SAPPHIRE STYX
Real Name: Sapphire Styx
Identity/Class: Human mutant (centuries ago to late 19th century, 1900-1929, 1930-1945, 1945-1959, pre-modern and modern era);
citizen of Madripoor
Occupation: Mercenary
Group Membership: Femme Fatales (Bloodlust, Knockout, Mindblast, Snake Whip);
formerly Roche's gang
Affiliations: Inquisitor, Razor-Fist, Roche, Soteira (Persephone, others), Viper (Ophelia Sarkissian)
Enemies: Domino (Neena Thurman), Jubilee (Jubilation Lee), Magneto (Max Eisenhardt), O'Donnell, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke (Elizabeth Braddock), Rogue (Anna Marie), Storm (Ororo Munroe), Tyger Tiger (Jessan Hoan), Wolverine (James Howlett)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Viper's headquarter in Madrippor;
formerly Roche's estate in Madripoor
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#1/1 (early September, 1988)
Powers/Abilities: She could drain the life-force from other people on contact particularly with a kiss, eventually devouring their soul (or at least a portion of her victims' souls). Sapphire Styx is also unusually strong because the energy she drains from other people adds to both her beauty and strength. The more energy she absorbs, the more strong and beautiful she gets. She has maintained her youth for many centuries by doing so. She was an experienced markswoman and sometimes carries a handgun.
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Red
History: (Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#4 (fb) ) - For centuries the mutant Sapphire Styx preyed on human and mutant souls to extend her own lifespan and vitality.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#1) - Sapphire was present in the Princess Bar when Wolverine defeated some of Roche's men. She posed as a hostage and Wolverine saved her by scaring her tormentor off. She applauded and gave Wolverine a kiss, but when he mentioned Dave Chapel she pulled out a gun like everyone else in the bar.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#2) - She put away her gun after everyone else did and continued to bother Wolverine until he left the bar.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#3) - Later Sapphire found Wolverine lying on the street and offered him to stay at her place, but he didn't want to. Sapphire didn't want to let him go and started to drain his life-force by forcing a kiss on him. Wolverine pushed her away, but she followed him and after Wolverine was hit by Razor-Fist she continued to drain his life-force until he went unconscious.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#4) - When Wolverine woke up again Sapphire entered the room and drained his life-force again. She loved his primal essence and felt sorry that she had to leave him to Roche's mercy. Sapphire watched Wolverine being tortured and smoked a cigarette because it became so boring and Wolverine wasn't willing to talk. Sapphire left with the room with everyone else when Wolverine lost consciousness again.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#5 - BTS) - Wolverine met Sapphire Styx and Roche's other men in a nightmare.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#7) - Sapphire watched with Roche O'Donnell's execution and she thought that it was unfair that Razor-Fist got all the fun, but Razor-Fist missed because Roche wanted to torment O'Donnell further.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#8) - Roche sent Sapphire to O'Donnell and she drained O'Donnell's life-force until she was shot by Tyger Tiger.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#9) - Sapphire attacked Tyger Tiger after she had beaten the Inquisitor and used all her power to throw Tyger Tiger around and drain her life-force, but Tyger Tiger bit Sapphire in her throat and she let Tyger go. After that Tyger burnt Sapphire's face with Inquisitor's heated iron, but Tyger collapsed and Sapphire fled with Inquisitor from Roche's estate.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#131 (fb) - BTS) - Sapphire returned to her mischievous ways and stole a small box from Tyger Tiger.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#131) - Tyger sent Wolverine after Sapphire to retrieve the box. At midnight he found Sapphire at Madripoor's harbor. She tried to seduce him, but he didn't give in to her offers, instead taking the box from her and beating her up.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#131 - BTS) - After being beaten up by Wolverine Sapphire Styx got into further trouble as Tyger Tiger had already made some arrangements for her.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#2 (fb) - BTS) - Soteira influenced the addition of Sapphire Styx to Viper's Femme Fatales.
