wolfsbane, his metal wings grow back in their place. Furthermore, his skin reverts to blue and his old Archangel costume appears.[volume & issue needed] Warren's body returns to normal — the metal wings being replaced with the appearance of his feathered ones — indicating that Warren has the ability to switch between metal and feathered wings and his Angel and Archangel appearances.[84] As Archangel, Warren retains his healing factor.[85] The wings have been shown capable to heal Apocalypse.[volume & issue needed]. In issue 14 ofX-Men: Second Coming, Dr. Nemesis questions the rate that they would grow as the biology is different from Colossus' armor.[volume & issue needed]
After the death of Warren and the Archangel persona via the Life Seed, Angel comes back to life as anamnesiac with healing powers far beyond what he was ever able to originally accomplish, as demonstrated when he resurrects a recently dead dog.[2]
The time displaced Warren, fromAll-New X-Men, initially started with feathered wings, but duringThe Black Vortex saga he was imbued with Cosmic wings.[86] These new wings allow him to travel at faster than light speeds. He can also discharge cosmic blasts that can destroy spaceships. He can feed off cosmic energy, thus survive in outer space and without sustenance.[volume & issue needed] These wings were surgically removed by a younger version of Cable and replaced with wings that Mimic had copied from Angel in their original meeting, allowing him to be returned to the past with no effect on the timeline.[87]
Shawn S. Lealos ofScreen Rant ranked Warren 1st in their "X-Men: 10 Most Powerful Horsemen Of Apocalypse" list,[88] while Lukkas Shayo included him in their "10 Iconic New York City-Based Marvel Superheroes We Haven't Seen In The MCU" list.[89] Hilary Goldstein and Richard George ofIGN ranked Warren 11th in their "Top 25 X-Men" list.[90] Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly ranked Warren 40th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[91] ofComicsAlliance ranked Warren 75th in their "100 Greatest X-Men of All Time" list.[92]CBR.com ranked Warren 4th in their "X-Men: The 5 Deadliest Members Of The Hellfire Club (& The 5 Weakest)" list,[93] 6th in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members" list,[94] 9th in their "10 Most Terrifying X-Men" list,[95] and 10th in their "10 Greatest X-Men, Ranked By Courage" list.[96]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Angel: Revelations #1 was the 106th best selling comic book in May 2008.[97][98][99]Angel: Revelations #2 was the 125th best selling comic book in June 2008.[100][101]
James Hunt ofCBR.com calledAngel: Revelations #1 a "prodigious talent on display," saying, "The religious imagery gives the book a consistent motif and the literal "angel" aspect of the character takes a lot more focus that it usually receives when the character is dealt with. Of all the X-Men, Warren probably has the "origin" story that relates itself most directly to the idea of emergent mutant powers being a metaphor for adolescence. Being a Marvel Knights title, it's unclear whether this origin is "in-continuity" or not, but ultimately it shouldn't matter. If the rest of the series is as good as this opening issue, it's going to be an utterly beautiful read and, if you're reading this at a time when it's too late to start collecting the series, it'll almost certainly be worth splashing out for the hardcover just to make sure the format does the story justice. It's definitely good to see Marvel happy to put out a series that looks a little more experimental than their usual fare, and if there's any justice in the industry it'll pay off nicely."[102] Bryan Joel ofIGN gaveAngel: Revelations #1 a grade of 8.1 out of 10, writing, "Truthfully, Angel's origin probably needed an update. Considering the sort of character he's become and the advancements his powers eventually received, the origin doesn't really line up. Thankfully, Aguirre-Sacasa seems to agree and has craftedRevelations to remedy that. Issue #1 features the basics of Warren immediately pre-power onset, where he's attending a private school and worrying about the changes to his body. The script also interjects a couple scenes of more sinister things going on, which elevates this above the level of simple rehash. There almost seems to be more attention paid to religion, a pet theme of Aguirre-Sacasa's; the title of this series isn't just a play on words. Suffice it to say, I'm surprisingly interested to see how this all plays out. One of the main selling points, though, is the art by Adam Pollina. Probably most renowned for his extended run on the first volume ofX-Force, his work inRevelations couldn't be further from the tradition style seen there. Now he's somewhere between Skottie Young and... Salvador Dali, perhaps? But in a good way. I can definitely see how the weird, deformed style will bug some readers, but I think it's deeply engaging and gives the whole issue a more spiritual and mystical feel. It might not be exactly in step with an Angel series, but it's at least something different and I appreciate that."[103]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Iceman and Angel #1 was the 161st best selling comic book in March 2011.[104][105]
Ryan K. Lindsay ofCBR.com calledIceman and Angel #1 "as much fun as you want, but as pithy as you expect too," asserting, "A one-shot should be a comic that stands on its own, and this issue certainly does that. It needs to give you enough narrative meat to feel like the money was well invested, and this issue mostly does that. It should elicit some form of strong reaction from you in the few pages it has, and this issue works hard to make you laugh and is more successful than not. See Namor score some bagels and Googam become a broheim. It's not earth shattering but it is solid fun and sometimes that's just what you need. Pick up this comic and feel the freedom of old funny done-in-one comics just like they did when you were a kid where the parts add up to greater than the actual whole."[106] David Brothers ofComicsAlliance rankedIceman and Angel #1 10th in their "10 Top Marvel Comics Coming in March 2011," saying, "One of the best things we don't see much of any more is the relationship between the original X-Men. The modern series is all about hard decisions, hard edges, and hard core self protection, but back in the day, they were just a bunch of kids who hung out together. Iceman and Angel in particular were pretty fun together, because one was a goofball and the other was a self-styled ladies man. Brian Clevinger has proven that he can do stories like this, where he takes a slice of time and expands on it in a meaningful way, and Juan Doe is a pretty great artist. Add in GOOM, a classic Marvel villain, and you've got a story that I think is going to be a pretty good read.X-Men First Class may be dead in name, but these one-shots are doing a pretty good job of keeping the feeling alive."[107]
