Agent X asking for a raise

AGENT-X

Real Name: James Burley

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Mercenary

Group Membership: Next Wave (Fin, Sandman/William Baker, Snare/Robert Fielder, Turk/Todd Flaminirezck)

Affiliations: Frenzy (Joanna Cargill), Hairbag (Shaun Suggs), Hydra (Baron Strucker/Wolfgang von Strucker, Cassandra Romulus, others), Knights of Wundagore, Pyro (St. John Allerdyce), Sauron (Karl Lykos), Siege (John Kelly), Stingray (Walter Newell), Weapon X-Force (Deadpool/"Wade Wilson," Domino/Neena Thurman, Lady Deathstrike/Yuriko Oyama, M/Monet St. Croix, Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Omega Red/Arkady Rossovich, Sabretooth/Victor Creed), the Wild Pack (Battlestar/Lemar Hoskins, Amy Chen, Crippler/Carl Striklan, Doug Powell, Raul Quentino, Silver Sable/Silver Sablinova), unidentified mutants

Enemies: Beast (Henry McCoy), Church of Human Potential (Mentallo/Marvin Flumm, Reverend William Stryker, others), Cyberwarriors, Genesis Coalition (Dr. Franz Lubischt, Dmitri Petrovich, Fritz Sablinova, Ivan Trefkov, others), Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch/Noble Kale), Penner Security Associates (Frederick Penner, Posse, Security Teams), Shriker (Jack D'Auria), Team (Stacy Dolan, Kalmanu, Lt. "Ski" Sokolowski, Tempest, Sean Tully), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Agent X

Base of Operations: A building in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

First Appearance: Ghost Rider III#29 (September, 1992)

Powers/Abilities: Agent-X could shoot bio-blasts from his hands. He could produce an expandable force field that could protect himself and his allies. He was able to fly, also transporting another person with him. He was also proficient in sword-fighting with two long-bladed weapons he called bio-swords, which he could channel his bio-blasts through.

Height: Unrevealed (5'9"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (170 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black

head shot

History:
(Ghost Rider III#29) - Agent-X, Snare and Turk had been working for the Penner Security Associates for two years, where they used their super-powers to accomplish special missions for the firm. They became the most popular operatives of the firm.
    Thus, the three mercenaries decided to gain greater benefits from their exceptional abilities. Their group of three did not have an actual leader, but Agent-X was the one with self-control, better speech and negotiating capabilities.
    He demanded a far better contract from Penner but the manager refused their request.

    Shortly later, when Agent-X told his partners that they would go independent, Turk lost his temper and unwittingly shot down the wall of their room, which was right in front of the Penner building. Agent-X wasn't happy about the situation, but guessing that a retaliation was coming, joined the others in a pre-emptive strike with an intimidating attack on the Penner compound.
    The three were met by the Penner Security Teams that were unable to stop their attack. Agent-X tried to cool Turk's rampage. Unfortunately, when a woman cried for help, Turk destroyed her house and killed her! The innocent's shed blood attracted the Ghost Rider so the mercenaries had to fight him. Turk and Snare showed a particular grudge against the Rider when Agent-X told them that Penner Associates wanted to hire the Rider. Snare momentarily entangled Ghost Rider in his Omnium Steel web, but then Wolverine and Beast freed him. Agent-X managed to end the fight for a moment, but he understood that his fast talking led to nothing because Next Wave was guilty of the destruction around. He blew his energy blasts onto the three adversaries. The fight escalated. Agent-X grabbed Ghost Rider, carried him in the sky, then dropped him. Turk shot at Ghost Rider, destroying him. But Ghost Rider eventually regenerated, punished Turk with his penance stare and knocked out Snare and Agent-X.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#7) - The Next Wave established the base of their enterprise in Greenwich, Connecticut, in an ancient luxury building, with a fine reception receptionist. Business was rewarding, nonetheless, in a process of expanding it, they sought for other metahumans to join the organization. One day, Agent-X and his affiliates had a meeting with Sandman. They offered him a full membership which would have multiplied the earnings that Baker already received working for Silver Sable. Sandman left the Next Wave's house neither accepting the offer, nor declining it, waiting for Agent-X to provide him detailed information about their plan.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#9 - BTS) - Sandman informed Silver Sable that he quit the Wild Pack.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#11 (fb) - BTS) - Sandman and Fin joined the Next Wave.

