STRIKER
Real Name: Brandon Sharpe
Identity/Class: Human mutate
Occupation: Super hero
Group Membership: None; formerly Avengers Academy (Batwing/Jimmy Santini, Butterball/Emery Schaub, Crimson, Finesse/Jeanne Foucault, Fiona, Giant-Man/Wasp/Hank Pym, Hazmat/Jennifer Takeda, Hollow, Jocasta, Justice/Vance Astrovik, Lightspeed/Julie Power, Machine Teen/Adam Aaronson, Mettle/Ken Mack, Power Man/Victor Alvarez, Ricochet/Johnny Gallo, Rocket Racer/Robert Farrell, Sentinel, Juston Seyfert, She-Hulk/Lyra, Spider-Girl/Anya Corazon, Tigra/Greer Nelson, Turbo/Mickey Musashi, Veil/Maddy Berry, White Tiger/Ava Ayala, Wiz Kid/Takashi Matsuya, X-23/Laura Kinney)
Affiliations: Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady), Armor Squad (Dr. Toni Ho, Madison Jeffries, Arno Stark), Arsenal, Avengers (Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Hercules, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers, Protector/Noh-Varr, Steve Rogers, Thor/Odinson), Avengers (Luke Cage, Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Iron Fist/Daniel Rand, Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Thing/Ben Grimm, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett), Avengers Initiative (Batwing/Jimmy Santini, Butterball/Emery Schaub, Hardball/Roger Brokeridge, Komodo/Melati Kusuma), Blade (Eric Brooks), Braddock Academy (Box/Roger Bochs Jr., Loch, Meggan), Cloud-9 (Abby Boylan), Leonardo da Vinci, Devil Dinosaur, Future Foundation (Bentley-23, Korr, Leech, Mik, Onome, Alex Power, Franklin Richards, Valeria Richards, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Tong, Turg), Kelly Garnett, Jonathan, Latverian School of Science (Demona/Demona Hellstrom, Doombot, Morg, Pan), Moon Boy, Pan-Asian School for the Unusually Gifted (Gang, Sanjar Javeed, Pom Pom, Shri, Jimmy Woo), Runaways (Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Victor Mancha, Nico Minoru, Old Lace, Klara Prast, Chase Stein), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Thunderbolts (Luke Cage, Ghost, Juggernaut/Cain Marko, Moonstone/Karla Sofen), Trauma (Terrance Ward), Ultragirl (Suzy Sherman), Valkyrie (Brunnhilde), Wakandan School for Alternative Studies (Asha, Black Panther/T'Challa, Blocks, Bull), Carina Walters, Whalesong, X-Men (Anole/Victor Borkowski, Bling!/Roxy Washington, Celeste Cuckoo, Mindee Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, Doop, Dust/Sooraya Qadir, Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, Emma Frost, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, Genesis/Evan Sabahnur, Glob/Robert Herman, Iceman/Robert Drake, Madison Jeffries, Kid Omega/Quentin Quire, Loa/Alani Ryan, Lockheed, No-Girl/Martha Johansson, Pixie/Megan Gwynn, Primal/Teon Macik, Prodigy/David Alleyne, Kitty Pryde, Kavita Rao, Rockslide/Santo Vaccarro, Rogue/Anna Marie, Shark-Girl/Iara Dos Santos, Sebastian Shaw, Sprite/Jia Jing, Surge/Nori Ashida, Transonic/Laurie Tromette, Velocidad/Gabriel Cohuelo, Warbird/Ava'Dara Naganandini, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett), Young Allies (Firestar/Angelica Jones, Gravity/Greg Willis, Nomad/Rikki Barnes of Counter-Earth, Spider-Girl/Anya Corazon, Toro/Benito Serrano)
Enemies: Absorbing Man/Greithoth (Carl Creel), Aftershock (Danielle Blunt), A.I.M., Alkhema, Anesthesia, Big Zero (Amity Hunter), Jeremy Briggs, Coat of Arms (Lisa Molinari), Cobalt Men, Ember (Jason Pierce), Enchantress (Sylvie Lushton), Flynn, the Hood (Parker Robbins), Hybrid (Jimmy Marks), Icemaster (Bradley Kroon), John King, Michael Korvac, Mentallo (Marvin Flumm), Mother, Norman Osborn, Phoenix Force, Psycho-Man, Rick, Sinister Six (Chameleon/Dmitri Smerdyakov, Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius, Electro/Maxwell Dillon, Mysterio/Quentin Beck, Rhino/Alexei Sytsevich, Sandman/William Baker), Skirn/Titania (Mary MacPherran), Thanos' army, Whirlwind (David Cannon), numerous evil Young Avengers from alternate Earths
Known Relatives: Mrs. Sharpe (mother), unidentified father, unidentified sister
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Avengers Academy Campus/Avengers Compound in Palos Verdes, California;
formerly Avengers Academy in the Avengers Infinite Mansion
First Appearance: Avengers Academy#1 (August, 2010)
Powers/Abilities: Striker can generate discharge electricity as electric attacks against his opponents, can detect variable frequencies, can override electrical systems, can absorb electricity to boost his own power or to reduce electrical damage to others, to fly through the air, and to form electromagnetic force shields. When used more subtly, Striker can read small electrical systems and gather his own energy to fool them, such as creating a false retinal scan to open an electronic door that requires the retinal scan for access. Striker can also charge his hands up to deliver shocks while punching others during combat. Trained in hand-to-hand combat, Striker has had access to the resources and technology of the Avengers, including Quinjets and the teleportation doors of the Infinite Mansion.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black (with white streak)
History:
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS)
- Brandon Sharpe grew up with a mom that taught him "In this world, if
you're not famous, you're nothing." He grew up, hearing about her
sordid history and her work as a model (she even showing him her nude
modeling in Penthouse), never knowing who his father was. Brandon's
mother got him a child agent, Rick, who got both Brandon and his mother
work from time to time, but he began touching Brandon inappropriately.
