An Irishmutant, Banshee possesses a "sonic scream", capable of harming enemies’ auditory systems and causing physical vibrations. He is named after the banshee, a legendary female spirit from Irish mythology, said to possess a haunting cry.
A former Interpol agent and NYPDpolice officer, Banshee was always a decade older than most of the X-Men and had only a relatively short tenure as a full-time X-Man. He was a mentor of the 1990s-era junior team Generation X.
Banshee was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, and first appeared in X-Men #28 (Jan. 1967).[1] Thomas originally conceived of the character as a woman, but editor Stan Lee thought that it would not look good for an entire team to gang up on a female villain.[2]
When the character first appeared, he acted as an adversary to the X-Men under coercion, but soon befriended the team and eventually appeared as a member of the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). The character was forced to leave the team when his superpowers were damaged in battle in The Uncanny X-Men #119 (March 1979), and remained an occasional supporting character for the team for several years. Banshee eventually healed fully, and rejoined the team in Uncanny X-Men #254 (December 1989) for a short stint, later becoming a central figure in the title Generation X, which lasted from 1994 to 2001. Banshee was killed in issue #2 of the 2006 X-Men: Deadly Genesis limited series.
Banshee was one of the feature characters in the 2011 two-issue limited series Chaos War: X-Men. He has since returned to life during the Krakoan Age.
Fictional character biography
Sean Cassidy is discovered by the villainous Changeling, who invites him to join Factor Three. Cassidy declines upon learning Factor Three's goals. Factor Three, along with the Ogre, captures him and places a headband containing explosives around his head to force him to obey their commands. Codenamed after the banshee, a spirit from Irish mythology, Cassidy is forced to perform various criminal missions for Factor Three. On a mission in New York City, Banshee encounters the X-Men. Professor X uses his telepathy to disarm the headband and remove it, allowing Banshee to help the X-Men defeat Factor Three.[3][4]
Later, Factor Three captures him again[5] but he helps the X-Men defeat Factor Three's ally, the Mutant Master.[6] The Sentinels capture him, but he is released from their captivity.[7] While on the run from the Secret Empire, he fights Captain America and the Falcon, mistaking their then-fugitive status for a link to his pursuers.[8]
Banshee joins the second group of X-Men.[9] After a mission at Krakoa, Banshee remains with the "New X-Men". Banshee accompanies the team on many different missions and is present for several key moments in the X-Men's history, including the first death of an X-Man, Thunderbird.[10] He is also a key player during the first appearance of the Phoenix and the team's first encounter with the Shi'ar. While with the X-Men, he falls in love with Xavier's ex-girlfriend, Dr. Moira MacTaggert.[11] Alongside the X-Men, he fights his cousin Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut.[12] Given his age, he frequently acts as a confidant for both Xavier and Cyclops, eventually convincing Cyclops to change his leadership style to better suit the older, more experienced second team of X-Men.[13]
When Banshee loses the use of his powers due to damaged vocal cords,[14] he leaves the X-Men to stay with MacTaggert.[15]
Meanwhile, Black Tom was secretly raising Banshee's daughter, Theresa. She develops sonic powers of her own and adopts the name Siryn. Siryn assists Black Tom with his crimes until the pair is defeated by Spider-Woman and the X-Men.[16] While in custody, Tom makes arrangements for Siryn to be reunited with her father.[17]
Banshee's powers gradually return as he heals and he remains an ally of the X-Men. He reveals an encounter with Wolverine that occurred before either of them joined the X-Men.[18] Eventually, Sean regains full use of his sonic powers.[19] After the dissolution of the team following a botched mission, Banshee is instrumental in piecing the X-Men back together.[20] When his jaw is broken, he leaves the X-Men again and returns to MacTaggert.[21]
He reappears again as the leader of X-Corps, the new team of apparently reformed mutants criminals.[24]
He dies trying to prevent a plane crash caused by Vulcan.[25]
In his will, Cassidy gives his daughter the family castle—Cassidy Keep—as well as his pipe.[26] When Siryn and Jamie Madrox have a child, they name him Sean in honor of her late father.[27]
Cassidy has been resurrected under the control of villains twice,[28][29] before being restored to life by a Celestial Death Seed. He is recruited by the Apocalypse Twins as part of their new Horsemen of Death.[30] Following the Apocalypse Twins' defeat, Banshee is in the X-Men's custody and placed in the medical bay of Avengers Mansion. Beast concludes that healing Banshee of the Death Seed energy that made him a Horseman of Death will take years and highly advanced technology.[31]
