TOM CORSI

Real Name: Thomas "Tom" Corsi

Identity/Class: Human mutate, citizen of the United States

Occupation: Teacher of physical education, formerly bus driver, formerly deputy security chief, formerly caretaker, formerly police officer

Group Membership: None, formerly "Muir Island X-Men" (Banshee/Sean Cassidy, Forge, Legion, Multiple Man/Jamie Madrox, Polaris/Lorna Dane, Rogue, Amanda Sefton, Strong Guy/Guido Carosella, Siryn/Theresa Cassidy), Westchester County Police Force, US Army

Affiliations: Alpha Flight (Box/Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil/Lilian Crawley, Windshear/Colin Hume), Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Firestar/Angelica Jones, Justice/Vance Astrovik, Thor), Freedom Force (Avalanche/Dominic Petros, Blob/Fred J. Dukes, Destiny/Irene Adler, Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Pyro/St. John Allerdyce, Stonewall), Sharon Friedlander, Adrienne Frost, Generation X (Artie Maddicks, Chamber/Jono Starsmore, Emma Frost, Husk/Paige Guthrie, Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, Leech, Penance, Skin/Angelo Espinoza, Synch/Everett Thomas), Gabrielle Haller, Stevie Hunter, Edwin Jarvis, Magneto (Max Eisenhardt), Legion (David Haller), Morlocks (Callisto, Healer, Sunder, unidentified others), Mother of the Sacred Heart residents (Dwayne, sister Ignazio, Teddy Matson), New Mutants (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Cypher/Douglas "Doug" Ramsey, Karma/Xi'an Coy Manh, Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Magma/Amara Aquilla, Mirage/Dani Moonstar, Sunspot/Roberto Da Costa, Warlock, Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair), Alysande Stuart,  Warpies, X-Men (Archangel/Warren Worthington III, Lucas Bishop, Colossus/Peter Rasputin, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, Jean Grey, Iceman/Bobby Drake, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Psylocke/Betsy Braddock, Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett), professor Charles Xavier

Enemies: Acolytes (Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, Eric, Harlan & Sven Kleinstock, Carmella Unuscione), Demon Bear, Empath (Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha), Emplate (Marius St. Croix), Reavers (Bonebreaker, Wade Cole, Lady Deathstrike/Yuriko Oyama, Angelo Macon, Pretty Boy, Murray Reese, Skullbuster), Shadow King,

Known Relatives: Unrevealed

Aliases: "The boy injun" (nickname used by Bonebreaker)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly Xavier Institute;
    formerly Massachusetts Academy;
    formerly Our Mother of Sacred Heart school, Middleborough;
    formerly Muir Island;
    formerly Xavier's School for gifted children, Westchester, New York;
    formerly the Badlands;
    formerly Salem Center, New York

First Appearance: New Mutants I#19 (September, 1984)

Powers/Abilities: Before being altered by the Demon Bear, Tom Corsi possessed no known superhuman abilities. The Bear's mystical transformation turned his physical form from Caucasian to a man of Cheyenne descent. Corsi found the process granted him increased strength, being able to lift nearly 1000 pounds. Corsi is a trained boxer and fighting instructor and is proficient in the use of various rifles, pistols and shotguns. While possessed by the Demon Bear, he wielded an enchanted tomahawk and lariat.

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Eyes: Brown (pre transformation: blue)
Hair: Black

History:

(X-Men: Earth's Mutant Heroes I#1) - Raised Catholic, Tom Corsi briefly served in the US Army before becoming a police officer in Salem Center, New York.

(Uncanny X-Men I#298 (fb) - BTS) - Tom Corsi was a police officer for ten years.

(Uncanny X-Men I#254 (fb) - BTS) - During his time on the force, Tom never had to fire his gun.

(New Mutants I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Tom Corsi was on call when Danielle Moonstar was mauled and nearly killed by a bear (actually the Demon Bear, a supernatural creature fueled by the souls of Dani's parents). Corsi brought Dani and her fellow students to the local Salem Center hospital.

(New Mutants I#19) - Corsi stayed with the students while the medical staff, including nurse Sharon Friedlander, rushed to save Dani's life. During the wait, Corsi almost shot young Rahne Sinclair when he caught her sniffing around in her wolf form. Shaken by the experience, he went up to nurse Friedlander for a chat that turned into a brief flirtation. Seconds later, the Demon Bear manifested itself and drew the New Mutants and both Corsi and Friedlander to his realm, the Bad Lands.

