Real Name:
Unrevealed GAUNT
Real Name:
Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extra-temporal (Earth-Borderline) human cyborg; technology user.
Occupation: Warlord (exiled)
Affiliations: (At death) "Sub-Human wretches"
(his servants), unknown people using spherical ship;
formerly his armies
Enemies: Cable, Phoenix (Rachel Summers), unnamed captors who sentenced him to life on a near-dead Earth
Known Relatives: None known
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: At death, was
confined to a near-dead far-future Earth;
formerly mobile
First Appearance: Cable II#83 (September,
2000),
first named in Cable II#84 (October, 2000)
Powers/Abilities: Deliberately infected himself with a "weak" techno-organic [transmode] virus variant over which he had complete control (partially due to "nanotech drivers"), resulting in increased physical strength (Class 10?), reduced vulnerability to physical attack and effective immortality, as the nanotech replaces any body part which wears out and won't regenerate with "living steel." He has also utilized mind-control technology, was shown to use a sword in flashback, and previously had access to great armies.
History:
(Cable II#85, flashback) - He was, in his own
words, "the great warlord of human history." With the
aim of conquering his entire universe, he killed trillions in a
war lasting over 10,000 years where, "No crime was too great,
no sin too depraved for [him] to commit in the name of that goal."
Eventually he lost and was captured, convicted and sentenced to
imprisonment upon an ancient, "Borderline" Earth, the
common point all surviving Earths reach, to live alone until the
sun goes out, served only by "sub-human wretches." Over
100,000 years later, Rachel Summers "washed up"
on this ancient Earth, minus the Phoenix Force, and Gaunt, with
her powers muted by the same devices that kept his in check, was
able to enslave her and probe her mind, determining to lure Cable
to the future for a fight to satisfy his lust for battle.
(Cable II#82 - BTS) - A caged Rachel Summers
called back in time to Cable for help.
(Cable II#83) - Rachel Summers telepathically
called back in time to Cable, and she could be seen held captive at
Gaunt's feet, with handcuffs and chains around her ankles, as she
said "He must be stopped... we can only do it together."
(Cable II#84) - Gaunt himself (named for the
first time) called back in time to Cable, calling Rachel his
"guest" as she, crying, battered against a window, and
told Cable to join him "as time waits for no man. Not even
you."
(Cable
II#85) - Cable time-traveled to Gaunt's
future, and found Rachel as Gaunt's slave. He told Cable his
history, and Rachel said he's fascinated by good because it's so
alien to him. At the end Gaunt challenged Cable to a fight, with
the prize the chance for Cable to return to the modern era with
Rachel, but both of them would be forced to remain on the
Borderline Earth with Gaunt "till the end of time," if
Cable were to lose. He accepted.
(Cable II#86) - Gaunt used mind-control technology to give the sleeping Cable the nightmare of his TO-virus overrunning him, in an attempt to weaken Cable before the fight, but Rachel was able to dispel the illusion (despite the inhibitors in her handcuffs, she was still able to contact Cable in dreams). When a rested Cable awoke, he found Rachel's mind was freed but not her powers, as Gaunt wanted her to watch him "crush" Cable, since he forced her to lure Cable there in the first place. After they had an overtly civilized breakfast with Gaunt, where he gave more info about his origins, talking about how his captors ensured that he would have food, servants, everything he needed but nothing he wanted - no women, no tribute, no conversation and no battle, he offered Cable the use of his exercise room, as he wanted him in prime condition for the fight (Cable declined). After taunting Cable, they both stripped to the waist and prepared to fight bare-knuckle, with no powers, until one couldn't rise to continue the fight. Once the fight began, Gaunt almost overwhelmed Cable - who only managed to draw blood once, with a punch from his left [techno-organic] arm. When it seemed Cable could no longer continue, Rachel hit Gaunt from behind, but what finally beat him was a punch from Cable that infected him with Cable's far more virulent TO-virus. As it manifested (shortly after Rachel's blow) he fell to the ground, unable to move with spikes emanating from his body. After Rachel and Cable left, a white spherical ship arrived and congratulated Gaunt on reuniting the Summers family then - in response to Gaunt telling them they promised him his freedom - opened and killed him, saying that the truest freedom is death.
Comments: Created by Robert Weinberg, Michael Ryan and Walden Wong
Weinberg's original conception of the character
was more fitting of the name "Gaunt" than the version
which eventually saw print, as his editors reputedly wanted a
more "futuristic looking villain." The following is
excerpted from the script to Cable II#83, from https://www.robertweinberg.net/cablescript.htm, and the version of the panel which saw print is the
picture on the top-right of this page.
Our villain (of the next
plot arc) is very tall - seven feet or so - and very very thin.
Almost stick-like in appearance. He's dressed in a 19th century
black broadcloth suit, with a stovepipe black hat that makes him
look even taller. He's wearing a ruffled white shirt and black
bow-tie. His face is very lean and narrow, with deep-set eyes and
sallow cheeks (maybe some thin lines going down the side of his
face to emphasis the gauntness of his face?). He has thin lips
which are twisted in a slight smile. He's looking straight
forward, as if having his photo taken.
Profile by: Somebody
Clarifications:
Gaunt has no lnown connections to:
Images:
Cable II#83, page 21 panel 1 (main)
Cable II#85, page 18, panel 1 (headshot)
Cable II#86, page 14, panel 3 (in action)
Appearances:
Cable II#82 (August, 2000) - Robert Weinberg (writer), Michael Ryan
(pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Cable II#83 (September, 2000) - Robert Weinberg (writer), Michael Ryan
(pencils), Walden Wong (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Cable II#84-85 (October-November, 2000) - Robert Weinberg (writer),
Michael Ryan (pencils), Nathan Massengill & Andrew Pepoy (inks),
Mark Powers (editor)
Cable II#86 (December, 2000) - Robert Weinberg (writer), Esad Ribic
(pencils), Lary Stucker (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
First Posted: 02/02/2004
Last updated: 10/25/2012
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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