Random (Marshall Evan Stone III) is a fictional character and antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Peter David for the series X-Factor. He was originally presented as an opponent of X-Factor, but he later became their reluctant ally.
The complete origin of Random is unclear. It appears that he was created from protoplasm by Dark Beast, making Random the continuation of an experiment that Dark Beast began while he was Mister Sinister's lead scientist in the Age of Apocalypse reality. It is also possible that Random was born normally and then captured and experimented on by Dark Beast. Following Dark Beast's experimentation, the young Random is given the name of Alex, and he uses this name while serving as McCoy's helper in the sewers beneath New York City when he worked with the Morlocks.[citation needed]
"Alex" eventually escapes, shifting his appearance to that of a muscle-bound man and creating the identity of bounty hunter Random. It is unknown if the name Marshall Evan Stone III is his real name or just a name he created for his new Random persona. According to the memories of Charlie Ronalds, a person with Random's powers killed Charlie's parents when Charlie was very young, though Random has never been confirmed as the killer.[1]
In his first encounter with the government-sponsored X-Factor team, Random is called in (presumably by the government) to bring back a group of Genoshan renegades called the X-Patriots, who refuse to leave a hospital where one of their comrades is being treated. Random and X-Factor clash and, wanting to end the fight quickly, team leader Havok buys out Random's contract.[2]
Because of his success as a bounty hunter, Random is contracted to go after X-Factor member Polaris. During their battle, Random tells her that the same government that employs her hired him to kill her. Polaris doesn't believe him, but he assures her that there are mutant haters in the government. After a brief scuffle, Polaris leaves, later confessing to Havok that she felt Random was holding back during the fight, as if he wanted her to win.[3]
Joining X-Factor
After X-Factor encountered the religious fanatic Haven, Random visits X-Factor members Wolfsbane and Strong Guy, confessing to them that the government agents who had previously hired him are now after his life as well. In exchange for protection, he agrees to tell X-Factor who hired him to kill Polaris. The team sets out to find Haven, and Forge hires Random's services against Haven for $15,000 and a new car, so he tags along. When they locate Haven, she transports Random and the rest of X-Factor to a pocket dimension where she shows them how much they really need her. In this world, Random begins to revert to his protoplasmic state, causing Haven to point out that she knows the truth behind his bloodthirsty façade. When she returns the team to the real world, Random is completely gelatinous but quickly pulls himself together and refuses to talk to the team about it.[4]
Following Haven's defeat, Forge pays Random and offers him a permanent job on the team, which he declines. Shortly thereafter, Random, Forge, and Polaris track down Colonel Malone, the man who hired Random to kill Polaris. The trio find him, but he commits suicide before they can question him. However, Malone's assistant informs them that the government never planned on killing Polaris—they only wanted to test her limits as part of their plan to use her as a fail-safe against Magneto. If Random had defeated her, she would have been brought in and brainwashed to become the government's weapon.[5]
The Brotherhood
Random returns after Havok re-forms the Brotherhood of Mutants with Dark Beast, Fatale, and Aurora, among others. He and Havok clash until Havok reveals to him the true nature of his mission: He is attempting to undermine the Brotherhood from within. The duo then help liberate the subjects of some of McCoy's inhumane experiments.
Random resurfaces on Genosha during Magneto's rule and is quickly dispatched when the ad hoc Genoshan Assault X-Men squad attacks the island to rescue Professor X.[7]
Weapon X
Random and Diamond Lil trying to revolt from Weapon X.
Random is later captured by the refurbished Weapon X Program in their attempt to exterminate mutants. He is placed in Neverland, a mutant concentration camp, and attempts a coup with the help of Diamond Lil. However, the inmates do not realize that their powers are being negated by Leech, and they are both severely punished for their actions.[8]
Post M-Day
Random is one of the few mutants who retained their superhuman powers after M-Day.[9] Alongside Tempo, Unuscione, and Frenzy, Random again works with Exodus, joining his new team of Acolytes and participating in an attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D.Helicarrier.[10]
Random and the Acolytes later attack the Xavier Institute on a mission from Mister Sinister to retrieve Destiny's diaries. The diaries they find are fake, and after a battle with Colossus, Shadowcat, and several students, the Acolytes are forced to return to Sinister without completing their mission.[11] Random is present with the rest of the Acolytes in the final battle of "Messiah Complex".[12]
X-Men: Legacy
When Professor Xavier returns to New Avalon to confront Exodus, Random is still among the Acolytes. Xavier convinces Exodus to disband the group and find a new way to help mutantkind, and Random, Amelia Voght, and Omega Sentinel decide to relocate to San Francisco in response to the X-Men's call for all mutants to relocate there.[13]
Random is next seen on Utopia during Bastion's attack on the island. Random, along with Scalphunter, Sack, Litterbug, and others, is rallied to Utopia's defense by Cyclops, who declares, "Today you are all combatants. You are all X-Men".[14]
Following the battle, Random attends Cable's funeral.[15] When Cyclops puts together a squad of X-Men led by Rogue and Magneto to help with reconstruction efforts in San Francisco, Random is included in the group, along with Colossus, Psylocke, Omega Sentinel, Danger, Hellion, and Hope.[16]
Random later appears as one of the villainous mutants invited to come live on the newly created mutant island of Krakoa, provided he no longer holds any grudges towards his fellow mutants.[18]
Powers and abilities
Random's body is made of morphing protoplasm which can change into almost any shape he can imagine and commonly changes his forearms into weapons that fire hardened protoplasm projectiles from his own biomatter. He is able to randomly counteract any force or mutant ability directed at him, alter his mass and strength and rapidly regenerate damaged or detached/severed biomatter and limbs.
