Cypher (Douglas Aaron Ramsey) is a fictional

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. The character appears usually in the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

family of books, in particular those featuring ''

The New Mutants ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'', of which Cypher has been a member. He is a

mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...

with the ability to easily understand any language, whether spoken or written. The character is not related to the female cyborg of the same name who first appeared in ''Sabretooth and Mystique'' #1 and is a member of A.I.M.

Publication history

Created by writer

Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...

and artist

Sal Buscema Sal Buscema (; ; born Silvio Buscema, January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of ''The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as artist of ''The Spectacular Spider-Ma ...

, the character first appeared in ''

New Mutants The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically us ...

'' #13 (March 1984). Initially used as a supporting cast member, he was assimilated into the titular superteam in ''The New Mutants'' #21 (1984). During his run as a member of the team, Cypher was the least popular of the New Mutants, as series writer

Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', '' Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''New Mutants'', ...

recounted: "He wasn't fun to draw. He just stood around and hid behind a tree during a fight... Every artist who ever did him said 'Can't we kill this guy?' We would get letters from fans about how much they hated him. We never got any letters from people saying they liked him until he was dead." Cypher was killed in ''The New Mutants'' #60 (1988). The story was acclaimed as one of the most touching moments in the series, and sparked a surge in popularity for the character. Following his death, Cypher was frequently referenced, and even had a solo story in ''The New Mutants'' Annual #6 (1990), appearing as a ghost. His tombstone appears as one of

Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...

's most traumatic memories when psychically assaulted by

Professor X Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...

and

Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...

. After the events of the

Phalanx Covenant "The Phalanx Covenant" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men family of books in September and October 1994. One of its unique aspects was that the X-Men themselves only played a minor role in the story. Plot The X-Men ...

, a techno-organic being known as "Douglock" takes Cypher's form in ''Excalibur'' #78 (1994), but this being turns out to be

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...

infused with some of Cypher's memories. The character was brought back to life during the 2009-2010 "

Necrosha "Necrosha" is a 2009–10 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring the X-Men family of characters. Publication history Necrosha had been slowly building in the pages of ''X-Force'' and began in earnest with the one-sh ...

" storyline, and appeared regularly between ''New Mutants'' vol. 3 #5 (2009) through ''New mutants'' vol. 3 #50 (2012) and again in All-New X-Factor (2014-2015).

Fictional character biography

Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey. Doug became friends with

Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...

, whom he met after she moved to Westchester County to join Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and with whom he shares an interest in video games, computers and computer technology. Kitty's talent for building hardware complements Doug's skill at writing software.

suspected Doug possessed a

power, probably connected with communications, but did not approach him to join the school, perhaps feeling a passive power might go unnoticed. Subsequently, Doug was offered a scholarship to attend

Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (Jan. 1980), and was ...

's Massachusetts Academy. He did not know at the time that Emma Frost was one of the X-Men's adversaries. When Kitty Pryde accompanied him on his first trip to the Academy, she was captured, and later rescued by the New Mutants. Though Doug's memory of the mutant related events was wiped by Frost, he does not accept the scholarship for reasons not elaborated on. Doug became a member of the

after the arrival of the

techno-organic A techno-organic virus (T-O virus) is a fictional virus appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. In the comics, the T-O virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material, which resembles both machinery and living ...

alien

, whose inability to communicate with the children requires them to seek out Doug to use his linguistic abilities. In so doing, it is revealed to Doug that both he and they are mutants, and superheroes. With Doug's predisposition for technology, and being more readily able to understand Warlock than most others, the two of them became fast friends. Whereas Warlock referred to his teammates with the prefix "selfriend", eventually, after Doug saves his life by offering to share some of his own life energy with Warlock, Warlock gives Doug the unique identifier of "Selfsoulfriend". Doug's mutant power is the ability to intuitively understand and translate any form of communication, be it written, spoken or non-verbal, and regardless of whether the origin of the language is human, computer or even completely alien. His power is not related to his intellect, but it often allows him to make leaps of comprehension that he cannot explain to anyone else, but which are invariably accurate. He was, for instance, able to translate the language of a long-dead species, without any common terms of reference, within a matter of hours.Claremont, Chris (w), McLeod, Bob (a), Palmer, Tom (i). "The Cosmic Cannonball Caper". ''The New Mutants'' Annual #1. Marvel Comics. An established hacker, he becomes the team's computer expert and researcher, writing programs for the X-Men's

