Famine (comics)
| Famine | |
|---|---|
|
Famine attacks Beast in X-Force #16 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Factor vol. 1 #12 (January 1987) |
| Created by |
Louise Simonson Walter Simonson |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Autumn Rolfson |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Four Horsemen of Apocalypse |
| Abilities | Ability to disintegrate organic matter |
Famine (Autumn Rolfson) is a fictional character, a Mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is most notable for being one of the original four horsemen of the villain Apocalypse.
Fictional character biography
Autumn Rolfson was a young, spoiled anorexic girl who lived with her parents in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents were upset that she was not eating, because that meant she might have to go to a hospital again, leading to her grades slipping. They also pointed out that if the neighbors knew she was a mutant that disintegrated food, they would think they were all freaks.
Autumn was upset by this, thinking her parents did not care about her, just the way other people saw her. Apocalypse waited in her room and told her she could get revenge on her parents and on those who hate and fear her.[1] She agreed, and was teleported away to his ship, where she cut off her hair and wore a green mask. Apocalypse had her trained as a warrior and terrorist, and she took the name Famine.[2] She often bickered with the man chosen to be War, much to Apocalypse's annoyance.
During their first mission, the Horsemen were torn, not wanting to take orders from each other. With War and Pestilence, she battled X-Factor for the first time.[3] The Horsemen eventually learned to ride as one, after Death was picked and chosen as the leader. Apocalypse sent the Horsemen to attack New York City, and battled X-Factor. Although the Horsemen were ultimately defeated by X-Factor, Famine battled Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) and easily defeated her.[4] As a reward Apocalypse teleported her to the Midwestern grain fields or America's farm belt, so she could disintegrate the crops and cattle, but was defeated by Captain America, D-Man, the Falcon, and Nomad.[5]
Famine later appeared alongside War and a new Death — the Morlock formerly known as Caliban. War and Famine battled Colossus and Iceman, while Death kidnapped Jean Grey and Cyclops.[6] The Horsemen brought Cyclops and Jean Grey to Apocalypse — who turned out to be Mister Sinister disguised as Apocalypse.[7] The X-Men sought out the Horsemen and though Famine took out Beast, she was beaten by Quicksilver.[8]
Autumn was seen much later, where it is revealed that she had an affair with Apocalypse which ended when she got pregnant. Afraid that Apocalypse would see their child as a threat to his plans, Autumn ran away and kept her child hidden from Apocalypse. She took refuge in an Akkaba metropolis located underneath the North Pole. Archangel, who was becoming the heir to Apocalypse, is taken to the Akkaba metropolis by the Dark Beast. Once there, they are joined by Ozymandias, and he takes Archangel to Autumn. Archangel talks with her until she introduces her son, Genocide, asking if Archangel will harm him. Archangel replies that he does not think he could harm the child if he tried. Autumn and Genocide join Archangel's quest to cleanse the world and recreate it in his own image.[9] However, after seeing her son wiping out a small town in northern Montana under Archangel's orders, Autumn tries to confront Archangel about the objective of his plans, however he swiftly kills her.[10]
Powers and abilities
Famine is a mutant with the ability to cause organic matter to turn to dust at will. She also has the ability to induce extreme hunger in living human beings and animals. Her powers have proven ineffective against Colossus in his armored form; when she once turned them against him, her powers instead temporarily transformed her into a living skeleton.
Famine suffers from anorexia, which affects her physical abilities. She is unusually thin, with a skeletal build, parchment-like skin, and atrophied muscles, and appears to be quite aged despite her actual chronological youth.
While a servant of Apocalypse, he used his sentient ship to construct for Famine a robot mount that resembles a demonic quadruped beast and that can travel on land or fly through the air.
Other versions
Mutant X
A character named Famine also appeared in the Mutant X series, although this character's identity is unknown.
What If?
Famine appeared in a few What If? issues, most notably when she obliterated the Marauders and rode with Archangel when he "fell from grace." She was later betrayed by Archangel and killed along with the other Horsemen.
In other media
Television
- Famine appeared in three episodes of the X-Men. In "Come the Apocalypse" voiced by Catherine Gallant. Famine was selected by Apocalypse and transformed into his Horseman. In "Beyond Good and Evil," parts 3 and 4, she fought alongside the other Horsemen when the X-Men sought out Apocalypse's Lazarus chamber. While in Egyptian garb with the others, Famine was the only one who resembled the actual Earth-616 version.