BEANPOLE
Real Name: Mike Galbraith
Identity/Class: Human mutant;
see comments
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Xavier Institute student body
Affiliations: Chlorites, Diascar race, Flasher (Kristin Koenig), Harry Mills, Papillon (Sarah Allaire), Seden Karm (aka "John Chang"), Visionary (Meena Banerjee), Todd Watkins, Charles Xavier, X-Men (most notably Beast/Hank McCoy, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Kitty Pryde, Rogue/Anna Marie, Wolverine/James Howlett/Logan)
Enemies: Henry Peter Gyrich, Lash (James Wheaton), Sentinels;
formerly Valerie Cooper, Diascar race (esp. Poratine & Taforne), Imperial Guard (Astra, Blackthorn, Flashfire, Magique, Manta, Nightside, N'rill'iree, Smasher/Vril Rokk), "Crush" Russell, Todd Watkins
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Peeping Tom" (nickname from Rogue)
Base of Operations: Last seen at the Xavier Institute, West Chester, New York
First Appearance: X-Men: Watchers on the Walls (May, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: Beanpole could stretch his neck and limbs a few feet. When last seen, he could not stretch and contort himself like Mr. Fantastic, but he could gain advantages in combat due to greater armspan, striking others from a distance or achieving leverage. He could also run at great speed via extending his legs.
It is likely that with training and experience he could demonstrate greater abilities.
Height: 8' (variable)
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 220-250 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed
History:
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls:
Chapter Seven: Ex Cathedra (fb) - BTS) - Beanpole listened alongside his fellow students to a press conference led by Val
Cooper, the US secretary of defense, the UN secretary-general, and
Poratine of the Diascar discussing the Chlorite threat and their plans
to test all non-human mutates in hopes of exposing the aliens as
quickly as possible.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter Seven: Ex Cathedra) - After Papillon (Sarah Allaine) noted that she had heard the X-Men talking about the Chlorites, and that she believed the Chlorites were real, Beanpole argued that this didn't mean they were as dangerous as the Diascar said they were.
When John noted that they would be fine as long as they passed the tests, Harry argued that the government would likely place trackers within any identification bracelets they would place on confirmed human mutants. Mike asked Harry what he was talking about, and Harry told him there were always tracker chips with the government. Beanpole argued that Harry had been talking about the aliens taking over before, but Harry contended that it was the same thing: The aliens would influence the government.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 19: Extracurricular) - Meena had frightening visions of Sentinels attacking the Xavier Institute, and the other students appreciated that this was likely due to the presence of "John Chang." When James "Lash" Wheaton argued that the Sentinels were protecting them from the Chlorites, Mike suggested he ask the innocent mutants arrested how they felt about this. As James prepared to call the government to inform them of the hidden Chlorite in hopes of ensuring the government would spare him from Sentinel assault, Harry and Meena distracted him, while Beanpole picked his pocket and took his phone. Ultimately Sarah convinced Wheaton to call off the attack and talk it out with her over dinner.
However, after Wheaton left, Beanpole agreed with Harry, Meena, and Kris that Wheaton would likely try to call again, and they needed to get "John" off of grounds and into another hiding place. Overhearing the students, Rogue agreed to help them.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 19: Extracurricular - BTS) - However, this plan frightened Todd Watson sufficiently that he instead contacted the government and revealed the existence of "John" as a Chlorite hidden on Xavier Institute grounds. Henry Gyrich informed Poratine, leading her to coordinate a Diascar-Sentinel-Imperial Guard assault on the Xavier Institute, which Gyrich hoped would eliminate Xavier's organization for good.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 20: Extraction) - Mike -- along with Sarah, Meena, Kristin, and Harry -- followed Rogue to the Danger Room, during which they encountered a suspicious but sympathetic Nightcrawler who let them continue. After the group had practiced sufficiently to allow Harry to program the room to show them practicing in a pattern in dynamic simulations they -- minus Harry, who occupied Hank McCoy with science questions -- continued to John's cell. En route, Mike stretched his hand up behind each security camera, disconnecting it long enough for everyone to rush past, and then plugged it back in again.
When Mike tried to peek over Sarah's wings to see Kristin with her clothes invisible after she extended her invisibility field to hide John, Rogue caught him and cowed him with a glare. Mike repeated his security camera manipulations as they departed the mansion with John. Later, when they entered an elevator, Mike apologetically gave Kristin his jacket. As they passed by Beast's office, Mike briefly lagged behind as he wanted to hear the information for his mid-terms.
