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BRIAN LEIGHTON

Real Name: Brian Leighton

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

Occupation: None

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Robert Meridian, Meridian institute staff (Wilson, unidentified others)

Enemies: Jessica Drew, Madame Web (Cassandra Webb), Spider-Woman (Mattie Franklin)

Known Relatives: Mrs. Leighton (mother), Mr. Leighton (father)

Aliases: Rhino

Base of Operations: Meridian Institute, Upstate New York

First Appearance: Spider-Woman III#10 (April, 2000)

Powers/Abilities: A projecting exomorph, Brian Leighton could reshape himself and the world around him, turning reality into an environment of his own creation. As a child, he would create fantasy worlds, as he aged he mostly reformed his own shape, often combining features of various people. Leighton can retreat into his own mind in which he also has total control over the mindscape. Leighton is mildly telepathic, allowing him to instantly read and process the memories, emotions and experiences of people his mind reaches out to. Mentally stuck at five years old, adult feelings often overwhelm, confuse and scare him.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 4'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 80 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb) - BTS) - Brian Leighton manifested his reality altering powers when he was barely five years old. His parents were shocked when he would create outerspace tableaus and other fantasy worlds in his own room. Brian also seemed to have problems communicating with the outside world, which led to his parents consulting with psychiatrist Robert Meridian.

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb)) - When Meridian met the young Leighton, he was fascinated by his case and made it his life's mission to help reach and understand the child and his unique abilities.

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb) - BTS) - Leighton was taken from his home into the care of Meridian who spent years developing numerous techniques and methodes of trying to reach him. These inventions helped fund the Meridian Institute in upstate New York where Leighton was housed in a special room isolated from the other patients.

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb) - BTS) - After fifteen years of research, Meridian concluded that Leighton's reality warping abilities were a result of him being a projecting exomorph with mild telepathic abilities. The telepathic link allowed him to draw raw data from the world around him, but because his mind was that of a five year old, he never learned the difference between right and wrong.

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb) - BTS) - Meridian grew ever more fearful of Leighton, unaware that his anxiety was being channeled through the telepathic link the boy had with the outside world. Leighton became pained and tortured by the doctor's fears. As a result, he became nearly catatonic and retreated into the worlds he created in his own mind.

(Spider-Woman III#11 (fb) - BTS) - Leighton kept picking up Meridian's dark emotions, which led to the Institute over time getting clouded with a sense of darkness and despair.

(Spider-Woman III#10 - BTS) - When Mattie Franklin, Jessica Drew and Cassandra Webb visited the Meridian Institute to see if it was a suitable place for Charlotte Witter, Mattie innocently tapped the glass of Leighton's cell. He instantly formed a telepathic bond with the young heroine, drawing on her memories he learned of the existence of superheroes and villains.

(Spider-Woman III#10) - Leighton changed into the Rhino and burst from his cell, eager to experience freedom. Mistaking Leighton for the actual Rhino, Mattie chased after him as Spider-Woman while Leighton, elated and reveling in his newfound power, caused massive destruction. She soon realized something was wrong when 'Rhino' made himself intangible and grew mechanical tentacles reminiscent of Doctor Octopus.

(Spider-Woman III#11) - Realizing she wasn't fighting the true Rhino, Mattie did her best to contain Leighton but grew disgusted when he tried to make a pass at her (see comments).

(Spider-Woman III#11 - BTS) - Madame Web and Jessica Drew meanwhile learned Leighton's origins from Robert Meridian.

(Spider-Woman III#11) - In hopes of trying to defeat Spider-Woman, Leighton began manifesting aspects of other Spider-Man villains like Venom. He was surprised when Madame Web used her telepathy to guide Mattie into Leighton's mind, where she faced him head on. After some initial mishaps, Mattie figured her thoughts could also alter the mindscape and she transformed herself into a giant Japanese fighting robot. The battle ended when Webb gleaned the reality of the situation.

(Spider-Woman III#11 - BTS) - Webb told Jessica Drew to knock out doctor Meridian to stop the constant flow of negative emotions. She then severed that connection and vowed to perform her own brand of psychic"surgery" to make sure Brian Leighton would no longer suffer from his uncontrollable powers.

(Spider-Woman III#11) - As a result of Web's intervention, Brian Leighton reverted to his five year old form. In the aftermath, Mattie and Jessica were saddened by the notion that they all thought Leighton was the villain of the piece while he actually was its greatest victim.

Comments: Created by John Byrne, Erik Larsen, Randy Elliot.

Briain Leighton's story is very reminiscent of Joseph 'Licorice' Calhoun and Skip Collins, men who could alter reality with a mere thought and seemed largely unaware of their influence. Both characters are created by Byrne who apparently had fun exploring the theme. It's also a great excuse to draw whatever you feel like.

So was Leighton a mutant or a mutate? Considering his abilities emerged naturally at a young age it seems logical to label him a mutant. Cassandra Webb might have severed the connection to his powers, but the genetic potential is still there. His status post M-day remains unrevealed.

So a 35 year old man with the mind of a child influenced by the thoughts and feelings of a man in his sixties felt 'certain stirrings' when he looked at 15 year old Mattie Franklin? And by the end of the story he's back to five years again with his memories intact? Oy & urgh.

Not sure the tragic tale of Brian Leighton had to be a two parter, but what is a comic if not a reality subject to the whim of its creator?

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
Brian Leighton has no known connections to

Doctor Robert Meridian

Doctor Robert Meridian was a psychiatrist brought in thirty years ago to consult on the curious case of Brian Leighton, a five year old boy who was able to reshape the world around him, but had trouble connecting with reality. Meridian took Leighton in, studying his case for years and determining he was an exomorph with sufficient telepathic abilities to read the minds of others which in turn added to his array of manifestations. Meridian invented various techniques and mechanisms to reach Brian's mind, which funded his Meridian Institute. He was unaware that Brian was also telepathically reading him, feeding off Meridian's growing fear for his ward. Thirty years later, matters came to ahead when a chance encounter with Madame Web, Jessica Drew and Spider-Woman (Mattie Franklin) at the institute stirred Leighton from his near-catatonic state. Web concluded Meridian's fear focused telepathic connection had been poisoning Leighton's worldview for years. She told Drew to knock Meridian out, allowing her to perform psychic surgery, severing the link between doctor and patient. 

-- Spider-Woman III#10 & 11









Images: (without ads)
Spider-Woman III#11, p12, pan3 (main image)
Spider-Woman III#11, p7, pan6 (as a child)
Spider-Woman III#11, p10, pan3 (hits on Mattie)
Spider-Woman III#11, p7, pan2&3 (Robert Meridian)

Appearances:
Spider-Woman III#10 (April, 2000) - John Byrne (writer), Erik Larsen (pencils), Randy Elliot (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Spider-Woman III#11 (May, 2000) - John Byrne (writer), Bart Sears (pencils), Randy Elliot (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 04/24/2024
Last Updated: 04/24/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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