(New Mutants I#20) - Corsi and Friedlander were forced to serve as the Demon Bear's pawns. After they were touched with his claws, they transformed into twisted versions of Native American warriors, armed with enchanted traditional weapons such as lariats and tomahawks. Eventually, Illyana Rasputin's soulsword was able to break the Bear's magical hold over them. After the sword also vanquished the Demon Bear itself, they returned with the New Mutants from the Badlands only to find they were physically changed into Native Americans.

(New Mutants I#20 - BTS) - William and Peg Moonstar assured Xavier and his students there was no way to reverse the process: once touched by the Bear's evil, its mark remains. That didn't stop Illyana from trying to use her soulsword on them again. Xavier even consulted Stephen Strange but that endeavor proved fruitless as well.

(New Mutants I#23 (fb) - BTS) - Tom and Sharon were transferred to Muir Island to recover from their ordeal.

(New Mutants I#23 - BTS) - When Tom and Sharon were fully healed, Moira wasn't sure how she could help them face their new reality. She brought up the issue with Charles Xavier, who was forced to admit he had no answers either.

(New Mutants I#26 (fb) - BTS) When their physical changes turned out to be permanent, Tom and Sharon saw no way to return to their old lives because they couldn't explain to their relatives and loved ones they were now Native American. They decided to remain on Muir Island to help out at Moira MacTaggert's mutant research facility.

(New Mutants I#26) - While Sharon still mourned the loss of her old life, Tom was stunned to find his new body granted him incredible strength and agility. Their discussion was cut short when the mental image of a young Arabic man (Jemail Karami) appeared before them. They followed the psionic apparition to the room of recent resident David Haller who was in the middle of throwing a poltergeist tantrum. Before they could act, their minds were drawn into Haller's.

(New Mutants I#26 - BTS) - Moira MacTaggert and David's mother Gabrielle Haller summoned Charles Xavier who arrived with his New Mutants to investigate. He concluded that Tom and Sharon's bodies were completely mindless. Moira's lab assistant Jamie Madrox took care of his comatose colleagues.

(New Mutants I#28 (fb) - BTS) - Corsi and Friedlander remained unconscious in the mind of David Haller, while the telepathic aspect known as Jemail Karami looking after their well-being.

(New Mutants I#28) - When Dani Moonstar assisted Jemail and Jack Wayne to restore David's fractured psyche, all the lost souls were returned to their rightful bodies.

(New Mutants I#35 (fb) - BTS) - When Magneto took over the School for Gifted Youngsters as "Michael Xavier", Corsi and Friedlander remained on staff.

(New Mutants I#35) - Tom and Sharon tried to console Cypher after Magneto forbade him from participating in the team's Danger Room exercises because his passive mutant abilities made him a liability in the field. They then watched Magneto relentlessly put the others through their paces.

(New Mutants I#35 - BTS) - That night, Sharon accompanied the New Mutants to Harry's Hideaway where they complained about their new headmaster until it was time to go home. Dani Moonstar opted to walk home and got attacked by members of a local frat house. She suffered severe injuries and was found and returned home by her flying horse Brightwind.

(New Mutants I#35) - While Sharon took care of Dani, Tom found pieces of paint underneath Brightwind's hoofs. He assured Magneto this was sufficient evidence to launch a police investigation, but Magneto told Corsi he would handle the matter himself. Magneto had Brightwind take him to Dani's attackers who he proceeded to intimidate until they were convinced it was in their best interest to turn themselves in.

(New Mutants I#36) - Corsi and Friedlander assisted Magneto in a Danger Room exercise designed to force Sunspot to increase the limits of his strength. Though successful, Roberto was furious at Magneto for putting him through his paces when he had no interest of ever becoming an X-Man. Sharon gently tried to remind Magneto that the boy was only 13 years old.

(New Mutants I#38) - Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander ran into the Hellion Empath on the school grounds. He was subtly using his powers to influence Magneto's emotional state under orders from Emma Frost. Corsi wanted to take the mutant manipulator in, but he subjected them to his power instead. He made Tom and Sharon forget he was there and then had them fall madly in love with each other. He wanted them to be consumed by a love that defies description and a bestial passion that would not die until it had drained them entirely. Tom and Sharon instantly succumbed and began making love in the snow.

