Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a tradi ...
al
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
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 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 Comics'' in ...
, usually in those featuring 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 ...
. Quire first appeared in ''New X-Men'' #134 (January, 2003). He was created by writer
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
and artist
Frank Quitely
Vincent Patrick Deighan (born 1968), better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as '' New X-Men'', ''We3'', ''All-Star Superma ...
.
Publication history
Quire made his first appearance in ''New X-Men'' #134 (Jan. 2003). His first appearance as Kid Omega and the first appearance of the Omega Gang were in ''New X-Men'' #135 (Feb. 2003). Grant Morrison has cited ''
The Sekhmet Hypothesis
''The Sekhmet Hypothesis'' was first published in book form in 1995 by Iain Spence. It suggested that pop trends of an atavistic nature could be analysed in relation to Dr. Timothy Leary's interpersonal circumplex model. It also suggested that m ...
'' as an influence on the story as well as Quire's angry
punk rock aesthetic, referring to it in their book, ''Supergods''.
Fictional character biography
Xavier Institute
Quentin Quire joins the student body of the
Xavier Institute
The X-Mansion or Xavier Institute is the common name for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier, a character in X-M ...
after
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 ...
's return from averting a war with
Genosha
Genosha ( or ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe and a prominent place in the X-M ...
and the rebuilding of the X-Mansion. He immediately stands out as a brilliant intellect and quickly becomes Xavier's prize pupil. Xavier teaches Quire to control his powers when they first appear. The extent and type of his mutant abilities are never clearly defined. Quire appears to be a very powerful telepath, and the
Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutants, psychically linked quintuplets (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The alphabeti ...
describe him as having a 'see-through mind', but he is not necessarily limited to that.
[''New X-Men'' #134 (Jan. 2003)]
Quentin often associates with
Glob Herman and has a crush on Sophie, one of the Stepford Cuckoos. However, something about Quire disturbs the Cuckoos, though
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 ...
dismisses it as academic rivalry.
[
]
Omega Gang: New X-Men
While a student at Xavier's, Quire invents the anti-gravity floats for Martha Johansson
N'astirh
N'Garai
N'Kantu, the Living Mummy
Naga
Nahrees
Namor the Sub-Mariner
Namora
Namorita
Native
Nebula
Network Sarah Vale
Sarah Vale''New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook Special'' #1 (June 2005) is a fictional character, a tech ...
's brain canister, and exposes the charisma-powered Slick's true, ugly body to the other students. On his birthday, Quentin receives a call from his parents, who tell him he was adopted. This seems to destabilize him. He goes to town, getting a haircut reminiscent of Bolivar Trask's depiction of a mutant overlord from The Daily Bugle
The ''Daily Bugle'' (at one time ''The DB'') is a fictional New York City Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper appearing as a plot element in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The ''Daily Bugle'' is a regular fixture i ...
that was published the day Quire was born. Quire becomes strongly opposed to a policy of tolerance with humans, calling for vengeance for the recently murdered mutant designer Jumbo Carnation. He takes to wearing clothing based on the Trask mutant overlord illustration, which happens to be one of Jumbo's creations. He also debates with 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 ...
the merits of his dream of humans and mutants living in peace, and the school policies based on this idea. He questions whether Xavier would allow any dream other than his own to exist.[''New X-Men'' #135 (February 2003)]
Shortly afterward, Quire and a group of like-minded students visit town wearing the Trask-overlord clothes, and Quire convinces them to take the mutant drug Kick. They accost a gang of humans in an alley and kill or maim them all. When Herman asks what had happened to a human Quentin himself had murdered, Quire replies he had carved his name across the man's mind. Back at school, Xavier confronts the students, but Quire is not implicated. Quire and his gang later go to a mutant tattooist and have their arms marked with an Omega symbol over an X, then attack U-Men Central. Returning to school, the "Omega Gang" ambushes Professor X with a baseball bat and clamps his head in a thought-proof helmet. The next day, at the school's "Open Day" to parents and the media, Quire publicly proclaims it is "open season on humans" and starts a riot.
"Riot at Xavier's"
Some of the students join Quire in protesting Xaviers' policies, but most of the damage is done by the Omegas themselves. They are finally subdued by Beast, Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
, 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 ...
and Xorn
Xorn is the alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in '' New X-Men Annual 2001'', he was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. He is a mutant who has a miniature ...
