| “ | Y'know, Wolvie, back then I felt that screamin' baggarts like yourself deserved a bad end. But, indeed, sometimes a bit o' noisy bravado can get the job done... as I do, while callin' myself Banshee! | „ |
| ~ Banshee to Wolverine. |
| “ | Saints preserve me... l-l-lad, ye're a... mutant?! | „ |
| ~ Banshee |
Banshee also known as Sean Cassidy is a fictional character and superhero from Marvel comics, appearing as a supporting character in the X-Men series.
An Irish mutant, Banshee possesses a "sonic scream", capable of harming enemies’ auditory systems and causing physical vibrations. He is named after the banshee, a legendary ghost from Irish mythology, said to possess a powerful cry. A former Interpol agent and NYPD police officer, Banshee was always a decade older than most of the X-Men and had only a relatively short tenure as a full-time X-Man. He was a mentor of the 1990s-era junior team Generation X, and later became the founder of the X-Corps.
He was created by Roy Thomas, the late Dick Ayers and the late Werner Roth, and first appeared in X-Men #28 in January of 1967. Since his debut, he has appeared in numerous media, being played by Caleb Landry Jones played in 2011's X-Men: First Class.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Sean Cassidy was born in County Mayo, Ireland to unnamed parents, and his lineage to the Cassidy family made him the heir of to Cassidy Keep. With his new fortune, Sean went off to Trinity College where he earned his bachelor degree of science, and later learn of his mutant power to cause sonic vibrations with his voice. He demonstrated this ability when saving Maeve Rourke from the police, and developed romantic feelings for her. Sean also started to compete with his cousin Tom for Maeve's affections, but Maeve would choose Sean over Tom. The two would later get married, but Cassidy would become an Interpol agent, leaving Maeve to give birth to their daughter Theresa by herself.
Working for Interpol[]
Sean got a job with Interpol while he was still a young man. After visiting a concert in Northern Ireland, Sean misses the last train home and has to hitch a ride. He is picked up by a corrupt policeman, who thought he was scouting for the IRA and intended to arrest him. He is saved by a young woman on a bike named Maeve Rourke. At one point in their journey back to Cassidy Keep Maeve's bike is damaged, and Sean flies her the rest of the way. Maeve isn't scared by his mutant powers at all. When he arrives back home, he introduces her to Black Tom. Both men are smitten by her.
Eventually Sean wins Maeve's heart. Even though he loved her too, Black Tom agrees to be Sean's best man at the wedding, since he wanted to have the best happen to Maeve. Shortly after the marriage, Sean is away on a mission for months, and while he is gone, Maeve discovers she is pregnant and gives birth to their daughter, Theresa Cassidy. Maeve dies soon after from a bomb, so Tom has to take care of Theresa. Sean returns and is devastated, and is livid at Tom for not taking care of Maeve. Sean knocks him into a chasm that breaks his leg before Tom could tell him about his daughter. Tom was furious, promising to get revenge on Sean and never tell him about his daughter.
After Maeve was killed, Sean buries himself in his work, although didn't tell anyone about his powers. On one of his earliest missions, Sean had to guard a weapons specialist named Patrick Lipton whilst he took his new weapon to Rome. On the way there, the train is attacked by the terrorist group HYDRA. Lipton and Sean get out of the train and attempt to clear the tracks so the train could move again. Before they can, Sean is shot by a HYDRA agent, causing him to accidentally let loose a sonic scream as he falls. Lipton knows that he couldn't let HYDRA know about Sean's sonic scream, so kills the HYDRA agents who had seen it and offers his services to HYDRA in return for Sean's life.
Another of Sean's missions with Interpol involved catching a serial killer. Unfortunately his superiors don't believe there really was a serial killer, and Sean has to go rogue to find and catch the killer. While Sean searches for the killer, he is aided by a mysterious man who was afraid of a genetic war. The mysterious man tells Sean that the killer would be found at Cassidy Keep. Years later, Sean would meet this mysterious man again, only this time he would be calling himself Magneto. Sean is joined at Cassidy Keep by Inspector Magrite Deveraux, who now believes him about the killer. The killer is a Russian called Arkady, who wishes to be killed so that he could stop being the Russian government's pet mutant. Sean refuses, so Arkady infects Magrite Deveraux with his death spore virus to give him motivation. Sean empties his gun on Arkady, who he believed was sent to prison. Unfortunately, he was put in a special ops program that turned him into Omega Red.
At some time, Sean was working with the New York Police Department. One evening, Sean and his partner notice Harry Leland enter a party, where they find Emma Frostalso in attendance. Emma is accosted by some men, and Sean ignores his orders and runs to join the fray. Sean and his partners find the men dead. The trail leads to the sewers, where Dark Beast had taken Emma, needing her help. Sean assumes that Emma is in danger, and attacks Dark Beast. Emma telepathically stops Beast from attacking back and wipes everyone's memories of the incident. Sean manages to get evidence on Black Tom's illegal activities shortly after this, and sends him to prison. Sean still didn't know about Teresa, who was at boarding school at the time.