(New Mutants I#39 (fb) - BTS) - For two whole weeks Sharon and Tom were overtaken by the artificial passion Empath made them feel. At first they thought the experience was wonderful, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. But their endless desire for stimuli and gratification soon turned them into addicts who debased themselves to satisfy their ever increasing cravings. Ultimately, while chained together in flimsy BDSM fetish gear, they even contemplated suicide. Resisting that lethal urge allowed them to regain a modicum of self control. Tom carried the exhausted Sharon through the ice and snow back to Xavier's school.

(New Mutants I#39) - Magneto was taking a shower when Tom barged in with the unconscious Sharon in his arms. With help from the visiting Stevie Hunter, Magneto made sure they got medical assistance before asking them what happened. When he learned of Empath's involvement, the master of magnetism grew incensed, especially once he realized the Hellion had also  been responsible for his own recent emotional turmoil.

(New Mutants I#43 (fb) - BTS) - Tom and Sharon had a hard time processing what had happened to them while under Empath's sway. The experience left them mentally and emotionally scarred.

(New Mutants I#43) - The New Mutants were shocked to learn what Empath had done to Tom and Sharon. They personally set out to make him pay.

(New Mutants I#46) - When the X-Men returned from the Morlock tunnels with survivors from the recent Marauders massacre, Sharon Friedlander assisted the newly arrived Moira MacTaggert with treating the injured while Tom Corsi helped set up a security perimeter around the school.

(Uncanny X-Men I#212) - Tom Corsi guarded the entrance way to the Morlock tunnels with Rogue, armed to the teeth in case the Marauders would try to attack the school. They were on hand when Wolverine returned from the sewers with the injured Morlock Healer. While Corsi helped the Healer make his way through the tunnels, Wolverine told Rogue he had picked up the New Mutants' scent down there, even though they weren't allowed down there. Seconds later, Rogue sensed an incoming firestorm (summoned by Thor to cleanse the tunnels) and rushed to fly Tom and the others to safety.

(Uncanny X-Men I#216 (fb) - BTS) - In the wake of the Morlock massacre and the ongoing threat posed by the Marauders, the X-Men decided to evacuate to Muir Island. Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander agreed to move as well.

(Uncanny X-Men I#254 (fb) - BTS) - Tom Corsi was appointed deputy security director of Muir Island.

(Generation X I#52 (fb) - BTS) - During his time on Muir, Corsi began to study Moira MacTaggert's extensive research files on mutants, eventually becoming a self-taught expert on the subject.

(Uncanny X-Men I#254) - Tom and Sharon were pressed into service to help defend Muir when Donald Pierce and his Reavers attacked the island. Moira ordered them all to put on standard X-Men school uniforms for protection. Amanda Sefton volunteered to use a spell to facilitate a quick change, but Tom, Sharon and the others found themselves wearing salacious, revealing outfits instead (this was a result of the Shadow King's growing influence over Muir's residents).

(Uncanny X-Men I#254 - BTS) - After getting dressed in the proper uniform, Corsi armed himself and set out to aid in the defense of the island and its inhabitants.

(Uncanny X-Men I#254)-  Corsi saved Sunder from getting shot by Bonebreaker, Pretty Boy and Skullbuster and made sure Legion was kept safe as well.

(Uncanny X-Men I#255) - After Freedom Force arrived to help defeat the Reavers, Tom, Sharon and Moira returned the body of the team's murdered mutant seer Destiny to their leader Mystique.

(Alpha Flight I#88) - When Alpha Flight members Box, Diamond Lil and Windshear approached Muir Island unannounced to look for Forge, Tom and Sharon joined the other X-Men to determine whether they were a threat. During the initial altercation, they proved no match for the invulnerable Diamond Lil. After the misunderstandings had been resolved up, Forge agreed to help and accompanied Alpha Flight back to Canada.

(Uncanny X-Men I#278) - With Moira MacTaggert and the inhabitants of Muir Island now firmly under the mental control of the Shadow King, frequent matches were held in a makeshift arena that Moira claimed was the equivalent of the X-Men's Danger Room. Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander took care of any injured combatants.

(Uncanny X-Men I#278) - After Rogue knocked out Guido Carosella during an arena match, Corsi and Friedlander helped him up and made sure he got to the Morlock Healer who was waiting in the infirmary to patch him up.