. However, with Quire still guarding Professor X, the situation threatens to continue. Quire even mentally subdues 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 ...
with a memory of his past life. Xavier eventually frees himself of the helmet and confronts Quentin, calling his thought-proof helmet and his plans of revolution "flimsy". However, the altercation is not officially ended until the Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutants, psychically linked quintuplets (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The alphabeti ...
, led by Sophie, use Cerebra
''X-Men 2099'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1993 to 1996 that chronicled the adventures of an X-Men team in the year 2099. It extends the Marvel 2099 imprint, which features other future versions of popular Marvel char ...
and a dose of mutant drug Kick to boost their shared powers. They blast through to the grounds and confront Quire, who confesses that his motivation for the ordeal was to impress Sophie, to whom he is attracted. This uniformly disgusts the Cuckoos, who mock his motivations and defeat him with a massive telepathic shockwave. Disoriented, Quentin apologizes. He confesses that he started everything not only because of his desire to impress Sophie, but also because of his own disrupted sense of identity upon discovering he was adopted. Emma Frost chastises him for his recklessness, as she reveals the now deceased Sophie in her arms. After discovering this revelation and overloading on his own abilities, Quire immediately enters a catatonic state
Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
.[''New X-Men'' #137 (April 2003)]
Quire is taken to the Infirmary, where Henry McCoy tries to stabilize him, but his body is being burnt out by his own psionic energy. This is apparently the result of his overdoses of Kick, which cause a secondary mutation
In American comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene. It causes the mutant to develop superhuman powers that manifest at puberty. Human mutants are sometimes referred ...
that changes his brain into faster-than-light energy. Apparently this simultaneously puts him in telepathic contact with everyone on the planet across time. Seeing that Quire is terminal, Professor X calls for Xorn. He opens his helmet to expose Quire to the mini star in his head, and Quire " left the mortal plane". Quire's final words when Xorn "heals" him are vaguely prophetic of many of the coming events in Morrison's final run of New X-Men. This includes the foreshadowing of events such as Xorn later being revealed to be 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, ...
, Xorn's eventual destruction of Manhattan, and the actions of Sublime, a bacterial entity that claims to be the cause of some of the human/mutant hatred and aggression occurring. The incident forces the Professor to resign as headmaster, leaving 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 ...
to lead the school and X-Men.
"A Higher Plane of Existence"
However, Quire is not truly dead and Professor Xavier announces to the student body that he believes Quire has ascended to a higher plane of existence. Quentin remains in a dormant, semi-alive, energy form in a containment unit on Beast's lab table. The potential future shown in the '' New X-Men'' story "Here Comes Tomorrow
"Here Comes Tomorrow" is the eighth and final story arc in Grant Morrison's run on the Marvel Comics series '' New X-Men'', which ran from issues #151-154 (2004). The storyline featured many controversial elements, such as Cyclops moving forwar ...
" indicated that Quentin is destined to become an avatar for the Phoenix Force. A young boy, wearing a Phoenix costume and Quentin's distinct pink haircut, is seen telling 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 ...
, who vaguely recognizes him, that she doesn't have long to set the events in the timeline right.[''New X-Men'' #154 (May 2004)]
A few months later in '' X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong'', when a fragment of the shattered Phoenix Force returns to Earth, it senses Quire and investigates him, thinking he might be Jean Grey. Though the Phoenix passes up Quire, it shocks him back to consciousness and he reconstitutes his body. Furthermore, he seeks out and reanimates Sophie's corpse, but is unable to complete the process, so he sets off to find the Phoenix Force so he can be with his love. Quire finds the Phoenix, which has resurrected Jean Grey to attract Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
' attention, engaged in battle with 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 ...
. Just prior to his arrival on the scene, the X-Men get the Phoenix to inhabit Emma Frost, Cyclops's current lover, and imprisons both her and Scott inside a containment vessel. Quire arrives and breaks the containment chamber open, releasing the Phoenix fragment. Quentin then asks the Phoenix to resurrect Sophie, which it does. Sophie is still disgusted by him (and/or his actions) and chooses to return to death. Quire breaks down in anguish, and the Phoenix leaves him to his "sickness". Having spent too much of his energy, Quire apologizes to the X-Men for his rash behavior and returns to his non-corporeal state in the container in Beast's lab.
