ANGUS MACWHIRTER
Real Name: Angus MacWhirter
Identity/Class: Normal human (UK citizen)
Occupation: Boat Rental shop proprietor
Group Membership: None
Affiliations:
Edward, Mr. Stu'rt;
formerly Moira MacTaggert
Enemies: Mutant X (Kevin MacTaggert), Reverend Craig, X-Men (Banshee/Sean Cassidy, Colossus/Piotr Rasputin, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Wolverine/Logan/James Howlett), Magneto (Max Eisenhardt)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK
First Appearance: X-Men I#104 (April, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: Angus MacWhirter was a reasonably skilled sailor and had a passable understanding of electronics.
History: (X-Men I#104 (fb) - BTS) - Angus MacWhirter lived in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the islands of Scotland's Outer Hebrides, making a living renting out his hovercraft (and other boats?). Since Stornoway was the largest town in the islands, MacWhirter sometimes hired his craft out to people who lived on more remote islands inaccessible through public transport, such as Moira MacTaggert, who ran a research facility on Muir Island.
(Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb) - BTS) - At some point MacWhirter got a gold tooth filling.
(Cable II#-1 (fb) - BTS) - When a time-jumping Cable (Nathan Summers) arrived in Stornoway, Reverend Craig began to whip up local hysteria against the newcomer, dubbing him "the Devil's herald!" Angus MacWhirter telephoned Moira MacTaggert on Muir Island to tell her that trouble was brewing.
(Cable II#-1 (fb)) - When Moira arrived on Lewis with young
Rahne Sinclair in tow, MacWhirter informed them of what Reverend Craig was
doing.
(X-Men I#104 (fb) - BTS) - Stuck in New York City looking after the hospitalized
Jean Grey, Moira MacTaggert became concerned when she tried unsuccessfully
contact Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man), who she had left taking care of her
Muir Island facility. She called the X-Men, then visiting Banshee's ancestral
home in Ireland, and asked them to check in on Jamie, fearing he'd had an
accident. To facilitate their getting to Muir, she contacted Angus MacWhirter
to rent out his hovercraft. He signed a contract and took payment for this
service.
(X-Men I#104) - When the X-Men arrived in costume, MacWhirter argued with Banshee, refusing to let the X-Men take his boat out of Stornoway Harbour, insisting that his contract was with Dr. Moira MacTaggert of Edinburgh University, not a bunch of freaks. He added that the payment was forfeit, as penalty for tying up his hovercraft with a fraudulent reservation. Thinking he had won the argument, MacWhirter gloatingly told the X-Men to get off his dock, but Colossus gloweringly pointed out that if MacWhirter was going to keep their money, then it was only fair that the X-Men keep the hovercraft. The Russian mutant then lifted MacWhirter off the ground, hung him from a protrusion on a nearby post, and pulled his cap down over his face. As the X-Men departed in the hovercraft, MacWhirter angrily and futilely shook his fists at them.
MacWhirter never saw his boat again; as the X-Men approached Muir Island, the metal boat was ripped to shreds by their old enemy Magneto, who was waiting to ambush them.
(Uncanny X-Men I#119) - MacWhirter nursed a growing grudge against
the X-Men and all associated with them for the destruction of his hovercraft,
despite being fully compensated for it. On the evening of Christmas Day,
when he knew Moira and what he believed were all the other inhabitants of
Muir Island were away for the holidays, MacWhirter visited the island and
broke into the research facility, intending to place explosives to destroy
it. However, he had not reckoned with Mutant X, Moira's mutant son Kevin
MacTaggert, who had been imprisoned on the island while his mother had tried
to figure out a way to prevent Kevin's own powers from consuming Kevin's
body. The fight between Magneto and the X-Men had damaged Kevin's cell, and
he had broken free after everyone else had departed. His body had almost
been destroyed in the interim, and he was clinging to life when MacWhirter
arrived. Ravenous, he attacked the terrified man, who didn't even have time
to scream.
(Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb) ) - Mutant X's living energy entered MacWhirter's body, abandoning his own mummified body. He stole MacWhirter's body, absorbing his victim's memories.
(Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb) - BTS) - Since Mutant X found metal anathema to his energy field, he pulled out MacWhirter's gold tooth, dropping it on the floor near his cell.
(Uncanny X-Men I#128) - Using MacWhirter's electronic skills, he reprogrammed the lab's main computer to show his cell as still being sealed, hiding his escape.
(Uncanny X-Men I#122) - Noting MacWhirter had not been seen since Christmas Day, a couple of Stornoway's other residents (Mr. Stu'rt and Edward) informed the police that he was missing. At the same time, Moira MacTaggert returned to Muir Island, accompanied by Phoenix (the Phoenix Force disguised as Jean Grey), Multiple Man, Havok (Alex Summers) and Polaris (Lorna Dane).
(Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb)) - Before Mutant X could depart the
island, Moira and her friends arrived. He decided to feed again before leaving,
picking the most powerful "mutant" present, Phoenix.
(Uncanny X-Men I#125) - Mutant X watched as Moira tested Phoenix's powers. Though hungry, he elected to put off his attack until his mother was not present, not wanting her to know he had broken free. However, Moira subsequently found Angus' abandoned tooth, prompting her to check Kevin's cell and find his withered remains. Meanwhile Mutant X attacked Phoenix, intending to steal her form.
(Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb)) - Despite taking Phoenix by surprise, Mutant X found his nascent powers no match for Phoenix, and he barely escaped with his life.
(Uncanny X-Men I#125) - Switching targets, he went after Lorna Dane, attacking her while she was on the telephone to the X-Men.