When Beast decides to travel back in time to recruit the original X-Men to stop Scott committing mutant genocide,[108] Angel accompanies his teammates into the future, but initially prefers to return to the past rather than remain in such a twisted present. Even after his teammates vote to remain until they have saved the future, Angel expresses curiosity about what has happened to his own future self, as no reference has been made to his present condition.[109] The next day, the rebirthed Angel finds the younger Angel who asks him why he has metallic wings; the older Angel ignores the question and invites his younger self to go flying.[110] While flying above the skies of New York, the two Angels become caught up inHydra's attack onAvengers Tower. Together, the two heroes defeat the terrorists and captureMadame Hydra.[79]
Frustrated after seeing what will happen to himself in the future, the younger Angel defects from theJean Grey School for Higher Learning and joins the older Cyclops' new team ofoutlaw X-Men.[111] After the 2013 "Battle of the Atom" storyline, the rest of the displaced X-Men also join Cyclops' team, except for young Cyclops, who joins his fatherCorsair and the Starjammers.[112] Warren then starts a romantic relationship withX-23.[volume & issue needed] Later, the All-New X-Men accidentally travel to the Ultimate Universe, where Angel and X-23 encounter that universe's version of Wolverine's son,Jimmy Hudson and theX-Men.[113] During the 2015 storyline "The Black Vortex", young Warren is imbued with cosmic powers and gains magic wings of light.[86] When asked by X-23 why he risked his life to gain new powers, he said he hoped that changing himself will alter his future and prevent him from being transformed into Archangel.[114]
After theX-Men go to war against the Inhumans over the fate of the Terrigen, Angel joins the rest of the time-displaced X-Men in hopes of finally returning them to their own timeline. However they discover that they aren't fromEarth 616's timeline and with no way of figuring out which timeline they're from, they become stranded on Earth 616.[115] With this knowledge in mind, Angel and the rest of the time-displaced X-Men leave the main team of X-Men to find their place in the world.[116] Angel joins the rest of the time-displaced X-Men alongside Magneto.[117]
After a series of adventures - which included the discovery that they actuallywere from the true past and the X-Men they had witnessed were actually the disguised Brotherhood of Mutants attempting to change history -[118] the X-Men are forced to return to the past when they are attacked byAhab, a mutant-hunter from the future, and a younger version of Cable who feels that his future self has lost his way. Part of young-Cable's efforts include surgically removing Warren's new cosmic wings and replacing them with the wings Mimic copied from Warren in the past.[87] The team eventuallyreturn to the past, with Jean planting a psychic block on their memories so that they will forget about their experiences in the future until they catch up with the moment they departed.[119]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-311 appears in Marvel 1602. This version isWerner, a young mutant who hides his wings using garments sewn by his mother. Werner is captured and almost executed by Grand InquisitorEnrique, but rescued byCarlos Javier and his students. After being brought to England, Werner befriendsJohn Grey, unaware that he is a young woman disguised as a man.
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-295 appears inAge of Apocalypse. This version is an ally of Magneto and the X-Men who operates a nightclub called Heaven, where humans and mutants can interact safely. Worthington later attacksApocalypse's citadel in asuicide run, sacrificing himself and enabling the X-Men to enter the citadel.[120]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Death from Earth-5701 appears inCable & Deadpool #15.[121]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-9997 appears inEarth X. This version lost his fortune and became a figurative angel, helping anybody who needs him.[122]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Archangel from Earth-714 appears inExiles. This version is a member ofWeapon X who is more violent and wieldsautomatic weapons.
A zombified alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-2149 appears inMarvel Zombies. InMarvel Zombies 3, Worthington is killed byMachine Man.
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III from Earth-1298 appears inMutant X. This version is known asthe Fallen and was transformed by Apocalypse into a pale, bat-like creature capable of breathing fire. After escaping Apocalypse's control, Worthington joins the Six.[123]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III from Earth-81114 appears inNew Exiles. This version is known asKrait and is a member of the X-Men, who are loyal toLilandra Neramani.[124]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-10330 appears inPrelude to Deadpool Corps #2. This version is a young orphan living under Charles Xavier's care.[125]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from an unidentified universe appears inGeNext.[126] This version is a member ofShadow-X, a villainous version of the X-Men led by theShadow King possessing Charles Xavier.
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint. This version manifested his powers at birth and was adopted byProfessor X after his parents rejected him.[127]
In "Ultimatum", Worthington is killed bySabretooth.[128]
An alternate universe variant of Warren Worthington III fromEarth-6160 appears inUltimate Wolverine. This version is a prisoner of the Eurasian Republic who possesses metallic wings.[129]
Tenshi, a character based on Warren Worthington III / Angel from Earth-67279, appears inX-Men Fairy Tales. This version is apheasant who suffers fromaerophobia untilHitomi andAoi help him overcome his fears.[130]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men: Angel Revelations | Angel: Revelations #1-5 | January 2009 | 978-0785134688 |
Now I had to decide what kind of powers the X-Men should have; what kind of people they should be. At the time, there was no character around (at Marvel) with wings, so I figured I'd design a guy who flies – the Angel. He was rich and conceited.
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