PSYNAPSE

Real Name: None

Identity/Class: Sub-species of humanity (Inhuman) mutate

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: Dark Riders (Barrage, Deadbolt, Foxbat, Gauntlet, Harddrive, Hurricane, Lifeforce, Spyne, Tusk)

Affiliations: Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur), Genesis (Tyler Dayspring), Stryfe (Nathan Summers)

Enemies: Cable (Nathan Summers), Caliban, Marc Dale, Inhumans (Black Bolt/Blackagar Boltagon, Crystal/Crystalia Amaquelin, Gorgon/Gorgon Petragon, Karnak, Lockjaw, Medusa/Medusalith Amaquelin, Triton), Mesmero (Vincent), Madelyne Pryor (Jean Grey of Earth-9575), Ship/Professor, Sister Salvation, X-Factor (Archangel/Warren Worthington III, Beast/Henry McCoy, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Havok/Alex Summers, Iceman/Robert Drake, Polaris/Lorna Dane), X-Force (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie), X-Men (Bishop/Lucas Bishop, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Elixir/Josh Foley, Jean Grey, M/Monet St. Croix, Magneto/Max Eisenhardt, Psylocke/Betsy Braddock, Sabretooth/Victor Creed, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Triage/Christopher Muse)

Known Relatives: Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin, cousin), Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin, cousin)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Egypt

First Appearance: X-Factor I#65 (April, 1991)

Powers/Abilities: Psynapse was an Inhuman, and he likely underwent Terrigenesis, then his powers were altered and expanded by Apocalypse. It is unknown which parts of his powers were directly related to the Terrigenesis. Only inches tall, Psynapse has powerful telepathic powers, which he could use to read minds, create illusions, or draw others into the Astral Plane. Psynapse has seemingly been killed and resurrected multiple times. The full extent of his powers are unknown.

Height: 1'8" (by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown

History:
(X-Factor I#67 (fb) - BTS) - Apocalypse attacked Attilan on the Blue Area of the Moon and captured several Inhumans, who were connected to the Royal Family (including Psynapse, who was a favored cousin of Crystal and Medusa), and began experimenting on them. He corrupted his captives, enhancing their powers, and christened them his Riders of the Storm, or Dark Riders, as he continued raiding Attilan.

(X-Factor I#65) - Apocalypse ran a simulation of the members of X-Factor, testing them against his Dark Riders, and he praised them while counseling them to take the mutant threat seriously. Harddrive piloted a ship and crashed it into X-Factor's headquarters, where the Dark Riders savagely attacked the mutants. Psynapse pulled Jean Grey (who had lost her telepathy at the time) on the psychic plane and tortured her with childhood memories. Jean's telepathy returned and she overloaded Psynapse. Harddrive put an infection into the Celestial Ship, initiating a shut-down procedure.

(X-Factor I#66) - The Dark Riders teleported away as Ship exploded behind them.

(X-Men II#14) - The Dark Riders awakened Apocalypse from his tomb in Egypt. Though their leader stated it was too soon for him to be awakened, they informed Mr. Sinister had kidnapped Cyclops and Jean Grey.

(X-Men II#15) - Stryfe attacked the Dark Riders, easily disposing of them with little effort, then he attacked Apocalypse.

(X-Force I#17) - After Stryfe bested Apocalypse in combat, the Dark Riders agreed to follow a new leader.

(Uncanny X-Men I#296 (fb) - BTS) - Stryfe took the Dark Riders back to his base on the moon.

(Uncanny X-Men I#296) - Cyclops and Jean Grey escaped from Stryfe's captivity, and the Dark Riders went after them, but they escaped.

(X-Men II#16) - The Dark Riders and Apocalypse's soldiers stood against Wolverine, Cable, and Bishop. Apocalypse, Storm, Havok, Polaris, Cannonball, Iceman, Archangel, and Psylocke joined the fight, turning their aggression toward Stryfe and his aide, Zero. As the battle wound down, the Dark Riders stood united against a weakened Apocalypse.

(X-Force I#18 (fb) - BTS) - The Dark Riders left a dying Apocalypse on the Moon.

(X-Men II#21 (fb) - BTS) - The Dark Riders chose to continue Apocalypse's mission of culling weak mutants. Psynapse developed a hacking cough that continued to get worse.

