CROSTA
Real Name: Crosta
Identity/Class: Sub-species of Humanity (Atlantean/Homo Mermani) mutant
Occupation: Student
Group Membership: Jean Grey School for Higher Learning student body
Affiliations: Avengers (Captain America/Steven Rogers, Giant-Man/Hank Pym, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Hercules, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Tigra/Greer Nelson), Avengers Academy students (Finesse/Jeanne Foucault, Hazmat/Jenny Takeda, Hollow, Lightspeed/Julie Power, Mettle/Ken Mack, Reptil/Humberto Lopez, Ricochet/Johnny Gallo, Juston Seyfert, She-Hulk/Lyra, Striker/Brandon Sharpe, White Tiger/Ava Ayala, Wiz Kid/Taki Matsuya, X-23/Laura Kinney), Sebastian Shaw, X-Club (Madison Jeffries, Dr. Nemesis/James Bradley, Dr. Kavita Rao), "time displaced" X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Jean Grey), X-Men (Angel/Warren Worthington III, Beast/Henry McCoy, Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Chamber/Jonothon Starsmore, Colossus/Piotr Rasputin, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Doop, Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, Emma Frost, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, Rachel Grey, Husk/Paige Guthrie, Iceman/Robert Drake, Karma/Xi'an Coy Manh, Krakoa, Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Magneto/Max Eisenhardt, Namor McKenzie, Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Northstar/Jean-Paul Beaubier, Professor X/Charles Xavier, Psylocke/Betsy Braddock, Kitty Pryde, Cecilia Reyes, Rogue/Anna Marie, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Toad/Mortimer Toynbee, Warbird/Ava'Dara Naganandini, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett), X-Men Students (Anole/Victor Borkowski, Armor/Hisako Ichiki, Blindfold/Ruth Aldine, Bling!/Roxy Washington, Broo, Cipher/Alisa Tager, Dust/Sooraya Qadir, Ernst, Eye-Boy/Trevor Hawkins, Face, Genesis/Evan Sabahnur, Gentle/Nezhno Abidemi, Glob Herman/Robert Herman, Graymalkin/Jonas Graymalkin, Hellion/Julian Keller, Indra/Paras Gavaskar, Ziggy Karst, Kid Gladiator/Kubark, Kid Omega/Quentin Quire, Match/Ben Hamill, Mercury/Cessily Kincaid, Nature Girl/Lin Li, No-Girl/Martha Johansson, Oya/Idie Okonkwo, Pixie/Megan Gwynn, Primal/Teon Macik, Prodigy/David Alleyne, Rockslide/Santo Vaccarro, Scorpion Boy/Rico, Sharkgirl/Iara Dos Santos, Sprite/Jia Jing, Stepford Cuckoos/Celeste, Mindee & Phoebe Cuckoo, Surge/Nori Ashida, Trance/Hope Abbott, Transonic/Laurie Tromette, Velocidad/Gabriel Cohuelo, Zero/Kenji Uedo)
Enemies: Matthew Malloy, Trimega
Known Relatives: Opistho (father), Proctidae (mother)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed, possibly Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, X-Haven, limbo (Otherplace);
formerly Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Westchester County, New York;
formerly New Atlantis underneath Utopia, waters surrounding San Francisco, California;
formerly Atlantis (place of birth)
First Appearance: Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (June, 2009)
Powers/Abilities: Crosta is an Atlantean mutant, with the power to direct explosive shockwaves. Crosta's control over his powers isn't absolute, causing him to generate shockwaves when distressed. Crosta has several large gills across his face, glowing red eyes and a green blue-ish skin color. In addition to his mutated appearance and powers, Crosta possesses all traits common to Homo Mermani, which grants him strength, endurance, stamina and reflexes (in and out of water) that are far above average human levels. When Crosta stays above water for extended periods of time, he is forced to wear a scuba-like helmet filled with water.
Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 120 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Red
Hair: None
History:
(Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (fb) ) - Crosta grew up with his mother Proctidae and father Opistho who held a powerful position in the Atlantean army. The hardened Opistho wanted his son to enroll at an Atlantean military camp against Proctidae's wishes, leading to a rift between them. Proctidae didn't want her son to become a soldier, requesting aid receiving royal fiat to gain sole custody of Crosta after her marriage was dissolved. The courts agreed with her that life with his father at a military camp would not suit such a young child.
(Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (fb) ) - While in his puberty Crosta's X-gene activated, mutating the young Atlantean's appearance overnight. The color of his skin changed, his eyes became bright red and he developed several fish-like gills on his head. Although he hadn't even noticed it himself his mother was shocked to see her son and screamed prompting Crosta to look at himself in a mirror. The shock caused him to instinctively lash out with his mutant powers for the first time, generating a giant explosive shockwave that tore a hole in the side of their house.
(Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (fb) ) - Proctidae became even more determined to keep her son safe from harm. She was convinced her ex-husband would try and turn Crosta into a military killing machine if he found out about his powers. That's why, following Atlantis' destruction, she did not follow King Namor's standing orders that all his subjects needed to join sleeper cells in human society. (seen in Sub-Mariner II#6 (January, 2008) )
(Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (fb) ) - Crosta's father Opistho eventually discovered that Proctidae and Crosta had not joined the Atlantean sleeper cells. After witnessing his son's mutation, he dragged them to court demanding custody.
(Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4) - Opistho and Proctidae appeared before the Atlantean court and King Namor. Opistho demanded custody and explained how his ex-wife had proved herself an unsuitable mother, citing her recent disobeying of Namor's orders as proof. Proctidea pleaded her case before Namor, explaining that Crosta's mutated appearance would have made it impossible to pass him off as a human sleeper agent. She then explained about her son's powers and her fear he'd be turned into a killer. Having heard enough, Namor was displeased with both parents, blaming the mother for endangering Crosta to dwell alone in the seas without any protection and a power he neither understood or could fully control. He also berated Opishto for his fervor that had slid into fanaticism, reminding the soldier that an Atlantean child is not an animal to be "trained" or "harnessed". Namor decreed that Crosta would become his ward until he came of age. This shocked Crosta so much he redirected an uncontrolled explosive shockwave towards Namor. This only served as further proof to Namor that he had made the right call. He understood Crosta's rage, calling it a lack of proper respect. He also announced he'd be sending the boy to the X-Men's school in San Francisco where they would teach him to control his powers and learn what it is to be a mutant.
(Uncanny X-Men I#521 (fb) - BTS) - Crosta moved to the X-Men's new headquarters on Utopia, the former Asteroid M that drifted in the waters surrounding San Francisco.
(Uncanny X-Men I#521 (fb) - BTS) - Magneto and Namor joined forces to create a massive support pillar that would keep Utopia afloat. In addition to that, Namor planned to built New Atlantis around the pillar, allying himself with the X-Men for mutual protection. Crosta was tasked with welcoming Atlantean citizens who would arrive from far and wide to inhabit the new city.
(Uncanny X-Men I#521) - Crosta welcomed another family of Atlanteans who had arrived to New Atlantis after a long journey. Crosta explained the city was still a work in progress but it would soon become their new home. After directing the family to the citizen intake center Crosta was surprised when one of the X-Men's underwater crafts approached him. Madison Jeffries and Dr. Nemesis of the X-Club were looking for the person in charge of the construction as to assist them in finishing the massive support pillar. After explaining Namor was in charge he decided to get his king himself.
(X-Men: Regenesis#1) - Following the ideological schism between Cyclops and Wolverine during a recent conflict, Wolverine had left Utopia to start a new school where young mutants would be students instead of the soldiers Cyclops wanted them to be. This led to the student body discussing amongst themselves who they'd follow. Over a game of baseball, Crosta came to the conclusion he'd be staying on Utopia both out of loyalty to Namor as well as a belief the world wouldn't allow them to be students anymore.
(Avengers vs. X-Men#3 - BTS) - The Avengers and the X-Men had come to blows over the fate of Hope, a young mutant girl believed to be the messiah for her race, as well as the potential new host for the Phoenix Force. The Avengers wanted to restrain her, which led to a conflict with the X-Men. After the teams battled on Utopia, the Avengers managed to defeat the X-Men but couldn't stop the core members from escaping, leaving only Crosta and several other students behind. The Avengers took the remaining students prisoner.
(Avengers Academy#29) - Reasoning the X-Men students needed a safe place where they wouldn't get caught up in the fights, Crosta and the other students were brought to Avengers Academy. Wolverine was unwilling to bring the students to his own school, feeling they'd be liable to drag his own students into the ongoing conflict with the Avengers over Hope. Dr. Kavita Rao and Madison Jeffries of Utopia's science team agreed to act as chaperones while the students of Avengers Academy were asked to stop the X-Men students if they tried to escape. After Wolverine and the Avengers had departed Hercules and Tigra proposed to continue the "Avenger versus X-Men war", on the athletic fields. The idea of a contest sparked the unwilling students' interest. Crosta witnessed how Lightspeed competed against Transonic in an aerial sprint, Loa versus Finesse in surfing. Just when the mutants started to bond with the other Academy students, Velocidad and Surge burst out of anger, feeling it was ridiculous to pretend to have fun while their friend Hope was missing and they had been imprisoned over some perceived loyalty to the enemy. The X-Men students then decided to retreat into the Avengers compound. Unbeknownst to all students, the amnesiac Sebastian Shaw (who had been captured alongside the X-Men students) had escaped Avengers custody.