(Avengers Academy#23 (fb) - BTS) - Brandon grew to trust Rick over time, even learning to look forward to their time together, although he felt uncomfortable about the abuse.
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) ) - When Brandon tried telling his mother about Rick's behavior, she shamed him for speaking up and told him to go get work. Later, when Rick tried touching Brandon, his powers activated and Rick was electrocuted. In the hospital, Brandon was tested for the mutant gene, and it came back negative. He heard his mother tell the doctor that she wasn't sure where Brandon's powers came from, and he realized she was lying. The activation of Brandon's powers resulted in a white streak in his hair and some scarring on his forehead.
(Avengers Academy#17 (fb) - BTS) - Brandon wrestled with guilt over Rick's death for a time, but soon found peace with it.
(Inhumanity: The Awakening#1 (fb) ) - Mrs. Sharpe put Brandon out there, showcasing his new powers to capitalize on his fame.
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - Brandon launched a new career as Striker, appearing in monster truck shows and state fairs, and he tried his hand at crime-fighting. Considered too young to get on the New Warriors' reality show, he instead joined "Who Wants to Be a Thunderbolt?"
(Avengers Academy#23 (fb) - BTS) - Brandon, at some point, realized he was attracted to boys, but he felt desperate to prove that he was straight and started hooking up with girls frequently, though he generally flirted with girls who weren't interested in flirting back with him.
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) ) - In time, Norman Osborn recruited Brandon, telling him he was special and giving him access to models and a posh lifestyle, but Sharpe quickly found himself bored.
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - Osborn kept promising Striker fame, but it never quite happened, then Osborn was arrested. Striker was offered a place in the new Avengers Academy by Giant-Man, and he accepted.
(Avengers Academy#3 (fb) - BTS) - While going to school, Sharpe was aware of an educational "scared straight" program, where students visited jails.
(Avengers Academy#1) - At the Infinite Mansion, remembering how his ten-year old sister got easily scared, Striker and the others met new student Veil, and Striker immediately teased her, causing Finesse to shame him for being an insecure alpha male. The team met their new teacher Speedball and Striker judged him as the man responsible for killing hundreds in Stamford. Giant-Man introduced Veil to the other teachers, Justice, Tigra, and Quicksilver, then the team engaged in a training battle. Finesse read the instructors' lips and realized they were keeping some kind of secret about the students, and Striker suggested they break into the teachers' files. Striker used his powers to knock out the cameras while Finesse hacked in, and they learned that the Avengers saw the group of them as likely to become super-villains, and were training them to try and change their courses.
(Avengers Academy#2 (fb) - BTS) - Striker and the others attended class with Justice teaching.
(Avengers Academy#2) - Striker was watching with amusement as Finesse flirted with Reptil, but then Arsenal attacked the students, and Striker found his powers ineffective against it. As the robot was defeated, the teachers rushed in, including Jocasta, who, Striker was amused to see, told Giant-Man their relationship was over. As they fought a simulation of old Avengers foes in training, Striker shared his views that they, as students, would never make it to the Avengers and that their destiny might be to end up in jail.
(Avengers Academy#3 (fb) - BTS) - Striker shared with Hazmat that he'd read in Veil's file that Veil's powers were slowly killing her.
(Avengers Academy#3) - After another training exercise with the students, Striker saw Reptil and Finesse kiss, then he pretended to flirt with Finesse. While Iron Fist taught combat training to the students, Striker and Hazmat discussed their scheduled visit to the Thunderbolts program at the Raft. Later, the team met Luke Cage at the Raft, and he walked them past various prisoners while they were lectured by varoius members of the Thunderbolts, a team of criminals seeking reform. Soon, the power went off and they realized that Veil, Hazmat, and Mettle were missing.
(Thunderbolts I#147) - Many prisoners began to riot while the students were there.
(Avengers Academy#4) - Striker assumed that the other three had gone to hide on the Quinjet, and he and the others got to safety while the teachers handled some of the inmate issues with the Thunderbolts.
(Heroic Age: Heroes#1 - BTS) - Captain America wrote about Striker in a report about heroes.
(Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - After setting up a secure comm system in the mansion, one he had Finesse verify, Sharpe called his mom to set up a chance for him to expand his fame, and she arranged for Whirlwind to attack the team during a time when photographers were nearby.
(Avengers Academy#5) - At the Infinite Mansion, Striker interacted with an inert Jocasta when he had midnight munchies and he found himself confiding in her about his history and motivations. Later the team trained against Steve Rogers. Ranting about how the new team shouldn't be kept "in the closet", Striker wondered aloud why the team hadn't been announced to the public yet, and Rogers suspected he was only on the team to achieve fame of some kind. Sharpe lifted weights and casually asked Finesse if she'd like to hook up, but she refused him, then Veil did the same. Sharpe considered leaving the team until, during an outing in New York to see Wicked (during which Mettle and Hazmat were shrunk down to avoid being seen), they were attacked by Whirlwind, an old enemy of Pym's. The students fought back and Striker delivered the electric zap that defeated Whirlwind, realizing his move was caught on camera, and Striker was recognized by the public. When the news stations started reporting on the students, Giant-Man considered ignoring the media, but Striker counseled him to get ahead of it, so soon the students of Avengers Academy were announced publicly. Later, Veil kissed Striker and asked if he'd like to hook up, but he said he was tired and asked to just talk instead. Striker called his mom, who learned that Living Lightning was her assigned security agent, but he had to tell her that he is gay. She pressured Brandon into dyeing his hair and to cash in on his fame faster, but he wanted to play the long game, not only be famous briefly by his mother. Sharpe didn't realize that Jocasta was watching his conversation.