Danger Room The Danger Room is a fictional training facility appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The facility is depicted as built for ...

. Doug is the only one of the original New Mutants who never tells his parents he is a mutant, as he fears rejection.Claremont, Chris (w), Davis, Alan (a), "Why Do We Do These Things We Do?" ''The New Mutants'' Annual #2. (Oct. 1986). Marvel Comics. Despite being instrumental in many of his team's successful missions, including those involving saving lives, Doug suffers from occasional feelings of inadequacy. These feelings are driven by his lack of offensive power capabilities and the way Warlock often encapsulates him to provide defence in times of danger. This is illustrated during a journey to

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...

, where he was defeated in combat by a serving maid. Later, Warlock explains to Doug that they can perform a "self-merge" in which they merge the substance of their bodies to create a being with Doug's form but Warlock's techno-organic surface texture. This allows them full access to both their powers, but runs a severe risk of irreversibly infecting Doug with the Transmode virus and turning him into a techno-organic being like Warlock. Cypher used his abilities to discover a means of saving Lila Cheney's

Dyson Sphere A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that completely encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its solar power output. The concept is a thought experiment that attempts to explain how a spacefaring civilization would meet ...

homebase from destruction.

Romances and death

When introduced, Doug was already close friends with Kitty Pryde. Kitty was having issues both with the divorce of her parents and with her uncertain relationship with Piotr Rasputin, and Doug was there for her. He was interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with her as evidenced by the illusion

created to distract him, but Kitty was uncertain and eventually they decided to remain friends. Cypher helped rescue

Betsy Braddock Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Captain Britain and the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe in 1976, she ...

from

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

. This involved venturing deep into Braddock's mind and rescuing her psyche from being torn apart by Mojo's servant,

Spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are: Later, Doug entered a relationship with teammate Rahne Sinclair, Wolfsbane, which was cut short by his death not long thereafter.Simonson, Louise (w), Blevins, Bret (p), Austin, Terry (i) "Suspended Animation!". ''The New Mutants'' #60. (Feb. 1988). Marvel Comics. Alongside the other New Mutants, Doug temporarily joined the Hellions. When the

Magus Magi (; singular magus ; from Latin ''magus'', cf. fa, مغ ) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the ...

attacked, Doug reprogrammed the Magus into an infant state. After the team rescues a humanoid bird creature named Bird-Brain, Doug is initially jealous of Rahne's affection for him, but after Doug manages to understand and translate the creature's language, he and Rahne bond with Bird-Brain. When Bird-Brain sets out to free the other mutants who are enslaved by the Ani-Mator, a geneticist working for

Cameron Hodge Cameron Hodge is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an opponent of the X-Men. Created by writer Bob Layton and artist Jackson Guice, he first appeared as a s ...

, the New Mutants follow him. Though the Ani-Mator is defeated, he fatally shoots Doug, who takes a bullet intended for Rahne. Magneto, leader of the New Mutants at the time, explains Doug's death to his parents as a 'hunting accident'. A grief-stricken Warlock tries to steal Doug's body in a confused attempt to reanimate it, but his teammates convince him to return the body. Doug's ghost later appears to Wolfsbane when she visits his grave in the cemetery.''The New Mutants'' Annual #6. Marvel Comics. He later appears in a fantasy staged by

Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...

