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| Weight =
 
| Weight =
 
| First = X-Force Vol 1 18
  
| First = X-Force Vol 1 18
  +
| Creators = Fabian Nicieza; Greg Capullo
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| Last =
 
| Last =
   
 
| HistoryText =
 
| HistoryText =
 
===Overview===
  
===Overview===
−
The '''Legacy Virus''' was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well, until it was cured almost overnight by the sacrifice of the superhero Colossus, a member of the X-Men.
+
The '''Legacy Virus''' was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well, until it was cured almost overnight by the sacrifice of the superhero [[Piotr Rasputin (Earth-616)|Colossus]], a member of the X-Men.
   
 
===Origin & major infection===
  
===Origin & major infection===
−
The villain [[Nathan Summers (Stryfe) (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]] gave [[Nathaniel Essex (Earth-616)|Mister Sinister]] a canister that he claimed contained 2,000 years worth of genetic material from the [[Scott Summers (Earth-616)|Summers]] bloodline. When Gordon Lefferts, a scientist working for Sinister, opened the canister{{r|X-Force #18}} after Stryfe was apparently killed by [[Nathan Summers (Earth-616)|Cable]], they found nothing inside. Far worse than that, the canister actually contained a plague, Stryfe's "legacy" to the world.
 +
The villain [[Stryfe (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]] gave [[Nathaniel Essex (Earth-616)|Mister Sinister]] a canister that he claimed contained 2,000 years worth of genetic material from the [[Summers and Grey Family Tree|Summers]] bloodline. When Gordon Lefferts, a scientist working for Sinister, opened the canister{{r|X-Force #18}} after Stryfe was apparently killed by [[Nathan Summers (Earth-616)|Cable]], they found nothing inside. Far worse than that, the canister actually contained a plague, Stryfe's "legacy" to the world.
   
 
[[File:Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 390 Textless.jpg|thumb|195px|Colossus injecting himself with the cure{{r|Uncanny X-Men #390}}]]
  
[[File:Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 390 Textless.jpg|thumb|195px|Colossus injecting himself with the cure{{r|Uncanny X-Men #390}}]]
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===Magneto's War===
  
===Magneto's War===
−
Unfortunately, this rapid cure had unforeseen geopolitical effects. Thousands of Legacy-infected mutants and mutates had been quarantined on the island nation of [[Genosha]], which was controlled by Magneto at the time. The instant cure gave Magneto a vast army overnight and allowed him to begin carrying out his plans for world conquest.{{r|X-Men #111}}
 +
Unfortunately, this rapid cure had unforeseen geopolitical effects. Thousands of Legacy-infected mutants and mutates had been quarantined on the island nation of [[Genosha]], which was controlled by Magneto at the time. The instant cure gave Magneto a vast army overnight and allowed him to begin carrying out his plans for world conquest.{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #111}}
   
 
===Singularity Investigations===
  
===Singularity Investigations===
−
It was revealed that [[Singularity Investigations (Earth-616)|Singularity Investigations]] was creating a virus designed to kill mutants.{{r|X-Factor Vol 3 #10}} While [[James Madrox (Earth-616)|Jamie Madrox]] referred to this as the Legacy Virus, it is unclear whether Singularity is actually recreating Stryfe's virus or merely engineering a new one with a similar purpose.
 +
It was revealed that [[Singularity Investigations (Earth-616)|Singularity Investigations]] was creating a virus designed to kill mutants.{{r|X-Factor Vol 3 #10}} While [[James Madrox (Earth-616)|Jamie Madrox]] referred to this as the Legacy Virus, it is unclear whether Singularity is actually recreating Stryfe's virus or merely engineering a new one with a similar purpose.{{Citation}}
  +
  +
===Secret Invasion===
  +
During the "[[Secret Invasion]]" storyline, Beast discovered that the Legacy Virus can infect [[Super-Skrulls (Earth-616)|Super-Skrulls]] that have X-Men-based powers.{{r|Secret Invasion: X-Men Vol 1 3}} [[Scott Summers (Earth-616)|Cyclops]] decided to have the Legacy Virus placed on the outfits of the surrendering X-Men in order to infect the Skrulls. This worked and thwarted the Skrull's invasion of San Francisco.{{r|Secret Invasion: X-Men Vol 1 4}}
   
