NEW GENIX

Membership: Allegra, Blue Shark, Bombadier, Meridian, Munchkin

Purpose: Research subjects

Affiliations: Pawns of Fortress, especially Dr. Zachary Hoffner; Steel Raven (possible instructor and/or guardian)

Base of Operations: Fortress, upstate New York

First Appearance: (Cameo) Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (late March, 1994); (full) Marvel Comics Presents I#175 (March, 1995)

History: (Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (fb) - BTS) - The members of New Genix believe that they dwell in the future of 3065 A.D. In this timeline, mutants (Homo Sapiens Superior) were exterminated during the Horizon Wars. It was believed that humanity might face extinction without the success of an experiment designed to revive the mutant genetic strain. They believed that they were test subjects for that strain, and were the hope for humanity.

In reality, they were test subjects for a group known as the Fortress. They were modified by genetic manipulation, surgical implantation, and other processes under the supervision of Dr. Zachary Hoffner. However, they existed in the modern era: their world was just a wing of the Fortress which had been tailored to appear as the future world in which they believed themselves to exist. They were kept isolated from all outside influences which might damage this perception, and obviously affect their willingness to participate in the experiments.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#150) - The kids were briefly glimpsed while Steel Raven passed through their realm. They were shocked by her retro appearance and attire. Blue Shark was undergoing tests in a large aquarium, and Bombadier was wearing a bandage on his head because his implants were acting up.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#175/1 and #175/3) - The group were tested against a robot which was allegedly a perfect replica of a Blood Soldier from the Horizon Wars. Steel Raven took control of the robot and escalated the force it used against the teens. When Allegra was injured, the group jumped in to save her and succeeded in destroying the robot. Steel Raven apparently did this to increase their fighting skills and to push them a little harder.

CLARIFICATIONS: The Fortress has no known connection to:

• Fortress, the interstellar base of Tyrant, @ Silver Surfer III#78
• Fortress, a group of terrorists who encountered and were defeated by Crossbones, @ Marvel Comics Presents I#129/2

Bombadier has no connection to:

• Bombadier, of Shadowforce Alpha, @ Amazing Spider-Man Super-Size Special#1/3
• The Bombardiers, a group of criminals who hire who used a rocket car made of secondary adamantium, @ Thor I#309.

Meridian has no connection to:

• Meridian, of They, @ Marvel Comics Presents I#129

COMMENTS: Created by Steve Lightle.

I think New Genix, the Fortress, and Steel Raven all belong in some story involving the Weapon X Project.

Supplemental info courtesy of Steve Lightle, the creator of New Genix...
This was intended to be an ongoing series within MCP, but its premature cancellation put an end to that.
One correction, I created New Genix and Steel Raven.  Ann (Nocenti) was one of my favorite collaborators, and always brought a great deal of creativity to every job that we worked on together, but those characters were created
without her input."

The story in Marvel Comics Presents I#175 may or may not precede the one in#150 (after which Steel Raven leaves Fortress). It's not clear

When first seen, Blue Shark appeared to have blue skin, although that may have just been the tank and water around him.

Allegra ( ) possesses hyper-speed, along with an enhanced metabolism and healing rate. She is often frustrated by the slow pace of the rest of the world and unwillingly shift into "hyper" mode, where she is moving at such a high rate of speed that she appears invisible, while the rest of the world appears frozen in time to her. She has romantic interest in Blue Shark. Allegra's mother was apparently a previous test subject for Fortress, and was killed while undergoing similar surgical procedures.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (Marvel Comics Presents I#150, 175, 175/3

Blue Shark ( ) has superhuman strength (Class 10?), durability, and speed. He is able to breathe underwater, and has enhanced vision. He has a romantic interest in Allegra. He was said to have been created from Atlantean genetic material.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (Marvel Comics Presents I#150, 175, 175/3

Bombadier (Elvis ) can harness "errant biological energy" and transform it into unstable matter. Translation: he can throw bursts of explosive energy. He wears body armor which enhances his strength and durability.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (Marvel Comics Presents I#150, 175, 175/3

Meridian ( ) was apparently in a comatose state as a result of the operation.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#150

He or she may or may not have been seen, just a brief shot of the back of the head, in Marvel Comics Presents I#150.

Munchkin ( ) possesses mass-density powers, enabling him to shift the atomic density of materials to strengthen or weaken them. He was the last to access his abilities, and it wasn't until they were threatened by the Blood Soldier that he did so. He weakend the adamantium carapace of the robot, allowing Blue Shark to damage it. He would prefer to go by the codename Neutron...but no such luck.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (Marvel Comics Presents I#150, 175, 175/3

The Blood Soldier robot was built from adamantium and was supposedly one of the models which "massacred the Inhumans and killed a dozen or so Avengers!" It was activated to serve in a test for the members of New Genix, but Steel Raven took control of the Blood Soldier in order to make the test more challenging. It was destroyed by Munchkin when he altered its atomic density, and Elvis fired an energy blast at it.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#175 (175/3