's patron Merlyn to aid

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

in exposing and battling the vengeful spirit of the late X-Man

Changeling A changeling, also historically referred to as an auf or oaf, is a human-like creature found in folklore throughout Europe. A changeling was believed to be a fairy that had been left in place of a human (typically a child) stolen by other fairi ...

Douglock

Warlock is subsequently murdered by

during the "X-Tinction Agenda" storyline, and his ashes are scattered on Doug's grave at the request of Wolfsbane. Later the alien

Phalanx The phalanx ( grc, φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, , ) was a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar pole weapons. The term is particularly use ...

, a corrupt subset of the more powerful alien race known as the

Technarchy This is a list of alien races that appear in Marvel Comics. Overview There are countless different extraterrestrial races in Marvel Comics universe. The vast majority are humanoid in structure. Galactic Council The Galactic Council is the assem ...

(Warlock's native race), resurrects Warlock with Doug's memories and appearance, intending to use him as a "

Trojan horse The Trojan Horse was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in Homer's ''Iliad'', with the poem ending before the war is concluded, ...

" to infiltrate the X-Men. This gestalt entity, called Douglock, breaks free of the Phalanx's programming, and joins

for a time. Unaware of his real identity as Warlock, "Douglock" believes himself to be a new entity based on the "genetic and mental engrams" of Cypher and Warlock. This new entity had another relationship with Wolfsbane. He became a valued part of Excalibur, and a mentor to Meggan, who needed further basic schooling. After Excalibur disbanded, Warlock's personality resurfaces, but now exhibits more human speech patterns and appearance. Warlock manifests Doug's translation powers and maintains a copy of Doug's memory, but his personality is not active.

Necrosha and resurrection

Cypher is resurrected via the Transmode Virus by

Selene In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...

and

Eli Bard Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend of Kamala Khan. Nakia Bahadir in other media Nakia Bahadir appears in ''Ms. Marvel'', portrayed ...

.''X-Force'' vol. 3 #18. Marvel Comics. After Selene tasks him to kill

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

,''X-Necrosha'' #1. Marvel Comics. he clubs Magma. He is confronted by his teammates, during which he displays a greatly enhanced ability to read body language and anticipate actions, but is dispatched by his teammates. Warlock attempts to restore Cypher's true personality, but is infected by a

trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

programming code that incapacitates him, after which Cypher decapitates him.''New Mutants'' vol. 3 #6. Marvel Comics. Cypher is then kidnapped by the Hellions, who wish to reprogram him,''New Mutants'' #7. Marvel Comics. but is rescued by his teammates, who sever his connection to Selene, restoring his original personality and free will. The transmode virus which rebuilt his body is still present, but Cypher has reprogrammed it to be in permanent remission.''New Mutants'' #9

"Second Coming"

In the 2010 "

Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...

" storyline, Doug analyzes a fight between the New Mutants and Cameron Hodge and concludes the New Mutants would be killed. He therefore convinces Warlock to kill and absorb Hodge and several of his men. Later, Doug joins X-Force on a time-travelling mission to stop an invasion of advanced Sentinels from the future. Cable and Cypher infiltrate a Master Mold installation and attempt to hack into the grid, but the Master Mold discovers Cypher and tries to assimilate him in order to add his linguistic skills to its own. However, in doing so, it allows Cypher access to its programming. He subsequently overrides the Master Mold and deactivates all the Nimrods invading Utopia.