''Nation X''
Beast brings Quentin's container to his lab on Utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...
after the X-Mansion
The X-Mansion or Xavier Institute is the common name for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier, a character in X-Me ...
is abandoned. Finding life on a higher plane to be "boring," Quentin revives himself and decides to become a villain and secretly destroy Utopia, claiming that the X-Men stole his idea to create a mutant nation. He elects to make his endeavor a game and selects Martha
Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to ...
(a disembodied mutant brain with telepathic abilities living in a life support container) to be his nemesis, giving her seven and a half minutes to stop him. Martha attempts to alert the X-Men and locate Quentin, but he intercepts and taunts her at each attempt, ultimately smashing her container and leaving her to die. Martha realizes that Quentin has infiltrated Cerebra in order to destroy the island and take revenge on the Stepford Cuckoos by putting them in a mental loop. Martha breaks the Cuckoos free, and they quickly defeat Quire.
"Schism"
Quire returns 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 ...
arc "Schism
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
", after being secretly broken out of the X-Men's prison by Kade Kilgore, the new Black King of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, ...
. Thinking his containment unit just malfunctioned, Quire decides to celebrate his new freedom by infiltrating an international arms conference in Switzerland (where Scott Summers
Cyclops (Scott Summers) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book ...
was to be giving a talk) and forcing the top leaders of the world to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets on camera. After this stunt, he becomes the most hunted mutant on Earth and seeks refuge on Utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...
. Instead of handing him over to Captain Steve Rogers like 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 ...
suggests, Cyclops orders that Quire be put back into containment so he can be tried by a jury of his peers after the trouble that Quire caused is resolved.
After the events of "Schism", Quire is considered one of the world's worst terrorists. Feeling that jail would only make Quentin's sociopathic tendencies worse, Wolverine strikes a deal with Captain America. He is released into Wolverine's custody and Quire is to attend the newly reformed Jean Grey Institute for Higher Learning in an effort to rehabilitate him. Nobody consulted Cyclops on this.
''Wolverine and the X-Men''
Quentin Quire is shown in promotional art for '' Wolverine and the X-Men'' #1 as a member of Wolverine's post-Schism team. In issue #3 of that series, Quire helps Wolverine's team by successfully reasoning with an offshoot of Krakoa
Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. Initially depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa has since gro ...
. Later, while helping Wolverine con a "space casino" out of money needed for the school, Quire is able to manifest and use what he calls a "psychic shotgun," which is very similar to the psychic swords used by characters like Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men.
The first character to use the Psylocke moniker, Betsy Braddoc ...
.[''Wolverine and the X-Men'' #7 (May 2012)]
Quire faces off against Wolverine in a mental construct of his own devising in an attempt both to show Wolverine who is tougher and to punish him. This incident draws in Armor, a fellow student. Quire finds the effort extremely taxing to the point where he loses control of his own creation, leaving Wolverine's body a beastly, raging nightmare hellbent on killing Quentin. The limited series is titled ''Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega'', which is written by Brian Wood.
Over time, Quire begins to accept his fellow students by first helping them save the faculty after Frankenstein's Circus hypnotizes them against the student body, working as a team during a field trip to the Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books.
Pu ...
in which Wolverine's half-brother Dog Logan
''Origin'' (alternatively known as ''Wolverine: Origin'' or ''Origin: The True Story of Wolverine'') is a six-issue comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by Marvel Comics from November 2001 to July 2002, written by Bill Jema ...
makes an unexpected appearance, and in ''A+X
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for Millennium, millennia to Wood carving, shape, W ...
'', he assists Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
in a mission against an army of MODOK
MODOK (also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former e ...
clones as part of his punishment for what he did at the UN conference in Switzerland.
During ''Infinity
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol .
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions amo ...
'', Quire is chosen as one of the few students to represent Wolverine's school in a friendly competition among similar schools for super-youngsters. This 'Contest of Champions' is attacked by an alien armada. Quire witnesses fellow student Crimson being flattened right next to him. Ultimately, Quire's telepathy is essential in the other students joining to defeat an alien giant.