Sean's last Interpol mission was a rather delicate one. Sean and his partner Daniel Peyer have to infiltrate the mansion of a gangster named Almadovar and retrieve information from him. The operation had been prepared for years. Right after Sean uses his sonic powers to deactivate the security systems, Almadovar finds him. He would have shot him if the mercenary Deadpool hadn't appeared and shot Almadovar, who had a price on his head. Even though Sean is saved, the mission was now blown, since they needed Almadovar alive. After this operation, Sean quits Interpol, and goes freelance.
Factor Three[]
Factor Three, a villain team, discovers him and their leader, Changeling invites him to join. Sean is horrified and refuses, but Factor Three trick him and set explosives next to his head. He is forced to do their bidding, or they would detonate the explosives. After working for them for a long time, Sean runs into the X-Men on a mission in New York. Professor X easily disarms the bombs and Sean, codenamed Banshee, helps the X-Men stop Factor Three. Banshee is kidnapped by the Sentinels a few months later, and the X-Men save him again. Professor X asks him to join the X-Men when the original team is captured by the living island known as Krakoa, who wanted to feast on them. Banshee, Sunfire, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm, Thunderbird, and Wolverine all manage to stop Krakoa and save the original X-Men. These seven (minus Sunfire, who quits) form a new team of X-Men after the original team leaves (with the exception of Cyclops, who stays on as team leader). Banshee is reluctant at first, as he was much older than the rest of the X-Men, but Professor X manages to convince him to stay.
Joining the X-Men[]
Over the next few weeks, Banshee became a well-liked member of the group, as well as something of a back-up leader when Cyclops or Professor X are not around. Soon Xavier's old colleague Moira MacTaggert joins the X-Men as their housekeeper. Banshee falls in love with Moira, and the two grow close quickly. After a few adventures with the team, Banshee receives a letter from his lawyer, explaining that he has inherited Cassidy Keep fully for himself. The rest of the X-Men and Banshee go there for a holiday, not realizing that it was a trap set up by Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut.
The two had been given exotic weaponry by a villain known as Erik the Red. Black Tom and Juggernaut's plan was to capture Xavier, which they attempt by torturing the X-Men until he arrives. The X-Men wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Storm, who overcomes her claustrophobia and saves them. The two groups fight on the battlements of the castle, until Black Tom falls down to the sea, followed by Juggernaut, who didn't want to lose his only friend.
Months later, Banshee and the X-Men are stranded in Japan after making their way there from the Savage Land. Whilst all they wanted was Sunfire's help to get back to the US, they had to fight a terrorist named Moses Magnum. Moses Magnum was threatening to trigger earthquakes that would destroy Japan if he wasn't given control of it. The X-Men sneak into his base, but Magnum defeats most of them and then goes to trigger his earthquakes. Banshee works out that the earthquake would be triggered by an intense beam of energy, and that he could stop it with a wall of sound. Banshee manages this feat, but as a result his vocal cords are damaged and he loses his powers. He stays with the group for a while, until they travel to Muir Island to combat the threat of Proteus, Moira MacTaggart's deadly mutant son. After the battle, Sean decides that he will stay with Moira, since without powers he is no use to the X-Men. He doesn't cut off his ties completely though; Banshee helps the X-Men when Arcade's partner Miss Locke kidnaps several of the X-Men's friends, using the skills he had developed as an Interpol agent to make up for his lost powers.
Siryn[]
Shortly after helping with the Murderworldsituation, Sean is greeted by a girl at Professor Xavier's school, who gives him a letter to read. The letter explains that she is Banshee's daughter Theresa Cassidy, who Sean didn't even know existed. She had thought Tom was her father, and she was overjoyed to learn of her real father's existence. Siryn feels she needs to help Tom with crimes, but she decides not to, and joins Sean and Moira on Muir Island.
One day, Banshee is kidnapped from Muir Island by James Proudstar, who is the brother of John Proudstar, the X-Man who had died before Banshee's eyes. James blames the rest of the X-Men for John's death, and wants to use Banshee as a hostage against them. Sean manages to talk John into giving up, as he doesn't want to be a murderer.
Banshee and Moira MacTaggart later help Morlocks who are stationed at Muir Island. After the Mutant Massacre, the few surviving Morlocks are sent to Muir Island, along with the newer members of the X-Men. Whilst they are all there, Banshee teaches them a bit about battle skills and teamwork. Banshee's powers temporarily come back later thanks to Moira. Moira had been hypnotised by a rebuilt Master Mold into creating a virus called the Retribution Virus, which was designed to kill mutants. Sean is one of the first mutants to be affected and is kidnapped and taken to Master Mold's base for further studying. Eventually Moira, Cyclops and Callisto (the leader of the Morlocks) manage to find and save Banshee. Moira is free of Master Mold's influence, and creates a cure for the virus. The cure kicks Banshee's systems into overdrive as it destroys the virus and his powers temporarily come back. Banshee soon uses these new powers to save Polaris, who is trapped on a sinking ship.
Return to the X-Men[]
Banshee's powers come back for good soon afterwards. The mutant hating Reavers, led by Donald Pierce, invade Muir Island and shoot Banshee straight in the heart. Amanda Sefton manages to use her magic to teleport Banshee to the infirmary of Muir Island before he dies, and once there, the Morlock healer heals him back. His touch not only heals Banshee's chest wound, but it also restores his powers completely.