Regenesis and the True/Friend

Following the Schism of the X-Men, Cypher, with most of the New Mutants, decide to move to San Francisco. While maintaining a sense of independence from both Cyclops and Wolverine's sides of the X-Men, they still report to Cyclops cleaning up "unfinished business." While trying to track down Blink, the New Mutants uncover a rock band that has some connection to natural disasters occurring nearby. Cypher is able to track down the source, an alien device that has crashed to earth, brainwashing the band and giving them the power to cause the disasters to power itself up. The alien device manages to affects Cypher as well before the band is defeated and the device is hurled into space. The team is warned by Doctor Strange and the Silver Surfer that an event is occurring that has implications across time and space and seems to be focused on the New Mutants. This is seen when several temporal anomalies occur and Karma and Cannonball, both having left the team for Winchester, disappear. Following this, Karma and Cannonball, aged 10 years and outfitted in Warlock-like Technovirus suits, arrive from the future. Their mission was to stop the alien-empowered rock band, needing to change places with the present Karma and Cannonball to do it. Having been detained by the present-New Mutants, they explain they were trying to prevent Doug from being exposed to the alien device. In the future, having been corrupted by the device the "True/Friend" has spliced Warlock's tech into everyone in the guise of protecting them, but also becoming a dictator. Controlling Cannonball and Karma's suits from the future, the True/Friend is defeated when Cypher is able to merge with the True/Friend's Warlock tech and shut down his control. Afterwards Cannonball and Karma switch places with the present counterparts, preventing True/Friend from interfering with Cypher anymore. Both present-Cannonball and Dani agree that they need to watch Doug more carefully. The True/Friend soon attacks again, managing to over-write reality from the future, creating small changes that are soon noticed by the team. In attempt to prevent his future-self from harming his friends, Doug attempts suicide only to be prevented by the undead, still techo-organic Hellions. The True/Friend manages to override the present-Doug, transforming him into a creature resembling the alien-device that altered his brain. The rest of the team is soon taken over by True/Friend while Dani is immune thanks to her Valkyrie powers. Brought to the future, Dani is able to defeat True/Friend with the help of Cypher who had gained some influence over the True/Friend. This defeat in the future causes reality to be corrected, with everyone back to normal in the present. Doctor Strange then excises the alien-devices influence on Cypher preventing the seen future from coming to pass.

All-New X-Factor

Cypher appeared as a regular member of All-New X-Factor, along with Gambit, Polaris, Danger, Quicksilver, and Warlock. He nearly died after having contact with a girl whose power is to drain life from living organisms. He also had sex with Danger, supposedly in an attempt to help the sentient female robot understand human behavior.

Hunt for Wolverine

During the "

Hunt for Wolverine "Hunt for Wolverine" is a 2018 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, starring the character Wolverine. The storyline is the follow-up to the ''Death of Wolverine'', and is continued with '' Return of Wolverine.'' Premise The plot will ...

" storyline, Cypher has become an information broker living in a warped house and has been busy translating the Internet. He was approached by Daredevil,

Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...

, and Nur for help in finding

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...

after his body went missing from his unmarked grave. At a diner after getting nourished, Cypher agrees to help them find Wolverine. Upon being handed a smartphone by Nur, Cypher finds that Wolverine has been sighted in a lot of places in the past sixty days. Cypher found on the Internet is that some people are being saved by Wolverine and some are even making out with Wolverine. Cypher starts using the smartphone to pull up every news related to Wolverine in the past 90 days. When their investigation takes them to Saskatchewan, Cypher remains on the Attilan Security Force Skycharger while the others investigate Ranger Outpost Nine in Meadowlake Provincial Park. Cypher steps out of the Skycharger to translate the smartphone of a dead man as he is slashed in the throat by a man with claws who is familiar with Cypher's abilities. Cypher is then on the ground holding his hands against his throat wound. Daredevil, Misty Knight, and Nur find him on the ground. Nur pulls out a Medical Suite, an Inhuman tech that work miracles as he plans to use it on Cypher while Daredevil and Misty keep an eye out in case Cypher's attacker returns. As Nur operates the Medical Suite, Daredevil and Misty Knight discover that the attacker is

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

. When Albert grabs Daredevil and demands to know what he did to

Elsie-Dee Elsie-Dee is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an ally of Wolverine. The character first appeared in ''Wolverine'' vol. 2 #37 in an inanimate state suspended ...