(Avengers Academy#6) - Striker and the others voted for Reptil to be their team leader. Later, during a media interview, Striker was shocked when Reptil gave him the mic, encouraging him to talk about the Whirlwind battle, but Striker gladly recounted his victory. That night, the team worked together to defeat escaped prisoner Mentallo.
(Ant-Man & Wasp I#1) - Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady) stopped by the mansion and flirted with Veil and Finesse, annoying Striker. Later, he saw Ant-Man sleeping and watched as Anesthesia, a Sleepwalker, entered his mind, concerning Striker.
(Ant Man & Wasp I#3) - Striker and Reptil returned to help Giant-Man and Ant-Man against A.I.M., and they were flanked by Justice, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, and Valkyrie. When Ant-Man fell out of a ship, Striker caught him in his hand.
(Avengers Academy#7) - Striker and the others helped watch over the inert Absorbing Man during a prisoner transfer, but the villain escaped and grew to giant size. Striker tried hitting Creel with an electric blast, but it was only absorbed, leaving Giant-Man to defeat Creel himself.
(Avengers Academy#8) - Tigra was furious when she saw the students watching a video online of the Hood badly beating her. Tigra and Giant-Man opened up about the incident with the students, and Striker was disgusted that the Hood had only been put in jail as a punishment. Realizing the Hood was no longer in prison, Striker led Hazmat and Veil in getting revenge for Tigra, and they began hunting the Hood, attacking him in his home. Striker used his electric powers to torture the Hood without harming or killing him, while the others recorded him saying he was sorry. The students fled after John King fired at them, then they posted the video online. Later, Tigra showed them a video of an interview she did about not being a victim, then Striker showed her the video he had made. Seeing the video had half a million hits, Tigra was furious with Striker, Hazmat, and Veil, and told them they were expelled.
(Avengers Academy#9) - Striker, furious with his expulsion, planned to get a TV deal anyway.
(Avengers Academy I#9 - BTS) - Striker contacted his agent and learned that the only offer he had was for The Real World.
(Avengers Academy#9) - Back at the mansion, Tigra informed Striker, Hazmat, and Veil that instead of being expelled, they were on probation, and would need to take extra classes on morals and ethics to get by.
(Avengers Academy Giant-Size#1) - Given the day off from school, Striker joined Reptil, Finesse, and Veil in the city, and Striker immediately pretended to flirt with local girls. The heroes saw Firestar and Spider-Girl rush by.
(Avengers Academy Giant-Size#1 - BTS) - When they followed a robot Reptil around the corner, Striker and Finesse were captured by Arcade's robots.
(Avengers Academy Giant-Size#1) - Striker and Finesse woke up, in costume, in a cage fully submerged and surrounded by sharks, where their oxygen was slowly running out. Striker considered blasting through the cage walls, but Finesse talked him out of it at first. When they realized the sharks were robots, Striker electrified the air, draining their oxygen, before he finally broke the glass. They used the air bubble formed to rush past the sharks to the surface. When robots attacked, Striker destroyed some as did Veil, Reptil, and Spider-Girl (who Striker immediately flirted with). The students used robot duplicates of themselves that they'd found to make Arcade think they were dead, then they took the attack to him, joining with the other Young Allies, Toro and Firestar. Striker destroyed more robots then they worked together to defeat Arcade. Striker flirted with Spider-Girl again, but she expressed interest in Reptil instead.
(Avengers Academy#10) - After attending an ethics class with the others, Striker heard Speedball, provoked by Veil, announce a class trip to Stamford, where he had once battled Nitro, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths. While Protector (Noh-Varr) taught a class about alien races, Striker commended Veil for her challenging of Speedball. In Stamford, as Speedball lectured them, the Cobalt Men attacked, and the students defeated them, Striker using electric zaps to blast one villain's armor open, but then Speedball lashed out with an energy attack to stop the fight from happening. Back at the mansion, Speedball explained his situation to the students.
(Avengers Academy#11) - Veil tried summoning Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) back from the Macroverse, but ended up bringing Carina Walters to the Infinite Mansion, then Striker saw Korvac attack. While two Avengers teams held off Korvac, the students got Carina to a safe room, where Carina offered to power them up by bringing adult versions of them from the future with increased skillsets and talents, and she said she could put their minds in those bodies and with those skills they could help in the battle against Korvac. The students each agreed, and Striker found himself in the body of his older counterpart. The students rushed to join in the attack against Korvac, finding most of the other heroes already defeated.
(Avengers Academy#12) - Adapting to his new body (which now had chest hair), Striker heard Carina explain that she'd pulled bodies from futures when they were at their most powerful. After Striker watched his teammates adapt to their new power-sets, they attacked Korvac directly. The future Striker was soon killed, a hole blown in his chest by Korvac, so Carina restored his younger self to the timeline. Realizing he'd just experienced his own death in the future, Striker fled. The others soon defeated Korvac and had their younger bodies restored (though Reptil stayed in his older form). Later, Tigra checked on Striker, but he stormed out, wondering if being a hero was worth putting his life on the line.
(Avengers Academy#13) - Avengers Academy hosted a school dance and invited young students like the Young Allies, Batwing, Butterball, Komodo, Hardball, and Ultragirl to attend. Striker danced with Nomad until he grabbed her butt, making her furious, although he claimed it was just an accident. Veil confronted Striker on his poor attitude and why he always seemed to look for the worst in everyone, and he ranted about dying at the hands of Korvac (in his adult form) and how he felt like everyone was judging him. Veil listened to Striker then invited him to dance.