(Generation X I#60 (fb) - BTS) - Tom Corsi eventually reconnected with his family who accepted him in spite of his altered appearance.

(Uncanny X-Men I#298 (fb) - BTS) - Charles Xavier asked Tom and Sharon Friedlander to go undercover at the Our Mother of the Sacred Heart school which counted several young mutants among its student body. They were happy to have jobs that were a little less risky. Tom became the school's bus driver while Sharon worked as the resident nurse.

(Uncanny X-Men I#298 - BTS) - The Acolytes became aware of the young mutant student Teddy Matson and decided to invade the Sacred Heart to recruit him. For the fun of it, the brutal Acolyte Frenzy fatally wounded an unsuspecting Sharon Friedlander by punching her in the neck. In her final moments, Sharon telepathically reached out to Charles Xavier who sent his X-Men to help.

(Uncanny X-Men I#298) - Tom Corsi was driving a bus filled with students back to the school when he noticed sister Ignazio wasn't there to greet them as usual. If anything, the school looked like a morgue to him. Acting on instinct, he tried to drive off but the vehicle was attacked by the Acolytes who lay in ambush. Eric Kleinstock wrecked the bus with an energy blast, but was ill prepared for Corsi shooting him through the chest with his shotgun when he approached the vehicle. Tom was about to be crushed by Unuscione's exoskeleton when the X-Men arrived. Tom got swatted away by Unuscione and remained unconscious until the fight ended with the Acolytes beating a hasty retreat after deciding young Teddy's Down syndrome made him unworthy of inclusion in their ranks (see comments).

(Generation X I#52 (fb) - BTS) - When Adrienne Frost forced her sister Emma to open the Massachusetts Academy to the public, Tom Corsi was approached by his old friend Sean Cassidy to help train Generation X now that he and Emma had to devote more of their time to the larger student body. Officially, Corsi was hired as the Academy's new physical education instructor.

(Generation X I#52) - After Banshee introduced him to Generation X, Tom Corsi told the kids to "think of him as a cross between Magneto and a drill sergeant". He then held individual training sessions to evaluate each member's strengths and weaknesses. He had early successes with Husk who he pushed to keep shedding her skin until she managed to become glass. However, Skin didn't trust the newcomer, feeling his lack of actual mutant powers disqualified him from teaching them about theirs. Later, Corsi shared his initial findings with Banshee, Emma and Adrienne Frost. He felt Skin might pose a discipline problem, but the others were hesitant to agree on disciplinary measures.

(Generation X I#57) - Tom Corsi chaperoned the annual school dance at Proudstar Hall, gently ribbing Sean Cassidy over the fact Emma Frost had picked the visiting Bobby Drake as her date over him.

(Generation X I#57 - BTS) - When Emplate and his henchmen attacked the school during the dance, Jubilee was forced to blow up Proudstar Hall to defeat the villain. Tom was instrumental in convincing all the non-mutant students that the explosion was caused by an electrical fire.

(Generation X I#57) - Tom visited the medbay where the team was treating Emplate after he wound up injured in the blast.

(Generation X I#59 - BTS) - With Jubilee and Banshee summoned to Westchester in the aftermath of Wolverine's death, Tom Corsi convinced Emma Frost to take the students on a field trip to New York City.

(Generation X I#59) - During a visit to the Natural History Museum the easily bored Artie and Leech used their image inducers to sneak away unnoticed. While Tom and Emma went looking for their wayward wards, Tom brought up the torture he and Sharon suffered at the hands of Emma's old student Empath. She apologized profusely, but Corsi assured her he carried no grudge because he could sense she was a changed woman. A little later, Tom and Emma were summoned to Avengers Mansion where their young charges wound up after an eventful day on the town.

(Generation X I#60) - Tom Corsi gave Sean Cassidy some good advice about the importance of family before heading off to spend Christmas with his own relatives.

(X-Men: Earth's Mutant Heroes I#1) - Following the closing of the Massachusetts Academy, Corsi returned to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning which had gone public as a haven for mutants. Corsi served as physical education instructor until the Institute closed its doors.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz.

Civilians who encounter the X-Men are rarely safe, but in less than twenty appearances these two endured enough trauma to last four lifetimes.

