Mathemanic
| Mathemanic | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New Warriors Vol 1, #4, Oct. 1990 |
| Created by |
Fabian Nicieza Mark Bagley |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Thomas Sorenson |
| Team affiliations |
Thunderbolts Psionex New Warriors Genetech |
| Abilities | Psionically based, undetermined capabilities |
Mathemanic (Thomas Sorenson) is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.
Publication history
Mathemanic first appeared as a member of Psionex in New Warriors #4 in October 1990 and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley.
He subsequently appeared in New Warriors #15-17 (September–November 1991), New Warriors Annual #2 (1992), Night Thrasher #1 (August 1993), New Warriors #52-53 (October–November 1994), New Warriors Annual #4 (1994), New Warriors #60 (June 1995), and #63-64 (September–October 1995).
Fictional character biography
Thomas Sorenson, as Mathemanic, was a member of Psionex and an enemy of the New Warriors.
Mathemanic was a genius mathematician who, via Genetech, receives the ability to transmit mathematic figures telepathically, which had various disabling effects. He is described by one of his bosses, Walter Rosen, as a 'math telepath', with powers they are still trying to figure out. As part of Psionex, they battle the New Warriors, who had broken into Genetech. The Warrior's mission is to discover why Genetech was investigating them. In the initial confrontation, he forces Firestar to perceive interstellar distances, which effectively renders her unable to perceive smaller distances, thus disabling her.
The New Warriors team is defeated and imprisoned. The arrival of latercomer Speedball frees the team. Night Thrasher targets Mathemanic first off, taking him down with a boot to the head.
He later turns this power inward, allowing him to make incredible calculations to perform feats that seemingly defied physics, such as manipulating gravity; in the extreme, he once subsconsciously affects the perception of the passage of time in a great number of people, in the futile pursuit of actually reversing time itself.
Doing Good; Sort Of
Out of a feeling of being mistreated, Psionex makes a democratic decision to leave Genetech. They threaten Furmintz and Impulse severely wounds Walter Rosen, but not before a call to the New Warriors is put out. They arrive and dive into battle. Mathemanic generates a force field to take Nova's punch, then causes him to perceive higher gravity, thus subduing him.
This battle leads to Furmintz to accidentally cause the reformation of the cosmic entity Terrax. Terrax destroys much of Genetech, then heads for Manhattan proper, demolishing everything in his way. Mathemanic helps out of feelings of compassion, and Impulse helps out for the thrills. After several minutes of chasing and battling, Night Thrasher encourages Mathemanic to do something. He affects Terrax temporarily, trying to slow his perception of time. This fails to work and a column of earth and debris sends him and Night Thrasher flying. Terrax is eventually defeated with the assistance of the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer. Mathemanic and Impulse both end up in the same hospital, severely injured. During his stay, the Warriors check up on him. Mathemanic recovers but Impulse is paralyzed from the waist down.[1]
Darkling, aka the second Asylum, reforms the team, including Mathemanic, into a vigilante, crime-fighting group. Unfortunately, one outing goes bad when a group of kids playing with toy guns is mistaken for a violent gang. One of the kids, Darius Clements, is drawn into Darkling's darkforce 'realm', to 'face his own darkness', and emerges dead. It is later determined the dead boy had a previously unknown heart condition but the situation is enough to break up the group. Wracked with guilt, Mathemanic visits the grave of Darius.
When two well-wishers approach out of concern for him, Thomas convinces them that the date is August 27, which was before Darius is killed. Thomas then does the same to Darius' mother, in an attempt to convince her Darius is still alive.
Soon, the entire city is affected. The New Warriors slowly come to the realization that it has been August 27th for five days now. Genetech, who have police-ordered custody over the remnants of Asylum's group, also realize something is going on. They eventually realize it is Thomas, who states that 'reality is a constant only by collective perception'. He wonders why it just can't be August 27.
The New Warriors realize what is going on and head for Genetech. Reality seemingly goes haywire and Thomas is confronted with many dead people, all of whom want to live again. Darius, real or not, goes against the 'crowd' and persuades Thomas to let it all go so that he, Darius, can rest. Darius tells Thomas that he will live on with those who remember him. Thomas undoes his influence.
Civil War/The Initiative
The entire Psionex team has been drafted by the United States government as part of the Thunderbolts team. Thomas has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to have registered as part of the Fifty State Initiative.[2]
Dark Reign
Mathemanic and Psionex are revealed as members of the Initiative's Maryland team.[3]
References
- ↑ New Warriors #16 -17 (Oct. - Nov. 1991)
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #26