Icarus (comics)
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Icarus, real name Joshua "Jay" Guthrie, is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the former New Mutants squad.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Introduction
Jay is the son of Thomas Zebulon, referred to as both "Ty" and "Zeke," and Lucinda Guthrie. Jay's older siblings Sam (Cannonball) and Paige (Husk) are mutants as well, and both have been members of the X-Men. Another of their siblings, Jeb, has developed the mutant ability to project electricity from his eyes, as well as his sister Melody (Aero), who was de-powered during M-Day. He has several other brothers and sisters, and his whole family is generally hated by his home town due to the fact that they all seem to be developing mutant powers. When Sam and Paige left home to become X-Men, Jay took over the role of the father in the house, feeling that he had to protect his younger brothers and sisters.
When he himself developed mutant powers, (red, angel-like wings that allow him to fly; strong regenerative abilities; and a voice that can mimic any sound he hears or imagines), he hid them from his family. However, when performing in his band he exposed his wings to the crowd as a 'stage gimmick'.
[edit] She Lies with Angels
In the Uncanny X-Men story arc "She Lies With Angels" (issues #437-441, written by Chuck Austen), Jay fell in love with Julia Cabot, but due to a long feud between the Guthries and the Cabots a fight broke out. Jay was struck down by Julia's father, who had acquired and modified some superpowered armor. Believing Jay to be dead, Julia dragged Jay's body to the river. She wrapped his arms around her, heading for the deepest part of the river. The two sank to the river's bottom and Julia subsequently drowned. Neither Jay nor Julia were aware of Jay's mutant regenerative powers, but when Jay sank to the bottom of the river, these powers manifested. Jay awoke at the bottom of the river with Julia in his arms. He swam to the surface with her and brought her to the riverbank. When he discovered she was dead, he tried (unsuccessfully due to his healing factor) to stab himself in the heart with a sharp piece of wood. Warren Worthington arrived on the scene, found Jay, and helped him carry Julia's body back to the Guthrie house.
"She Lies with Angels" was intended an homage to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The feud between the Guthries and the Cabots was designed to parallel the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, respectively, though in Shakespeare's play none of the families are "good" or "evil". Additionally, the climax of "She Lies with Angels" is remarkably similar to the climax of Romeo and Juliet (With the exception that, unlike Romeo, Jay survived his suicide attempt). Issue 439 has a scene with Jay and Julia that is similar to the famous "balcony scene." Many of the comic's lines are modern incarnations of their Shakespearian counterparts. For example, Romeo says in Act II, SceneII:
"As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night."
Jay says in the scene:
"...there was so much light, the birds were singing as I flew here... confused by your brilliance into thinking the sun had already risen."
[edit] New Mutants
After Julia's death, Jay attempted to kill himself a few more times, hoping his healing factor would fail. Eventually his mother sent him to the Xavier Institute against his will. Jay speculated this was just so she wouldn't feel guilt if he tried to hurt himself again. Originally placed with the Hellions squad, he traded places with Wither and joined the New Mutants. In New X-Men: Academy X, he is portrayed as a sullen, withered loner who keeps mostly to himself, but he always reminds his teammates how fortunate they are to be a "family" when they feud. His team seems to talk to him about their problems, as he isn't usually one to join the fights.
[edit] Decimation
After the events of Decimation, Icarus was one of the few of the New Mutants team who kept their powers. However, someone cut off his wings and left him bleeding at the doorsteps of the mansion. His healing factor did not cure these injuries, as it was later revealed by Dr. McCoy that his healing powers came from his wings and without them, his healing power could not work.
Jay was, seemingly, tricked by William Stryker. Stryker told Jay if he gave his wings "back to God" his friends would be saved by Stryker. He called Stryker to inform him the children were leaving on a bus, which led to the bombing of the bus carrying the de-powered students, and the assassination of Wallflower, as she was the one in Nimrod's vision of the future that killed the Purifiers. As X-23 put it to Dust after he gave her a piece of paper containing the address of Stryker's church, he shouldn't be trusted because "he smells like death". Choosing to trust Jay, Sooraya seemingly proceeded to the church, only to be gunned down upon entering (though it was later revealed to be X-23 dressed in one of her niqab). After this, Stryker confessed he was responsible for the death of Julia Cabot, having given the other Cabots the armor, and he proceeded to shoot Jay. Icarus was then shown dying with Nimrod deciding whether or not to finish him off. Nimrod left Jay alone, calculating that he was already mortally wounded. After that, Icarus was found dead by Ms. Marvel and Iron Man in Stryker's church with his hand in a position of writing, he was able to write "Nimro" with his blood before he died.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Red-colored, feathered angel-like wings allow flight; contain extensive regenerative powers allow him to recover from fatal injuries; and voice is capable of producing sonic frequency beyond the range of human capability as well as creating multiple sounds or voices at once.
[edit] Alternate Versions
- On the tenth anniversary of the Age of Apocalypse, the Guthrie family made a reappearance with the addition of "Jay." In this reality they were agents of Apocalypse. Here, Jay (with bionic wings similar to Archangel's) joined his elder siblings Cannonball, Amazon (his sister Elizabeth, who has not yet manifested powers in the mainstream Marvel Universe) and Husk as a terrorist. After they attempted to harm Magneto's son Charles and wife Rogue, Magneto killed Jay and several of his siblings.
- In What If issue 92, a non-mutant Josh finds and fixes up a broken Sentinel, reprogramming it to serve and protect him, and using it to make himself a "special" like his super-powered siblings. When Cannonball and Husk come home, the sentinel (which has been reconstructing its memory banks) identifies them as mutants and attacks them, but when it realises it is a danger to Josh it has to "protect" him by destroying itself.
[edit] Trivia
- Jay plays the guitar and was in a band before he became a student at the Xavier Institute.
- It has been explained that Jay's wings have not healed because his healing powers were coming from his wings; Jay also has declined to have Josh/Elixir heal him.
- Jay appears infatuated with Dust; Nunzio DeFillippis and Christina Weir had explained that, had they continued this relationship, Jay would have converted to Islam.
- He was previously drawn with a tattoo on his arm, but it is no longer present. Writers have explained his healing power removed it.
- The "What If" story is remarkably similar to the later comic series Sentinel by Sean McKeever and UDON.
- Writers Nunzio DeFillippis and Christina Weir have stated that they changed Josh Guthrie's name to "Jay" for logistical reasons-- there was already a "Josh" at the Xavier Institute (Elixir/Josh Foley). Excalibur writer Warren Ellis used the same tactic in the late 1990s when Colossus, typically known as "Peter Rasputin", was called by his Russian name, "Piotr", when he joined Excalibur because the team already had a "Peter" (Pete Wisdom).
