BOOK
Earth-928, circa 2099 A.D.
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Head of the Archive in Halo City; former prisoner of the Quetzalcoatl Corporation
Group Membership: None;
formerly Quetzalcoatl Corporation (Javier Belize, unrevealed others)
Affiliations: Darkson (Joachim Eduardo Vasquez), Vulcann the Bloodsmith, X-Men (Bloodhawk/Lemuel Krug, Krystalin/Ruth Porter-Ogada, La Lunatica, Meanstreak/Henri Huang, Sham/Diamonda LaSalle, Skullfire/Timothy Fitzgerald)
Enemies: Javier Belize
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Halo City's mutants Savant
Base of Operations: The Archive, Halo City
formerly Quetzalcoatl Corporation, Tula de Allende, Hidalgo, Mexico
formerly Kingston (possibly Place of Birth)
First Appearance: X-Men 2099#31 (April, 1996)
Powers/Abilities: Book was a mutant who possessed great intellect and a photographic memory, able to analyze large amounts of data and discover subtle connections. By analyzing disparate data he was able to accurately predict everything from market fluctuations to political coups. His mutation turned his body massive and rocklike, making him so heavy he couldn't even support his own mass. While he was a prisoner of the Quetzalcoatl Corporation, Book lived in a room with zero-gravity, the same technique was used when he moved to the Archive in Halo City. There, Book used a gyro chair which allowed him to move outside of the zero-gravity room.
Height: 5' 8" (by approximation)
Weight: 2000 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Black, no visible irises
Hair: None
History:
(X-Men 2099#31 (fb) - BTS) - While in Kingston Book worked for a penny-ante gambler making statistical predictions on dog races. He was eventually noticed by Javier Belize of the Quetzalcoatl Corporation, who figured Book's unique talents were being squandered. He made arrangements for Book to ccome to Mexico, setting him up in the Quetzacoatle building where he had a zero-gravity environment to support his weight and viewscreens that fed him all the data he could want. The room however, was like a golden cage: Book wasn't allowed to leave.
(X-Men 2099#31 (fb) - BTS) - For an unrevealed amount of time Book worked for Belize and the Quetzalcoatl Corporation, meeting their every demand while growing more and more depressed. Through multiple video screens Book was fed information from around the world; news, entertainment and weather. By analyzing disparate data he was able to accurately predict everything from market fluctuations to political coups. With the data provided Belize took control of the Quetzalcoatl Corporation.
(X-Men 2099#31 (fb) - BTS) - The depressed Book had undergone medical tests, that showed the mutant was in perfect health.
(X-Men 2099#31 (fb) - BTS) - Once Book had gained access to the most protected data sources from around the world, he concluded Halo City would be the next nexus for many of the next century's most crucial events.
(X-Men 2099#35 (fb) - BTS) - Book foresaw that a moon-sized satellite would enter their solar system causing world-wide floodings. He wanted to get his hands on Halo City's archives, salvaging the information before it would be destroyed in the flood.
(X-Men 2099#31 (fb) - BTS) - Hoping they could help him escape from the Quetzalcoatl Corporation, Book leaked detailed info on his wherabouts including a cry for help to the X-Men who were living in Halo City at the time.
(X-Men 2099#31) - The morose Book was contacted by Belize who had been waiting for the market overviews he had requested. Belize became furious when Book refused to work, because being a prisoner made his soul ache. Claiming to be a descendant of the Toltec Kings and commanding the power of Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god Belize used an electrical charge to attack Book. Recovering from the attack Book gave in and promised to get him the files as long as he wouldn't hurt him anymore. Sometime later the X-Men (La Lunatica, Meanstreak & Skullfire) arrived to rescue Book, who greetedd them when they entered his Zero-G room. Book explained why he considered himself a prisoner and revealed why he wanted to come to Halo City. As a show of his abilities he chose to reveal several things about the X-Men they didn't even know about themselves. He told Meanstreak that Alchemax had been using his DNA in attempts to recreate his hyper-accelerated metabolism in animals. He also revealed that La Lunatica was a blood relative of Brimstone Love and closed by sharing the fact that Graverobber hadn't killed Skullfire but had actually set him free. Still suspicious, the X-Men nevertheless decided to free Book. Before they could act, Belize showed up. Deactivating the zero-g environment, they all crashed to the floor. Belize attacked them, defeating La Lunatica and Meanstreak. Book helped win the day by telling Skullfire he had the power to absorb other people's abilities. The X-Man used this on Belize and was subconsciously pressured by Book to kill his captor. Feeling they'd been used, the X-Men still took Book with them.