Thanks to Forge and Freedom Force, Muir Island survives the Reavers attack, but there are casualties on both sides. After the fighting is over, Banshee asks Forge to design a new security system for the island whilst he looks for the X-Men. The X-Men had been believed killed in Dallas, but Polaris informs Banshee that they are still alive. Banshee asks Forge to accompany him on this trip. Once again, Moira begins acting strangely, making harsh decisions and dressing rather sharp. Forge and Banshee are going to board a plane for Cairo, Egypt, when they change their plans at the last minute. The plane was shot out of the sky, and it appeared that Moira had set them up, as she was the only person who knew about them being on the plane.
Sean and Forge go to the ruins of the school in Westchester, where they unexpectedly meet Jean Grey and a group of Morlocks, led by Masque. Masque and his Morlocks manage to capture Jean and Sean, and disfigure them with his powers. Jean's arms turn to tentacles, and Banshee now has no mouth, which means he had no powers. If it hadn't been for Forge, who had recorded their genetic codes, they wouldn't have been able to change back to their normal bodies. During this little adventure, Banshee and Forge also run into Colossus, who has amnesia and can't remember his time as an X-Man. Colossus is an artist, and Banshee decide to leave him alone and let him enjoy his fame.
Banshee reunites with Storm and her new companion Gambit at the ruins of the mansion, before meeting up with other X-Teams during the X-Tinction Agendaincident on Genosha. After this, these X-Men decide to stay as a team, with Banshee a member of it. Banshee finds out that Moira was still acting as strangely as she had been when he communicated with her via a holographic com-link. Shortly afterwords, Sean and the X-Men are called in to the Shi'ar Empire to help Professor X and his lover, Princess Lilandra. After the adventure, Banshee tells the Professor about Moira's behavior. Professor X mindscans Banshee to find out that Moira, as well as most of the inhabitants of Muir Island, have fallen under the Shadow King's influence. It takes the combined effort of the X-Men as well as X-Factor to stop the Shadow King. Banshee has to fight his loved ones, including Moira and Theresa, who have pretty harsh words for him, reminding him of his past failures. After the Shadow King is defeated, Banshee and Moira help with the reconstruction of the mansion and the X-Teams, whilst Theresa joins X-Force.
Powers & Abilities[]
X-Gene Mutation: Banshee is a mutant whose superhumanly powerful lungs, throat, and vocal cords could produce a sonic scream for various effects, in concert with limited, reflexive psionic powers which directed his sonic vibrations. He could generate sonic blasts which struck with tremendous concussive force, liquefying or outright disintegrating targets at his highest levels of power.
- Flight: He could hover or fly at the speed of sound, and could carry at least one passenger.
- Targeted Attacks: He could overwhelm listeners with deafening noise, stun them with tight-focus low-frequency sonic blasts, plunge them into a hypnotic trance, disorient them, nauseate them, or simply render them unconscious.
- Frequency Manipulation: Using sonic waves, he could rapidly vibrate himself or other masses at will. By radiating sound waves outward and reading the feedback, he could locate and analyze unseen objects in a sonar-like fashion. By modulating his scream's harmonics, he could confuse most scanning equipment. He could instinctively analyze, replicate, and block sonic waves or vibrations from other sources.
- Immunity: Banshee generated a psionic field which protected him from the detrimental effects of his sonic vibrations, though his sonic powers could still injure him when pushed beyond safe limits. His physiology seemed fully vulnerable to conventional injury when his sonic powers were not engaged.
- Attention: Banshee had selective hearing, enabling him to focus upon, enhance, or totally block out any given sound in his environment; this shielded him from the deafening sound of his own screams, and made him a superhumanly acute eavesdropper in surveillance situations.
- Lineage Limit: Banshee and his cousin, Black Tom Cassidy, were unable to effect each other with their powers as a result of their family heritage.
Portrayals[]
Films[]
- In Generation X, he was portrayed by Jeremy Ratchford, who also portrayed Jimmy Boyle in Poltergeist: The Legacy and Nick Vera in Cold Case.
- In X-Men: First Class, he was portrayed by Caleb Landry Jones.
Television Series[]
- In X-Men: The Animated Series, he was voiced by the late Philip Williams.
Video Games[]
- In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, he was voiced by Quinton Flynn, who also voiced Silver the Hedgehog in the Sonic series, Raiden in the Metal Gear Solid series, Elmer Fudd and Swiper the Fox in Robot Chicken, Snowbell in the Stuart Little animated series, Timon in Timon & Pumbaa, Marcus Damon in Digimon Data Squad, Iruka Umino in Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden, Mickey Mouse in Mickey Mouse Works, Axel in Kingdom Hearts, Meriadoc Brandybuck in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: The Video Game, and Spider-Man in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Both Roy Thomas and Werner Roth created Banshee as female, but Stan Lee told them that female villains weren't popular.
- Thomas also noted that Siryn's design is what Banshee was originally going to look like.
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 Heroes
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