Real
Name: Kuhrra Daïzonest KUHRRA DAÏZONEST
Real
Name: Kuhrra Daïzonest
Identity/Class: Human mutant;
Brazilian citizen
Occupation: Faith healer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Pedrao, other unidentified attendants and security, unidentified gang members
Enemies: Andre Mexer, Wolverine (Logan/James Howlett)
Known Relatives: None (see comments)
Aliases: He Who Knows
Base of Operations: Mansion in the Sercipe Heights, Fortaleza, Brazil
First Appearance: Wolverine: Saudade (2006)
Powers/Abilities: Kuhrra could reach into a
person's body as if it were made of liquid and shift or pull out tumors,
organs or muscles. He could sense tumors and cancers as "nexuses of
negative energies" in order to remove them while leaving surrounding
tissue undamaged. He could seal wounds inflicted on himself with a
touch, but it is unrevealed whether he could do the same to others, and
if he could there were limits, as one of the gang members who worked for
him in return for healing services was wearing an eye patch, the
apparently missing eye suggesting Kuhrra could not fix that injury.
Kuhrra had limited energy for his powers, but could apparently replenish
it by extracting some energy/ essence from other people, likely from
their brains, as when he touched Mexer's temples, energy flared and
Mexer was left brain damaged; this injury was not caused by Kuhrra
physically reaching into the brain since his fingers did not enter the
skull. He could apparently reach through bone and clothing as easily as
flesh, but not through metals, as he expected to be able to access
Wolverine's heart through his foe's rib cage, but was stymied because
Wolverine's skeleton was covered in Adamantium.
Kuhrra was also apparently at least slightly
telepathic, as he was able to project the information about where the
kidnapped Mexer had been sent directly into Wolverine's mind.
Kuhrra was a decent fighter who may have
known some martial arts, perhaps capoiera, as he was skilled enough to
dodge several of Wolverine's strikes and performed powerful kicks
against his opponent.
Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Wolverine: Saudade (fb) -
BTS) - Kuhrra Daïzonest was a mutant able to
manipulate flesh by touch. Believing God had given him this mutant
power, he used his ability to become a faith healer, removing tumors and
cancers from customers, which he could sense as "nexuses of negative
energy" within them. Medical authorities did not recognize his methods,
but despite this he built up a powerful reputation and would have a long
line of applicants waiting outside his mansion night and day to request
his services. He did not officially charge them, instead having them
give "donations" in sealed envelopes. However, he apparently needed to
recharge himself by taking lifeforce from others (see comments), burning
out their minds. To facilitate this he had a local gang kidnap street
kids from time to time, paying these thugs by healing their loved ones.
Viewing his victims as corrupt, he justified what he was doing by
telling them he was forgiving their sins as they gave their lives so he
could cure his patients, and by leaving them severely brain damaged he
was taking away their tortured souls, making them better servants of
God. He would then sell the almost mindless husks of his victims to the
bosses of the Serra Pelada gold mines.
For unrevealed reasons, Kuhrra was connected
to a young mutant street kid, Andre Mexer, and when Mexer's psionic
powers developed, every time the boy used them, Kuhrra suffered the
sudden onset of an intense, debilitating head pain. He was apparently
aware that another mutant was the cause of this pain, though it remains
unrevealed whether he knew it was specifically Mexer.
Meanwhile Kuhrra and Mexer's powers registered as an anomaly on the
mutant detection device Cerebro at Xavier's School for Gifted Children
in New York State; since one of the X-Men, Wolverine, was already in the
area on vacation, Xavier called him to ask him to investigate.
(Wolverine: Saudade) - Kuhrra was greeting the latest in a long line of people waiting outside his mansion to ask for his services and had just asked her to place the envelope containing her donation in a bowl in front of him when he was struck down by another head pain. His attendants showed the applicant out and obeyed Kuhrra's orders to take him to his bed. Slowly recovering, Kuhrra angrily declared that "he" had used his powers again, and ordered his men to find him the mutant in question.