    Hydra lost a sea battle station to the Genesis Coalition. Baron Strucker ordered to form an external strike team to retake the base. Cassandra Romulus hired the Next Wave.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#11) - Thanks to the intel provided by Hydra the five mercenaries were able to find the sea station in the Mediterranean Sea. While their submarine approached, Agent-X explained that their first objective was to retake control of the base, but if they would give any help to Silver Sable, he could use that fact to provide good publicity for the group.
    The Genesis Coalition's troops were already distracted by the attack of the Wild Pack outside, so the Next Wave could breach the hull of the underwater base without interference. Nonetheless, they were detected and a garrison of Cyberwarriors was dispatched to destroy them. They defended themselves well, while the water flooded the base. Then the Wild Pack arrived.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#12) - Snare and Turk caused great casualties among the Cyberwarriors roster, but they also damaged more and more of the base's structure. More water flooded in and the base began to sink. Agent-X and Sandman tried to calm the others, without result. However, they managed to leave the base before it was completely flooded.
   The Wild Pack abandoned the base, using an escape pod. The Newt Wave followed them and arrived in Transia. There the Genetic Coalition, with the Cyberwarrior army, was assaulting Mount Wundagore. The Next Wave joined forces with the other defenders of the mountain, the Knights of Wundagore, the Wild Pack and Siege. The battle went on until Sandman deactivated one of the Cyberwarriors, and then Quentino altered its program. Using its broadcasting signal, Quentino sent a shutdown command to all the other cyborgs, ending the battle.
    Agent-X apologized to Silver Sable for the exaggeratedly violent behavior of his associates. He admitted that they were undisciplined, so he proposed to Silver Sable to lease Next Wave's services. Silver Sable denied that possibility because Next Wave did not meet her standards.

(Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#12 - BTS) - Baron Strucker was displeased with the Next Wave's failure to recover the lost battle station.

(Ghost Rider III#56) - For months, the Next Wave (Agent-X, Snare and Turk) earned high rates for their services as top-level mercenaries. They never met defeat.
    Until in Hong Kong the Next Wave was ambushed by another group of mercenaries, the Posse, and had to escape. For one month the three mercenaries kept moving from place to place but didn't succeed in clearing their tracks; the Posse pursued and attacked them everywhere they went.

Agent X and his barrage of bio-energy    The Next Wave was attacked again when they were in Chinatown, New York City, during the festivities of the first day of the year. Tired of being on the run, the three made their stand against the Posse. Agent-X, Turk and Snare used their full force against their attackers, but to no avail. They destroyed the parade and wounded many people, but the Posse remained unscathed, and hidden on the top of the buildings. The destruction attracted the NYPD's Team and Ghost Rider. While the Next Wave waited for the opening to flee from the battle, Shriker and Ghost Rider attacked the Posse. The sneaky mercenaries chose to avoid the battle.
    The Rider went down to punish the Next Wave but they managed to activate a bomb. The distraction worked because Ghost Rider had to carry the bomb away, in order to save the innocents. The Next Wave fled while Ghost Rider exploded.

(Ghost Rider III#57) - Ghost Rider survived. The Next Wave hid in a motel. They could not even relax a moment because they received a phone call, even though nobody should've known they were there! Frederick Penner, on the other end of the line, warned them that the Posse were simply the executioner of their punishment: termination. Immediately after, the Posse crashed through the windows. Turk was smashed through the wall, falling three stories down. Agent-X and Snare jumped down, being pursued by several mercenaries. Agent-X reckoned that, for the first time, they were being defeated, so he called for a retreat. In the meanwhile, NYPD's Team had arrived, and shortly after, Wolverine and Ghost Rider as well. Wolverine took care of the Posse members, while Ghost Rider punished the Next Wave with his painful penance stare.

