Surge (Noriko Ashida) is a
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 is depicted as 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 ...
, a member of the student body in 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 Estate (land), private estate of Professor X, Charles Francis ...
, and a member of the former
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 ...
squad therein. She maintained her powers post
M-Day and was the leader of the
New X-Men.
Publication history
Surge was created by
Nunzio DeFilippis
Nunzio DeFilippis is an American writer of comic books and television. He writes with his wife, Christina Weir, whom he met while they were both students at Vassar College. The two have written for two seasons on HBO's '' Arli$$'', and have sold ...
,
Christina Weir
Christina Weir is a writer of comic books and television. She writes with her husband, Nunzio DeFilippis, whom she met while they were both students at Vassar College.
The two have written for two seasons on HBO's '' Arli$$'', and have sold story ...
,
Keron Grant
Keron Grant (born August 23, 1976, in Montego Bay) is a Jamaican-American comic book artist, who has worked mostly for Marvel Comics.
His first published work was a pinup in the back of one of the final issues of Dale Keown's '' Pitt''. His fir ...
and 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 ...
'', vol. 2 #8 (January 2004).
Fictional character biography
Noriko Ashida was born in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. She was close to her brother, Keitaro, but she ran away from home after her powers manifested when she was thirteen years old; she claimed that her father "doesn't believe in mutants." How she came to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
is unknown, but she ended up
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
on the streets of
Salem Center, reduced to buying
illegal drugs
The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.
While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate the ...
using stolen money.
With no training or practice in the use of her powers, Noriko's body automatically absorbs all nearby electricity and, once fully charged, releases it in a storm of electrical bolts. In addition, her acceleration ability forces her to speak so quickly that no one can understand her. Though she finds no treatment for most of these problems, the drugs sedate her body enough that she can control her outbursts of electrical power. Keeping herself regularly supplied proves impossible, however, and during a robbery Noriko accidentally hits the young owner of a coffee shop with an electric bolt. A group of young mutants finds her and brings her back to the X-Mansion. There,
Beast designs gauntlets that regulate her absorption of ambient electricity and discharge as required to prevent further mental overloads.
Nori becomes a student of the Xavier Institute and, when the school adopts a squad system, is assigned to the
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 ...
squad led by
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Northern Cheyenne superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. ...
. She is forced to share a room with
Dust
Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in homes ...
; the two young women disagree upon the role of women and the
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
traditions that Dust follows. Though initially hostile to the mutants who took her off the street -
David Alleyne David Alleyne may refer to:
* David Alleyne (cricketer) (born 1976), English cricketer
* David Alleyne (footballer) (born 1972), Barbadian footballer
* Prodigy (David Alleyne), a Marvel Comics superhero
{{hndis, Alleyne, David ...
,
Josh Foley,
Sofia Mantega
Sofia Elizabeth Mantega, also known as Wind Dancer and formerly known as Renascence, is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. One of the student body in the Xavier Institute, she is a member of the N ...
, and
Laurie Collins - she soon comes to accept them as her friends.
David asks
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional 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 created by writer ...
to remove a mental block in his mind inhibiting him from recalling all the information and skills he has acquired. David sees a possible future in which he becomes the world's foremost genius, marries Noriko, and leads to her death. Disturbed, David begins to avoid her. Annoyed at such treatment, Nori ultimately confronts David, which leads to the two becoming an active couple.
Noriko retains her powers after the events of
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 ...
. With
only 27 students retaining their powers, Emma Frost orders the depowered students and staff, including Nori's advisor
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Northern Cheyenne superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. ...
, to leave the institute. As it departs, one bus of depowered students is bombed by anti-mutant zealot Reverend
William Stryker
The Reverend William Stryker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A minister and former sergeant with a strong hatred for mutants, he is usually depicted as an enemy of the X-Men. He is also the f ...
, killing all on board. Though depowered, David is not killed, and he and Nori further their romantic relationship. Most of the remaining students are organized into a melee fight to determine who would become a member of Emma Frost's
X-Men-in-training. Nori is chosen by Frost to be the team's leader. Soon afterwards, Nori receives new, lighter, and more effective gauntlets from
Forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
.
Caught in an argument over the rescue of
Cessily, Surge and
Hellion are the only students that are not teleported to
Limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
.
Trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
uses her powers to get a message to the two, informing them that the Institute students had been taken into Limbo by
Belasco, and that Belasco killed David. Coordinating with O*N*E*, Surge and Hellion discover that
Amanda Sefton
Amanda Sefton (real name Jimaine Szardos) (also known as Daytripper and the second Magik) is a fictional character and a witch appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Her lover is Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler of the X-Men.
...
has been expelled from Limbo and is in a coma in Germany. Surge becomes impulsive and angry at David's death, threatening the O*N*E* troopers when they attempt to block her from seeing Sefton, using her electrical powers to revive the sorceress despite the risks. At the behest of Lexington, Megaton's pilot, Surge and Hellion stop fighting demons and head for the castle. Surge leads the united Xavier Institute students against the demonic hordes, engaging the twisted sorcerer in single combat before Belasco is killed by
Pixie
A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...
and Darkchild. The institute is returned to Earth, at Santo's insistence.