(X-Men 2099#32 (fb) - BTS) - Understanding that information is power, Halo City established the Archive, a resource center collecting data from every possible infobank, newsnet and printvault. Book was set up there, living and working in another weightless environment. In return for his rescue, Book offered his analytical services to Halo City.
(X-Men 2099#32) - While in the Archive Book received a video call from La Lunatica hoping to learn more of her relationship to Brimstone Love. Book agreed to tell her but only in private, claiming a comline would be indiscrete.
(X-Men 2099#33) - Book and La Lunatica met in the Archive. La Lunatica grew frustrated with Book when she noticed he was stalling and not telling her the full story about Brimstone Love. She confronted him with the fact she knew he was manipulating people, but before anything could come of it she was summoned by Krystalin (Ruth Porter-Ogada). When she was gone, Book muttered to himself he'd introduce her to the rest of her long-lost family when the time was right.
(X-Men 2099#34) - Book provided the X-Men with crucial intelligence when they tried to handle the sudden, freak floodings (caused by the arrival of the giant satellite). He informed the X-Men that the storms weren't confined to the Pacific alone. He then shared his knowledge on the cause of the upheaval: the giant moon-sized satellite which he suspected was actually a space vessel. Book went on to explain that at the current rate the polar caps would melt, causing the sea to rise a kilometer, by the year's end approximately two thirds of the existing continental land mass would be submerged.
(X-Men 2099#35) - Book witnessed the arrival of Vulcann the Bloodsmith with the Darkson, who was supposed to be the mutant messiah to lead mutantkind into a new era. Once the Darkson had defeated the X-Men Book choose to reveal his presence while sitting in his gyro-chair which allowed him to fly. Congratulating Vulcann on his impressive work with the young boy he asked if he'd already paraded him before the Shaper's Guild since Essex would be jealous, peaking Vulcann's interest. Book introduced himself as Halo City's mutant savant although the Bloodsmith already knew of him. Book told him that he had no particular loyalty towards the X-Men. They had simply been the most efficient means to come to Halo City where he could salvage its archives before the flood would destroy everything. He went on to reveal Darkson wasn't the true mutant messiah after which Vulcann answered he was the most malleable of the candidates.
Comments: Created by John Francis Moore (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Harry Candelario (inks).
Book was a mysterious character full of riddles, he was described a being dangerous since he had an almost unlimited amount of knowledge. Although it was never revealed I believe he would have gone on to become some kind of brooding villain. But after his initial introduction he really didn't add anything to the book.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Book has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
X-Men 2099#32, p17, pan2 (main image)
X-Men 2099#31, p7, pan1 (hurt by Belize)
X-Men 2099#31, p22, pan2 (rescued by the X-Men)
X-Men 2099#35, p5, pan5 (in his levitation chair)
Appearances:
X-Men 2099#31 (April, 1996) - John Francis Moore (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Harry Candelario (inks), Joey Cavalieri (editor)
X-Men 2099#32 (May, 1996) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jan Duursema (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
X-Men 2099#33 (June, 1996) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jan Duursema (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
X-Men 2099#34 (July, 1996) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jan Duursema (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
X-Men 2099#35 (August, 1996) - John Francis Moore (writer), Jan Duursema (pencils), Jeff Albrecht (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
First Posted: 11/19/2016
Last updated: 11/19/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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