The CHOSEN
Membership: Dualers (Lev, shrinker), the
Perfect (Palik, Seera); scientists (chief geneticist), Antwirp,
Jack, Rask, Swen
Affiliations: Sect of unnamed
extra-terrestrial race; Former enemies, now grudging allies of
Rejects and Beginagains
Base of Operations: City of the Chosen,
unnamed planet
First Appearance: X-Factor#43 (August, 1989)
History: The Chosen are a sect of an
unnamed race on an unnamed planet where all beings have mutant
powers. At some point in their past, the Chosen, who were
humanoid in appearance, separated from the Rejects, who had
varying degrees of inhuman physical qualities. The Chosen
developed their society to worship physical perfection,
separating themselves into further castes. On one end were the
Perfect, the ruling class, who were beautiful and without any
physical flaws. On the other end were the Dualers, who could
transform into a separate form to use their powers and are
regarded as half-rejects and used as warriors and spies by those
of higher status.
The Chosen developed their society around
technology and status. In an effort to breed only the most
physically perfect offspring, the Chosen turned over reproduction
to their scientists, who create infants in vats in the
laboratory, who produce smaller and smaller numbers of viable
offspring with each generation. Physical contact with others has
become taboo, except in battle. The Chosen frown on public
displays of power, except in battle, as this highlights their
abnormalities. They release their repressed passion in actual war
or gladiatorial combat in the Arena against Rejects, or through
the use of narcotic Mood Minders. In the Arena, wagering is
intense, and fortunes can be won or lost, and status can be
accrued.
The separation between the Chosen and the
Rejects may have been brought to an end when a third sect, the
Beginagains, who desire unification, along with the human mutant
group X-Factor, succeeded in uniting the three sects to drive off
seeming impending doom at the hands of Celestial judgement. A
ruling triumvirate of Palik of the Chosen, Ryest of the
Beginagains, and Zharkah of the Rejects, along with Lev
representing the Dualers, was formed to guide the unification, It
remains to be seen if this will persist once the threat of
destruction has passed.
COMMENTS: Created by Louise Simonson and
Paul Smith.
One good thing about the Chosen was that skin
color was apparently irrelevant to them, as Palik and several
other members had a variety of colors.
Cable could make a return appearance to this
planet he visited as an infant.
Lev
acted as leader of the Dualers.
Initially, Iceman's had amnesia following a mind-jamming, he was
mistaken for a Dualer due to his ability to assume a non-human
form. Lev befriended Iceman and became increasingly impressed
with his ability when he defeated lord Rask in combat. His
refusal to submit to the prejudice of the Chosen led her and the
other Dualers to rebel against them, ultimately turning against
them in the Arena. Lev freed the perfect Seera so she could
return Iceman's memory. Following the apparent repelling of the
Celestials, Lev acted as representative to the Dualers' interests
in the unification process. She could transform into fiery form
and fly.
--X-Factor#43(44-46, 48-50
Most
Perfect Palik led the Chosen. He is extremely prejudice and
caste-oriented. He regarded the Dualers as half-Rejects, and
himself as superior to all others due to his physical perfection.
He was duped by Rask into putting the perfect Seera's life at
jeopardy during a gladiatorial combat as punishment for her
betrayal of the Chosen way. This led Palik to realize the
potential threat that Rask posed. He took steps to humble him, by
blinding Archangel, his warrior, so that he would lose in combat
against the amnesiac Iceman. He also attempted to have all of the
Dualers destroyed in the Arena to rid the more perfect of what he
viewed as a group of aberrations. He was attacked by Beginagain
Dykon, but blinded him as well. Ultimately, he was forced to
restore vision to Archangel and Dykon, and to begrudgingly enter
into an alliance with the Beginagains and even the Rejects to
oppose the Celestials. Following this, he became part of the
triumvirate dedicated to unifying the sects. However, it seems
likely he would attempt to shaft the Rejects and Dualers any
chance he had.
He could project an energy ray which could
blind his opponents until he himself reversed its effects.
--X-Factor#44(45, 46, 48-50
Lord Rask was a powerful
warrior who attained wealth and thus status by successful
wagering and use of warriors in the Arena. He was looked down
upon by the Perfect due to his near giant size, as well as a
large birthmark on his back. However, he used his wealth to buy
the backing of the scientists, and this along with his successes
granted him sufficient political power to challenge even the
perfect. He was responsible for capturing both Iceman and
Archangel in their initial encounter, and he took Archangel as
his champion in the Arena. He managed to discover and expose that
the perfect Seera had taken and was caring for the infant Nathan
Summers, as well as having aided Archangel in an escape attempt.
Having been humbled in battle by Iceman, Rask used the
opportunity to set up the amnesiac Iceman against Archangel, and
duped most perfect Palik into placing Seera's life upon
Archangel's success. Realizing Rask's threat to his power, Palik
blinded Archangel, so he would lose the fight, and Rask would
lose face and profit. Rask was cast down into the Arena, where he
was attacked and possibly slain by a vengeful Archangel.
Rask could form energy shields and fire energy
blasts. He was a skilled warrior, and his large size afforded him
great strength --X-Factor#43(44-46, 48, 49, 50(dies?)
Perfect Seera
is the successor to most perfect Palik. As one of the perfect,
she was protected from battle, which led to little ability to use
her powers. She was saved by Archangel during a battle with the
Rejects, and she was the only one who realized that Archangel and
Iceman were from another world. She rescued the infant Nathan
Summers from the scientists and came to disagree with the cold,
sterile, and prejudiced ways of the Chosen. When she attempted to
free Archangel, however, she was exposed by Rask, who manipulated
evetns so that her very life was on the line based on Archangel's
success in the Arena. She was freed by the Dualer Lev, and
restored the memory to Iceman, ending a battle between he and
blinded Archangel. When X-Factor left, she gave thoughts to
having a baby of her own through natural childbirth, something
unheard of in generations for the Chosen.
Seera could fly, and she was a jammer, able to
mentally stun or alter the memories of others.
--X-Factor#43(44-46, 48-50
Seera's was raised by her robot, ZZ-105, or Zee Zee (see above), who acted as a nurturing
mother figure to her, entertaining her with stories of before
children were grown in the vats of the scientists. When Seera was
exposed by Rask, Zee Zee was reprogrammed to obey the directives
of the scientists, but after the unification began, Ship restored
Zee Zee's original memories and personality. --X-Factor#44(45,
46, 48-50
The Scientists controlled the reproduction of the Chosen, growing
infants in the vats in their laboratories. However, in an effort
to screen out all genetic flaws, with each new generation, they
produced fewer viable offspring. They were led by the chief
geneticist. The alliance of the Scientists was purchased by lord
Rask, who sought to attain sufficient status to usurp the rule of
the Perfect.
--X-Factor#44(45, 46, 48, 49
Other Chosen include:
Jack and Swen-two warriors seen only in the
initial battle in which X-Factor encountered the
sects--XFactor#43.
Antwirp- --X-Factor#48
images:
Other appearances:
X-Factor I#44-46 (September-November, 1989)
X-Factor I#48-50 (December, 1989 - January, 1990)
Last updated: September 3,
2001
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