(Avengers Academy#14) - When the teachers went off to handle a disaster, Tigra led the six students of Avengers Academy to Paris to fight Electro. Striker hit the villain with an electric blast, but Electro absorbed it and knocked Striker out as he revealed the rest of the Sinister Six were there with him. After Rhino knocked Striker aside the heroes realized "Tigra" was the Chameleon, and the Sinister Six had lured them into a trap to gain access to Pym's dimensional doorways. When Reptil was badly burned from electricity, Striker did his best to absorb the damage. Back at the Mansion, Striker was furious to see the media turn against the students, and Giant-Man promised the students he would train them better in the future.
(Avengers Academy#14.1) - When villains broke out from the courthouse in New York, Avengers Academy helped to contain them. In a fight with Ruby Thursday, Striker helped repair Hazmat's damaged containment suit before they started talking about the presumption they would all end up super-villains. Wanting to test the theory, Finesse told them there had been another potential recruit, Jeremy Briggs, of Briggs Chemical LLC, and they sought him out to question him. Briggs, who had the power to alter chemical composition, agreed to help them investigate Osborn recruits. Briggs took Striker and Finesse to Haiti to meet Kelly, a healer that was helping those in extreme need. Kelly invited Striker to make an appearance on the reality show she was on in the region, and when he flirted with her, she told him to look her up when he was legal. Back at Briggs' headquarters, he reviewed how he had showed the other students other successes and failures, and then he invited them all to join him, promising to make Striker famous. Finesse revealed that Briggs had been manipulating all of them, so they refused his offer and attacked, but he used his powers to defeat them. As employees Lila and Earl watched, the students left, returning to the Academy.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#661) - At Avengers Mansion, guest instructor Spider-Man taught Striker and the others, but they teased him until he took them out on patrol. As they fought muggers, Spider-Man lectured the students on using too much violence, then the Psycho-Man revealed himself, hitting Striker with a paralyzing dose of fear. Overcome with doubt, hate, and fear, the students were then manipulated into attacking Spider-Man directly.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#662) - Striker ranted about how Spider-Man was jealous of him before Striker was kicked in the jaw, then Psycho-Man had the students attack civilians, but Spidey fought them until they re-asserted control of themselves. After Psycho-Man was defeated, they went back to Giant-Man and praised Spidey for the lessons he had taught them. Striker complained about his sore jaw and said he reserved the right to sue if he wanted to.
(Avengers Academy#15 (fb) - BTS) - Tigra began working with Striker on creating an electromagnetic force-shield.
(Avengers Academy#15) - When a massive criminal breakout took place at the Raft, the teachers of Avengers Academy rushed to contain it, leaving Tigra to train the students in the training room, but she soon deployed them to handle attacking Nazi robots in Washington D.C. Striker, afraid of being killed in the chaotic battle, panicked before forming his new shield.
(Avengers Academy#16) - Striker and the others kept working to save civilians.
(Avengers Academy#17) - Striker and the others finished the fight. As the battle ended, Tigra commended the students on their good work. Back at the mansion, Reptil and Finesse asked Striker how he had found peace with Rick's death, and he told them it was a process, but that he now found that fighting for causes, like saving civilians from Nazis, was something he could get behind, but not non-sensical drama like Korvac. Just then, Greithoth and Skirn attacked and Striker and Finesse fled while Reptil handled them. As they tried to get to safety, part of the mansion exploded.
(Avengers Academy#18) - Striker held back with Finesse and they saw Reptil badly hurt by Greithoth on the cameras. After Striker called Finesse cold, he regrouped with Finesse and Hazmat and suggested they give in to their villainous natures to fight their foes. While Hazmat held off the two villains, Striker and Finesse got Reptil and Veil to safety, then they used holograms and reprogrammed robots to get the two villains to hurt each other. They soon realized that Greithoth was absorbing Pym Particles, causing the entire mansion to grow at an exponential rate, which had the potential to destroy an entire American city.
(Avengers Academy#19) - As the mansion expanded, Striker realized they were passing through levels of the Microverse, Finesse realized they could trigger the mansion's self-destruction and escape, but two of them would have to stay behind to trigger it. Finesse agreed to do so. At the last moment, Quicksilver took Finesse's place and he triggered the explosion as the students landed in Chicago with Giant-Man, Tigra, and Justice. Quicksilver escaped the building, and the teachers commended the students on their choices, but Veil, furious about what they'd just been through, responded by quitting the team.
(Avengers Academy#20) - Striker heard Speedball announce he was leaving the Academy. The next day, the students and teachers helped fight escaped criminals Icemaster, Aftershock, and Ember, but Jeremy Briggs arrived to defeat the criminals. Later, Justice also quit the team, and Veil left to join Briggs, after hugging Striker goodbye. The team prepared to move to the old Avengers West Coast headquarters in California, where the new Avengers Academy campus would be.
(Avengers: Solo#1/2) - While looking over the new campus, Striker and Finesse were summoned by Pym to accompany him on a mission to Death Valley, where Dr. Myron Maclain had set off a distress signal. They drew close to the distress signal and realized armed guards surrounded the building, then something interfered with the ship's guidance system and it crashed.
(Avengers: Solo#2/2) - Striker blasted out of the ship and then helped defeat the security guards. After Finesse got them into the building and Pym briefly shrank all three of them down to avoid detection, Striker used his powers to open a door that showed them replicas of the original West Coast Avengers, including Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Iron Man, Mockingbird, and Tigra.
(Avengers: Solo#3/2) - Striker joked that replicas of him should be mass produced, then the five West Coast Avengers duplicates activated. Striker activated the Wonder Man duplicate's rocket belt, then stole it when they were in the air, zapping "Wonder Man". When he landed, Alkhema revealed herself.
