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BULWARK

Real Name: Oswald Boeglin

Identity/Class: Human mutant, citizen of Germany

Occupation: Terrorist

Group Membership: Emplate's "Hellions" (D.O.A./George Baker, Gayle Edgerton, Emplate/Marius St. Croix, "Mole", Murmur/Allan Rennie, Vincente Cimetta)

Affiliations: Neverland camp internees (Siena Blaze, Diamond Lil/Lilian Crawley, Maggott/Japheth, Random/Marshall Evan Stone III, Reaper/Pantu Hurageb, Dr. Cecilia Reyes, Mr. & Mrs. Taylor, Billy Taylor, Wendy Taylor, Wildside/Richard Gill, other unidentified mutants)

Enemies: Generation X (Banshee/Sean Cassidy, Chamber/Jonothon Starsmore, Husk/Paige Guthrie, Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, M/Claudette & Nicole St. Croix, Penance/Monet St. Croix, Skin/Angelo Espinosa, Synch/Everett Thomas, White Queen/Emma Frost), Leech, Artie Maddicks, Weapon X Program

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
                                  formerly Weapon X's Neverland camp, location unrevealed,
                                  formerly Gayle Edgerton's Estate, United Kingdom,
                                  formerly Germany

First Appearance: Generation X I#12 (February, 1996)

Powers/Abilities: When using his powers, the frail German mutant would shift into a massive, superstrong (class 15, possibly higher) hulking version of himself. Powered up, he was strong enough to burst through concrete walls and sufficiently durable to survive a fight against the superhumanly strong M (Monet St. Croix). Not a native English speaker, Bulwark suffered from poor grammar.

Height: 5'9"; (powered up): 6'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 98 lbs.; (powered up): 450 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History: (Generation X I#13 (fb) - BTS) - Through unrevealed ways, the German mutant Oswald Boeglin encountered the mutant bone marrow craving Emplate. Boeglin was fed on by Emplate and joined him as his accomplice Bulwark.

(Generation X I#11 (fb) - BTS) - Boeglin arrived at Gayle Edgerton's estate which Emplate was temporarily using as his base on Earth. He waited around until the villain had gathered his team and Generation X was in a vulnerable position.

(Generation X I#12) - When Banshee took Generation X on a school trip to Boston, Emplate figured this was the ideal moment to strike. While he went to the Massachusetts Academy to claim Penance, Bulwark followed Skin, who was parking the team's car. As soon as Angelo emerged from the vehicle, Bulwark struck him from behind and knocked the mutant teen out. He returned the unconscious Gen X member to the Academy, where Emplate and his teammates had already delivered and tied up the remaining members of Generation X. A gloating Emplate waited to welcome back the wayward M, who was so stunned to see what had happened in her absence that she was captured within seconds.

(Generation X I#13) - While Emplate gloated about his effortless victory, M managed to escape unseen. Bulwark was sent after her and caught up with M inside the school just as she finished jerry-rigging the Academy's communications system to send out a distress call to the X-Men. Bulwark burst through the walls and attacked M, who wasted no time and landed such a blow that he was slammed into the school's Biosphere training center where their fight continued. M had some qualms about going all out against one of her brother's victims though Bulwark wasn't hindered by any such restrictions. As he was about to hit her with a giant tree trunk, his hulking figure suddenly shrunk as he reverted into his frail, original form. Afraid for his life and thinking Emplate's sister would kill him, Bulwark ran off into the woods, only to encounter the reason for his power loss: the young mutant Leech, who was living in the Biosphere at the time with his friend Artie. Together, they knocked him out.

(Generation X I#14 - BTS) - Skin and Mondo were sent to look for Bulwark, who was still supposed to be in the Biosphere. However, even after checking underground, the two could find hide nor hair of the German mutant (see comments).

(Weapon X II#5) - Bulwark was eventually captured by the Weapon X Program and placed in their Neverland concentration camp along with the likes of Maggott, Siena Blaze, Ape and several other low powered mutants. Bulwark was processed, questioned and genetically tested. When it became clear that he showed insufficient potential, his hand was marked with a red "M" which meant he was scheduled for termination. Not too long after that, Bulwark was seen getting herded into the Neverland gas chambers where he presumably perished (see comments).

Comments: Created by Scott Lobdell (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils) and Mark Buckingham (inks).

The way Bulwark managed to escape Generation X has not been revealed but given the fact that his teammate Murmur was a teleporter it seems rather obvious how he got away.

Bulwark holds the dubious distinction of being the only member of Emplate's team to appear outside of Generation X. Unfortunately for ol' Oswald, it was as a prisoner in the mutant death camp Neverland and it was once again Leech who led to his untimely, fatal defeat. Sometimes you just can't win.

Bulwark's full name was first given in Marvel Atlas I#1.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bulwark should not be confused with


images: (without ads)
Generation X I#13, p8, pan2 (main image)
Generation X I#13, p14, pan4 (loses his powers)
Weapon X I#5, p14, pan6 (in Neverland)


Appearances:
Generation X I#12 (February, 1996) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Mark Buckingham, Mike Sellers, Mark Morales, Al Milgrom, Joe Rubinstein (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Generation X I#13 (March, 1996) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Mark Buckingham (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Generation X I#14 (April, 1996) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Mark Buckingham (inks), Bob Harras (editor)

Weapon X I#5 (March, 2003) - Frank Tieri (writer), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Mike Marts (editor)


First Posted: 07/02/2015
Last updated: 06/09/2015

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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