BUFF

Real Name: Arlee Hicks

Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality (Earth-700029) human mutant

Occupation: Student

Group Membership: Xavier's Institute student body/Generation X (Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, M/Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St.Croix, Mondo, Refrax/Kurt Pastorius, Skin/Angelo Espinosa) 

Affiliations: Banshee (Sean Cassidy), White Queen (Emma Frost)

Enemies: Dr. Russel Tresh, hostile townies

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, near Hastings, in an unrevealed state (probably New York), U.S.A.

First Appearance: Generation X movie (Fox Network, February 20th 1996)

Powers/Abilities: Buff possesses superhuman strength. She can run in excess of sixty miles per hour and she is stronger than the much larger Mondo, but her physique resembles that of an overly-steroidal male body builder, something she is extremely self-conscious about. Into botany (or at least flowers), Arlee is able to identify different flower types and is knowledgeable about their anatomy.

Height: 5' (by approximation)
Weight: 150 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:
(Generation X (fb) - BTS) - On Earth-700029 the Mutant Aggression Act had stripped mutants in America of their civil rights. Not only forced to register their existence, use of their powers was considered an act of terrorism, allowing them to be arrested without due process and sent to camps for "reassimilation" into society. In response Sean Cassidy and Emma Frost took up running the Xavier Institute, a haven for young mutants where they could learn to control their powers without the public or authorities learning about them. One of their recruits was Arlee Hicks, whose mutant powers gifted her with superhuman strength, but also with an excessively muscular physique which she considered horrible, trying to hide it by wearing baggy sweaters and only disrobing when totally alone. Initially she was one of four students, at the mansion where the Institute was situated, the other three being Monet St.Croix, Kurt Pastorius and Mondo. Arlee tried to get on with the others, but while she was easy going, the others tended to be less so, their sometimes abrasive personalities causing them to clash frequently. Despite teasing her frequently, Kurt harbored a secret crush on Arlee.

(Generation X) - The quarter were playing football in the mansion's grounds when the latest two recruits arrived, Angelo Espinosa and Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee. Angelo's attempt to act cool as he introduced himself prompted derisive responses from the other two male students, but Arlee was more welcoming, introducing herself and the others. The conversation moved to explaining what mutant powers they each possessed; Monet explained Kurt's powers were centered around his eyes, prompting him to claim he could see through clothing, and Arlee to reassure Jubilee that he couldn't. With introductions over, the group returned to playing football, this time with the new students included. During the game Mondo tackled Angelo for the ball, but inadvertently snagged Angelo's right hand under his arm as he ran away, painfully stretching the malleable Angelo's arm to several feet long. Shocked at seeing what he had done, Mondo became stunned into inaction, unthinkingly maintaining Angelo's torture, so Arlee tackled him, knocking him over and freeing Angelo's arm to snap back to its normal length. Arlee pinned Mondo down, and a scrum formed as the other students dogpiled on top until Sean broke things up.

(Generation X (fb) - BTS) - While in the pile of bodies, Kurt immaturely took the opportunity to "cop a feel."

(Generation X) - Later that day Arlee showed Jubilee to the girl's dorm room, then headed to change to the bathroom to change for the night, knocking back Jubilee's offer to accompany her. In Arlee's absence, Monet explained to Jubilee about Arlee's "out of control" musculature.

   The next morning Arlee was the first in the bathroom, with the other girls soon arriving to complain about having to wait to access the facilities. Arriving in time to hear Jubilee trying to hurry Arlee up, Kurt called through the door saying that his x-ray vision was improving and teasing that he could see Arlee naked, resulting in angry Arlee immediately exiting the room and pinning him up against a wall. Pointing out that she knew the bathroom was shielded to prevent any such breach of privacy, she added that if and when Kurt's powers ever did manage to look through her clothes she would rip his head off and attach it to Mondo's butt, then she stormed off. Later that day Sean showed the students the Institute's security system and then Cerebro, explaining that it monitored all mutant activity worldwide 24 hours a day, and informing them that they would be required to log and process its findings. For their first day, to get them used to working with Cerebro, he tasked them with scanning for mutant readings of level three and above. Emma ran the next lesson, trying to enhance their psychic potential by having them attempt to read the messages written on the backs of cards she held up. Afterwards Emma gave them an assignment to monitor their dreams, an attempt to begin to show them the potential of accessing the dream realm.

   A few days later the students were allowed off school grounds to go on an excursion into the nearby town, Hastings, and the three girls split from the boys to go clothes shopping. At Jubilee's insistence Arlee went to the changing room to try on a slightly revealing top and skirt, but Jubilee walked in on her as she began to change, upsetting the self-conscious Arlee. The girls headed to a diner where they had arranged to meet the boys, arriving in time to see some local boys bullying Angelo. Jubilee wanted to intervene to help him, but Arlee and Monet held her back, aware they needed to maintain a low profile, with Arlee informing her friend that school rules said they were not allowed "to touch the townies." 

   Back at school a couple of days after the town trip, Kurt tried to strike up a conversation with Arlee by presenting her with a flower and asking her its species, then asked her if she wanted to go to a Fireman's carnival in town with him. Suspecting he was setting her up for a practical joke he had cooked up with his friend Mondo, Arlee turned him down flat, but Kurt persisted, telling her he was serious and that Mondo didn't know he was asking her. Seeing his sincerity, Arlee visibly warmed to the idea, and Kurt gifted her with the flower.

   After school the students headed back into town to attend the carnival,...

(Generation X (fb) - BTS) - but while sitting in the back of the van Kurt's x-ray vision finally fully kicked in while he was looking down at Arlee's legs, but he stopped himself before he could see any more of her naked body.

(Generation X) - Arriving at the carnival Arlee and Kurt split from the others, going on the ferris wheel together. Afterwards they met back up with Jubilee and Mondo, and when the girls momentarily split off again, Mondo tried to quiz Kurt on his progress with Arlee, describing her body in unflattering terms. Trying to explain to his friend that the rude comments were inaccurate, Kurt began to explain about what he had seen in the van, but as he admitted he had seen through Arlee's pants she and Jubilee walked up and heard his admission. Mondo alerted Kurt too late of their return, and an upset Arlee walked off before Kurt could explain.

(Generation X - BTS) - In Arlee's absence most of the others ended up fighting the same townies who had earlier picked on Angelo after they again decided to torment the Xavier's students.

(Generation X) - Despite not having been involved, Arlee was included in Emma's rebuking of the students the next day, reminding them that if they were identified as mutants, especially ones using their powers to fight humans, they could all end up in camps. When Mondo admitted he had used his powers, albeit surreptitiously, during the fight, Emma informed him he was expelled, but the other students one by one made it clear that if Mondo was expelled then so were they, with Arlee the last to stand and show her solidarity. Emma remained resolute in the face of this defiance, intending to expel all of them, but was talked down by Sean, who was glad to see them now sticking together, and reduced the punishment to a month's grounding. Kurt later approached Arlee as she was studying in the library, wanting to repair things between them, but she refused to listen and left.

(Generation X - BTS) - Angelo was lured out of the mansion by Russel Tresh, an insane scientist who had developed a device to tap into people's dreams. Captured by Tresh, Angelo managed to alert Jubilee to his predicament by entering her dreams.

(Generation X) - Knowing Tresh of old and concerned about how powerful he might be in the dream realm, Emma decided the best chance of catching him off guard and rescuing Angelo was open a portal to the dream realm for the others to use, then project an illusion that she had shifted the entire school into the dream realm. Since this would take all her power to maintain, the students would have to then handle the actual rescue. Aware he might not get another opportunity, Kurt took a few seconds to explain fully to Arlee what had happened in the van and say he was sorry that he had hurt her. Though she said nothing in response, she began to smile, confirming to him that she had accepted his apology.

   Once in the dream realm the students and Sean confronted Tresh as he was about to cut open Angelo's brain and attacked him in turn, in Arlee's case throwing him across his laboratory. When Tresh tried to retaliate, Kurt stepped between them, threatening to kill the scientist if he touched her. Working together they were ultimately able to defeat Tresh and returned to the real world.

   Some time later Sean and Emma revealed to the students their new uniforms, with Arlee modeling the outfit for her fellows.

 Comments: Created by Eric Blakeney.

   Buff was portrayed by Suzanne Davis. Like most of the characters, she never uses her codename in the movie, but it was revealed in publicity for the film, such as an article in Variety released the day before the movie aired. She's also the only Generation X member to wear the costumes that the comics' version of the team had, and that only in the final few seconds of the film. Buff and Refrax (Kurt) were new characters created for the movie, apparently as replacements for Husk and Chamber respectively, apparently because those two comic characters had powers that would be excessively expensive to reproduce on the movies' minuscule budget. I have to admit that bad as the movie is, I have a certain fondness for some aspects of it, and have always wished Buff and Refrax could have made their way over the comics.

   This profile was completed 09/18/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Buff has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Generation X movie publicity shots (main image, civilian clothing image)
Generation X movie screenshot (back musculature, second costume image)

Appearances:
Generation X movie (February 20th 1996) - Eric Blakeney (writer), Jack Sholder (director)

First Posted: 09/21/2021
Last updated: 09/19/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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