(Avengers Academy#30) - That very night Crosta and the other X-Students decided to flee the Avengers Academy, only to be stopped by the other students. However, the Avengers in training were in for a surprise when their own mutant members (Wiz Kid, Ricochet, Hollow) decided to switch sides to even the score. Realizing he had enough of the madness Crosta decided to flee by diving into the ocean, but as he leaped towards the waters he was caught by Juston Seyfert's Sentinel. Unaware the Sentinel was benign, the mutant students were shocked to see the Avengers kept an engine of mutant annihilation around. The mutants attacked the robot, triggering several Avenger students to try and protect it. X-23 successfully stopped the Sentinel and ordered it to retreat back into the ocean. Before the students could decide what to do, Sebastian Shaw showed up (having just defeated the Avengers and the student chaperones).
(Avengers Academy#31) - Crosta did nothing but watch as another fight erupted between both teams of students over Sebastian Shaw, thinking the super villain tried to escape. But when Finesse saw he'd actually come to help the mutants escape the fight stopped. After Hercules and Tigra arrived, a huge debate started whether or not it was justified to keep the mutants incarcerated. As most people present thought it was wrong to keep them, Tigra staged a giant fight so it would look to anyone reviewing the security footage that the X-Students beat the Avengers. When the fake combat had ended, Crosta fled into the ocean to return to Atlantis. The other students decided to go find Emma Frost.
(Wolverine and the X-Men I#15) - For unrevealed reasons Crosta enrolled at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning together with several other former students from Utopia. Crosta tried to ask Professor X and Rachel Grey for directions but even before he could finish his sentence they had already answered.
(Wolverine and the X-Men I#18) - While the X-Men and Avengers had joined forces to deal with Cyclops, the last of the Phoenix Five, the students of the Jean Grey School were distracted with a school dance. Crosta was present at the dance but didn't seem to have a date. Sometime later, the X-Men and Avengers defeated Cyclops, dispersing the Phoenix Force. As a result, new mutants suddenly began to reappear on Earth.
(Wolverine and the X-Men I#19) - Crosta was seen walking the school's hallway with Hellion when headmistress Kitty Pryde was holding interviews for possible new teachers to deal with the expected influx of mutant students.
(Uncanny Avengers I#1) - Crosta was present during the funeral ceremony for Charles Xavier who had been killed by the Phoenix-possessed Cyclops.
(All-New X-Men I#10) - The Jean Grey School was shocked by the sudden arrival of the other X-Men team lead by Cyclops. Crosta and the other students witnessed how Cyclops explained they had also opened a school: the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants (in the former Weapon X facility in Canada). Cyclops offered anybody who was willing a place in their new school (enraging Wolverine and his staff they actually used Xavier's name). Allowing everyone a chance to think it over, Cyclops promised he would come back later that day.
(All-New X-Men I#11 - BTS) - When Cyclops returned to see who would join him, Crosta was most likely present and saw how the time-displaced Angel and the Stepford Cuckoos decided to accept his offer.
(Wolverine and the X-Men I#29) - Crosta joined the Jean Grey School staff and students in the school's garden for a special ceremony. Headmaster Wolverine gave an elaborate speech while each student would put something of value in a time capsule that was to be opened twenty-five years from now.
(Wolverine and the X-Men I#32) - Crosta was shocked to see headmaster Wolverine pulverize a pillar with his claws to vent some frustration. Wolverine was unsuccessful in tracking down Hellfire Club's Kade Kilgore who, with his new Hellfire Academy, had successfully snatched away several students.
(Young Avengers II#11) - Prodigy (David Alleyne) had started a phone tree to ask several teen heroes to help the Young Avengers in their fight against the evil Mother. Crosta was called by Match.
(Nightcrawler IV#4) - When the Jean Grey School came under attack by the Trimega, Crosta and the other students ducked for cover when the robot-like enemies blasted through the school's windows. While the X-Men fought the Trimega, Crosta and the students hid behind Cecilia Reyes' protective force field until the enemies finally vanished.
(Nightcrawler IV#5) - On Nightcrawler's first day as a teacher at the Jean Grey School, Crosta was one of the students selected alongside Armor, Mercury, Scorpion Boy, Nature Girl and a tree-like mutant to train in the Danger Room. Nightcrawler and Rachel Grey explained the workings of the Danger Room, showing them a display of the Sentinels. After that, the teacher started another scenario in which they had had to fight pirate-like aliens led by Lady Alabaster (a hologram resembling Emma Frost, see comments). Crosta and the students did their best to fight the pirates until Scorpion Boy was caught by Alabaster. Freezing the program, Nightcrawler and Rachel then explained how they could have defeated her, emphasizing the importance of teamwork.
