A Britishmutant, Jono possesses the ability to cast energy blasts from his chest. He had limited control of his power and destroyed much of his chest and lower face when his powers emerged. He lost his powers on M-Day, but replaced them with technology that gave him sonic-based abilities. He regained his powers after the events of Age of X.
Jonothon was a member of the X-Men junior team Generation X. He was sullen and moody and had difficulty bonding with teammates. He has since been offered a permanent position in the X-Men's teaching staff.
Jonothon Evan Starsmore ("Jono" to his friends) is a native of London and a mutant who possesses a furnace of psionic energy in his chest. This power first manifested in an explosion during a party he was attending with his then-girlfriend Gayle Edgerton, crippling Gayle and destroying Jonothon's chest and lower face.[2][3] As a result, he is unable to speak normally and can only do so via telepathy. He does not eat, drink, or breathe; it is believed that he is sustained by or made entirely of psionic energy.[citation needed] This is further supported by the fact that Jono is immune to Omega Red's life-draining abilities, meaning that he is not sustained by "life force".
The primary manifestation of his abilities is his ability to fire powerful blasts of psionic force. It has been implied at numerous times that he has the potential to become one of the most powerful mutants on Earth, but his emotional issues have apparently prevented him from significantly exploring this potential. His disfigurement also left Jono sullen and angry and his teammates have often found him difficult to get along with.[volume&issueneeded]
Generation X
Shortly after his mutant powers manifest, Jonothon accepts an invitation to join Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. He meets the future members of Generation X - M, Husk, Synch, Skin, and Jubilee - after they arrive to save him from Emplate, a mutant who feeds on mutant genetic material to survive and attacks him at the airport.[4]
While living at the Xavier Institute, Chamber reconciles with Gayle Edgerton and enters a relationship with Husk.[5] Their relationship is strained as Jono believes that he cannot offer the normalcy he assumes she wants.[volume&issueneeded] The members of Generation X disband after Synch is killed while protecting the other students from a bomb.[6] Chamber is offered to join the X-Men, but declines.[7]
X-Man and Weapon X
Decimation almost destroys Chamber. Art by Scott Kolins.
After failing to join the X-Men, Chamber returns to London, where he hooks up with pop star Sugar Kane. Kane and Chamber part ways after her manager stages her abduction by anti-mutant forces. The X-Men meet with Chamber in London and persuade him to join the team. He remains on the X-Men for some time, but often shows frustration with being treated as a junior member by his teammates and eventually asks to be relieved from active duty.[volume&issueneeded]
After returning to the X-Men, Chamber learns that Husk is in a relationship with Archangel.[8] He also witnesses the death of his friend Skin, who is crucified by the Church of Humanity.[9] These events drive Chamber over the edge; he attacks Archangel and is arrested. While Chamber is in prison, Brent Jackson recruits him into the Weapon X program.[10]
Decimation
Chamber is reborn as the pride of Clan Akkaba, art by Scott Kolins
Chamber is one of many mutants who lose their powers to Scarlet Witch following M-Day. This leaves him unable to survive normally and forces him to be put on life support.[11] Chamber is abducted by Frederick Slade, a member of Clan Akkaba, who are descendants of Apocalypse and distant relatives of Chamber. Chamber is given a blood transfusion using Apocalypse's blood, which heals his body and transforms him into a form resembling Apocalypse. As a descendant of Apocalypse, Jono is considered a member of the Clan, but refuses to officially join them.[12]
New Warriors
Decibel, art by Paco Medina
Jono resurfaces as Decibel, a member of Night Thrasher's incarnation of the New Warriors.[13] As Decibel, Jono utilizes a high-tech suit that gives him the ability to create solidified sound constructs. He reveals that he chose those powers because he does not want to be a weapon of destruction anymore and can now create.[14] He serves with the group for the duration, until it was decided that they should disband.[15]
Age of X
Jono eventually makes his way to the X-Men's new Island nation of Utopia. Shortly after his arrival, Legion rewrites history, making himself a hero. In this re-written world, Jono regains his powers, but loses the body restorations given to him by Clan Akkaba. When reality is restored, Jono retains the changes Legion made to him.[16] After the conflict of leadership between Wolverine and Cyclops, Chamber joins Wolverine at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, where he teaches a course on "Coping With Physical Changes".[17][18][19][20]
Wolverine and the X-Men
Chamber is entrusted with the safety and security of the Jean Grey School's students when a violent threat is roaming the halls.[21] He is shown defending his students from an attack by Weapon Omega while giving a lecture in class.[22] Chamber is killed while battling one of Legion's multiple personalities,[23] but is later resurrected by Legion.[24] When the school moves to Central Park, Chamber becomes a teacher there before being killed by Harpoon of the Marauders.[25][26][27]
Krakoa
Following the establishment of Krakoa as a mutant nation, Chamber is resurrected and joins the New Mutants along with Mondo.[28][2] They go on a mission to the Shi'ar empire with the intent of bringing Cannonball to Krakoa. The New Mutants are assigned to transport Deathbird to Chandilar to be Xandra Neramani's teacher, avoiding an assassination attempt by Oracle. Chamber is later seen working with Nightcrawler's Legionaries.[29]
Powers and abilities
Jono's thoracic and abdominal cavities are a chamber for a furnace of psionic energy capable of nuclear fission whose output can be projected as wide blasts of concussive force or laser-like focused beams that disrupt atomic bonds.[20] The initial manifestation of said powers destroyed most of his internal organs along with his mouth and chest.[30][31][32] Chamber requires no food or oxygen and is seemingly indestructible, as he has disintegrated his own body along with D'Spayre's down to their sub-atomic components in a kamikaze attack and later reconstituted himself.[33][34]
Jono's appearance is so unusual that even other mutants are startled and repulsed. He has been implied to be a being of pure psionic energy inhabiting a dead organic shell that he can disintegrate and reassemble from memory.[35][36][37] Furthermore, Chamber possesses psychic abilities that enable him to communicate without a mouth.[38]
After being depowered by the events of House of M, Jono's body was rebuilt by Clan Akkaba in the image of Apocalypse and he later employed technology to mimic sonic powers as Decibel. These powers included flight, sonic blasts and the creation of solid energy constructs. He has since been restored to his original form and powers by the events of Age of X.
Reception
In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Chamber 35th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[39]
Other versions
The Age of Apocalypse incarnation of Chamber as depicted in Generation Next #1 (January 1995). Art by Chris Bachalo.
Age of Apocalypse
An alternate universe variant of Chamber from Earth-295 appears in Age of Apocalypse. This version is the leader of Generation X whose body remains intact due to him receiving a cybernetic chest plate that regulates his powers.[40] He is later killed by a mob during an attack on Sugar Man's lair.[41]
An alternate universe variant of Chamber from Earth-13729 appears in Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #10 and Uncanny X-Men: Winters End #1. This version is in a relationship with Husk and is later killed in a battle with the Shi'ar.[43][44]
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