(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Agent-X was considered as an Initiative recruit by Tony Stark.

(Weapon X III#24) - Reverend William Stryker and Mentallo created a satanic cult in Aspen, Colorado. They captured many super-powered beings, then had them fight to the death in an arena in their secret base. Among these super-beings there were also the three mercenaries of the Next Wave. All the superhuman captives were mind-controlled by Mentallo.

    When the group of Weapon X-Force was captured as well, the Next Wave and the other captive thralls were sent into the arena to kill Weapon X-Force. The ceremony needed a blood sacrifice for Satan. Weapon X-Force held their ground for a while, then Domino managed to break Mentallo's grip on the crowd attending the death match. The psychic shock also freed the superhuman thralls so Agent-X, Turk and Snare reacquired their free will and escaped from the base with all the other captives.
    Once safe in the woods, Sabretooth asked for repayment for the help in their escape. He convinced everybody to go back to the church and kill Stryker.

(Weapon X III#25) - Stryker, seriously damaged in the previous riot, was promptly revived by the flames of Satan; he was attacked by the full force of his former captives. Snare was able to entangle him while Turk shot him at close range. Stryker's cybernetic shell was seriously damaged, then Sabretooth cracked it with a final blow. A black mist emerged from the armor's debris to enter the pit of sacrifices and there Stryker was regenerated anew by Hellfire from the midst of Hell, vowing revenge against Weapon X. A sudden explosion destroyed the pit and Stryker was no more. The captives, including Next Wave, guessed that Hell's revenge was directed at X-Force, decided not to be involved anymore in the problem and fled.

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie, Andy Kubert and Joe Kuberk.

    In Chinatown the Next Wave probably killed many people. They were punished by Ghost Rider but it is unknown if they were arrested for that crime.

    Agent-X usually led the missions and ran the business relationships of the Next Wave.
   Agent-X was also mentioned in the Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 5: Marvel Knights.
    He received his civilian name in Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch)'s profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Premiere#4 (October, 2008) in Dan Ketch's profile.

    Somewhere I read that the original formation of the Next Wave was a parody. It mocked the "new wave" of talents who had left Marvel Comics and had later founded Image Comics: Jim Lee (Agent-X), Rob Liefeld (Turk) and Todd McFarlane (Snare). Looking at the "X" formed by the blades on Agent-X's back and the connection with Jim Lee's X-Men, it would be logical to think that Agent-X was a mutant, but he explicitly stated that they were not mutant, but super-powered warriors.

Profile by Spidermay.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Agent-X has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Ghost Rider III#29, p6, pan3 (Agent-X, main image)
Ghost Rider III#56, p1, pan1 (head shot)
Ghost Rider III#56, p3, pan3 (Agent-X shooting a barrage of bio-blasts)

Appearances:
Ghost Rider III#29 (September, 1992) - Howard Mackie (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Joe Kuberk (inks), Bobby Chase (editor)
Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#7 (December, 1992) - Gregory Wright (writer), Steven Butler (pencils), James Sanders III (inks), Craig Andeerson (editor)
Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#11 (April, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Tom Grindberg (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Craig Andeerson (editor)
Silver Sable and the Wild Pack#12 (May, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Tom Grindberg (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Craig Andeerson (editor)
Ghost Rider III#56 (December, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Sergio Melia (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Ghost Rider III#57 (January, 1995) - Howard Mackie (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Sergio Melia (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) - Anthony Flamini (head writer/coordinator), Ronald Byrd (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Weapon X III#24 (December, 2018) - Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente (writers), Luca Pizzari (artist), Chris Robinson (editor)
Weapon X III#25 (January, 2019) - Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente (writers), Luca Pizzari (artist), Chris Robinson (editor)

First posted: 04/03/2022
Last updated: 04/03/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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