After their return from Limbo, Surge finds out from
X-23
Laura Kinney (born X-23; codename Wolverine) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by Marvel Entertainment, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character was created by writer Craig Kyle for the '' X-Men: Evolution' ...
the torture David went through in Limbo. In hopes of driving him away from the school and out of harm's way, Surge kisses Hellion in front of David and the other students. After confronting her of the incident, she insists that she doesn't love him anymore and pleads that he should leave the institute. This backfires, as David regains his memories of the knowledge he once had and copied up until he lost his power with the help 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 ...
. David decides to both stay at the Institute and end their relationship.
Following the dissolution of the X-Men, Surge runs to Colorado, seeking help from Dani Moonstar. Nori is overwhelmed by the pain she has endured as a New X-Man and doesn't know how to cope. Nori realizes that her fear of being hurt has affected her judgment and driven her actions over the past months. She later officially joins the X-Men based out of San Francisco: she is seen working on one of the street crime patrols.
Surge is later kidnapped along with
Boom Boom and Hellion by the
Leper Queen
The Leper Queen is a fictional villain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the masked leader of the Sapien League, an extremist anti-mutant organization that is similar to Friends of Humanity.
Biography The Muta ...
and her Sapien League. The Leper Queen injects her with a modified version of 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 ...
.
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants#New Muta ...
rescues their friends after completing their mission. Elixir is able to cure Surge before she could destroy the UN.
We next see Surge defending the Golden Gate bridge during the 'Second Coming' event in which
Bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
assaults the X-Men, who is in search of the 'Mutant Messiah'
Hope Summers
Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1979) was an American character actress known for her work on CBS's ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and ''Mayberry RFD'', portraying Clara Edwards.
Early life
Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois ...
. Once again Nori is devastated when yet another teammate is injured during the initial Nimrod attack, destroying the hands of
Hellion. Plunged into the waters of San Francisco Bay by Bastions last ditch attack, Nori witnesses Hope Summers emerge as the Mutant Messiah.
Powers and abilities
Surge absorbs electricity at all times: from static in the air, electrical appliances, outlets, etc. (often causing lights to flicker, etc.). She can't control the absorption, and thus must wear specially designed gauntlets at all times to regulate it. She can discharge the energy through powerful lightning-like blasts or channel it into bursts of superhuman speed. If she takes in too much energy, it causes mental overloads which cause her to speak too fast, scatters her thinking, and worsens her control over the blasts.
Her blue hair is not related to her mutation. According to Nori, it came in a bottle labeled "electric blue" (and, indeed, she debuted with black hair).
Personality
Very forthright and strong-minded, Nori has often clashed with her peers and superiors, from nearly getting into a brawl with Hellion after he insulted Prodigy's baseline status post-M-Day, and challenging Cyclops' assertion that the students are safe at the institute (this taking place immediately after a series of devastating attacks by the
Purifiers). Nori also considers herself a feminist, attacking Dust's choice of garb as a betrayal of women's rights when the two are roomed together.
Regardless, Nori is a loyal figure, dedicated to her friends, and increasingly feeling the responsibilities placed upon her as leader of the New X-Men. Surge was particularly incensed with Hellion's decision to rescue Mercury from the Faculty without backup, and has taken it upon herself to mold the team into an effective unit capable of defending the rest of the students. She's seen as having trouble welcoming X-23 back to the team after the latter's involvement in X-Force, possibly due to how the latter seemingly doesn't have to take responsibility for what she did as part of that team, in comparison to her own mounting responsibilities. Chris Yost has stated that, "Surge is the right candidate, because she wants it the least. And you'll see, it's taking a big toll on her. Being a leader when you're doing team sports and field day exercises is one thing, but leading when the stakes are life and death is another thing."
Other versions
House of M
Nori is a member of Hellions in the House of M reality which is a group of junior agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her father is a human terrorist whom she was taken away from at a young age. She was taken off the squad and replaced with Magik due to her father's involvement in their latest mission. She then recruits help from some of the students from the New Mutant Leadership Institute and they travel to Japan where they come across Project Genesis.
In other media
* Surge appears in ''
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers'', voiced by
Kokoro Kikuchi
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Kenyuu Office. She currently plays Sarada Uchiha in '' Boruto: Naruto Next Generations''.
Filmography
Anime
*''Konjiki no Gash Bell!!'' (2003)
*'' Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters'' (2016) (Gatchmon ...
in the Japanese version and
Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Sheh is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer and producer who has worked for several major companies, including Cartoon Network and Sony. She is often involved with work in English dubs of anime, cartoons, video games and fi ...
in the English version. This version's hair is naturally blue. After briefly becoming romantically attracted to Hikaru Akatsuki, she leaves for the Xavier Institute with Wolverine to receive protection from
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, ...
.
* Surge appears in ''
X-Men: Destiny'',
voiced by Aileen Ong Casas.
References
External links
Surgeat Marvel.com
Surgeat Marvel Wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Surge (Comics)
Comics characters introduced in 2004
Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities
Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Marvel Comics female superheroes
Marvel Comics mutants
New Mutants
Japanese-American superheroes
Characters created by Nunzio DeFilippis
Characters created by Christina Weir