, Cypher recovers just in time to use a laser to help Misty Knight and Nur to deactivate Albert. After the group leaves a tip for the Canadian authorities to come pick up Albert, Cypher uses the smartphone that he took off the body of one of the dead forest rangers. He finds something on it which leads Daredevil, Misty Knight, and Nur back to Chicago. When the group traces the dead security guard to a company called Soteira, Cypher works to recover the data that wasn't deleted from the computers as Misty Knight protects him from Soteira's Level Four Killteam. After the four of them escape, Cypher deciphers the remaining information that Soteira didn't delete which involve Wolverine being interviewed by Soteira. Before Daredevil can start calling Kitty Pryde with his findings, Cypher briefly held his phone stating that he needs his help. Cypher stays near Daredevil as he informs Kitty about Soteira and their involvement with Wolverine.

Working with Daredevil

Having worked together in the 'Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost' storyline, Daredevil works alongside Cypher to bring down his longtime enemy, Kingpin, who has taken over from Murdock as Mayor of New York.

Dawn of X

Cypher is the only mutant who can communicate with the island Krakoa and interpret the island's sentiments to the leaders of mutantdom. Cypher now sits on the Quiet Council and acts as the voice of Krakoa. In addition to his Quiet Council duties, Cypher has participated in the New Mutants' space mission to visit Cannonball, missions to help Nightcrawler, and Storm, and was one of Krakoa's representatives in the X of Swords conflict. He is forced by Saturnyne into an arranged marriage with Bei the Bloodmoon of Arakko, a being far larger and more physically powerful than him, but who fascinates him due to his inability to understand her. Despite the communication barrier, Cypher appears to be enjoying the marriage.

Powers and abilities

Cypher is a

who possesses a superhuman intuitive facility for translating languages, spoken or written, human or alien in origin. His superhuman skill is extended to his great facility in deciphering codes and

computer languages A computer language is a formal language used to communicate with a computer. Types of computer languages include: * Construction language – all forms of communication by which a human can specify an executable problem solution to a comput ...

, and he is also able to read inflection and body language which allows him to understand the vast subtext of a conversation. Rather than working the problem out step by step in his conscious mind, he instead subconsciously solves the problem. Hence, he can reach the correct solution by means that appear to be leaps of logic, and he himself may not be consciously aware of the entire process by which he reaches the right answer. Since his resurrection by Selene's use of a modified techno-organic virus, Cypher's powers have evolved to the point where he can read all aspects of "language." He is able to read his opponents' body language and the patterns of their combat moves in order to counter the attacks of several opponents attacking him at once. By considering the exercise of combat skills to be a form of language, he proved a match for the entire New Mutant team. He is able to "read" architectural structure and integrity in order to ascertain a building's weaknesses. He also appears capable of "speaking" binary; giving verbal commands in machine code that can reprogram the machine. Cypher is an expert in translating and designing

computer software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...

. He took university level courses in languages and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

. He can hack some of the most protected computers. Cypher has been infected by techno-organic viruses on multiple occasions. The presence of the virus has allowed him at times to cheat death and to demonstrate techno-organic shapeshifting, transmode infection, and life-absorption abilities. Cypher was taught by an imprisoned Magik how to cast a mystical teleportation spell which allows him to transport himself and others to either Hell.

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the alternate world of the

Age of Apocalypse "Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The ''Age of Apocalypse'' briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comic ...

crossover, Doug Ramsey is the adopted son of

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

and lives in Avalon. His "translation field" allows everyone in

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

to understand each other, no matter what language they speak (This is a much broader power than he had ever displayed in the main timeline at this time). He is killed when he jumps in front of Destiny to protect her from the

Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is particularly associated with the X-Men family of comics. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also ...

's last desperate attack, a course of action that convinces his adoptive mother to become involved in defeating Apocalypse.