Reception
In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked Random 91st in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[19]
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.
Genosha is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South African apartheid before becoming a mutant homeland and subsequently a disaster zone. The island is located off the southeastern African coast southwest from Seychelles and northeast of Madagascar. Its capital city was Hammer Bay.
X-Factor is a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Cyclops is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book The X-Men. Cyclops is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, born with superhuman abilities. Cyclops emits powerful beams of energy from his eyes and can only control the beams with the aid of special eyewear, which he must always wear. He is typically considered the first of the X-Men, a team of mutant heroes who fight for peace and equality between mutants and humans, and one of the team's primary leaders.
The Brotherhood of Mutants is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men.
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 comic book crossover storyline mostly published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616 and had ramifications in the main Marvel Comics universe when the original timeline was restored. It was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295.
Havok is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. He first appears in The X-Men #54, and was created by writer Arnold Drake and penciller Don Heck. Havok generates powerful "plasma blasts", an ability he has had difficulty controlling. One of the sons of Corsair, he is the younger brother of the X-Men's Cyclops, and the older brother of Vulcan and the older half brother of Adam X. He often resents Cyclops's authoritarian attitude and reputation as a model member of the X-Men.
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.
Mister Sinister is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont, the character was first mentioned as the employer behind the team of assassins known as the Marauders in The Uncanny X-Men #212, and later seen in silhouette in The Uncanny X-Men #213, with both issues serving as chapters of the 1986 "Mutant Massacre" crossover. Mr. Sinister then made his first full appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #221. His appearance was designed by artist Marc Silvestri.
The Marauders refers to one of two teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Marauders team included mutant warriors and assassins employed by the X-Men's enemy Mister Sinister, a mad scientist villain often intent on creating a perfect race of superhumans. At different times, the Marauders have been tasked by Sinister to perform kidnappings, assassinations, mass murder, or simply fight Sinister's enemies. At different times, Marauders have been killed in combat, but often Mr. Sinister later uses his cloning technology to re-create them. This team of Marauders has appeared in many different stories of the X-Men franchise, as well as stories featuring other Marvel Comics heroes.
Fabian Cortez is a mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly depicted as an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1.
Exodus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92. His real name was initially given as Paris Bennett, but this was uncovered as an alias when he was revealed to have been born in 12th-century France under the name of Bennet Du Paris.
Omega Sentinel is a superhero later supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is associated with the X-Men and its spinoff Excalibur.
Joanna Cargill, also known as Frenzy, is a fictional character, a mutant superhuman appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been a member of supervillain groups, including the Alliance of Evil and the Acolytes, as well as the superhero team, the X-Men.
"Fatal Attractions" is a major X-Men crossover written by Fabian Nicieza and Scott Lobdell, published by Marvel Comics in 1993. Spanning the entire line of books, it served to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Marvel's X-Men.
"X-Cutioner's Song" is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics' in twelve parts from November 1992 to early 1993. It ran in Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force, and featured Stryfe as the central villain.
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.
"Bloodties" is a 1993 Avengers/X-Men crossover that celebrates the 30th anniversary of both franchises. It is a direct sequel to the X-Men "Fatal Attractions" storyline, in which Charles Xavier mindwipes Magneto. The story of "Bloodties" details a civil war between the human and mutant populations of Genosha, incited by Magneto's former protégé Fabian Cortez. Unaware of Magneto's incapacitation, Cortez attempts to shield himself from his former master's wrath by kidnapping Magneto's granddaughter Luna. As Luna's father Quicksilver has strong ties to the X-Men and her mother Crystal is a member of the Avengers, both teams become involved in the Genoshan conflict. The situation is further complicated by Magneto's lieutenant and self-proclaimed heir Exodus, who seeks to kill both Cortez for his betrayal and Luna for "disgracing" Magneto's line by being merely human.
X-Men Blue was an ongoing comic book published twice monthly by Marvel Comics and initially created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jorge Molina. The first issue was released April 12, 2017. It is a continuation of the All New X-Men series that began in 2012 and features young members of the original X-Men team who have time traveled to the present day.
Random at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
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