| Mesmero | |
|---|---|
_(Earth-616).webp) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The X-Men #49 (October 1968) |
| Created by | Arnold Drake (writer) Don Heck (artist) Werner Roth (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Vincent (last name unrevealed) |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Mutants Weapon X Demi-Men |
| Notable aliases | William P. Thorton Mesmero Junichi |
| Abilities |
|
Mesmero (Vincent) is amutantsupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.[1] Created byArnold Drake,Don Heck, andWerner Roth, the characterfirst appeared inThe X-Men #49 (October 1968). He has been a member ofWeapon X and theBrotherhood of Mutants at various points in his history.[2]
Mesmero debuted inThe X-Men #49 (October 1968), created byArnold Drake,Don Heck, andWerner Roth.[3] He appeared in the 2017X-Men: Gold series.[4]
Mesmero is a small-time criminal who poses as a stage hypnotist using his mutant powers of hypnotism. He initially works withMagneto and battles theX-Men until the former strands him in a South American jungle.[5][6]
Mesmero has encountered the X-Men on a few other occasions as well as teams such asX-Factor, and theDark Riders. The Dark Riders intend to kill him, as they believe him to be weak. Mesmero uses his powers to convince them they had thrown him off a high ledge.[7] WithAlpha Flight, Mesmero takes over the minds of the junior members and is eventually stopped by the senior ones.[8]
Mesmero later joinsWeapon X, whosedirector enhances his powers, enabling him to control entire crowds of people at once. He later attempts to use his powers to help his dying mother and make her believe that she is healthy, but she sees through the illusions and temporarily causes him to lose confidence in his powers.[9][10][11]
Mesmero is among the mutants who lose their powers to theScarlet Witch inDecimation. Devastated and ruined, Mesmero is forced into poverty and reforms.[12] Mesmero finally achieves a personal triumph by forming a relationship with a woman who had saved his life, promising to somehow help her in turn. She put her trust in him freely and unconditionally, something he had never managed before without his powers.[13]
Mesmero eventually returns to villainy, becomes the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and regains his powers under unspecified circumstances.[14][15]
Vincent is a mutant with superhuman hypnotic powers. He has the psionic ability to mentally influence the minds of others viaeye contact, especially telepaths. Through a combination of careful planning and skill, he couldmanipulate their minds, even if they were much more prone to realizing/breaking his machinations than a non-psychic. Mesmero can hypnotize people into doing whatever he wants them to, alter their brains with false personalities or memories, and make his victims see him as a different person. He had proven unable to control Magneto, which his helmet that negates all telepathic attacks pertain brainwashing[16] and Alysande Stuart, with her capabilities,[17] for unknown reasons.
At one time, Mesmero wore a costume, which allows him to teleport, leaving only an energyblip where he once stood. That feat was only used for escaping an angry Alpha Flight and may have been controlled entirely by the technology of this suit or tied in some way to his mental capabilities.[18]
Benito Cereno ofComicsAlliance referred to Mesmero as an "oddball favorite villain."[19]
InExiles, an alternate reality version of Mesmero, originating from the Earth-653 timeline, was involved with theWeapon X Program before being recruited intoWeapon X, the more ruthless counterpart of the Exiles.[20] Early after the formation of the team, Mesmero was killed and his body remained in theTimebreakers' fallen heroes gallery in the crystal palace. After the Exiles took over the place, they sent Mesmero's body back to Earth-653. The corpse was teleported back to the facilities of the Weapon X Program, where it was incinerated.[21]
Another alternate version of Mesmero was revealed to have existed on Earth-127. This Mesmero was part of the Brotherhood of Mutants alongside Magneto,Quicksilver andScarlet Witch (all gender-swapped, with Scarlet Witch now being called Scarlet Warlock). They planned to make Magneto (who was female in this reality) even powerful than she already was by removingWolverine's adamantium skeleton out of his body and transfer it into Magneto's body. However the plan went wrong, and Mesmero and the other Brotherhood members fused into one powerful mutant being known as "Brother Mutant".[22]
In the Age of Apocalypse timeline, Mesmero joined with a group of telepaths to create a "psychicpyramid scheme" known as the Overmind which leaderQuentin Quire uses to empower himself.[23] Mesmero along with the telepaths that compose the Overmind are later confronted and killed by the Shadow King.[24]
During theSecret Wars storyline as part of theX-Men '92 mini-series (which is based onX-Men: The Animated Series), Mesmero appears as a member of Magneto'sBrotherhood of Mutants.[25]