(Avengers: Solo#4/2) - Striker helped defeat the Avengers duplicates, but then Alkhema attacked.
(Avengers: Solo#5/2 (fb) - BTS) - Striker and Finesse defeated Alkhema.
(Avengers: Solo#5/2) - Striker bragged to his teammates about his victory.
(Avengers Academy#21 (fb) – BTS) – The Academy opened its doors to many new teen super heroes, including Juston Seyfert and his Sentinel, Batwing, Lightspeed, White Tiger, Butterball, She-Hulk (Lyra), Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon), Ricochet, Hollow, Turbo, Machine Teen, Wiz Kid, Power Man, and Rocket Racer.
(Avengers Academy#21) - As they adapted to the new circumstances at the school, the original students played capture-the-flag. The original students began to worry they were being replaced and tensions built among them as the teachers, flanked by Luke Cage, Hawkeye, and Captain America, called them over for a talk. Striker yelled at the teachers (directly insulting Pym and Rogers, and admitting he was mostly looking for fame) and Mettle attacked Cage. Striker joined the fight, hitting Hawkeye with a zap, before Hazmat nearly lost control of her powers. Jocasta ended the fight with a flash of light, yelling at the teachers for not being sensitive to the students' needs, and giving Captain America the chance to explain that they'd been considered personal mentors for each of the students but that he was now questioning if they were worth the effort. The next day, the team made peace with the teachers, and White Tiger and Lightspeed were added to the core roster. Striker immediately flirted with Lightspeed.
(Avengers Academy#22) - Striker joined the others in a basketball game before Magneto, Cyclops, and Emma Frost arrived at the Academy, and a brief fight broke out. Striker overheard Finesse challenge Lightspeed on not knowing what team she played for.
(Avengers Academy#23) - X-23 was added to the roster, and Striker overheard how she had a trigger scent that could cause her to go into a rage. Striker tried talking to Lightspeed about her sexuality, but she rushed away, so he hit her with an electric blast to stop her. Lightspeed hit Striker, accusing him of misogyny, but he found himself saying he thought he was gay, and wondered how he could know for sure. Lightspeed felt like she was more bisexual/pansexual, and Striker found himself offering her support. After asking Lightspeed to keep his secret, Striker found himself opening up to her about killing Rick, and he wondered if Rick had made him gay, but Lightspeed told him clearly that the abuse wasn't his fault. Striker had a good cry and thanked Lightspeed, promising to be there for her in the future. Days later, when the Purifiers attacked a boy named Jimmy Marks, Avengers Academy helped save him, then brought Marks back to their school.
(Avengers Academy#24 (fb) - BTS) - Marks revealed himself as Hybrid and began capturing the students and teachers, feeding on their energies as he kept them in trances.
(Avengers Academy#24) - When Hybrid was resistant to White Tiger's mystic powers, Striker and the others broke out of their trances and Striker lashed out with an electrical attack. Reptil shockingly turned against White Tiger, determined to kill her, but he released her at the last second and turned against Hybrid. Hybrid then took mental control of the students he had fed on.
(Avengers Academy#25) - Hybrid controlled Striker and others into fighting the other students, and soon he saw Reptil return from the future, inhabiting his younger body, which the team had learned had been occupied by the Reptil from the future for a time. Veil and Jocasta, who'd faked her own death, arrived to help defeat Hybrid, and Jocasta demanded that the school be shut down.
(Avengers Academy#26) - Jocasta revealed she was working with Jeremy Briggs, who was starting his own hero academy, including Hardball, Reptil, Cloud-9, and Prodigy. Striker listened as Briggs and his team offered the Academy students a chance to join his team and be paid. After Striker checked in with Veil, he told her he was gay, and she was not surprised. When a vote came, Striker chose to stay at Avengers Academy, but a few others left.
(Avengers Academy#27 (fb) - BTS) - Striker called his mom and came out to her, and she helped him realize this could boost his fame.
(Avengers Academy#27) - Striker held a press conference, coming out as a proud gay man publicly, and then he called his mom to accept and reject various publicity offers. Striker was surprised when Lightspeed grew concerned over his public outing. The Runaways attended the press conference and a fight broke out when the Sentinel scanned them, with Striker launching an attack at Victor Mancha before the groups made peace between them. The Runaways asked for help finding Old Lace, their dinosaur who was trapped in another dimension, and they believed Reptil's amulet could help them find her. Striker was pleased to see Karolina, who'd commended him on his speech, flirt with Lightspeed. Soon, the team opened a portal to an alternate dinosaur world, where they found Old Lace had befriended Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy.
(Avengers Academy#28) - Having determined that the teachers were going to try and take Molly and Klara away from the Runaways, the Runaways attacked, and Striker faced off against Minoru, but the fight soon settled down. Minoru agreed to cast a spell that would allow the groups to walk a mile in each other's shoes. Back at the Academy, the spell was cast, and the teams made peace with each other.
(Avengers Academy#29) - Hercules showed up as a guest instructor and got naked to demonstrate the original Olympics, but Striker told the others he wasn't into bears. Captain America, Hawkeye, and Quicksilver then brought with them a roster of X-Men students who needed protection during the Avengers war with the X-Men. Captain America instructed Striker and the others to welcome the other students, but ordered them to stop the kids if they tried to leave.
(Avengers Academy#30) - When some of the X-Men tried to leave campus, joined by Wiz Kid, Hollow, and Ricochet, Reptil (as a triceratops) and the Academy students tried to stop them, but X-23 convinced the students to let the X-Men go if they chose. Then Sebastian Shaw attacked.