Sean later resurfaced as part of the Mutant Liberation Front along with Hope Summers.[32] After a confrontation with the X-Men and newest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, Sean rejoined the X-Men.[33] When attacking the O*N*E headquarters, he was caught with a huge, big weapon like a hulk killer. The machine eventually exploded as X-Men screamed out in sadness as they knew the explosion caused his death.[34]
House of X
Sean later appeared alive and completely cured of the Death Seed energy during House of X. He later becomes a citizen of Krakoa and is considered to join its group of X-Men, but loses to Polaris.[35][36][37][38]
Some time later, Moira finally revealed herself to Sean in an Irish Pub. She wanted him to help her sneak into Krakoa, but Sean, who still couldn't believe she was alive, wanted to take things slow and get her to a hospital first. Losing her patience, Moira decided to cut their reunion short and kill him, ripping his face off to enter the island undercover.[39] Sean was revived by the Five but was deeply troubled by his misfortunes and this was made worse when he was temporarily possessed by "The Skinjacker", struggling to overcome the treachery of his loved one, he was coerced into making a deal with the mysterious "Mother Righteous" who gave him powers similar to Ghost Rider.[40] After using these new powers to save Nightcrawler, Blindfold and Weaponless Zsen from the astral plane, he was reported by Professor X to have been appearing in the dreams of his closest circle calling himself Vox Ignis, Herald of the Spark.[41] He was later seen observing things with Mother Righteous in the Astral Plane, it was revealed that she had bonded him to the Spirit of Variance a rejected Spirit of Vengeance. After getting them both to thank her for her service, they discussed future plans and she told him to keep an eye on Legion because a new threat was coming.[42]
Powers and abilities
Banshee is a mutant whose superhumanly powerful lungs, throat, and vocal cords can produce a sonic scream for various effects, in concert with limited, reflexive psionic powers which directed his sonic vibrations. He can hover or fly at the speed of sound, and can carry at least one passenger. He could overwhelm listeners with deafening noise, stun them with tight-focus low-frequency sonic blasts (effective even against shielded ears by penetrating the skull via bone conduction), plunge them into a hypnotic trance, disorient them, nauseate them, or simply render them unconscious. Using sonic waves, he can rapidly vibrate himself or other masses at will. He could generate sonic blasts which struck with tremendous concussive force, liquefying or outright disintegrating targets at his highest levels of power. By radiating sound waves outward and reading the feedback, he can locate and analyze unseen objects in a sonar-like fashion. By modulating his scream's harmonics, he can confuse most scanning equipment. He can instinctively analyze, replicate, and block sonic waves or vibrations from other sources.
Banshee generates a psionic field which protects him from the detrimental effects of his sonic vibrations, though his sonic powers can still injure him when pushed beyond safe limits. For a while, his sonic powers were gone after having to use them up and down the harmonic scale to stop a weapon of Moses Magnum's. His physiology seems fully vulnerable to conventional injury when his sonic powers are not engaged. Banshee has selective hearing, enabling him to focus upon, enhance, or totally block out any given sound in his environment; this shields him from the deafening sound of his own screams, and make him a superhumanly acute eavesdropper in surveillance situations. Sean and his cousin Black Tom are immune to each other's natural mutant energy powers, though Sean's immunity does not extend to the new powers Tom later developed via artificial mutations.
A gifted detective, veteran undercover operative, and formidable unarmed combatant, Cassidy is an excellent marksman and a competent amateur machine-smith, well-versed in combat strategy & tactics, and teamwork drills, from his training at Interpol. An effective educator, organizer, and lobbyist, he is also an avid American country music aficionado and skillful amateur piano player. As Cassidy, he wields conventional firearms, sometimes loaded with explosive "micro-bombs." As Banshee, he wears synthetic costuming designed to resist air friction, usually including underarm wings that helped him glide on air currents and his own sonic waves. The "ribbons" on Banshee's costume (a visual trademark of the character) aid him in his flight.
