Psionic ability to sense and control emotions of others
Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Sal Buscema, the character first appeared in New Mutants #16 (June 1984). De la Rocha is a mutant, a subspecies of humans born with superhuman abilities, who possesses the power to sense and manipulate the emotions of others.[2] He is known under the codenameEmpath.[3]
Manuel de la Rocha debuted as a member of Emma Frost's original Hellions in New Mutants #16 (June 1984), and was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema.[4] He subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, including The New Mutants #17, Uncanny X-Men #193, Firestar #2–4, The New Mutants #26, 28, 38–40, 43, 53, 56, 62, Annual #4, The New Mutants #81, X-Treme X-Men #31, 34–35, and X-Men: The 198 #1–5.[5]
Fictional character biography
Hellions
Empath is born in Castile, Spain. He is a mutant who attends school at the Massachusetts Academy, and is one of the original students of then-villain, the White Queen (Emma Frost). Frost's students, known as the Hellions, are rivals of Charles Xavier's students, the New Mutants. Empath fancies Frost so much that during the night, he attempts to read her mind but she notices instantly, deciding to show him everything about her. Empath describes her as cold as ice.[volume&issueneeded] Empath is one of the few Hellions, along with James Proudstar, Amara Aquilla, and Angelica Jones to survive an attack by time-travelling villain Trevor Fitzroy (although Empath's former teammate, Tarot is eventually resurrected).[volume&issueneeded]
The White Queen once uses Empath to manipulate Magneto into allowing the New Mutants to join the Hellions.[volume&issueneeded] This is made easier as the New Mutants were deeply traumatized by a powerful enemy known as the Beyonder.[volume&issueneeded] During the course of this plan, he meets two of Xavier's allies, Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander. He takes the opportunity to attack them mentally, changing a subtle attraction to full-blown obsessive sexual desire between the two.[6]
During his tenure with the Hellions, Empath meets and falls in love with Amara Aquilla, the New Mutant known as Magma. Aquilla eventually leaves her team and becomes a member of the Hellions, so that she can be close to Empath. He even accompanies her back to her home in Nova Roma. The romance ends, however, when Aquilla realizes that Empath was using his abilities to control her emotions. When the colony of Nova Roma is discovered to be a ruse by the witch Selene, Empath uses his abilities for a time to convince Magma that this is a hoax. This sets a bond of mistrust between the two that never is broken.[volume&issueneeded]
X-Corporation
Later, Empath joins X-Corporation and becomes the Communications Director for its Los Angeles chapter along with his former love Magma. However, after M-Day, Cyclops orders the closure of the X-Corporation headquarters to better focus all available resources on protecting their members and allies. Empath is one of the few mutants to retain their powers in the wake of House of M.[volume&issueneeded]
M-Day
After M-Day, Emma Frost uses Empath immediately to reel in Magma who, in her devastation over the death of her boyfriend because of the decimation, wrecked a South American village. Empath stays at the Xavier Institute along with some of the other 198, but his shared history with Magma makes her suspicious that he is still toying with her emotions. After Johnny Dee uses his powers to control Magma and Leech and make them kill Mister M, Magma becomes aware that someone was controlling her, and, thinking it is Empath, blames him.[volume&issueneeded]
Manifest Destiny
Empath resurfaces in San Francisco leading a new group of regular humans calling themselves the Hellfire Cult who are conducting vicious attacks on mutants, despite him retaining his own mutant powers. However, he himself appears to be under the control of a mysterious woman called the Red Queen, with whom he shares an S&M sexual relationship.[1] In the next issue she asks him about Emma Frost and then telepathically makes herself appear as Emma Frost as she sexually dominates Empath. When the X-Men discover the Hellfire Cult's base, she flees leaving Empath behind.[7]
Empath makes a run for it, and his powers seem to be going out of control. While being chased by various X-Men, he takes them down until Pixie appears and beats him savagely. She then stabs him in the head with her soulknife, weakening his powers and blinding him.[8] He is held in prison-like quarters in the X-Men's headquarters, frustrated over his condition and angry against the X-Men. Despite this and the deeds he has committed against her friends and herself, Amara takes pity upon him; hers is the only company Empath accepts.[9]
It is later revealed that Empath was meant to be a Trojan Horse, whose rejuvenated powers disabled many of the X-Men, while the Red Queen and her Sisterhood took a locket of Jean Grey's hair. Pixie then attacked him again with her soulknife, shattering his consciousness.[10]
Necrosha
Empath is moved to the X-Men's new Utopia prison, made out of Asteroid M, alongside Sebastian Shaw and Donald Pierce. He is trapped in a psychic illusion where he is with Amara, before the illusion is shattered when Selene's minions appear on Utopia's shores.[11]
Dawn of X
Empath is later seen on Krakoa using his powers to cause chaos by making people attack each other. He is assessed by the island's scientists and psychics, who find that his X-gene is the cause of his violent sociopathy due to the early development of his powers never letting him experience negative feedback. The Quiet Council discuss the matter and task Sinister with gathering a team to send into "therapeutic" missions where they are allowed to use their powers. The team's first mission is to destroy the now abandoned clone farm that Sinister left under the orphanage where Alex Summers and Scott Summers lived.[12][13]
Empath uses his powers during the mission, agitating John Greycrow to the point that he kills Empath.[13][14] He is soon afterwards resurrected by the Five.[15]
The team next fights the Locus Vile. During this conflict, several of Essex's secrets are brought to light such as his secret clone lab in Murderworld. Greycrow and Havok try to destroy the facility after learning this, but Psylocke begs them not to, as he has a mental copy of her dead daughter in it. They agree to stand down only for Manuel to abruptly take over and make Havok destroy it on Emma's behalf.[16]
From the Ashes
After the Fall of X, Empath, manipulated Hellion and most of the Stepford Cuckoos for his plans to create a new Krakoa that he would lead. He was thwarted by Sophie Cuckoo.[17][18][19]
Powers and abilities
Manuel de la Rocha can telepathically sense the emotional states, desires, and moods of those around him. He can psionically manipulate and alter these emotions into any state he chooses, such as love, hate, or fear.[20] He is able to influence large groups of people simultaneously, with his control ranging from subtle emotional manipulation to the total negation of feeling, reducing individuals to a zombie-like state in which they can be commanded with ease.[21]
Other versions
An alternate version of Manuel de la Rocha appears in the Age of Apocalypse storyline.[22] Empath is held hostage by Mikhail Rasputin and exploited to control the population of Eurasia, causing him Empath immense pain. After accidentally touching him, Keeper Murdock realizes the pain Manuel is in and kills him.[23]
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