FRANKLIN RICHARDS (Earth-811)
Real Name: Franklin Benjamin Richards
Identity/Class: Extratemporal (Earth-Days of Future Past/Earth-811) human mutant
Occupation: Adventurer
Group Membership: New Mutants of Earth-Days of Future Past
Affiliations:
(Earth-Days of Future Past): Anti-Sentinel
Resistance, Rachel Summers (Phoenix)
Earth-616: Fantastic Four, X-Factor, New
Mutants
Enemies: (Earth-Days of Future Past): Ahab, Sentinels, the Hounds
Known Relatives: Reed Richards (father, deceased),
Susan Richards (mother, deceased), Jonathan Storm (uncle,
deceased), Nathaniel Richards (grandfather), Franklin Storm (grandfather,
deceased), Evelyn Richards, Mary Storm (grandmothers, deceased),
Benjamin J. Grimm (godfather), Alicia Masters (godmother)
All Earth-Days of Future Past (Assuming the
same relationships as Earth-616, which may not be the case)
Aliases: Frank, Scrapper (nicknamed by Rachel Summers)
Base of Operations: Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York State; Earth-Days of Future Past
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men I#141 (January, 1980)
Powers/Abilities: Franklin Richards possesses vast
psionic powers. This version of Franklin has displayed telepathy,
immensely powerful telekinesis, psionic blasts of great
destructive power, the ability to travel through time, and the
ability to call on his past and future selves to manifest
themselves. He can also presumably teleport over great distances,
as he did to Madripoor. He can essentially reconfigure reality to
match his desires, to a virtually unlimited degree.
Actually most of the powers he demonstrated were after his
body died and he was drawing power from the Franklin Richards of Earth-616 and
his own Rachel Summers/Phoenix. His own
abilities were undefined as he died before demonstrating them. He apparently had
a dreamself power similar to the one his younger Earth-616 counterpart
demonstrated as Tattletale.
History: This version of Franklin Richards comes from
an alternate future known as Earth-Days of Future Past, where the
assassination of Senator Robert Kelly caused the Mutant
Registration Act to be instituted. This led to a future where the
mutant-hunting Sentinel robots controlled the world. (This was
later proven not to be the point of divergence from the normal
timeline, but this was widely believed to be the case--the point
of divergence would be Phoenix actually being Jean Grey (@
Uncanny X-Men#101), surviving the battle against the Imperial
Guard (@ Uncanny X-Men I#137), and mothering Rachel Summers)
(Uncanny X-Men I#141) - Franklin Richards is a mutant, his mutation resulting from the irradiation of his parents, which also gave them their powers (see comments).
(New Mutants Annual#6 (fb) - BTS) - As mutants became increasingly hounded by the authorities, Franklin joined the New Mutants, studying at Xavier's School during his teenage years. Among his fellow students was Rachel Summers, around five years his junior.
(Uncanny X-Men I#141 (fb)) (future timeline)- Sentinels took over North America and superhumans, whether mutant or not, were slaughtered or captured and imprisoned in Concentration Camps. One of the survivors, Franklin was held in the South Bronx Mutant Concentration Camp, alongside other surviving X-Men. He and Rachel, who was now in her late teens, became lovers.
(Uncanny X-Men I#141) (future timeline)- Franklin, Rachel, Magneto, Colossus, Sprite and Storm together formed part of the anti-Sentinel Resistance.
He was present when the decision was made to send Kate Prydes
spirit back through time into her younger self, then a trainee X-Man,
using Rachels psionic powers. Franklin was given
responsibility over deactivating the inhibitor collars, which
would allow each of the mutants to use their mutant powers. After
Kates spirit had been transported through time, the others
made their way to the heart of Manhattan, in hopes of reaching
the Sentinel base. While traveling through a New York subway
tunnel, Franklin heard Sentinels approaching; one of them
incinerated him with its chest blaster, killing him instantly.
His death was not in vain, as it galvanized a vengeful Rachel into
attacking one of the Sentinels with her telekinetic abilities
while Storm, Colossus and Wolverine took down the other.
(Uncanny X-Men Annual#14 (fb) - BTS) - At the moment of his death, Franklin released his dream self, sending it into the past, to a happier time period (in the Earth-616 timeline, presumably drawn by Rachel Summers' presence).
