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SHARON FRIEDLANDER

Real Name: Sharon Friedlander

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

Occupation: None, formerly senior nurse

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Alpha Flight (Box/Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil/Lilian Crawley, Windshear/Colin Hume), Tom Corsi, Freedom Force (Avalanche/Dominic Petros, Blob/Fred J. Dukes, Destiny/Irene Adler, Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Pyro/St. John Allerdyce, Stonewall), Gabrielle Haller, Stevie Hunter, 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), Stephen Strange, Alysande Stuart, Warpies, X-Men (Colossus/Peter Rasputin, 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), Reavers (Bonebreaker, Wade Cole, Lady Deathstrike/Yuriko Oyama, Angelo Macon, Pretty Boy, Murray Reese, Skullbuster), Shadow King,

Known Relatives: Unrevealed

Aliases: "Flatscan" (nickname used by the Acolytes)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    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, Sharon Friedlander possessed no known superhuman abilities. The Bear's mystical transformation turned her physical form from Caucasian to a woman of Cheyenne descent. Friedlander found the process granted her increased strength, speed and durability. A trained trauma nurse, she keeps her head cool during a crisis and is particularly adept at treating mutants. While possessed by the Demon Bear, she wielded an enchanted crossbow and could fire black lightning

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140 lbs.
Eyes: Brown (pre transformation: blue)
Hair: Black

History:

(New Mutants I#19 (fb) - BTS) - Nurse Sharon Friedlander was on call at the Salem Center hospital when Danielle Moonstar was brought in by officer Tom Corsi after getting mauled and nearly killed by a bear (actually the Demon Bear, a supernatural creature fueled by the souls of Dani's parents). Corsi also brought Dani's fellow students.

(New Mutants I#19) - Corsi stayed with the students while Friedlander and the medical staff 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 to distract himself with some flirting. Seconds later, the Demon Bear manifested itself and drew the New Mutants and both Corsi and Friedlander to his realm, the Badlands.

(New Mutants I#20) - Friedlander and Corsi were forced to serve as the Demon Bear's pawns. After touching them with his claws, they transformed into twisted versions of Native American warriors, armed with enchanted traditional weapons such as lariats and tomahawks. Friedlander was capable of firing bolts of black lightning and shot a bow with unerring accuracy. Corsi and Friedlander proved too much for the New Mutants to handle until Magik struck them with her soulsword, which broke the spell that transformed them into monstrous pawns of the Demon Bear. The entity itself was soon vanquished by the sword as well, revealing Dani's parents William and Peg Moonstar. When everyone returned from the Badlands, there was a great shock when Tom and Sharon were now physically transformed into Cheyenne.

(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) - Sharon and Tom were transferred to Moira MacTaggert's facilities on Muir Island to recover from their ordeal.

(New Mutants I#23 - BTS) - When Sharon and Tom 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 even he had no answers.

(New Mutants I#26 (fb) - BTS) When their physical changes turned out to be permanent, Sharon and Tom 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 they both saw the mental image of a young Arabic man (Jemail Karami) appear before them. They followed the psionic apparition to the room of David Haller, a recent resident who was unexpectedly 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 their bodies were completely mindless. Moira's lab assistant Jamie Madrox took care of his colleagues' comatose forms.

(New Mutants I#28 (fb) - BTS) - Corsi and Friedlander remained unconscious in the mind of David Haller, with 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) - Sharon and Tom 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. 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.

(New Mutants I#35 - BTS) - Dani Moonstar opted to walk home, only to be attacked and injured by members of a local frat house. She 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 told Magneto this was sufficient evidence to launch a police investigation, but Magneto told Corsi he would handle the matter himself and 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 manipulate Magneto's emotional state under orders from Emma Frost. Corsi wanted to take the mutant manipulator in, but he subjected them to his power. 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. 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 because he realized the Hellion had been responsible for his own recent, inexplicable emotional turmoil.