After several members of the Jean Grey School defected to join the new Hellfire Academy, Quentin followed them, hoping to discover why Idie Okonkwo switched sides. After gaining entrance to the Hellfire Academy, it was discovered that Quentin did not change allegiances but was looking for Idie. This led to Quentin getting "detention", in which he was beaten, until Toad
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...
helped him escape his tormentors. While trying to escape, Quentin and Toad were confronted by the other students of the academy. Together with Idie and Wolverine's X-Men, they defeat the Hellfire Academy and he returns to the school. Quentin later graduates and becomes a graduate student/assistant at the school. In '' Battle of the Atom'', he comes face to face with his future Phoenix self and begins to question his stay at the school.
Due to his anger towards Logan and others, Quire later breaks off association with the facility when he becomes independently wealthy and leaves the school to join the Phoenix Corporation, later becoming the new White King of the Hellfire Club. However, he finds himself not quite able to enjoy the riches and fame because he saw his own death on a time travel adventure. Wolverine and Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
try to bring Quire out of his self-imposed isolation but fail. The events of ''AXIS
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
*Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...
'' and Wolverine's death cause him to finally return to the Jean Grey School and help both the Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
and X-Men battle Red Onslaught.
''Generation X''
When 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 ...
relocated the X-Men in New York and the school was renamed to Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, Quentin was forced to join in. He became part of Jubilee's team, which consisted of Nathaniel Carver, Benjamin Deeds, Lin Li, Bling!
The Xavier Institute is a fictional school in the X-Men universe. This list documents the fictional staff, students and alumni of the institute.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
* Later renamed as Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.
For ...
and Eye-Boy. When a mysterious shadow in Central Park started stealing mutants during the night, Quentin convinced his classmates to investigate. They found themselves face-to-face with Emplate
Earth Lord
Earth Sentry
Earth Sentry (John Foster) was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, and first appeared in ''A-Next'' #2 (1999) in the MC2 universe.
When John and his father Bill were investigating a UFO crash site, they discovered ...
, who was possessing his sister Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
's body at the time. After defeating the Rat King, Quentin convinced Benjamin and Nathaniel to join him for a night out. They were stuck in a villain-infested auction, where they had to destroy a priceless weapon, all without getting caught by the auctioneer, Kade Kilgore.
"The Phoenix"
Having become fed up with people, Quentin decided to exile himself from society and live in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with Krakoa taking the shape of a small desert island. Quentin's little vacation was interrupted by Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
, who had been directed by Kid Gladiator and Warbird for help after a conflict with the Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium), is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empi ...
escalated to a cosmic scale. Thor had been forced to compete against the Shi'ar gods K'ythri
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and firs ...
and Sharra
Kaecilius
Elloe Kaifi
Kala
Jennifer Kale
Noble Kale
Kaluu
Kamikaze
Kamran
Kamran is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by G. Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa and fir ...
in a contest to prove her godhood, and since they lost, the Shi'ar gods had conjured the Phoenix Force to have it lay waste to all of reality. Quentin psychically attacked the Phoenix, allowing Thor to access the White Hot Room and fight it. Quentin then used Thor's attacks as an opening to enter the White Hot Room himself and negotiate with the Phoenix. As a result of Quentin's proposition, the Phoenix allowed him to absorb a small portion of itself. In the end, K'ythri and Sharra were arrested and taken to Omnipotence City for their actions. As the Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium), is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empi ...
were left without their gods, the newly Phoenix-empowered Quentin was proposed by Shadrak as a substitute to fill their role, and so became the New God of the Shi'ar as the Phoenix. This arrangement apparently didn't last, though, as Quentin appeared back on Earth and resumed his self-imposed exile on Krakoa. He ultimately sacrifice the Phoenix power to cure Jubilee back into a mutant.
Marvel Legacy
Kid Omega joined West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
, under leaderships of both Hawkeyes, Clint Barton
Hawkeye (Clinton Francis "Clint" Barton) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck, the character first appeared as a supervillain in ''Tales of Suspense ...
and Kate Bishop, to get financiers by starring in a reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
following their exploits. He also begin to have an awkward romance with Gwenpool
Gwenpool (Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole; colloquial: "GwenPool" or "Pink Slayer") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A girl from the Reality, real world transported to the Marvel Univ ...
.
During the "Empyre
"Empyre" is a 2020 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of ''Incoming!''. It was published in July of 2020.
Premise
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marvel univers ...
" storyline, Quentin Quire is among the psychic mutants that are summoned to Genosha. He is among those who witness Magik's fight with the Cotatinaught.