Reception
In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Banshee 49th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[43]
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
An alternate universe variant of Banshee from Earth-295 appears in Age of Apocalypse.[44]
Marvel Noir
An alternate universe variant of Banshee from Earth-90214 appears in X-Men Noir. This version is a drug dealer, inmate of Welfare Pen, and friend of Angel.[45]
Banshee appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by Phillip Williams. This version is the older brother of Black Tom Cassidy and an associate of the X-Men who is in a relationship with Moira MacTaggert.
Banshee appears in the X-Men '97 episode "Remember It", voiced by David Errigo Jr.[47] As of this time, he has become a member of Genosha's ruling council, but is later killed by Sentinels.[48]
Professor X is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. The character is depicted as the founder and occasional leader of the X-Men.
James Arthur Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Len Wein, he first appeared in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4.
Strong Guy is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz and first appeared in The New Mutants #29.
Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #96 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. She is most commonly in association with the X-Men and has been a member of the Muir Island X-Men team and Excalibur.
Polaris is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Jim Steranko, the character first appeared in The X-Men #49. Lorna Dane belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She can control magnetism in a manner similar to her father Magneto. The character has been known as Polaris, Malice, and Pestilence at various points in her history. Dane has also been a member of the X-Men and the X-Factor.
The Blob is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an adversary of the X-Men. A mutant originally depicted as a morbidly obese circus freak, the Blob claims to be immovable when he so desires. He possesses an extreme amount of pliable body mass, which grants him superhuman strength. Possessing the demeanor of a bully, he mostly uses his powers for petty crime on his own, and as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants and Freedom Force.
Morlocks are a group of mutant characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters are usually depicted as being associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine, but unlike in the Wells book, they are not a faceless, threatening mass of villains. They first appeared as a group in The Uncanny X-Men #169. Caliban appeared prior to that, but he was not yet a member of the Morlocks.
Wolfsbane is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly associated with the X-Men. A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane can transform into a wolf or a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf, similar to a werewolf. She honed her powers to shift between human and wolf characteristics but must keep her feral instincts at bay when she does.
Generation X is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A spin-off of the X-Men, the team was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo. Generation X debuted during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994 with Generation X #1.
James Proudstar, known first as Thunderbird and then as Warpath, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Proudstar first appears as the second Thunderbird in New Mutants #16.
Forge is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, he has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., Forge first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #184.
Siryn is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Steve Leialoha, the character first appeared in Spider-Woman #37. Theresa Cassidy belongs to a subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. She possesses a sonic voice providing various effects while her name refers to the Sirens of Greek mythology and their hypnotic voices. She is depicted most commonly in association with the X-Men. Theresa Cassidy is the daughter of the superhero Sean Cassidy. The character has also been known as Siryn and Banshee at various points in her history.
Black Tom Cassidy is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of the X-Men, and of his cousin, Banshee. In addition to fighting the X-Men, he has clashed with Deadpool a number of times.
Penance is a mutant superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is primarily depicted in association with the X-Men. She was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo and first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #316. She was a member of the teenage mutant group Generation X (1994), and later X-Factor and the X-Men. Monet is a Muslim superhero and has illustrated the struggle of accepting "different" people central to X-Men stories.
Kevin MacTaggert, best known as Proteus and also called Mutant X, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is commonly associated with the X-Men as an antagonist.
The X-Corps is a fictional team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Whether they were good or bad was left up to debate, even within the X-Men, but the team acted as a mutant police force created by former X-Man Banshee, in The Uncanny X-Men #401. The team concept was created by Joe Casey and Ron Garney.
X-Men: Deadly Genesis is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from 2006. The series was written by Ed Brubaker with interior art done by Trevor Hairsine and covers by Marc Silvestri. Starring the X-Men, this series celebrates the 30th anniversary of Giant-Size X-Men #1. The plot deals with the X-Men looking for Professor Charles Xavier, who went missing after House of M, as well as their conflict with a new and incredibly powerful mutant.
The Horsemen of Apocalypse are a team of supervillain characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Led by Apocalypse, they are loosely based on the Biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, though its members vary throughout the canon.
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza. Gideon was a member of the Externals, a unique type of immortal mutant, and an adversary of the X-Men spin-off group X-Force. He first appeared in The New Mutants #98.
Amelia C. Voght is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most commonly associated with the X-Men franchise.
↑ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p.120. ISBN978-1465455505.
1 2 3 "Banshee Voices (X-Men)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 15, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
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