(Fantastic Four Annual#23)- The Fantastic Four, upon returning from a picnic, were startled to find their base Four Freedoms Plaza replaced by their former headquarters, the Baxter Building. Inside they came across past versions of themselves and a fight ensued, which the past FF won with the aid of the building security systems. The past Reed examined the present versions, and learned that (save Ms. Marvel) they were the same as his team. The present Sue claimed that this must be the present since she was holding her son, Franklin. The past Sue revealed her son too, except that to the present team he appeared as an adult. This Franklin tried to convince the present Reed and Sue that he was their son, but they didnt believe him. The argument angered Franklin, and he realized this was not how things should be. He disappeared and Four Freedoms Plaza returned to normal. On the New York streets outside, Forge and Banshee continued to search for the missing X-Men. The adult Franklin appeared and greeted them as his former teachers, but they of course didn’t know what he meant. Confused and angry, Franklin disappeared. They then realized who he was, and decided to visit the Fantastic Four. Inside the building, the Fantastic Four were attacked by hundreds of mechanical drones which had entered through a time warp; they sought Franklin and Sue Richards. When Banshee and Forge arrived, they found a force field blocking the entrance.
(X-Factor Annual#5)- Franklin appeared in
New York City and upon spotting X-Factors Ship decided it
shouldnt be there; he erased it from existence. The
Fantastic Four called on X-Factor for help, explaining that
Franklin had attacked them. Rachel turned up and tried to
apprehend Franklin, but was repelled. Sentinels attacked Franklin
above the Chrysler building, but X-Factor and the Fantastic Four
destroyed them. Ahab and his hounds did battle with the teams, as well as the New Mutants, near the Statue of Liberty. The Human
Torch and Iceman destroyed his gateway, revealing his machinery,
which Cyclops obliterated- this returned Ahab and the hounds to
their own time. Franklin reappeared and, claiming that Christopher
Summers will be a powerful mutant but should not have been born,
took him away.
(New Mutants Annual#6)- Franklin arrived at the demolished
X-Mansion; he was horrified at its state. Remembering his happy times there, he
used his long-dormant reality-altering powers to recreate the mansion as it was
in his future (Earth-Days of Future Past)- this alerted Ahab to his presence,
and he ordered a hound to retrieve him. Meanwhile, the New Mutants of the normal
timeline were training with Cable in the Danger Room, far below
the mansion. Suddenly Franklin and his eras New Mutants,
recreated with the mansion, confronted them. A fight ensued since
the future team believed the New Mutants to be shapeshifters,
assuming their predecessors likenesses. Despite the efforts
of the future Banshee to calm things down, the future New Mutants
insisted on continuing, with Franklin summoning temporal duplicates
to subdue the invaders.
With some peace restored,
Cables team were amazed to find reality changed; Franklin,
however, maintained that they were not meant to be there; his
friends, on the other hand, were real. Wolfsbane realized Franklin was the source of
the illusions; with his confidence shattered, Franklins
recreated team faded away. Enraged, Franklin vanished in a burst
of explosive energy, just as his parents and the real Banshee,
along with the young Franklin of Earth-616, arrived
after tracking him to this location. While Cable and Reed
Richards discussed the situation, Sue detected the approach of
hundreds of mechanical drones. The hound sent to apprehend
Franklin was drawn into battle with the superheroes, and in the
confusion grabbed the younger Franklin. After dispatching Wolfsbane, he himself was thwarted by Rictor. Their questioning was
cut short when Ahab himself appeared, incinerating the hound
with a harpoon to prevent him from revealing any of his plans,
before vanishing as swiftly as he came. After repairing their
craft, the group located Ahabs base and set off.
The adult
Franklin, meanwhile, had arrived at the American Museum of
Natural History, where he again warped reality to reflect his
youth- Rachel Summers, in her 8-year-old incarnation, appeared.
Franklin represented himself as he used to be, a 13-year-old boy.
When Ahabs Sentinel tore the roof off, Franklin was so
absorbed in his recreation that he failed to notice its presence;
it blasted at the pair, but it passed harmlessly through them and
burned the floor below. The two hounds decided Franklin was the only
one to concern them. At that moment, the Richards family and the
New Mutants arrived, having tracked Franklins power
signature, and battled the Sentinels and hounds. Franklin was
alerted when a hound was thrown right through his body; his
attention diverted, Rachel faded from existence. Infuriated by
the interruption, the adult Franklin obliterated the Sentinels
and hounds; this horrified the younger Franklin, who understood
the destruction his powers could potentially cause. The adult
Franklin surveyed the destruction and considered the loss of his
younger selfs innocence. When he approached, the boy was
afraid; the adult Franklin told him his powers were dangerous and
together they sealed them away. Reed asked him to return his sons
powers so they could stop the Sentinels of the future; the adult
Franklin told him this was impossible, since both versions of
himself locked the power away.