Powers and abilities
In '' New X-Men'', Quire is depicted as an Omega level mutant possessing advanced cognitive and telepathic abilities that enable him to organize and construct his thoughts at accelerated rates, overtly or covertly manipulate the minds of others, resist mind probes, and disable other forms of psychic manipulation. His level of psychic influence on others depends on the number of individuals he wishes to affect — his influence is strongest among fewer individuals and subtler in large numbers of people. Xavier explains that Quentin's psychic powers are "deep, subtle, and he's able to influence minds around him". 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 ...
also states that his mind processes several thousand "brilliant" thoughts a second. Given that Quire is under the influence of the drug Kick for much of his time at the academy, it is unknown how much his power was being boosted by its effects. However, after the events of "Schism
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
", Quire is shown to have most of his telepathic and telekinetic powers still intact, even without Kick. His powers also seem to continue to develop, as Quire is able to manifest and use a "psychic shotgun", as well as other firearms and explosives, much in the same way other mutants (such as Psylocke
Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men.
The first character to use the Psylocke moniker, Betsy Braddoc ...
) can manifest swords with their minds. He has also been shown to create an entire universe, which he calls "The Construct", within his mind, allowing him to imprison others within this world.
In the miniseries '' X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong'', Quire generates massive amounts of telekinetic energy which manifest in the form of tentacles, allowing him to break free of his containment chamber, blast through the Xavier School's foundation, pull Sophie's body out of the ground, restructure it a bit, instantly heal wounds on his body inflicted through 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 ...
's claws, and fly at supersonic speed.
Quentin Quire has existed without a body as a form of energy inside a jar. He is also depicted as being an alternate reality host of the Phoenix Force in the White Hot Room, suggesting that he can potentially be a host to the Phoenix. Quentin is apparently destined to become a Phoenix Avatar in more than one reality as further revealed by the ''Battle of the Atom'' storyline, where an alternate future version of Quire is a member of the future X-Men as well as a Phoenix avatar, having taken the codename "Phoenix".
Omega Gang
The Omega Gang is a group of teenage mutants
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 ...
and enemies of 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 ...
. Created by comics writer Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
, the gang first appears in '' New X-Men'' #135 but is not named until ''New X-Men'' #140, when Lucas Bishop asks to interview them.
The Omega Gang is formed by Quentin Quire, a young telepath and one of the top students of the Xavier Institute
The X-Mansion or Xavier Institute is the common name for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier, a character in X-M ...
. Quire has become depressed because of an unrequited crush on Sophie of the Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutants, psychically linked quintuplets (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The alphabeti ...
; his unpopular status among the Institute students; and especially the revelation that he was an adopted child, which shatters his already fragile self-esteem. The death of mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in ''New X-Men'' #134 (January, 200 ...
prompts Quire to gather a small group of students to exact revenge on Carnation's murderers.
At Quire's request, all members tattoo themselves with a symbol formed by an Omega
Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value of 800. The wo ...
with an X below it and dress up with red-and-black striped shirts, jeans and whips. This is an outfit designed by Carnation himself and based on an illustration from an anti-mutant article written by Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a military scientist whose company Trask Industries is well known as the creator of the Sentinels. He is also the father of Larry Trask ...
many years ago, which portrayed mutants enslaving the human race. The Omega Gang members also consume the drug Kick in order to boost their powers. Unbeknownst to them, the drug is actually the aerosol form of the sentient bacteria Sublime, which seeks to increase the violence between mutants and baseline humans.
The gang is responsible for the attack on a teenage anti-mutant gang and later for the Open Day Riots. During the riots, 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 ...
is injured and Dummy of the Special Class, a gas-composed mutant, is seemingly destroyed when his containment suit is pierced. The most notable victim is Sophie of the Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional mutants, psychically linked quintuplets (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The alphabeti ...
, who dies in her heroic attempt to stop Quentin. The rest of the Gang is stopped by the efforts of the other X-Men.