(Avengers Academy#31) - A fight between the two groups of students broke out, and Striker tried overloading Surge's gauntlets until the fight deescalated. The teachers and students of the academy pretended to spar in order to act like they were stopping the kids from leaving. Striker sparred with Hercules before Reptil knocked him down, then the X-Men students left.
(Avengers Academy#32) - When Emma Frost, powered by the Phoenix, approached the campus, the Sentinel panicked and acted out. When Frost tried to destroy the Sentinel, the students prepared to defend it.
(Avengers Academy#33) - During the fight with Frost, who felt like her power entitled her to do things she thought were right, Striker argued that she could convince herself that making him straight was the right thing to do, but that wouldn't make it right. In the end, Frost disassembled the Sentinel, but Quicksilver reassembled it. Giant-Man then disbanded Avengers Academy, telling the students each to go home because the world had grown too dangerous and they felt the students were being made targets.
(Avengers Academy#34 (fb) - BTS) - Striker and Lightspeed went to visit his mom in California.
(Avengers Academy#34) - Mrs. Sharpe presented Striker and Lightspeed with possible roles in Manphibian 5, a B-roll film, and she told them that she'd been promised a part in it, but warned that Lightspeed would have to do some nude scenes. The two teens turned down the roles, then Veil called them to New York City, where Jeremy Brigggs and Jocasta had healed Veil and they watched as he provided cures for Hazmat and Mettle as well. Briggs then revealed that he planned to depower all heroes and villains on the planet so that only he could control powers, then he shut down Jocasta when she argued and revealed he'd already cancelled the powers of the others there. The Academy students, realizing they were powerless, were restrained by Big Zero (Amity Hunter), Enchantress, and Coat of Arms, as Briggs ripped the amulet from Reptil's chest. Finesse caused an explosion, crashing she, White Tiger, Reptil, and Lightspeed to a floor below. Striker immediately agreed to work with Briggs.
(Avengers Academy#35 (fb) - BTS) - Striker promised to get Enchantress an audition with his agent.
(Avengers Academy#35) - Briggs prepared Striker (who was impatient to get his powers back) and Veil to make public statements about their alliance with him. Striker questioned Enchantress about how to get his powers back, confiding in her that his powers were the only thing that made him feel special and better than others, and she understood him. She got him the serum that activated his powers, then he downed her with an electric zap. Before Striker could attack Briggs, Briggs activated a device that turned Striker's powers against him.
(Avengers Academy#36) - Striker cried out in pain as his face was badly cut all around the edges, and soon Briggs fled with his allies. Striker saw that Hazmat and Mettle had given up their cures and gotten their powers back, and soon they rejoined with the other members of the Academy, who were all worried about Striker's face. They rushed to find Briggs launching the missile that would cancel superpowers all over the world.
(Avengers Academy#37) - Striker joined the others in attacking Briggs, who went mad with power after the Enchantress left him. As the missiles were stopped, Briggs was badly wounded and ended up bleeding to death. As the team got medical treatment, Veil told Striker that he was her best friend.
(Avengers Academy#38 (fb) - BTS) - Pym looked into Striker's scars and wondered if stem cell treatment might help.
(Avengers Academy#38) - Veil tried to convince Striker that his scars weren't so bad, but she ended up hurting his feelings. Striker and the others played football against the X-Men students, and Striker was paired against Anole, the gay student among the X-Men. Anole tried convincing Striker that his scars would not impede his dating life, but Striker was reluctant to accept that.
(Avengers Academy#39 (fb) - BTS) - The media continued trying to get pictures of Striker's new scars, but he was evasive, though his mom told him to capitalize on the fame. A boy named Jonathan, who'd seen Striker's coming out video, invited him to Prom, and Striker reluctantly agreed.
(Avengers Academy#39) - Veil helped Striker get ready for the Prom, then he met with Jonathan. At the dance, Striker kissed Jonathan, then his mom called to tell him to do it again for the cameras, but Striker destroyed his phone and went back in to dance.
(Avengers Arena#1 (fb) - BTS) - Striker left the Academy and returned home.
(Inhumanity: The Awakening#1 (fb) ) - Striker learned how to manipulate electric energy to fly.
(Young Avengers II#11) - Prodigy (David Alleyne) had started a phone tree to ask several teen heroes to help the Young Avengers in their fight against the evil extradimensional entity Mother. Striker was called by Lightspeed. He called Wiz Kid and Finesse afterward.
(Young Avengers II#12) - Striker joined many young heroes in battling the extradimensional entity Mother.
(Young Avengers II#13 - BTS) - Striker participated in the battle against the evil extradimensional versions of the Young Avengers.
(Infinity: The Hunt#1) - Avengers Academy hosted students from the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, the Braddock Academy, the Future Foundation, the Pan-Asian School for the Unusually Gifted, and the Wakandan School for Alternative Studies, in a Contest of Champions. Striker and Finesse returned to help with the competition. The students all witnessed the forces of Thanos attack Earth.
(Infinity: The Hunt#2) - After seeing new Academy recruit Crimson die in battle, Striker helped repel an alien before the students were placed in the Academy's panic room to keep them safe. There, the students from the Latverian School of Science reached out to the Academy, wanting help in destroyed Atlantis.
(Infinity: The Hunt#3) - Striker powered up an old Quinjet from Avengers Academy museum, and he took the other students to the surface above Atlantis, where the Quinjet was attacked by Thanos' forces.
(Infinity: The Hunt#4) - The team met Whalesong in the Atlantean ruins before going to Wakanda (teleported by Demona) to fight a giant alien loyal to Thanos. Striker felt overwhelmed by the forces they were facing.