(New Mutants I#43 (fb) - BTS) - Sharon and Tom 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.

(Uncanny X-Men I#211) - When a mole-like Morlock dug his way to the X-Men's school grounds to inform them of the Marauders' ongoing massacre, Sharon was called in to look after the injured mutant. Because of his multiple injuries: including blade and gunshot wounds, massive internal trauma and pulverized bones he was beyond help. As she put the white sheet over his corpse, Friedlander called it a miracle he had even reached them.

(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) - Sharon and Moira did their best to keep the wounded Morlocks alive, but they kept losing patients while Magneto, Storm and Callisto watched helplessly.
Sharon insisted they should move the injured to a hospital because the X-Men's makeshift medical facility wasn't set up for injuries like this. Callisto coldly replied that no hospital would take muties.


(Uncanny X-Men I#213) - Sharon continued to assist Moira in caring for the surviving Morlocks and the injured members of the X-Men in the mansion's underground infirmary. Psylocke mentally checked in on their progress.

(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. Sharon and Tom Corsi agreed to move as well.

(Uncanny X-Men I#254 (fb) - BTS) - Sharon continued on as Moira's senior nurse on Muir Island.

(Fantastic Four vs X-Men I#2) - Sharon was shocked to find that a fisherman they'd recently rescued from the sea turned out to be a robot sent by Doctor Doom, triggered by the arrival of the Fantastic Four on Muir Island. The FF had come to consult on Kitty Pryde's deteriorating condition, but the visit turned into a fight that left Storm with serious burns. Sharon assisted Moira in treating Storm's injuries.

(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. While Sharon helped stabilize Banshee who had fallen prey to sniper fire, Moira ordered them all to put on standard X-Men uniforms for protection. Though when Amanda Sefton used a spell to magically dress everyone up, Tom, Sharon and the others found themselves wearing salacious, revealing outfits instead.

(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.

(Uncanny X-Men I#258 (fb) - BTS) - The mutant inventor Forge remained on Muir after Freedom Force left. He helped shore up the facilities' defenses and had Banshee test them while Sharon and Moira looked on. Forge also redesigned the standard X-Men field uniforms.

(Uncanny X-Men I#258) - When Banshee commented that he felt the new skintight uniforms didn't feel dignified, Sharon remarked that she just loved them.

(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 cleared 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, Friedlander and Corsi helped him up and made sure he got to the Morlock Healer who was waiting in the infirmary to patch him up.

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

(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 killed an unsuspecting Sharon Friedlander by punching her in the neck. In her final moments, she telepathically reached out to Charles Xavier who sent his X-Men to help.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz.

If there was an award for biggest X-victims, Sharon Friedlander and Tom Corsi would both be giving acceptance speeches. For a simple cop and a nurse they sure got put through the wringer...

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. We never never even learned if she and Tom remained a couple after overcoming Empath's love spell. They had a connection well before the Demon Bear incident changed their lives, but since then they had their minds changed at least half a dozen times.

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
Sharon Friedlander should not be confused with

Images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men I#298 p5 pan2 (main)
New Mutants I#19 p5, pan3 (original form)
New Mutants I#20 p4, pan3 (transformed by Demon Bear)
New Mutants I#43, p8, pan5 (mentally scarred by Empath)
Fantastic Four versus X-Men I#2 p9, pan7 (spotted by Doom's robot)
Uncanny X-Men I#254 p9, pan1 (warped costumes)
Uncanny X-Men I#278 p11, pan3 (patching up Guido)
Uncanny X-Men I#298 p5, pan5 (death)

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#211 (November, 1986) -Chris Claremont (writer, John Romita & Bret Blevins (pencils), Al Williamson (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#213 (January, 1987) - Chris Claremont (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Fantastic Four versus X-Men I#2 (March, 1987) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jon Bogdanove (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Ann Nocenti & Don Daley (editors)
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)
Uncanny X-Men I#258 (February, 1990) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (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)

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

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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