Bedlam (Jesse Aaronson) is a mutantsuperhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He originally possessed the mutant ability to create and project a bio-EM field. This has the effect of temporarily disabling any similarly powered technology in the vicinity. He can also utilize his power to scan the environment for other pre-existing energy fields. After the High Evolutionary reset the mutant genome in every mutant on the planet, Jesse's abilities expanded to be able to affect the human brain's neural chemistry, thus allowing him to project the illusion of pain and confusion into other people.
The character made his live-action cinematic debut in the film Deadpool 2, portrayed by Terry Crews.
Fictional character biography
Jesse Aaronson is orphaned at the age of five after his brother Christopher uses his mutant powers to make their parents' car crash. The two are put into separate foster care systems; Jesse goes through multiple foster homes due to his emotional instability before being placed in a psychiatric hospital at age 13. He is exploited by one of the doctors, who wanted to use Jesse's burgeoning powers for his benefit. The doctor experiments on Jesse and attempts to convince him that his brother is simply a figment of his imagination. Jesse is eventually rescued by Lucas Whyndam and ends up in the hands of Charles Xavier's Mutant Underground Support Engine (M.U.S.E.), a group based out of Montana with the goal of rescuing mutants and training them as field agents.
After turning 19, Jesse leaves M.U.S.E. to find his brother and enlists the help of Domino. He offers her information regarding the whereabouts of the Prime Sentinel unit Ekaterina Gryaznova in exchange for Domino's help. Gryaznova, now calling herself Gryphon, had implanted a device in Domino's body several months ago, which diminished her mutant powers. Upon entering the base, Domino is captured but Bedlam manages to escape. Using his resources from M.U.S.E., Jesse tracks down X-Force in San Francisco and breaks into their headquarters to ask them for help. The team manages to free Domino and apparently kill Gryphon. In the process, Bedlam uses his power to short circuit Domino's implant.
Keeping up her end of the bargain, Domino tells Bedlam that his parents are information analysts at the National Security Department. The two visit his parents' former supervisor, Dabney Saunders, who is senile and residing in a retirement home. They are subdued by Christopher, who has since founded a new incarnation of the Hellions and become known as King Bedlam. Christopher offers membership to Jesse, who gladly accepts. The group's true intentions, however, are to reanimate the Armageddon Man in order to blackmail the U.S. government into paying one billion dollars. X-Force subdues the Armageddon Man, but the New Hellions escape. In the aftermath, Bedlam joins X-Force.[1]
After several missions with the team, Bedlam learns martial arts through a "Delphi box" given to him by Pete Wisdom. It is also revealed that he must take medication to keep his own power from scrambling his brain. Bedlam later learns to generate an electromagnetic pulse, disrupt machinery within a certain distance without having to be in physical contact with the target, and disrupt neural responses from a distance.[2]
Months later, Bedlam is among the mutants who are captured by the Church of Humanity and crucified on the grounds of the Xavier Institute. Bedlam among them. Archangel uses his healing blood to revive Magma and Jubilee, but Bedlam does not survive.[3] During the Krakoan Age, Bedlam is resurrected following the establishment of Krakoa as a mutant nation.[4]
Powers and abilities
Bedlam possesses the mutant ability to sense energy signatures and generate a bio-electromagnetic field that disrupts machines and the minds of others. Both abilities are initially touch-based, but he later gains the ability to use them remotely.[5]
As part of his training with the Mutant Underground, Jesse is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and adept in covert ops and intelligence gathering such as computer hacking.
Reception
In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Bedlam 45th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[6]
In 2018, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked Bedlam 20th in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members" list.[7]
Other characters named Bedlam
Several unrelated characters have also used the name Bedlam:
Bedlam is a future version of Eddie Brock's codex who was given life and became a symbiote.[9] During the "Dark Web" storyline, the present-day Brock is confronted by Goblin Queen and Chasm after he lands in Limbo. He asks for their help in reuniting with his son Dylan Brock, but Chasm alters Brock's mind, causing him to transform into Bedlam.[10] Bedlam later confronts Dylan, who has become Venom. Using All-Black the Necrosword, Dylan cuts off Bedlam's right hand and eye and severs him from the symbiote hive.[11] After escaping, Bedlam experiences a vision of Meridius, who regenerates his hand.[12]
Bedlam later appears in the Venom War storyline, where Eddie Brock allies with him while battling Dylan Brock for possession of Venom.[13]
Other versions
An alternate universe variant of Bedlam from Earth-295 appears in Age of Apocalypse. This version is a former member of Mister Sinister's Elite Mutant Force.[14]
↑ Ewing, Al(w),Coello, Iban(p),Coello, Iban(i),D'Armata, Frank(col),Maher, Ariana(let),White, Jordan D.; Daniel, M.R.; Groneman, Tom(ed)."Part 1: Are You Ready?"Venom War,vol.1,no.1(October 2024).Marvel Comics.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