(Nightcrawler IV#8) - Crosta was seen in class while Iceman showed how he could create a large snowball. Sometime later Crosta and his former Danger Room group witnessed Nightcrawler play a match of dodgeball against Colossus and Psylocke before being teleported away by the Bamfs.
(Uncanny X-Men III#31) - After omega-level mutant Matthew Malloy had killed Emma Frost on the front lawn of the Jean Grey School Crosta and the other students immediately attacked the mutant. However, Malloy used his powers to destroy the school, killing all present. Tempus (Eva Bell) of Cyclops' New Charles Xavier School for Mutants used her powers to go back in time seeking out the help of Professor X. Together, they managed to make sure Malloy's parents never met.
(Storm III#10) - Crosta and several other students witnessed how Storm flew down to the front lawn of the Jean Grey School. Amazed by her appearance, several students waved at her.
Comments: Created by Kieron Gillen (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (pencils, inks).
Crosta was most likely also present behind the scenes when the assembled teen heroes faced the onslaught of evil dimensions Mother unleashed onto Earth in Young Avengers II#12-13 and subsequently during the giant dance hosted by the Young Avengers in Young Avengers II#14-15.
The training sequence from Nightcrawler IV#5 was also used when Kurt and Rachel trained in Uncanny X-Men I#450 (2004). The Emma Frost hologram was called Lady Alabaster. However, the pirate-like aliens originate from a much older comic, Excalibur I#16 (1989).
For clarity's sake, within the affiliations section I've placed all faculty members of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning under the X-Men. Same goes for the X-Men students which are from Utopia, Jean Grey School and possibly now X-Haven.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Crosta has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Avengers Academy#29, p4, pan1 (main image)
Dark Reign: The Cabal#1, p26, pan2 (as a child)
Dark Reign: The Cabal#1, p28, pan1 (first appearance)
Avengers Academy#30, p14, pan3 (caught by the Sentinel)
Nightcrawler IV#5, p11, pan1 (with a training team)
Appearances:
Dark Reign: The Cabal#1/4 (June, 2009) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Carmine Di Giandomenico (pencils, inks), Daniel Ketchum, Nick Lowe (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#521 (April, 2010) - Matt Fraction (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
X-Men: Regenesis#1 (December, 2011) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Billy Tan (pencils, inks), Nick Lowe, Sebastian Grimer (editors)
Avengers Academy#29 (July, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Cory Hamscher (inks), Bill Roseanne (editor)
Avengers Academy#30 (July, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Cory Hamscher (inks), Bill Roseanne (editor)
Avengers Academy#31 (August, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Grummett (pencils), Cory Hamscher (inks), Bill Roseanne (editor)
Wolverine and the X-Men I#15 (October, 2012) - Jason Aaron (writer), Jorge Molina (pencils), Norman Lee (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Wolverine and the X-Men I#18 (December, 2012) - Jason Aaron (writer), Jorge Molina (pencils), Norman Lee (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Wolverine and the X-Men I#19 (December, 2012) - Jason Aaron (writer), Nick Bradshaw, Steven Sanders (pencillers), Walden Wong (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Uncanny Avengers I#1 (December, 2012) - Rick Remender (writer), John Cassaday (pencils, inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
All-New X-Men I#10 (June, 2013) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Wade von Grawbadger (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Wolverine and the X-Men I#29 (July, 2013) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ramon Perez (pencils, inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Wolverine and the X-Men I#32 (August, 2013) - Jason Aaron (writer), Nick Bradshaw (pencils), Walden Wong (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Young Avengers II#11 (December, 2013) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie McKelvie (pencils, inks), Kris Anka, Mike Norton (inkers), Lauren Sankovitch, Jon Moisan (editors)
Nightcrawler IV#4 (September, 2014) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (pencils, inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Nightcrawler IV#5 (October, 2014) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (pencils, inks), Daniel Ketchum, Mike Marts (editors)
Nightcrawler IV#8 (January, 2015) - Chris Claremont (writer), Todd Nauck (pencils, inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Uncanny X-Men III#31 (April, 2015) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils), Tim Townsend, Marc Deering, Wayne Faucher, Mark Irwin, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Al Vey (inkers), Mike Marts (editor)
Storm III#10 (June, 2015) - Greg Pak (writer), Victor Ibanez, Al Barrionuevo, Neil Edwards (pencillers), Victor Ibanez, Ed Tadeo (inkers), Daniel Ketchum, Alanna Smith, Mike Marts (editors)
First Posted: 03/12/2016
Last Updated: 03/12/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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