BEACON
BEACON
Real Name: Derrick Beacon
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Montclair High School football team
Affiliations: The X-Men (Bishop/Lucas Bishop, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Iceman/Bobby Drake, Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, Rogue/Anna Marie); formerly Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex)
Enemies: Mister Sinister; formerly X-Men
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Sugah" (nickname from Rogue), "Young Man" (nickname from Cyclops)
Base of Operations: Dallas, Texas, USA
First Appearance: X-Men Creators' Choice I#1 (December, 1993)
Powers/Abilities: Derrick Beacon could
generate bio-centric energy gels from his body, often in the form of
small energy globules that could imprison others. He could generate
small spheres capable of cutting off the airways of a person or larger,
more durable gels capable of holding prisoner even mutants such as the
X-Men.
Height: 6'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed (see comments); glowing white when using powers
Hair: Shaved bald
History:
(X-Men Creators' Choice I#2) - Mister Sinister found the young mutant
Derrick Beacon, whose powers had just begun to develop, ostracizing him
from his friends and classmates. Preying on Beacon's fears that mutants
were bad, Sinister convinced Beacon to use his mutant powers to lure
the X-Men into Sinister's grasp as part of Sinister's plan to "convince
the X-Men of the error of their ways."
(X-Men Creators' Choice I#1) - Drawn to the presence of an emerging mutant thanks to the Cerebro computer, the X-Men arrived at Montclair High School in Dallas, Texas, where the teenage Derrick Beacon's mutant powers were out of control and cutting off the airways of various bystanders. The X-Men quickly jumped into action to rescue the civilians while the panicked Beacon introduced himself and announced that something out of his control was happening to his body. While destroying some of Beacon's energy globules, Cyclops explained that Beacon was not alone in his lack of control, revealing that it had taken Cyclops years to control his own mutant optic blasts. Bishop then explained that the X-Men had been founded to provide a safe haven for mutants but Beacon exclaimed his thoughts that mutants were bad. Rogue quickly replied that Beacon was no doubt taught that by a bigot and that there was nothing bad about being who he was. As Beacon's powers continued uncontrolled, Gambit got Jubilee to safety while Iceman covered Beacon in an ice sheath to allow Bishop to absorb all of the leftover energy globes. Beacon then asked Bishop why the X-Men fought to protect a world that feared and hated him and Bishop began to explain that, by working together with humans, mutants could create a better world for everyone. Mister Sinister then appeared and warned Beacon not to listen to the X-Men, as they were fools and would fill his head with dreams. Realizing that Sinister must have been playing on Beacon's confusion to work Beacon into the frenzy he was in when the X-Men had found him. Cyclops ordered the X-Men to get Beacon out of harm's way but they were too late to avoid being blasted by Mister Sinister. Standing over the unconscious X-Men, Mister Sinister told Beacon to look closely at the fate of those who challenge Sinister, unaware that Jubilee was still in hiding.
(X-Men Creators' Choice I#2) - As the X-Men regained
consciousness, Sinister had Beacon envelope the heroes in large energy
cocoons to keep them at bay. The X-Men argued with Mister Sinister on
his methods and his plan while Jubilee confronted Beacon personally,
revealing the X-Men's plan to distract Sinister long enough for Jubilee
to help. Confused as to why the X-Men would put up with the pain
Sinister was subjecting him to when it would be easier just to join
Sinister, Beacon learned that the X-Men were taught that being a mutant
was something to celebrate not something to be ashamed of. Derrick then
explained that his friends and classmates hated him for what he had
become but Jubilee reminded Beacon that they weren't very good friends
to begin with. Jubilee then announced that she planned to help her
X-Men friends with or without Beacon's assistance and shortly after
jumped into battle against Mister Sinister. Beacon accompanied Jubilee
but both were swatted aside with ease by the villain. With Beacon's
attention focused on Sinister, the X-Men were freed from the energy
cocoons and united in an attack on Sinister. Realizing he couldn't
defeat the combined X-Men as well as Beacon, Mister Sinister teleported
away, warning that the X-Men would one day learn the truth about their
dream of peaceful coexistence with humans. With Sinister gone, the
X-Men returned to their original plan of helping Beacon deal with his
mutant powers but Beacon explained that they had already helped more
than enough through their example. Having learned that mutants don't
have to only look out for themselves, Beacon declined Gambit's offer to
join Xavier's School in New York so that he could focus on finishing
high school and possibly go to college. Cyclops then shook hands with
Beacon, telling him that everyone was entitled to their own decisions
and reminded Beacon that no matter what he did in the future, the X-Men
were always looking for another good mutant.
Comments: Created by Scott Lobdell, Alex Saviuk and Greg Adams.
The X-Men Creators' Choice comics were given out
along with VHS tapes of the first four episodes of the X-Men animated
series as part of a 1993 promotion with Pizza Hut restaurants. The VHS
tapes, while including 2 episodes of the cartoon each, also included
video of interviews between the X-Men's top creators at that point
including Scott Lobdell and Stan Lee, and also came packaged with a
trading card.
Wow...it just occurred to me that Beacon appeared in an X-Men comic circa 1993 that DIDN'T star Wolverine OR Storm, easily the two most recognizable X-Men at the time. That seems strange that Pizza Hut would commission the promotional comics to go along with the X-Men animated series VHS tape promotion and not insist on including the most recognizable X-Men. Oh well, it was still a fun story without them.
Due to the small size of the comics, Beacon's eye color is nearly impossible to determine as he is often seen at a distance. When shown closeup, his eyes were either glowing white or colored too dark to determine. If I were to wage a guess, I'd go with brown eyes.
I'd love to see some writer bring Beacon back. With
all of the mutants running around the Jean Grey School, he'd be perfect
as one of the teachers...
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Beacon has no KNOWN connections to:
images: (without ads)
X-Men Creators' Choice I#1, p2-3, splash page (Beacon, main image)
X-Men Creators' Choice I#2, p5, pan2 (Beacon headshot)
Appearances:
X-Men Creators' Choice I#1 (December, 1993) - Scott Lobdell (writer),
Alex Saviuk (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Glenn Herdling (editor)
X-Men Creators' Choice I#2 (December, 1993) - Scott Lobdell (writer),
Ron Lim (pencils), Bill Anderson (inks), Glenn Herdling (editor)
Last updated: 06/22/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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