(X-Men II#21) - The Dark Riders (Gauntlet, Tusk, Barrage, Foxbat, Psynapse) hunted down Mesmero in Seattle. Mesmero hypnotized Psynapse, who began hitting the others with psychic attacks, but Gauntlet was immune and he shot Mesmero. As Psynapse coughed, Gauntlet turned his gun on him, considering him weak, and Psynapse was killed.

(Alpha Flight II#4 (fb) ) - Mesmero took control of the minds of the Dark Riders to make him believe he was really dead.









(X-Man#46 (fb) - BTS) - Stryfe assembled the Dark Riders, including the revived Psynapse, to serve him.

(X-Man#46) - Stryfe landed a pyramid spaceship in Latveria, and ordered the Dark Riders to attack the populace, wanting to establish himself a stronghold there. X-Man and Madelyne Pryor attacked, taking down the Riders. During the fight, Psynapse jumped on Nate's shoulders and tried to scramble his mind, but psychic feedback withered Psynapse away to nothing, seemingly killing him.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Uncanny X-Men IV#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Dark Riders reformed (somehow resurrecting some of their own members) and sought to pursue their mission of culling the weak from the strong. Learning that M-Pox was killing mutants, they sought to kill mutant healers so that the mutants could truly be tested and only the strong would survive. The Dark Riders successfully assassinated Marc Dale, Sister Salvation and an unidentified mutant with a "healing voice".

(Uncanny X-Men IV#2) - Barrage, Spyne, Gauntlet, Psynapse, and Deadbolt hunted down Elixir in a hospital, but found Sabretooth and M of the X-Men there. Barrage opened fire on the crowd, killing many civilians before M knocked him aside. When Elixir healed the civilians, Gauntlet shot and killed the mutant, then Psynapse blocked them out telepathically from the X-Men and the Dark Riders escaped.

(Uncanny X-Men IV#4) - In Egypt, Deadbolt's panicked mind was calmed by Psynapse, while Tusk and Gauntlet watched. The X-Men (Archangel, Psylocke, M, Sabretooth) attacked, but the Dark Riders caved in their base and teleported away to go after Triage on Genosha, but Magneto was there to protect him.

(Uncanny X-Men IV#5) - Magneto hit Tusk and Deadbolt with a car while Spyne stabbed Triage and Psynapse locked down the healer's mind. After Magneto seemingly killed Psynapse and Spyne, the other X-Men (M, Sabretooth, Archangel) attacked. In the end, the X-Men blew up the Dark Riders on the remains of Genosha.

Comments: Created by Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, While Portacio, and Art Thibert.

Psynapse has a lot of unexplored history, primarily his connection to the Inhumans. When he was first killed, it seemed implied that he had the Legacy Virus, but only mutants could have that. It is possible he has used psychic illusions to make others believe he has been dead, or that he has been cloned and revived by Stryfe and/or Apocalypse.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Psynapse has no known connections to:

  • Synapse (Max), of the Emissaries of Evil @ Daredevil I#377
  • Synapse (Emily Guerrero), Inhuman Avenger @ Uncanny Avengers III#1
  • or any other "Psynapse" characters

images: (without ads)
X-Factor I#65, p5, pan2 (main)
X-Factor I#65, p14, pan1 (astral plane)
X-Men II#21, p12, pan2 (2nd)
X-Man#46, p11, pan4 (with X-Man)
Uncanny X-Men IV#2, p20, pan4 (glowing purple)

Appearances:
X-Factor I#65-66 (April-May, 1991) - Jim Lee, Chris Claremont (writers), Whilce Portacio (penciler), Art Thibert (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#14 (November, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Mark Pennington (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Force I#17 (December, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Greg Capullo (penciler), Harry Candelario (inker), Bob Harras (Editor)
X-Men II#15 (December, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Mark Pennington (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#296 (January, 1993) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciler), Terry Austin (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Factor I#86 (January, 1993) - Peter David (writer), Jae Lee (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker), Kelly Corvese (editor)
X-Men II#16 (January, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (penciler), Mark Pennington (inkers), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#21 (June, 1993) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Brandon Peterson (penciler), Dan Panosian (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Man#46 (December, 1998) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), J.H. Williams III (penciler), Mick Gray (inker), Glenn Greenberg (editor)
Uncanny X-Men IV#2-5 (February-May, 2016) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Greg Land (penciler), Jay Leisten (inker), Daniel Ketchum (editor)

First Posted: 07/22/2020
Last updated: 07/22/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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