(Uncanny X-Men Annual#14) - Franklin appeared to Rachel Summers, who had just foiled a robbery at a fast food joint. She asked why he was avoiding her; he explained that he had wanted to avoid more fighting. Rachel had difficulty believing him to be the real Franklin; he told her to scan his thoughts, but she said he could be hiding anything. They kissed, with the Phoenixs flames lighting the sky. A short time later, Franklin apologized to the assembled X-Factor and Fantastic Four for getting a little scrambled by the time travel. Cyclops, understandably, demanded his son back; Franklin altered his parents thoughts so they told him how happy and proud they were of him. The rest of the Fantastic Four noticed this, but Ben Grimm told them to let the scene play out. Franklin had seemingly affected Jean and Scott Summers as well, since they had forgotten all about Chris, and were more interested in Rachel. Franklin and Rachel departed in a sheath of flames, leaving Ben Grimm to wonder how the adult Franklin could travel through time and change reality, since he had just helped to seal his younger selfs powers away.
(Uncanny X-Men Annual#14/ 2) - Wolverine, Psylocke and Jubilee were in Madripoor, with the youngster performing shows with her fireworks for a crowd. The adult Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers appeared, addressing him familiarly. Psylocke tried to telepathically scan them, but they were shielded. At this Rachel remembered when Wolverine had stabbed her when she was going to kill the Black Queen. Wolverine told her that the more powerful you are, the more necessary limits become. She became angry, saying that those who use their powers for evil have no such restraint. Jubilee and Psylocke tried to calm her down, but Franklin removed them from reality since he didnt recognize them. Wolverine took exception to this, but Franklin told him that he could make everyone happy with his powers. Wolverine tried to impress upon him the importance of human life, and how important it is to follow noble motives with such great power. Franklin asked what would happen if he made the wrong choice; Wolverine admitted that he wouldnt be able to stop him anyway. Rachel begged him to return the two women, and he did so, as Rachels brother appeared in her arms. The two left, with Franklin promising to think about what he learned.
(Uncanny X-Men Annual#14) - At the Fantastic Fours
headquarters, Cable gave a briefing on their run-in with
Franklin, but Storm realized that this Franklin must be an
impostor, since he was killed in the future. Meanwhile, Ahab
captured Cyclops and the Invisible Woman on the roof. At his
base, he transformed them into hounds, and attacked Franklin,
Rachel and Chris at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. They were
apprehended, and Ahab taunted Rachel, but the New Mutants, X-Factor,
and Fantastic Four burst into the base and began to battle the
hounds. Cable was
defeated with the others when Ahab activated a field to
incapacitate them. Franklin was the only one unharmed, and using
his powers he destroyed the machine. Ahab then teleported away, leaving the
heroes to wonder how to reverse the hound process and return
Cyclops and the Invisible Woman to normal. Rachel and the young
Franklin were unconscious, and the group returned to Four Freedoms
Plaza to try and reverse the hound procedure.
Storm confronted the
adult Franklin- through Kitty Pryde and Rachel, she remembered his
death at the hands of the Sentinels. However, to exist he was
using energies from both his younger self and Rachel; eventually
they would be totally depleted. Franklin agreed to sacrifice his
happiness for the greater good, and the combination of his
energies and those of Rachel altered reality so that Cyclops, Sue
Richards and the young Franklin were fully restored. The discorporation of the
adult Franklin transferred the energy back to his younger self. Rachel appeared
in her hound outfit; she wondered if this meant that nothing has changed, and
all their sacrifice had been for nothing. She flew off, leaving the others to
contemplate the future.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin.
Anything occurring before the point of divergence of Earth-Days of Future Past is beyond the scope of this profile.
The New Mutants of the DoFP timeline
are referred to as 2013 because they are shown an
unspecified time before the Sentinels truly gain control of the
mutant situation in 2013 AD; this explains why the Xavier School has
students (see NM Ann.#6). The narration in New Mutants Annual#6
states He remembers his adolescence
when mutants were
hounded
but not yet hunted to near extinction (no, those bad
times came later
) These bad times are
seen in Uncanny X-Men#141, with mutants in concentration camps,
and the year is given as 2013. Therefore the New Mutant team of
Franklins youth cannot be of 2017 as some other
sources state. All of them, except Franklin and Rachel are
presumably deceased or incarcerated in another camp before the
events of Uncanny X-Men#141.
