Strobe is a fictional

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 ...

character 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 ...

. She was created for the villainous team the

Mutant Liberation Front This is a list of some of the major foes of the Marvel Comics superhero team, the X-Men. Central rogues' gallery Other recurring antagonists Teams See also * List of X-Men members References {{DEFAULTSORT:X-Men Enemies, List Of Enemies ...

(MLF).

Publication history

Strobe made her first appearance in '' New Mutants'' #86. However, in this issue she appears in only one panel, with her face obscured, and is not identified, though one of her teammates,

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

, is incorrectly addressed as "Strobe". Her first full appearance is in ''New Mutants'' #87.

Fictional character biography

The

(MLF), including Strobe, first came on the scene to demand the liberation of two incarcerated mutants,

Skids __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid, ...

and Rusty Collins. They destroy an energy plant as proof of their convictions. The group tries to free them by force, but this only ends in confusion. During the break-in, Cable tries to intervene and a prison guard accidentally shoots Rusty. Skids believes that it was Cable who shot her friend, so she decides to side with the MLF. The New Mutants track the team down to Madripoor and get in a few conflicts with them. Even with the help of

Sunfire Fire is a series of server computers introduced in 2001 by Sun Microsystems (since 2010, part of Oracle Corporation). The Sun Fire branding coincided with the introduction of the UltraSPARC III processor, superseding the UltraSPARC II-ba ...

, the MLF manages to capture several of the New Mutants. However, their victory is short-lived with the arrival of

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 ...

who helps the teens liberate their kidnapped friends. But before the MLF can be caught, they teleport to safety. Strobe next appears with an MLF strike force who attempt to break

Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a group of supervillain Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. These characters are the pers ...

members Slab and Hairbag out of prison. They succeed and then set their eyes on destroying the Tucker clinic, however they are thwarted by

X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

who had been tipped off by MLF member

. With their leader almost being captured, the MLF once more escapes to freedom.''X-Factor'' #77-78 (1992) As the events of the '' X-Cutioner's Song'' begin to unfold, the MLF finds itself collecting an array of ancient

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s. The team, including Strobe, split into strike forces to steal the various artifacts that will help

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

from his slumber. Later on, in ''X-Factor #85'', the New Mutants,

and 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 ...

discover the latest MLF base in Dust Bowl,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. After an intense battle, all member of the MLF are captured and taken into custody, though Strobe severely damages Rogue's eyesight, resulting in a long recovery. In the wake of M-Day—an event in which a mentally ill

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) ...

depowered over 90% of the mutant population—Strobe was shown to be one of the many who lost her powers (revealed in '' New Avengers'' #18).

Powers and abilities

Strobe formerly had the ability to project heat and light blasts capable of blinding, scorching, or melting opponents and objects, and create energy shields.

In other media

Television

* Strobe appears in the ''

'' episode "Secrets Not Long Buried". She is one of the many residents of the mutant-dominated community of Skull Mesa.

References

External links

Uncannyxmen.net character bio on Strobe

Uncannyxmen.net feature on the MLF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strobe (Comics) Comics characters introduced in 1990 Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities Marvel Comics female supervillains Marvel Comics mutants