As they prepared to take John to a secret location, they were confronted by the senior X-Men, as Wolverine had sensed Kristin's invisibility field having been off somewhat. Ultimately, however, all of X-Men ultimately agreed to protect John and seek a peaceful resolution with the Chlorites.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 21: Extermination (fb) - BTS) - Frustrated with the Sentinels' repeated questions about reclassifying specific beings as threats, Gyrich told them to reassess all status assignments as the situation warrants, unwittingly neutralizing much of the controls the Diascar had programmed into the Sentinels.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 21: Extermination) - As the X-Men rushed back to the mansion, Cyclops instructed the students who had freed John to hide and watch over him; John was surprised and impressed that they would protect him. When Papillon and Beanpole offered to help defend the mansion, Cyclops agreed and instructed Meena to stay with John; Sarah took to the air, and and Beanpole stretched his legs to run at maximum speed.
When the Sentinels threatened to overwhelm the X-Men, Beanpole fought back, including launching a javelin into a Sentinel's eye.
Many students joined the fight against the Sentinels, while others, including Lash, lined up alongside the Sentinels. Calling the others traitors to humanity, Lash fired energy tendrils at Beanpole.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 21: Extermination - BTS) - The Sentinels progressively reclassified the Imperial Guard and the US troops as threats when they tried to prevent the Sentinels from slaying mutants who had previously been trying to aid the Sentinels (as they wanted to be rid of the Chlorite). As a result, all forces temporarily united to take out the Sentinels.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 22: Deus ex Meena (fb) - BTS) - Diascar defense leader Taforne's forces captured "John Chang" and Meena in the woods behind the Xavier mansion. They transported the pair to Poratine's command ship for quarantine.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 22: Deus ex Meena) - After Poratine revealed John and Meena's capture, Beanpole, Kristin, Papillon, and Harry, at least, stepped forward and announced they had also helped John and should be arrested, too. Beast then explained how Meena could locate a reality where Chlorites were the dominant lifeform, after which they could access that reality and send the Chlorites there to live in peace.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 23: Exeunt Omnes (fb) - BTS) - As planned, Meena located Reality-62342, which fit their goals. Rogue absorbed Meena and Nightcrawler's powers and transported to Earth-62342 while being scanned by the Shi'ar stargate generator. A portal to that world was then opened.
(X-Men:
Watchers on the Walls:
Chapter 23: Exeunt Omnes (fb) - BTS) - Seden Karm (the real name of the the friend they had known as John
Chang) said his goodbyes to Harry, Kris, Mike, and Sarah, at least.
Those students were the toast of the Xavier Institute for their roles
in saving the day from the Sentinels and their courage in daring to
look for a peaceful solution.
Mike and the others had a good laugh when Seden noted that he thought they would have called him
Bigfoot-in-Mouth...the first joke they
recalled "John" telling.
(X-Men: Watchers on the Walls: Chapter 23: Exeunt Omnes - BTS) - Seden Karm, Dr. McCoy, and the Diascar confirmed Earth-62342 as the world they had sought, and John adopted the mission to locate the rest of the Chlorites in the galaxy and convince them relocate to Earth-62342.
Comments: Created by Christopher L. Bennett.
The status of Beanpole and the rest of the mutants introduced in this series post M-Day is unrevealed.
No images of Mike exist. There is not a single picture in the whole story.
Each of the chapters in Watchers on the Walls had an "X" or "Ex" title. An exordium is an introduction; ex silentio means not only "from silence," but also "for lack of contrary evidence"; exigency means "emergency"; ex cathedra means "by virtue of office or authority"; an exclosure is an area fenced off to prevent intrusion; exequies are funeral rites; exitus acta probat means "the outcome justifies the deed"; an excursus is a digression or sidebar; and exeunt omnes is a stage direction that means "they all exit."
"Deus ex Meena" is obviously a play on "Deus ex Machina," originally
used to describe mechanical devices used to simulate godly powers in
Greek tragedies and later used to mean simply a plot device whereby a
seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly abruptly resolved by the
intervention of some event, character, etc.
Great story. You can buy it on Amazon, etc. for a few dollars. I would love to see it adapted to the comics and get some visuals on all of the cool characters introduced in this book.
A few unidentified mutants in the same class as Mike's included one who could levitate, another who could weave electricity between his or her fingers, and another who could chameleon-blend with the wallpaper.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Beanpole should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
NONE!!!
Appearances:
X-Men: Watchers on the Walls (May, 2006) - Christopher L. Bennett (writer)
Last updated: 08/18/17
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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