Bling!
| Bling! | |
|---|---|
|
Bling! | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men, vol. 2 #171 |
| Created by |
Peter Milligan Salvador Larroca |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Roxanne "Roxy" Washington |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations |
Chevaliers training squad Xavier Institute X-Men-In-Training Jean Grey School Students |
| Abilities |
Superhuman durability Diamond form Projection of diamond shards from skin |
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Bling! (Roxanne "Roxy" Washington) is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She attended the Xavier Institute before its closing and is a member of the X-Men's training squad. Her first appearance was in X-Men, vol. 2 #171.
Fictional character biography
Roxy Washington is the daughter of a celebrity couple Roy "Daddy Libido" Washington and Angel "Sexy Mutha" Depres, who are purportedly both popular hip hop artists in the Marvel Universe. Appearing in her parents' rap videos from a young age, Washington was often targeted by would-be kidnappers and assassins.
Determined not to follow in her parents' footsteps, Washington turns her back on the music industry as a teenager and enrolls as a student at the Xavier Institute under the tutelage of Gambit. At the Institute, Washington carries a strong academic record and responsibility, and is more interested in improving herself and her mutant abilities rather than participating in the social conflict between humans and mutants, of which the X-Men are typically involved.
Gambit's squad
As a member of Gambit's squad, the Chevaliers,[1] Washington is forced to deal with the arrival of a new student, Foxx, and her infatuation with their squad instructor, despite being attracted to Foxx herself, indicating that Bling! is bisexual (confirmed in the X-Men: The 198 Files handbook). Bling!'s attraction toward Foxx ends after Foxx is revealed to be the shapeshifting Mystique, attempting to sabotage Gambit and Rogue's relationship.
M-Day and beyond
Bling! retained her powers after M-Day, an event in which the Scarlet Witch casts a magic spell depowering over 90 percent of the mutant population. She later assists Havok's squad when O*N*E, a squad of government-run Sentinels arrive to protect the remaining mutant population seeking refuge at the Institute. She is also called upon to assist the senior X-Men teams when Apocalypse returns, particularly due to a lack of senior X-Men at the time. Despite being highly recommended by Rogue and Havok and having been offered a position on the New X-Men squad, Roxy reveals that although she has a knack for field missions, she is intimidated by the idea of being a full-time X-Team member, feeling uneasy about the danger involved. She also contemplated leaving the institute with fellow student Onyxx for fear that the O*N*E* will soon be ordered to turn the school grounds into a mutant internment camp.[2]
However, Roxy and Onyxx stay at the institute. Bling! is among the students captured by Belasco in Limbo during his attempt to locate Illyana Rasputin. She is returned to the school after he is defeated.[3] When the school is shut down and the X-Men disband after the events of Messiah Complex, the X-Men move to San Francisco and set up a new base in California. Bling! follows and rejoins the school, helping to control rioting surrounding "Proposition X," legislature attempting to limit mutant reproduction that is being pushed by Simon Trask and his anti-mutant group, the Humanity Now! Coalition.[4] During the final fight on Utopia, Bling! teams up with Frenzy and Nekra in taking on Ms Marvel.[5]
Emplate
After an attack by Emplate, everybody living on Utopia is warned to stay close together and report anything out of the ordinary. Roxy, sick of watching Rockslide and Hellion fooling around decides to go check out an amphitheatre to which Onyxx warns her not to go alone but says she will stay in sight. While looking out into the water she notices a lighthouse which suddenly starts moving towards the shore before disappearing. After it reappears behind her, she is pulled in and greeted by Emplate, who claims dinner is served.[6]
After being held as his prisoner, Roxy attempts to fight back against him only to fail until Rogue shows up to save her.[7] After a long battle that destroys his home and briefly anchors him to the X-Men's plane of existence, they drive him away. Later during a conversation with Surge, Mercury and Trance, Roxy reveals she has a crush on Rogue.[8]
Powers and abilities
Bling!'s bone marrow is able to produce diamond shards of varying quality, giving her skin a crystalline appearance and the ability to expel shards from her body at high velocity and grants her enhanced durability.
Other versions
Age of X
In the Age of X reality, Bling! is a member of Magneto's resistance.