BLOKEBLOKE
Real Name: Michael Tork
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: X-Force member
Group Membership: X-Force (Anarchist/Tike Alicar, Doop, Orphan/Guy Smith, Phat/Billy Bob Reilly, Saint Anna, U-Go Girl/Edie Sawyer, Vivisector/Myles Alfred)
Affiliations: Diego Ardilles, Coach, Spike Freeman, his mutant boyfriend
Enemies: X-Force (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Domino/Neena Thurman, Meltdown/Tabitha Smith, James Proudstar), an unidentifid Balkan terrorist group, the Bastronan military
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Mickey," Rainbow
Base of Operations: X-Force Tower, Santa
Monica, California, USA;
formerly San Francisco, California, USA
First Appearance: X-Force I#117 (August, 2001)
Powers/Abilities: Bloke could change his skin color to blend in with his surroundings. When he turned pink, he gained superhuman strength (25-75 ton range) and enhanced durability.
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 380 lbs. (400 lbs. when pink-colored)
Eyes: White (no visible irises)
Hair: Variable
History: (X-Force I#117 (fb)) - Having
impeccable taste in soft furnishings and an interest in musical theater
and pumping iron, mutant Mickey Tork decided to use his color-changing
powers to become a vigilante operating out of San Francisco under the
codename of Rainbow. As his powers evolved, Tork stopped using the
"Rainbow" codename and he soon learned he could adjust the color of his
skin to blend in with his surroundings, with the color pink granting
him superhuman strength and enhanced durability. Tork used his strength
powers against a Balkan terrorist group and and, over a period of two
years, Tork wracked up an average of six kills per mission and began
calling himself "Bloke."
(X-Force#117) - X-Force watched
a video of Bloke that showed him using his chameleon-like powers
in San Francisco, as he was being evaluated as a potential team
member. He later joined the team and waited with the other new recruits
before their first mission. Overhearing Vivisector wishing he was not a
mutant, Bloke grabbed Vivisector's book and asked if Vivisector was
ashamed of what he was, remarking that Vivisector had to be part of the
problem or part of the solution. Vivisector responded by transforming
into his wolf-like form and warning Bloke not to ever misquote
something to him again, prompting Bloke to order Vivisector to back
off. Everyone was soon calmed down and Bloke accompanied the other
members of X-Force in viewing a video related to their upcoming mission
to save Bastron mutant Paco Perez. He was
later present at a televised press conference where the former X-Force
team
attacked Bloke's X-Force, accusing Bloke's team of degrading the name
X-Force. Once the fight was broken up, Bloke remained at the press
conference when the Coach announced new member Orphan as X-Force's new
team leader.
(X-Force#118)- As the team said their goodbyes
to their respective family and friends, Bloke said goodbye to his
mutant lover with a kiss and prepared for X-Force's mission. He then
joined X-Force for a mission briefing given by the Coach, who informed
them of their Bastronan contact, Diego Ardilles. Bloke then accompanied
X-Force to Bastrona, where his teammate Phat commented on how the
"chickens" could really shake it, prompting Bloke to smile and remark
on how the "roosters" could also shake it. The Bastronan military soon
attacked X-Force and Bloke killed one of the soldiers, commenting on
how much of a rush it was to kill, before the Orphan realized Diego
Ardilles was running off. Bloke ran after him and, as helicopters
attacked the team, Bloke shielded Diego from the helicopter fire with
his own body and was killed by the shots. As he died, Bloke remarked
that he felt death would hurt more than it did and Phat tried to assure
Bloke that their teammate St. Anna would have Bloke fixed up shortly,
but Bloke commented that he was way beyond fixing. Looking at the
tearful Phat, Bloke remarked that it was one less of his kind to worry
about before passing away. In order to complete their mission, the
Orphan ordered the Anarchist to vaporize Bloke's corpse soon afterwards.
(X-Cellent I#1 - BTS) - When X-Statix moved into a new luxurious mansion, several statues of fallen members were erected in the driveway, amongst them were statues for Bloke, Battering Ram, Plazm and Sluk.
Comments: Created by Peter Milligan and Michael Allred.
Bloke had a profile in Marvel Encyclopedia HC Vol. 2: X-Men (2003).
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Bloke, aka Rainbow,
should not be confused with:
Bloke's mutant boyfriend was based out of San Francisco like Bloke himself. As Bloke prepared for his first mission with X-Force, he and his boyfriend enjoyed some time together and Bloke's boyfriend reminded Bloke to be sure he was joining X-Force for the right reasons. Bloke replied by asking if his boyfriend meant fame, money, a place in history and the chance to put a 400-pound pink guy on the cultural map, to which his boyfriend answered by kissing Bloke and remarking that Bloke passed the test.
Bloke's mutant boyfriend had pointed ears and red, iris-less eyes.
--X-Force I#118
images: (without ads)
X-Force I#118, p13, pan5 (Bloke with X-Force, main image)
X-Force I#118, p7, pan3 (brick-colored Bloke, headshot in polo shirt)
X-Force I#117, p7, pan2 (as Rainbow)
X-Force I#117, p7, pan2 (Bloke in original costume with gray skin
coloring)
X-Force I#117, p7, pan1 (Bloke giving thumbs up)
X-Force I#118, p14, pan4 (Bloke's death)
X-Force I#118, p5, pan5 (Bloke's mutant lover)
Appearances:
X-Force I#117 (August, 2001) - Peter Milligan (writer), Michael Allred
(art), Axel Alonso (editor)
X-Force I#118 (September, 2001) - Peter Milligan (writer), Michael
Allred (art), Axel Alonso (editor)
X-Cellent I#1 (Ferbuary, 2022) - Peter Milligan (writer), Mike Allred (pencils, inks), Lauren Amaro, Kat Gregorowicz, Darren Shan (editors)
First Posted: 07/15/2002
Last updated: 02/07/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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