Age of X

In the "

Age of X "Age of X" is a comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics as part of its ''X-Men'' series. The storyline is set in an alternate reality known as Earth-11326. Running from January to April 2011, it is similar in name and tone to the 1995 " A ...

" reality, Douglas Ramsey was captured fairly easily and kept in a limited security prison on the

Pacific Coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...

. Around this same time, Doug's father agreed to undergo voluntary sterilization as an X-Gene carrier, but his mother committed suicide a year later. Despite being pegged as a low risk, Doug was able to escape by subverting one of the guards, Eileen Haloke. She was part-Navajo, and Ramsey forged some sort of emotional bond with her by speaking to her in the Navajo tongue. She freed him from his cell and then accompanied him when he escaped from the compound. She was sighted with him on numerous occasions thereafter. Haloke was not with Ramsey in the Finger Lakes area of New York State a year later when he was at ground zero for a meteor strike. First forces arriving on the scene found Ramsey apparently infected by some sort of carbon/silicon alien matter. This alien matter was able to replicate in a quasi-viral manner, and it spread through Ramsey's whole system in the space of minutes. The units on site were waiting for the arrival of Hazmat teams so that they could apprehend Ramsey without risk of infection, but they suffered simultaneous failure of all electronic systems. Survivors of the incident reported seeing Ramsey "speaking in tongues". Moments after Ramsey began speaking in an indecipherable, the Exonim units turned on each other, discharging all their weapons in a three-second exchange of fire which caused a forty-meter wide crater. Ramsey survived the ordeal seemingly unharmed. He later joined

's forces in Fortress X.

Days of Future Present

In the " Days of Future Present" annual crossover, which showed aspects of the

alternate future Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized ...

known as "

Days of Future Past "Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...

", a new incarnation of the New Mutants was seen, whose membership included Doug Ramsey. This revived version of Doug was human looking on his right side, but his left side was techno-organic and constantly shifted into battle configurations with weapons bristling all over. Aggressive and violent, he was described as being nigh insane when angered. He also only responded to the name "Magus", seemingly confirming Warlock's fears that if infected by the transmode virus after merging into Douglock one time too many, Doug might take on the warlike aspects of the Technarch species.

Exiles

The reality-hopping Exiles once visited a world where Doug Ramsey was infected by the

Legacy Virus The Legacy Virus is a fictional plague (disease), plague appearing in American comic books featuring the X-Men published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline running through Marvel Comics titles from 1993 to 2001, during w ...

. Trying to save Ramsey's life, Warlock bonded with him, combining their life forces into one. Once the virus was introduced to Warlock's unique physiology, it mutated and became even more contagious. With over half the world infected by this new technological virus (called Vi-Locks), Doug Ramsey was kept in stasis. He was killed by one of the infected, once it found out the Exiles were trying to create a cure based on Ramsey's original strain of the virus.

Geshem

Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...

's one-shot graphic novel '' Rahne of Terra'' there exists a sword and sorcery version of the New Mutants and X-Men, with the likes of Sam "Cannonball" Guthrie being a knight who uses seven league boots to fly (and a rifle called "Cannonball" as a weapon). Here, Rain (an alt-version of Rahne " Wolfsbane" Sinclair) is the Princess of the realm of Geshem, and Doug is a commoner, a nobody whose mother is a washerwoman. However, he loves Rahne from afar, and it is partly through his unexpected courage and a magic spell that the mainstream Rahne Sinclair, who has replaced Rain, survives. The thought of Doug being killed again is enough to trigger her use of the magic of Geshem and her mutant powers to protect him. The story ends with Rain now restored to her own world, and noticing Doug for the first time, clearly being attracted to him. In the sequel one-shot graphic novel, "Knight of Terra", Rahne pays a return visit to Geshem, and discovers that in that world, Doug and Rain are now married and expecting their first child. However, after an attack by a sorcerer who used animated suits of armor, Doug was injured and had been healed by replacing at least one of his arms with some of the magically animated armor, a reference to Douglock, the part-

being who was a member of Excalibur.