(Uncanny X-Men I#126 (fb)) - Lorna fired a magnetic bolt at Mutant X, incidentally frying all the lights in the complex. Hearing Lorna's scream, one of Madrox's duplicates ran to her aid.
(Uncanny X-Men I#126 (fb) - BTS/Uncanny X-Men I#128 (fb)) - Mutant X
stole the body of Madrox's duplicate, leaving behind MacWhirter's mummified
corpse.
(Uncanny X-Men I#126) - Arriving on Muir Island, the X-Men found MacWhirter's remains, identifying him via his wallet's contents.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Sam Grainger.
Magneto is not really an enemy of MacWhirter; I doubt the former was even aware the latter existed. However, he was responsible for destroying MacWhirter's boat, so even if MacWhirter unfairly transferred the blame to the X-Men, I figure Magneto should be listed for completeness' sake. Likewise, Mutant X and MacWhirter bore no malice towards one another - the former viewed the latter merely as sustenance, and the latter didn't have time to develop any personal feelings towards the former apart from a brief instance of abject terror. However, while not enemies in the formal sense, I don't think you can consider anyone who devours your soul and steals your body as a friend. Note that Kevin MacTaggert was still called Mutant X when he slew MacWhirter; he didn't take up his better known alias of Proteus until after he'd moved on to another host body.
Calling in Moira to deal with Reverend Craig's rabble rousing in Cable II#-1 suggests MacWhirter was, at that time, on reasonable terms with Moira and not a fan of the bible-thumping minister.
When MacWhirter was hanging from the wall (maybe from a hook or the guttering - it's not entirely clear), he had cash falling out his coat. Plainly it is meant to represent the boat payment, but he'd already taken payment before he'd seen the X-Men, which means Moira, in NYC, couldn't have paid in cash; maybe this is his own money, but more likely the X-Men, now intending to keep the boat, stuffed additional cash into MacWhirter's coat.
Arguably, MacWhirter doesn't appear in any of the issues subsequent to Uncanny X-Men I#119; thereafter it is Mutant X wearing Angus' body. However, later Proteus stories suggest that the original owners of the bodies remain alive but trapped within the captured body until Proteus has finished consuming their body's life force, so in a sense Angus was present until Mutant X took his next host. Even Mutant X isn't present in #122, but since it was that issue that Angus' disappearance was noticed, I felt it should also be listed.
Profile by Loki.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Angus MacWhirter has no known connections to
Mr. Stu'rt has no known connections to
Edward has no known connections to
(X-Men I#104) - Clearly disconcerted by the presence of costumed mutants at Angus MacWhirter's Boat Rental, Mr. Stu'rt and Edward hurried away. When Nightcrawler cheerily wished them "Gutten Morgen", Mr. Stu'rt advised his scared companion to "ignore the Deutsche beastie"and "keep yuir eyes front and keep walkin' as if nowt was happening." Clearly more scared than his friend, commented fearfully about Nightcrawler's inhuman features.
(Uncanny X-Men I#122) - With no one having seen MacWhirter since Christmas Day, Mr. Stu'rt and Edward went to Stornoway's harbour to look for missing boat man. Finding no sign of Angus, Edward wondered if something might have happened to him. Mr. Stu'rt replied that he was unsure, but decided they should inform the police, just in case.
Notes: Edward is the bearded guy in the woolen cap on right of picture, while Mr. Stu'rt is (in both of the two panels he appears in) wearing a green cap, smoking a pipe, and has a distinctive moustache. I'm only aware of them making two appearances, but it is conceivable that they might have made other cameos when X-Men or New Mutants visited Stornoway in other stories; if anyone spots them again, please let us know so we can update this entry!
Their exact relationship to MacWhirter isn't established; probably they are friends of his, but they could be employees, business partners, or just acquaintances (MacWhirter comes across as a hard man to be friends with) who are nevertheless civic minded enough to feel the need to check on him when he went missing.
Edward isn't named until Uncanny X-Men I#122. In #104 he's only seen from the nose up, but the matching wooly hat Edward is wearing and the company he is keeping in #122 marks him as the same individual. The X-Men Index confirms this. Similarly, Edward calls his friend "Mr. Stu'rt", but the missing letter is down to Edward's Scottish accent, not a bizarre spelling variation, and the Index confirms the proper spelling to be Mr. Stuart.
--X-Men I#104 (X-Men I#104, Uncanny X-Men I#122
images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men I#119, p17, pan3 (main image)
X-Men I#104, p1, pan1 (full body, arguing with Banshee)
Uncanny X-Men I#128, p4, pan5 & 6 (Mutant X stalks MacWhirter, then
usurps his body)
Uncanny X-Men I#128, p5, pan2 (Mutant X in MacWhirter's dying body, attacking
Phoenix)
Uncanny X-Men I#126, p4, pan2 (MacWhirter's corpse)
Uncanny X-Men I#122, p7, pan6 (Mr Stu'rt and Edward)
Appearances:
X-Men I#104 (April, 1977) - Chris Claremont (writer), Dave Cockrum (pencils), Sam Grainger (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#119 (March 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne
(pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#122 (June 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer, co-plotter),
John Byrne (breakdowns, co-plotter), Terry Austin (finished art), Roger Stern
(editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#125 (September 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne
(pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#126 (October 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne
(pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#128 (March 1979) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne
(pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Cable II#-1 (July 1997) - James Robinson (writer), Ladronn (pencils), Juan
Vlasco (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Last updated: 08/21/13
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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