(Wolverine: Saudade - BTS) - The
attendants passed on Kuhrra's instructions to the gang they used for
kidnappings, and the next morning they snatched Mexer (see comments);
when Mexer's new friend Wolverine tried to stop them, the gang gunned
him down and some then dropped him into the ocean, believing they had
slain him, while the others delivered their prize to Kuhrra's
mansion.
(Wolverine: Saudade) - Kuhrra removed a tumor from a woman's stomach, informing her that his mortal hands were guided by God himself. He told his patient's husband that his wife was cured, but there would be a little pain. Adding that she should avoid walking, he asked the couple if they had a car, and when they confirmed they did not, he instructed his assistant Pedrao to have them driven to the train station. Once the couple left, Pedrao asked Kuhrra if he wanted to see the next "penitent," but the healer told him to instead bring him the "most corrupt," Mexer. Two of Kuhrra's men soon dragged Mexer into the room, and Kuhrra informed the bound boy that he should thank him for what was about to occur. Mexer responded by headbutting Kuhrra on the nose and making a run for it, but was intercepted at the door by Pedrao, who handed him back to Kuhrra. Stating that the boy was "bathed in the blood of the lamb," Kuhrra grasped either side of Mexer's head while informing him that he could serve God by helping Kuhrra comfort his penitents. Asking his victim what better future could he have than this service, Kuhrra began draining energy from the boy.
(Wolverine: Saudade
- BTS) - Having left Mexer brain damaged to the point of being almost an
automaton, Kuhrra sold the boy to the mines.
(Wolverine: Saudade)
- Having survived being shot and drowned, Wolverine tracked down one of
the kidnappers and from him learned of Kuhrra. That night he attacked
Kuhrra's mansion, hoping to rescue Mexer, crashing a car through the
gates at the entrance to the mansion's grounds. The commotion woke
Kuhrra, who went outside to see what was happening. Seeing his penitents
trying to restrain the invading mutant, Kuhrra ordered them to release
the intruder, confident in his own ability to deal with him. Racing at
Kuhrra, Wolverine demanded he hand over Mexer, but Kuhrra responded that
the "deviant sinner child" was beyond his reach as he kicked Wolverine
in the face, then added that the boy was happy and with his God as he
reached into Wolverine's right forearm and pulled out some of the
muscles. Cutting his own arm open with his claws, Wolverine reinserted
the muscle and let his mutant healing factor repair the damage.
Attacking again, Wolverine stated that even though
Kuhrra's powers had lit up Cerebro he wasn't impressed, and though
Kuhrra dodged the first slice of Wolverine's claws, a second strike
moments later cut the healer's cheek. Angrily, he closed the wounds with
his powers, stating that it wasn't a power but a gift from God to save
the righteous and punish the ungodly, simultaneously kicking Wolverine
off balance while yanking muscles out of his opponent's left leg. As
Wolverine collapsed to the ground and tried to reinsert the muscles
again, Kuhrra taunted him that his friend now had the honor to serve
God, and ripped more muscles loose from Wolverine's right shoulder,
stating he was going to take away Wolverine's tortured soul too. Telling
Kuhrra he talked too much, Wolverine stabbed his claws through his
assailant's left arm, causing Kuhrra to pull back in agony.
As he healed himself once more, Kuhrra stated he had been
prepared to be merciful, but now he intended to make Wolverine suffer
like the damned, and with Wolverine still unable to stand Kuhrra used
both hands to tear free large chunks of Wolverine's back muscles, then
flipped his victim over and plunged his hand into Wolverine's chest,
intending to rip out his heart. However, to Kuhrra's shock, only the
tips of his fingers penetrated, stopped from going any deeper by
Wolverine's metal skeleton. Before Kuhrra could recover from his
surprise, Wolverine impaled Kuhrra through the chest. With Kuhrra
desperately healing at the injury to stave off dying, Wolverine
struggled to his feet, lifting up Kuhrra on the claws as he did so.