(Inhumanity: The Awakening#1) - During another disaster in the city, Striker, Finesse, and Lightspeed worked with the Future Foundation and the Jean Grey School to clean up rubble. When Pixie expressed worry over a young girl named Fiona, Striker, Finesse, and Kid Omega joined her in investigating, teleporting to Mystic, CT, where they met a new Inhuman named Fiona. Striker comforted Fiona about her new powers, then they discovered her brother Flynn was also an Inhuman.
(Inhumanity: The Awakening#2) - Hearing that Flynn had been committing crimes, Striker and the others sought him out and stopped him. Fiona joined the Academy.
(Avengers Undercover#4) - When Hazmat was arrested, Striker and Finesse visited her.
(Avengers Undercover#10) - Striker went on vacation with members of the Academy and the Runaways.
(Invincible Iron Man I#600 (fb) - BTS) - Striker was recruited to be part of Leonardo da Vinci's new super-hero venture.
(Invincible Iron Man I#600) - Striker trained with the Armor Squad, Blade, Reptil, Trauma, Cloud-9, and others.
(Marvel's Voices#1/5) - Striker attended a gathering of LGBT heroes to celebrate gay icons.
Comments: Created by Christos Gage and Mike McKone.
Striker coming out was controversial for a few different reasons. He aggressively flirted with girls to cover his own shame, and he sometimes wondered if his being sexually abused made him gay. I'm personally proud of Christos Gage for addressing these narratives in a Marvel Comic, as they are issues many LGBT people wrestle with before coming out and learning to love themselves.
Striker received a profile in Avengers Now! (February, 2015).
This profile was completed 1/16/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.CLARIFICATIONS:
Striker has no known connections to:
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Jonathan (Avengers Academy#39 (fb) - BTS) - Jonathan, just after coming out of the closet, saw the online video of Striker coming out. Inspired, Jonathan invited him to the Prom. (Avengers Academy#39) - Jonathan greeted Striker before the Prom and they flirted. Striker kissed Jonathan at the dance, then took him inside to dance more. --Avengers Academy#39 ([Avengers Academy#39 (fb)], 39 |
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Rick (Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - Mrs. Sharpe got her young son Brandon an agent to represent him in various auditions, but Rick liked to touch Brandon inappropriately. Occasionally, Rick got Mrs. Sharpe work as well. (Avengers Academy#23 (fb) - BTS) - Rick continued showing interest in Brandon, who slowly grew to trust Rick over time. (Avengers Academy#5 (fb) ) - In a limousine Rick made advances on Brandon, whose electrical powers activated just then and Rick was killed. --Avengers Academy#5 ([Avengers Academy#5 (fb)], [23 (fb)], 5 (fb) |
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Mrs. Sharpe (Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - She had an affair with a politician when she was young and used the scandal associated with it to ruin his career, launching her own. Working as a model, she got print work and posed for Penthouse before eventually getting pregnant. Not knowing who the father was, she convinced the richest man she had slept with that the baby was his, and he paid her a fortune to silence her. She raised her son Brandon to be obsessed with fame, and she put pressure on him to achieve it. She got him a child agent, Rick, who got both Brandon and his mother work from time to time, but he began touching Brandon inappropriately. (Avengers Academy#5 (fb) ) - Brandon told his mother that Rick was touching him inappropriately, and she responded by shaming him for speaking out, then sent him off on another audition. Later, she got word that Brandon had electrocuted Rick on accident when his super powers activated. Mrs. Sharpe lied to the doctor, saying she didn't know how Brandon got his powers, then she told Brandon that he was special and she would never forgive herself for not believing him. (Inhumanity: The Awakening#1 (fb) ) - Mrs. Sharpe put Brandon out there, showcasing his new powers to capitalize on his fame. (Avengers Academy#5 (fb) - BTS) - Brandon soon launched a career that showcased his talents and Mrs. Sharpe benefitted. Eventually, he was recruited by Norman Osborn. After Osborn went to jail, Striker was recruited by Giant-Man for the Avengers Academy. Weeks went by, and Brandon called his mother to set up an attack from Whirlwind on the team, one that would help drive Brandon into greater fame. Mrs. Sharpe set up photographers. (Avengers Academy#5 - BTS) - After Brandon got famous for helping take down Whirlwind, Mrs. Sharpe started getting dozens of offers. She also got an Avengers security system, which she set off a few times so that Living Lightning would rush to check on her. (Avengers Academy#5) - Brandon called Mrs. Sharpe, who was with her latest fling, and he informed her that Living Lightning was gay. She encouraged him to dye the white streak in his hair and to cash in on his fame faster, but he told her he wanted to play the long game and not only have 15 minutes of fame like she did. (Avengers Academy#27 (fb) - BTS) - Striker called his mom and came out to her, and she helped him realize this could boost his fame. (Avengers Academy#27) - Striker held a press conference, coming out as a proud gay man publicly, and then he called his mom to accept and reject various publicity offers. (Avengers Academy#34 (fb) - BTS) - Striker and Lightspeed went to visit his mom in California. (Avengers Academy#34) - Mrs. Sharpe presented Striker and Lightspeed with possible roles in Manphibian 5, a B-roll film, and she told them that she'd been promised a part in it, but warned that Lightspeed would have to do some nude scenes. The two teens turned down the roles. (Avengers Academy#39 (fb) - BTS) - When Striker's face was badly scarred, his mother recommended he capitalize on his fame. (Avengers Academy#39 - BTS) - When Striker kissed a boy named Jonathan at a school prom, Mrs. Sharpe called Striker to tell him to pose better for the cameras, but Striker destroyed his phone instead. --Avengers Academy#5 ([Avengers Academy#5 (fb)], Inhumanity: The Awakening#1 (fb), [Avengers Academy#5 (fb)], 5, [27 (fb)], 27, [34 (fb)], 34, [39 (fb)], [39] |
images: (without ads)
Avengers Academy#5, cover (main)
Avengers Academy#36, p3, pan4 (scarred face)
Avengers Academy#1, p21, pan3 (using powers)
Avengers Academy#12, p8, pan2 (adult self)
Avengers Academy#39, p7, pan6 (Jonathan)
Avengers Academy#5, p11, pan2 (Rick)
Avengers Academy#5, p31, pan2 (Mrs. Sharpe)
Appearances:
Avengers Academy#1-2 (August-September, 2010) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike McKone (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#3 (October, 2010) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike
McKone (penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Thunderbolts I#147 (October, 2010) - Jeff Parker (writer), Kev Walker (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#4 (November, 2010) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike
McKone (penciler), Rick Ketchum, Cam Smith (inkers), Bill Rosemann
(editor)
Heroic Age: Heroes#1 (November, 2010) - various writers, JeffYoungquist (editor)
Avengers Academy#5 (December, 2010) - Christos Gage (writer), Jorge
Molina (penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Ant-Man & Wasp I#1 (January, 2011) - Tim Seeley (writer/penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Jordan White (editor)
Ant-Man & Wasp I#3 (March, 2011) - Tim Seeley (writer/penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Jordan White (editor)
Avengers Academy#6 (January, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike
McKone (penciler), Dave Meikis, Rebecca Buchanan, Andrew Hennessy, Rick
Ketchum (inkers), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#7 (February, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Raney
(penciler), Dave Meikis, Scott Hanna (inkers), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#8-9 (March, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike
McKone (penciler), Rebecca Buchman (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#10 (May, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#11-12 (May-June, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Raney (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#661-662 (July-August, 2011) - Christos Gage
(writer), Reilly Brown (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Ellie Pyle
(editor)
Avengers Academy Giant-Size#1 (July, 2011) - Paul Tobin (writer), David
Baldeon (penciler), Jordi Tarragona (inker), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Avengers Academy#13-14 (July-August, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer),
Sean Chen (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#14.1 (August, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#15 (August, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Raney
(penciler), Scott Hanna, Andrew Hennessy (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#16 (September, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Raney (penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#17 (October, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen
(penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#18 (October, 2011) - Christos Gage (writer), Andrea Di Vito (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#19-20 (November-December, 2011) - Christos Gage
(writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann
(editor)
Avengers: Solo#1/2-4/2 (December, 2011-March, 2012) - Jim McCann (writer), Clayton Henry (artist), Tom Brennan (editor)
Avengers: Solo#4/2 (April, 2012) - Jim McCann (writer), Karl Kesel (artist), Tom Brennan (editor)
Avengers Academy#21 (January, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#22 (January, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Sean Chen
(penciler), Scott Hanna, Rebecca Buchman (inkers), Bill Rosemann
(editor)
Avengers Academy#23 (February, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom Raney (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#24-26 (March-May, 2012)- Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#27-28 (May-June, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Karl
Moline (penciler), Jim Fern (inker), Bill Roseman (editor)
Avengers Academy#29-31 (July-August, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer),
Tom Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#32-33 (August-September, 2012) - Christos Gage
(writer), Timothy Green II (penciler), Jeff Huet (inker), Bill Rosemann
(editor)
Avengers Academy#34 (October, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#35 (October, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Andrea di Vito (artist), Jon Moisan (editor)
Avengers Academy#37 (November, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#38 (December, 2012) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher, Rick Ketcham (inkers), Bill
Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Academy#39 (January, 2013) - Christos Gage (writer), Tom
Grummett (penciler), Cory Hamscher (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Arena#1 (August, 2013) - Dennis Hallum (writer), Riccardo Burchielli (artist), Bil Rosemann (editor)
Infinity: The Hunt#1-2 (November-December, 2013) - Matt Kindt (writer), Steven Sanders (artist), Nick Lowe (eidtor)
Young Avengers II#11 (December, 2013) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie
McKelvie (penciler/inker), Kris Anka & Mike Norton (inker), Lauren
Sankovitch (editor)
Infinity: The Hunt#3 (January, 2014) - Matt Kindt (writer), Steven Sanders (artist), Nick Lowe (eidtor)
Infinity: The Hunt#4 (January, 2014) - Matt Kindt (writer), Steven
Sanders, Paco Diaz, Derec Donovan (artists), Nick Lowe (editor)
Young Avengers II#12 (January, 2014) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie
McKelvie (penciler/inker), Stephen Thompson & Mike Norton (inker),
Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Young Avengers II#13 (February, 2014) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie
McKelvie (penciler), Stephen Thompson & Mike Norton (inker), Lauren
Sankovitch (editor)
Inhumanity: The Awakening#1-2 (February-March, 2014) - Matt Kindt (writer), Paul Davidson (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Arena#4 (July, 2014) - Dennis Hallum (writer), Kev Walker (penciler), Jason Gorder (inker), Jon Moisan (editor)
Avengers Arena#10 (November, 2014) - Dennis Hallum (writer), Tigh Walker (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Avengers Now!#1 (February, 2015) - various writers, Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Invincible Iron Man I#600 (July, 2018) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer),
Stefano Caselli, Alex Maleev, David Marquez, Daniel Acuna, Leinil
Francis Yu, Jim Cheung, Mike Deodato Jr, Mark Bagley, Andrea Sorrentino
(pencilers), Jim Cheung, Andrew Hennessy, Scott Hanna (inkers), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Marvel's Voices#1/5 (April, 2020) - Luciano Vecchio (writer/artist), Chris Robinson (editor)
First Posted: 09/20/2021
Last updated: 09/19/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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