The dates are probably moot/topical,
as the story was originally meant to occur some 32 years after
the assassination of Kelly, which was written in 1981, but slides
forward so that it was maybe 3-4 years in the past. Alternatively, it may be
that in Earth-Days of Future Past, the assassination of Kelly
actually did occur @ 1981, meaning that that reality does not
have a sliding time scale, like Earth-616.
--Snood.
The second story in
Uncanny X-Men Annual#14 is somewhat vague in terms of when it
actually takes place; since Franklin and Rachel appeared, and Chris
Summers was with them, it is safe to assume that at some point
prior to their capture in Prospect Park (in the first story) they
traveled across the world to visit Wolverine. At the end, Rachel
mentioned going to find Scott and the others to tell them that his
son is okay; presumably, then, this must be after Franklin takes
him away at the end of X-Factor Annual#5. Possibly the story
could take place between X-Factor Annual#5 and the first story
in Uncanny X-Men Annual#14.
I put it in mid-story of UXM Annual#14, but that may not be
right--Snood.
Before anyone asks how we know that Rachel and Franklin weren't a couple prior to being in the camps, we don't for sure - however, since we have a flashback showing when Rachel fell into Ahab's hands and that depicts her as very young teens, and since Franklin is depicted as being 13 when Rachel is 8 in New Mutants Annual #6, I'd have to hope that Franklin didn't try to emulate Colossus and Kitty's dubious school romance, and that nothing developed between them until she was a bit older.
--Loki
In at least one alternate future, Earth-967, Franklin survived the Sentinel Mutant Concentration Camp; in that reality, he and Rachel went on to father Jonathon Reed Richards...Hyperstorm.
Clarifications:
Franklin Richards (Earth-Days of
Future Past) is not to be confused with:
-
His Earth-616 counterpart, or of any other alternate Earths
New Mutants (Earth-Days
of Future Past)
These mutants
are recreated along with Xaviers Mansion in New Mutants
Annual#6 by Franklin Richards. They are also seen in Uncanny X-Men
Annual#14 during Cables briefing (page 17, panel 2). The
group numbered 6 (including Franklin) in total; all except one
were named.
Rachel Summers: with not a trace
of the Phoenix Force in sight, Rachel was still powerful enough
to telekinetically throw and hold the entire New Mutant team
against the Danger Room wall, although it was allegedly difficult
for her to do so.
Magus: Doug Ramsey,
infected by the Transmode Virus and quite insane. Possesses all
of Warlocks technomorphic capabilities.
Blue: obviously intended to be
Nightcrawlers daughter; she possesses a similar, but more
powerful, teleportation ability.
Blaze: carries a sword that
separates into a bow to launch energy arrows. He rides on a
hovercraft of some kind.
?: this unnamed mutant would
most likely possess the standard powers of someone of his stature:
super-strength, resistance to injury, etc. He also carries a huge
cudgel.
images
New Mutants Annual#6, Cover (main image)
New Mutants Annual#6, p5, pan3 (headshot)
New Mutants Annual#6, p10, pan1 (bodyshot)
New Mutants Annual#6, p16, pan5 (replication power)
Uncanny X-Men I#141, p15, pan4-5 (death)
New Mutants Annual#6, p15, pan5 (New Mutants DoFP)
Appearances:
Uncanny X-Men I#141 (Jan, 1980) - Chris Claremont (plot/writer), John Byrne (plot/pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Louise Jones (editor)
Fantastic Four Annual#23 (1990) - Walter Simonson & Bob Harras (writers), Jackson Guice (pencils), Geof Isherwood (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
X-Factor Annual#5 (1990) - Louise Simonson (writer), Jon Bogdanove (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
New Mutants Annual#6 (1990) - Louise Simonson (writer), Terry Shoemaker & Chris Wozniak (pencils), Scott Williams, Al Milgrom, Art Thibert & Harry Candelario (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men Annual#14 (1990) - Chris Claremont (writer), Art Adams (pencils), Dan Green, Bob Wiacek, Al Milgrom, Art Thibert & Steve Moncuse (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men Annual#14/2 (1990) - Chris Claremont (writer), Mark Heike (pencils), Geof Isherwood (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
First Posted: 09/30/2004
Last updated: 12/08/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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