JUSTIN PIERCE

Real Name: Justin Pierce

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: FBI agent

Group Membership: FBI Metahuman Crimes Division (Agents Burchett & Rhimes, unrevealed others)

Affiliations: New Mutants (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Karma/Xi'an Coy Manh, Magma/Amara Aquilla, Danielle Moonstar, Sunspot/Roberto da Costa, Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair), Evangeline Whedon, Whiter (Kevin Ford), X-Men (Cyclops/Scott Summers, Emma Frost)

Enemies: Blob (Fred J. Dukes), Donald Pierce, Reavers

Known Relatives: Donald Pierce (uncle)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: FBI Metahuman Crimes Division, Washington D.C.

First Appearance: New Mutants II#13 (June, 2004)

Powers/Abilities: Justin Pierce has no superhuman abilities but engages in regular, intensive exercise as a high profile federal agent. Pierce has a great sense of justice and sympathy for mutantkind.

Height: 6'3" (by approximation)
Weight: 190 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

History:

(New Mutants II#13 - BTS) - Justin Pierce became a federal agent with the FBI's Metahuman Crimes Division.

(New Mutants II#13 (fb) - BTS) - The FBI concluded that Kevin Ford, a young mutant student at Xavier's, was involved with a missing person case in Atlanta. Hoping to find out more about Ford's powers, FBI officials offered superhuman criminal Donald Pierce a special deal if he testified about Ford. Pierce protested against this, deeming his uncle was untrustworthy, but was overruled.

(New Mutants II#13) - Pierce visited superhuman prison the Cage off the coast of France to meet with his cyborg uncle, whose flesh parts had been destroyed by Ford's death touch. Justin explained the deal: his death sentence would be commuted to life in prison, but Donald had one more stipulation: he wanted to be transfered to a regular, American prison.

(New Mutants II#13) - Some time later when Donald Pierce's transfer was approved, Justin Pierce and his men awaited his arrival at JFK airport in New York City. On their way towards the new prison Donald Pierce managed to free himself and killed agent Burchett & Rhimes. Justin was powerless, watching the van crash into a tree after which Donald escaped. Pulling his gun, Justin tried to chase Donald, who taunted him by saying that he could kill him where he stood, however unlike Justin he did value family. Justin made his way over to the Grind Stone in Salem Center seeking out Danielle Moonstar. After revealing the events that led to Donald's escape, Danielle Moonstar turned to her former New Mutants teammates for help in protecting the others from their first enemy, Donald Pierce. In the wake of the Institute's destruction at the hands of Xorn, the students were temporarily relocated to a safehouse in Salem Center. Believing Donald would never make a move on such a well protected place they decided to use Josh Foley (Elixir) as bait to lure Donald out of hiding. The plan was successful, Donald Pierce and his Reavers showed up and were attacked by the New Mutants. Relieved Donald had been defeated, Justin and other FBI officers incarcerated the villain.

(New X-Men II#4) - Justin Pierce contacted Xavier Institute headmaster Scott Summers to issue a warrant for Kevin Ford's arrest. Some time later, Pierce showed up at the Institute to take Kevin into custody for the murder of his father.

(New X-Men II#5) - While in the presence of headmasters Scott Summers, Emma Frost and Ford's legal guardian Danielle Moonstar Pierce finally got the opportunity to ask Kevin Ford some questions about his father's death. But when Ford refused to answer, a heated discussion started between Summers and Frost. Scott was confident Ford would receive a fair trial while Frost was sure a mutant with a death touch would be instantly convincted. Frost took the boy to another room as Pierce turned to Moonstar hoping she would persuade her, but Danielle sided with Emma. Understanding as ever Pierce decided not to pursue the matter and took Moonstar to the Grind House to talk it over. Moonstar explained that as a teacher she had a group of students relying on her. Handing Ford over to Pierce would send the wrong message. Pierce profusely reiterated his point, feeling that Kevin accidentally killed his father and that the courts would come to the same conclusion. Pierce asked Moonstar to trust him, adding that he didn't want to have to take Ford by force, because that would only make things worse for mutants everywhere.

(New X-Men II#5) - Pierce and Danielle returned to Xavier's in time to prevent a group of students from abducting Kevin for his own safety. Pulling his gun and aiming at Ford, Pierce ordered him to stand down. Moonstar calmed everyone down, but Justin promised he would return the next morning.