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In this harsh reality, it is revealed that Quentin was examined by 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 ...
and found to be an unstable, mildly talented telepath with apparently no usefulness to Weapon Omega. Quentin finds a way to create a kind of "psychic pyramid scheme" known as the Overmind by using minor "dreg" telepaths, the Mind Dolls, and uses this to increase his own limited skills, something the Shadow King didn't expected or even dreamed off. Sensing the boy's growing mental abilities, the Shadow King puts a bounty on him.[''Age of Apocalypse'' #5 (September 2012)]
Prophet, leader of a group of human freedom fighters, 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 ...
tries to recruit him as an ally, however he takes instead Jean Grey into the mindscape and tries to force her into unleashing the Phoenix Force so he could increase more his own mental abilities, unaware that Jean had become powerless and the Phoenix Force has left her. Jean quickly understands that Quentin is losing control over his powers and is falling into madness. She tries to help him but at the end, he dies by turning a gun on himself to bring peace to his fractured mind.
His suicide appeared to be a ruse as he was later seen alive and well with the Overmind. He confronts the Shadow King in his penthouse apartment, where the Shadow King managed to easily kill the Mind Dolls, yet he finds himself unable to defeat Quentin who reveals himself to be actually Goodnight in disguise. As it turns out, Prophet had secretly cloned Quentin's powerful mutant brain in order to be used to trap the Shadow King. Unable to navigate Quentin's labyrinth of a mind, the Shadow King was successfully taken off the board before the final battle against Weapon Omega.
Exiles
In ''Exiles: Days of Then and Now'', Quentin Quire is one of the surviving heroes during the Annihilation Wave
"Annihilation" is a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.
Publication histo ...
. It is led to Earth by a banished Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
, who has killed Annihilus
Annihilus () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an adversary to the Fantastic Four. The character debuted in '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #6, which was published in November 1968. Annihilus w ...
. Quentin leads a group that includes Lightspeed, Patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution
* Patriot m ...
, Speedball, Wiccan
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
, and three of the Stepford Cuckoos: Sophie, Esme, and Mindee. Quentin has begun a relationship with Sophie, whose powers have changed to include limited precognition. After listening to Sophie's dream about a group of heroes that help restore order within damaged realities called the Exiles, Quentin goes on an interdimensional mission to find the original Exiles. Instead, he eventually recruits a group of heroes from the worlds he visits into a new group of Exiles. In the reality where he meets and recruits Nighthawk
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name i ...
, he comes up against an alternate version of himself.
House of M
In 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 ...
" storyline, Quentin, along with most of the '' New X-Men'' characters, appears as a student of the New Mutant Leadership Institute. Upon confronting the spying 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 ...
and boasting that no one could stop his mind, Wallflower uses her pheromones to fill him with self-loathing, forcing him to commit mental suicide. In this version, Quentin retains his more clean-cut appearance.
Post-Graduation
An adult Quire is now host to the Phoenix Force. He returns to the now defunct Jean Grey School for Higher Learning to confront his nemesis, Wolverine. Backed up only by bamfs, Wolverine is confronted with Quire's newest surprise: two million Negative Zone mutants in need of schooling. However, Logan relishes his new-found role as teacher and welcomes them in.
Ultimate Marvel
Quentin Quire has recently appeared in the Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint (trade name), imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Univers ...
, offering comfort and mind therapy to Rogue, who has been traumatised over all she has seen and done. He is also featured as a mutant under the care of Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
.
What If
An alternate version of Quentin briefly appears in the '' What If: Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire'' one-shot. After Vulcan
Vulcan may refer to:
Mythology
* Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
is transported into the White Hot Room, he tells Vulcan that he is not meant to be there. He is ultimately killed by Vulcan.
In other media
Film
A character called "Kid Omega" appears in the movie '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', but is modeled after the character Quill
A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, the metal- nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, eventually ...
rather than Quentin Quire. This was admitted as a typo in the commentary for the movie, where the character is instead referred to as "Quill". A character modeled after the character would later cameo in '' X-Men: Dark Phoenix''.
Video games
* Kid Omega appears as playable character in ''Marvel Future Fight
''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 superhero-themed mobile video game developed by Netmarble Games.
Gameplay
Plot
The collapse of several dimensions prompts investigations from Thor, Black Bolt, and Black Panther. After battling alternat ...
''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quire, Quentin
Avengers (comics) characters
Comics characters introduced in 2002
Characters created by Frank Quitely
Characters created by Grant Morrison
Fictional avatars
Male characters in comics
Marvel Comics characters who have mental powers
Marvel Comics mutants
Marvel Comics superheroes
Marvel Comics supervillains
Marvel Comics telekinetics
Marvel Comics telepaths