House of M

Ramsey appears alive and well and older in the

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

's reality warp known as the ''

House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its fir ...

''. He was a staff member alongside

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

and

Sean Garrison Sean Garrison (October 19, 1937 – March 2, 2018) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He played Mark Dominic in the 1966 film '' Moment to Moment''. Garrison also played The Culhane in the American western television series ''Du ...

at the New Mutant Leadership Institute who were training young mutants. Both he and Karma discover Garrison and his daughter

Wallflower ''Erysimum'', or wallflower, is a genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. It includes more than 150 species, both popular garden plants and many wild forms. The genus ''Cheiranthus'' is sometimes included here in whole o ...

's secret affiliations with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Emperor Sunfire. Garrison corners them and subdues Doug and Karma with fear pheromones and plans to kill them until Tag stops him with his powers and unintentionally causes him to commit suicide.

Marvel Zombies

Cypher appears as a non-combatant zombie in '' Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth'' issue #9. He is lured by zombie

Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...

into a lab to be tested on for a cure of the Zombie virus.

Shattershot

During the Shattershot Annual crossover, an alternate future is shown, where Warlock renamed himself Cyberlock. He retained all his memories but had a very serious, emotionless personality. He was part of an X-Force team that helped

Shatterstar Shatterstar (Gaveedra-Seven) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' The New Mutants'' #99 (March 19 ...

back to his home dimension and then helped him become a sort of benevolent dictator, replacing

V as

Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

wished. To this end, a new X-Force team, consisting of

Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

Siryn Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Debuting under the codename Siryn, she later retired the name and went by Banshee, in h ...

, Warlock,

Darkchild Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

(Illyana Rasputin),

Sunspot Sunspots are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic flux that inhibit convection. Sun ...

, and Powerpax (Francine Power) returned to Shatterstar's dimension. Assisted by the spineless ones and the geneticist, Arize, they overthrow Shatterstar, who had begun doing what Mojos I through V had done, creating a world based on the entertainment of killing the opposite race. Shatterstar, who had been having doubts concerning his leadership, joined in the overthrowing of his own dimension, and, apparently, joined the bipeds and spineless ones in peace. X-Force apparently returned to Earth.

Ultimate Marvel

In the

Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...

imprint, Doug Ramsey is a super-intelligent, slightly

geek The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In th ...

y but amicable computer programmer who gains national prominence by winning 74 consecutive games on the TV game show ''

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...

'' He is not a mutant, but is a student at

's Academy of Tomorrow, which does not distinguish between different varieties of "gifted". Douglas is instrumental in helping free Lorna Dane from prison. Traffic camera footage of Dane's apparent magnetically induced murder of several people had been reviewed time and again to no avail. Doug decides to review the tapes from three days ago and gains the information to clear Lorna's name. He also appears in a short story in the back of ''Ultimate X-Men'' #75. He, along with the rest of the Academy of Tomorrow, is killed by Madrox during the "

Ultimatum An ultimatum (; ) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series o ...

" storyline.

What If?

In an issue that asks "What If the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard," Cypher devoted himself to studying long-forgotten texts and lore, written in languages forgotten to the Asgardians, gaining respect as a scholar amongst the population for doing so. He later became Storm's vizier after she is crowned Queen of Asgard, helping bring a new renaissance to Asgard by using the forgotten wisdom of Asgard's past that he had translated to shape its future.''What If?'' vol. 2 #12 April 1990. Marvel Comics.

References

External links

Cypher
at Marvel.com *
UncannyXmen.net Spotlight On Cypher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cypher (Comics) Characters created by Chris Claremont Characters created by Sal Buscema Comics characters introduced in 1984 Fictional linguists Fictional polyglots Marvel Comics characters who have mental powers Marvel Comics male superheroes Marvel Comics mutants Marvel Comics telepaths New Mutants X-Factor (comics)