After the Femme Fatales caught Magneto Sapphire Styx and Mindblast used their powers to weaken him. Her teammates and Viper eventually had to stop Sapphire from devouring Magneto's soul.
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#1) - Mindblast used a mass illusion to lure the X-Women searching for Wolverine into a trap at the King's Impresario Restaurant in Madripoor. The X-Women realized too late that it was a trap and fell victim to Viper and the Femme Fatales. Sapphire Styx easily overpowered Psylocke by attacking her from behind and draining some of her life-force until she lost consciousness. Kitty escaped with Domino and Jubilee while Storm, Rogue and Psylocke were defeated by the Femme Fatales.
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#4 (fb) - BTS) - Psylocke found herself trapped in Sapphire Styx's mind along with the numerous souls Sapphire had devoured over the centuries, including a portion of Wolverine's soul. Psylocke freed the portion of Wolverine's soul and together they fought back against Sapphire Styx.
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#2 - BTS) - Viper contacted Soteira to tell them that everything was going according to plan, but she also told them that Sapphire's hunger was becoming an issue after she nearly killed Magneto and now couldn't get enough of Psylocke's life-force. The Soteira employee asked Viper if she would rather see corpses piling up in the streets of Madripoor than grant a few mutants to Sapphire, prompting Viper to ignore Sapphire's growing appetite.
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#2) - Sapphire had Psylocke in her quarters and explained to her that she had never tasted anything like her life-force before. She was sure Psylocke's life-force could keep her young for months or even years, but when she tried to drain more of Psylocke's life-force she noticed that Psylocke was dead.
Standing on her balcony Sapphire enjoyed the rain. She poured herself a glass of wine, mourned the death of Psylocke and thought about going down to the dungeon to get another soul snack. She dropped her glass when she saw Patch sitting on her couch with Psylocke's corpse on his lap. Patch threatened to punish her! (And it was all just Psylocke fighting Sapphire from within using Patch as an avatar according to #4)
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#3) - Laughing maniacally Sapphire stumbled into Viper's office while she talked to a representative of Soteira. Sapphire mumbled something about "him" never leaving and psychically attacked Snake Whip when Viper ordered her to get a hold of Sapphire. When Viper held a gun to Sapphire's head she revealed that Wolverine was standing in front of her, but the psychic manifestation of Wolverine than revealed that only Sapphire could see him because he was there just to punish her (at this point it became pretty clear that this Wolverine was an after-effect of devouring Psylocke's soul due to the color of the manifestation). The psychic Wolverine manifestation attacked Sapphire and Snake Whip could see him, but not Viper. The manifestation asked Sapphire how many souls she had taken over the years. Though she didn't answer, she didn't want to give up any of them. Moments later Sapphire Styx's body blew up in a pink, psychic explosion...
(Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#4) - ...avenging all the deaths Sapphire Styx had caused over the centuries and leaving in place of Sapphire the original form of Elizabeth Braddock, recreated from psychic energy.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils) & Klaus Janson (inks).
Thanks to Anthony Durrant for an addition to the power section.
In the last image Sapphire is in the dark. She didn't turn blue.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sapphire Styx has no known connection to:
images:
Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#2, p8, pan1 (main)
Marvel Comics Presents I#4, p2, pan1 (white dress)
Marvel Comics Presents I#3, p6, pan5 (head shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#131, p, pan (newer look)
Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents I#1-2 (September, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Terry Kavanagh & Michael Higgins (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#3 (September, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#4-5 (October, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#7 (November, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#8-9 (December, 1988) - Chris Claremont (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#131 (June, 1993) - James Felder (writer), Dennis Jensen (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#1-3 (July-September, 2018) - Jim Zub (writer), Thony Silas (artist), Jordan D. White & Mark Paniccia (editors)
Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor#4 (October, 2018) - Jim Zub (writer), Thony Silas & Leonard Kirk (artists), Jordan D. White & Mark Paniccia (editors)
First Posted: 03/22/2005
Last updated: 06/01/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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