Pointing out while Kuhrra might be able to heal himself as fast as the
claws were cutting into him, it was using up all his already dwindling
energy, Wolverine offered to cut him a deal if he said where Mexer was.
Kuhrra hastily did so, but Wolverine didn't withdraw his claws,
listening impassively as Kuhrra tried to beg to be released. His
energies depleted, Kuhrra's powers switched off, and without him
constantly healing the damage caused by Wolverine's continuing
impalement, Kuhrra died. Dropping the murderous healer's bloody corpse
on the ground in the middle of Kuhrra's stunned penitents, Wolverine
staggered off to rescue Mexer from the mines.
Comments: Created by Jean-David Moran and Philippe Bouchet.
No explanation is ever given why Mexer
using his power caused pain to Kuhrra. The only other example I can
think of where one mutant's power was linked to another like this was
Havok and the Living Monolith, and that connection was created by the
former's DNA grafted into the latter's. Other examples of linked powers,
but not detrimental ones, tends to be related mutants who are either
immune to one another's powers or who need physical contact for their
powers to work. All of which suggests Mexer and Kuhrra might have
similar DNA. Mexer was a street kid whose mother was clearly unmarried
(given her young age) - maybe Kuhrra was his father? Kuhrra definitely
knew that he and Mexer shared a connection, seemingly before Mexer
actually met him, but it's unclear whether he knew the boy's identity
before the gang told him. When he told his attendants to get the
individual who had been causing him pain, he only said to "find that
mutant." If he'd known Mexer's name, you'd think he'd have told them to
"find Mexer." The gang that snatched Mexer had a run in with the boy
prior to receiving Kuhrra's order and so knew of his powers, so they
could have figured out he was probably the person Kuhrra wanted that
way, though they seemed surprisingly sure it was him and not, for
example, Wolverine, that Kuhrra was after.
Though we only see him burn out Mexer, it's clear from various parts of
the story that the boy is far from Kuhrra's only victim. The gang leader
who snatched Mexer states that Kuhrra "sometimes asks us to find a
particular parasite" so Mexer wasn't the first. Since the others are
very unlikely to all have been mutants whose powers somehow interfered
with Kuhrra and since Kuhrra tells that his sacrifice will help Kuhrra
comfort his penitents, it seems that Kuhrra needs to take something from
these kidnapped "parasites" to maintain his own powers. The cell phone
trophies the gang leader keeps from victims may not all be from people
he snatched for Kuhrra, but some likely were. And though we're not told
explicitly that Kuhrra sells all his brain damaged victims to the mines,
it seems unlikely that if there have been multiple victims that Mexer
was the only one subsequently sold into slavery.
This profile was completed 09/27/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.
Profile by Loki.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Kuhrra Daïzonest has no known
connections to:
Pedrao was one of Kuhrra's staff, seemingly a direct assistant to the healer. Kuhrra instructed him to drive a patient and her husband to the train station after treatment and then had Pedrao bring the kidnapped Mexer to him. When the boy tried to escape, Pedrao intercepted him and handed him back to Kuhrra, then watched impassively as Kuhrra drained the boy, leaving Mexer brain damaged.
--Wolverine: Saudade
images: (without ads)
Wolverine: Saudade,
p28, pan5 (main image)
Wolverine: Saudade,
p39, pan7 (headshot)
Wolverine: Saudade,
p30, pan5-6 (draining Mexer)
Wolverine: Saudade, p36, pan7
(kicking Wolverine)
Wolverine: Saudade, p36, pan8-9 (reaching into
Wolverine's arm, ripping out muscles)
Wolverine:
Saudade, p30, pan8 (being impaled)
Wolverine: Saudade,
p30, pan2 (Pedrao)
Appearances:
Wolverine: Saudade (2006) - Jean-David Moran
(writer), Philippe Bouchet (art), Olivier Jalabert (editor)
First Posted: 09/28/2021
Last updated: 09/27/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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