A mystical bear forced them to swap races, they wound up ostracized from their family and friends because of that inexplicable change, then they were sucked into Legion's hellish mindscape only for Empath to turn them into SM addicted sex fiends.

And right after being controlled by the Shadow King and getting used by the Reavers for target practice Sharon was killed by the Acolytes for protecting a mutant that the zealots didn't want in the end anyway... Oh, the humanity.

And, as a final insult: Sharon's death in Uncanny X-Men I#298 isn't even properly acknowledged by anyone. Not even Tom gets to mourn the loss of his longtime companion.

It's never been revealed they stayed together after overcoming Empath's "suggestion" that they loved each other madly. You'd think things would have been a bit awkward, to say the least. However, even before they were transformed to resemble Native Americans, Tom was flirting with Sharon so there was an undeniable attraction.

The Muir Island X-Men were never officially a team, but Tom did put on an X-Men uniform and fought alongside various actual X-Men to fight off the Reavers during the siege of Muir Island.

All in all, a shame Corsi hasn't been seen since 2000, during his brief stint as P.E. teacher in Generation X he had this wonderful, natural friendship with Sean Cassidy that actually felt earned. They knew each other from Muir, they were both (former) police officers and they knew what it is to suffer for Xavier's dream.

Tom Corsi received a full profile in X-Men: Earth's mutant heroes I#1

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
Tom Corsi should not be confused with

• Corsair, another gun wielding X-Men associate--Uncanny X-Men I#104
• or any other "Tom" or "Corsi" characters

Images: (without ads)
X-Men Earths Mutant Heroes p13, pan1 (main)
New Mutants I#19, p5, pan2 (original form)
New Mutants I#20, p4, pan3 (transformed by Demon Bear)
New Mutants I#39, p20, pan1 (exhausted by Empath)
Uncanny X-Men I#254, p14, pan1 (imagined action hero)
Uncanny X-Men I#298, p13, pan4 (facing Unuscione)
Generation X I#59, p10, pan3 (patching things up with Emma Frost)

Appearances:
New Mutants I#19 (September, 1984) - Chris Claremont (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#20 (October, 1984) - Chris Claremont (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#23 (January, 1985) - Chris Claremont (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#26 (April, 1985) - Chris Claremont (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#28 (June, 1985) - Chris Claremont (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#35 (January, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Mary Wilshire (pencils), Bill Sienkiewicz (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#36 (February, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Mary Wilshire(pencils), Bill Sienkiewicz (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#38 (April, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Rick Leonardi (pencils), Bill Sienkiewicz (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#39 (May, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Keith Pollard (pencils), Dell Barras (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#43 (September, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Steve Purcell (pencils), Whilce Portacio (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
New Mutants I#46 (December, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Kyle Baker (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#212 (December, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Rick Leonardi (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#216 (April, 1987) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#254 (December, 1989) - Chris Claremont (writer), Marc Silvestri (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#255 (Mid-December, 1989) - Chris Claremont (writer), Marc Silvestri (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Alpha Flight I#88 (September, 1990) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael Bair (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
(Uncanny X-Men I#278 (July, 1991) - Chris Claremont (writer), Paul Smith (pencils), Hilary Barta (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#298 (March, 1993) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Generation X I#52 (June, 1999) - Jay Faerber (writer), Terry Dodson (pencils), Rachel Dodson (inks), Jason Liebig (editor)
Generation X I#57 (November, 1999) - Jay Faerber (writer), Terry Dodson, Chris Renaud (pencils), Rachel Dodson, Scott Elmer, John Czop (inks),Jason Liebig (editor)
Generation X I#59 (January, 2000) - Jay Faerber (writer), Terry Dodson (pencils), Rachel Dodson (inks), Jason Liebig (editor)
Generation X I#60 (February, 2000) - Jay Faerber (writer), Terry Dodson (pencils), Rachel Dodson (inks), Jason Liebig (editor)
X-Men: Earth's Mightiest Mutants I#1 (July, 2011) - Jeff Christiansen, Mike O'Sullivan, Stuart Vandal, Sean McQuaid, Mike Fichera, Madison Carter, Markus Raymond, Rob London, Michael Hoskin, Kevin Garcia, Patrick Ryall, Ronald Byrd, Chris Biggs, Jeph York, Matt Forbeck (writers), Gus Vazquez (pencils), Tom Chu (inks), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First Posted: 07/27/2024
Last Updated: 07/27/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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