(New X-Men II#5) - The next morning, Moonstar released Kevin in Pierce's custody, figuring mutants couldn't place themselves outside of society and its laws.

(New X-Men II#6) - On their way to Washington D.C. the FBI made a stop at Salem Center's Metro-North station. Believing he could trust Kevin, Pierce took off his handcuffs and escorted him to the public restroom. Just then one the Hellions (one of the X-Men training squads) tried to rescue Ford, however the New Mutants (another training squad) showed up to stop the Hellions. As the two groups fought each other Moonstar arrived hoping to reach Pierce before they left. Moonstar revealed they had found the perfect lawyer for Ford, namely Evangeline Whedon, a member of the Mutant Rights Coalition. By the time Kevin returned from the restroom, watching his friends fight over him, made him realize he should indeed face justice.

(New X-Men II#6) - Ford's trial commenced two weeks later in Atlanta's criminal court. Evangeline Whedon successfully defended Ford who was cleared of all charges. Emma Frost immediately took the opportunity to thank Pierce telling he would always have friends at the Xavier Institute. Pierce then surprised Moonstar by asking her out on a date, which she gladly accepted.

(New X-Men II#14 (fb) - BTS) - Pierce and Danielle Moonstar had dinner together.

(New X-Men II#14) - While in his office Pierce received a phone call from Danielle Moonstar, eager to see the federal agent again she invited him to the Xavier Institute's prom night which she had to chaperone. Happy to hear from Moonstar he accepted the invitation. When he arrived later that night the two discussed recent events when they witnessed Laurie Collins using her pheromone powers to make David Alleyne kiss her which caused a huge scene.

(New X-Men II#15) - The next morning Pierce was still at the Xavier Institute where he attended the school's prize giving ceremony. When the X-Men's old enemy Blob crashed the ceremony Pierce did his best to escort everybody off the premises while Magma and Moonstar tried to stop Dukes. Pierce even saved Moonstar from being crushed when Blob threw a tree on her. The villain was eventually defeated by the combined strength of the students. When S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived to incarcerate him, Pierce promised to try and stay on top of it.

(New X-Men II#22 - BTS) - Pierce came to Xavier's to pick up Danielle Moonstar after she had lost her mutant abilities in the event known as M-Day which reduced the number of gene active mutants to a mere 300 worldwide. Depowered, Moonstar had chosen to leave Xavier's.

Comments: Created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Chary Randolph (pencils), Rich Perotta (inks).

Sadly we haven't seen anything of Pierce since, it would have been nice for Danielle Monstar's romance to continue and grow. But right after these issues, House of M and Decimation happened and reshaped the mutant landscape. Because Moonstar lost her mutant abilities it's not unlikely to think she pushed Pierce away.

Profile by MarvellousLuke

CLARIFICATIONS:
Justin Pierce has no known connections to

• Pierce, SHIELD agent, agent of James Johnsmeyer @ Spectacular Spider-Man II#231
• Pierce, of the Initiative's Order @ Civil War#6
• Alexander Goodwin Pierce, SHIELD agent @ Nick Fury vs. SHIELD#3
• Clarissa Pierce mother of Sandra @ Namor II#1
• Comet Pierce @ Red Raven Comics#1
• Dominicus Pierce, former lover of Spiral, Shatterstar foe @ X-Force: Shatterstar#1
• Fred Pierce, NYPD, Deadpool foe @ Deadpool III#46
• Henry Pierce, father of Sandra @ Namor II#4
• Jimmy Pierce, (Hitman) Punisher @ Punisher II#86
• Lance Pierce, Dip Thing director @ Howard the Duck IV#1
• Dr. Randall Pierce, bio-armor creator @ Brute Force#1
• Ricky Pierce, Randall's son @ Brute Force#1
• Sandra Pierce, former girlfriend of Namor @ Namor II#1
• Sir Waltham Pierce, of Hellfire Club London in 1915 @ X-Men: Hellfire Club#3
• Pierce, OSS agent @ Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#58
• Pierce of Freeman Bonding Inc. @ She-Hulk II#24
• or any other "Pierce" characters

Agents Burchett & Rhimes

Agent Burchett and Rhimes were part of the FBI's Metahuman Crimes Division. They were tasked with guarding the cyborg criminal Donald Pierce during his transfer from the Cage to an American prison. However, during the ride Donald Pierce managed to break his cuffs and extended a blade from his arm, which he used to kill Burchett and Rhimes.