 
===Human Council===
  
===Human Council===
−
Later, the [[Sapien League (Earth-616)|Sapien League]] and the [[Leper Queen (Earth-616)|Leper Queen]], under [[Bastion (Earth-616)|Bastion]]'s orders, inoculated a new Legacy Virus to [[Beautiful Dreamer (Morlock) (Earth-616)|Beautiful Dreamer]], [[Fever Pitch (Earth-616)|Fever Pitch]], [[Tabitha Smith (Earth-616)|Boom-Boom]], [[Julian Keller (Earth-616)|Hellion]] and [[Noriko Ashida (Earth-616)|Surge]], for them to blow up, in order to accuse the mutant population of terrorism, and create the [[Mutant Response Division (Earth-616)|Mutant Response Division (MRD)]]. Only the two first finally blow up, killing thousands of humans before [[X-Force (Strike Team) (Earth-616)|X-Force]] aborted the Sapien League's plan.
 +
Later, the [[Sapien League (Earth-616)|Sapien League]] and the [[Leper Queen (Earth-616)|Leper Queen]], under [[Bastion (Earth-616)|Bastion]]'s orders, inoculated a new Legacy Virus to [[Beautiful Dreamer (Morlock) (Earth-616)|Beautiful Dreamer]], [[Fever Pitch (Earth-616)|Fever Pitch]], [[Tabitha Smith (Earth-616)|Boom-Boom]], [[Julian Keller (Earth-616)|Hellion]] and [[Noriko Ashida (Earth-616)|Surge]], for them to blow up, in order to accuse the mutant population of terrorism, and create the [[Mutant Response Division (Earth-616)|Mutant Response Division (MRD)]]. Only the two first finally blow up, killing thousands of humans before [[X-Force (Strike Team) (Earth-616)|X-Force]] aborted the Sapien League's plan.{{Citation}}
   
 
==Description==
  
==Description==
−
The Legacy Virus was actually a viroid and was released by [[Nathan Summers (Stryfe) (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]], a terrorist from approximately 2,000 years in the future. It originally existed in two forms, '''Legacy-1''' and '''Legacy-2''', but later mutated into a third form, '''Legacy-3'''; all were airborne agents.
 +
The Legacy Virus was actually a viroid and was released by [[Stryfe (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]], a terrorist from approximately 2,000 years in the future. It originally existed in two forms, '''Legacy-1''' and '''Legacy-2''', but later mutated into a third form, '''Legacy-3'''; all were airborne agents.{{Citation}}
−  
⚫
Legacy-1 and Legacy-2 searched for a target organism's "[[X-Gene|X-factor]]", the sequence of mutant genes that gave a mutant his/her superpowers. If it did not find an activated X-factor in the target, the viroid would die off, leaving the person completely unaffected. If, however, it did detect the X-factor, it would begin inserting introns (junk DNA sequences) into the transcription codings of the victim's mutant RNA, the process commonly being triggered after the patient used their powers for the first time after contracting the disease. The result was a major compromise of the replication and transcription process so disruptive as to eventually render the body incapable of creating healthy cells, ultimately resulting in the death of the victim.
 
   
  ⚫
Legacy-1 and Legacy-2 searched for a target organism's "[[X-Gene|X-factor]]", the sequence of mutant genes that gave a mutant his/her superpowers. If it did not find an activated X-factor in the target, the viroid would die off, leaving the person completely unaffected. If, however, it did detect the X-factor, it would begin inserting introns (junk DNA sequences) into the transcription codings of the victim's mutant RNA, the process commonly being triggered after the patient used their powers for the first time after contracting the disease. The result was a major compromise of the replication and transcription process so disruptive as to eventually render the body incapable of creating healthy cells, ultimately resulting in the death of the victim.{{Citation}}
−
[[Image:Revanche (Kwannon) (Earth-616) 007.jpg|thumb|[[Revanche (Kwannon) (Earth-616)|Revanche]] when infected by the Legacy Virus.]]
  
⚫
Legacy-1 attacked general transcription and replication of all cells, a messy and non-selective process that resulted in a condition akin to a fast-replicating cancer. This is the version that infected [[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana Rasputin]], sister of Colossus. Legacy-2, however, was much closer to Stryfe's original template and more in tune to his desire to stir a species war between humans and mutants. Its attacks were selective, working only on the X-factor genes. The net result was that a victim would eventually lose control of his superhuman powers. In addition to developing at a far slower rate than Legacy-1, victims of Legacy-2 developed skin lesions, fever, cough and overall weakness (symptoms displayed by the telepathic X-Man [[Revanche (Kwannon) (Earth-616)|Revanche]]). The slow nature of Legacy-2 is why St. John "Pyro" Allerdyce survived for years following his initial infection.
  
   
  ⚫
Legacy-1 attacked general transcription and replication of all cells, a messy and non-selective process that resulted in a condition akin to a fast-replicating cancer. This is the version that infected [[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana Rasputin]], sister of Colossus. Legacy-2, however, was much closer to Stryfe's original template and more in tune to his desire to stir a species war between humans and mutants. Its attacks were selective, working only on the X-factor genes. The net result was that a victim would eventually lose control of his superhuman powers. In addition to developing at a far slower rate than Legacy-1, victims of Legacy-2 developed skin lesions, fever, cough and overall weakness (symptoms displayed by the telepathic X-Man [[Kwannon (Earth-616)|Revanche]]). The slow nature of Legacy-2 is why St. John "Pyro" Allerdyce survived for years following his initial infection.{{Citation}}
   
−
Legacy-3 was a complete fluke, accidentally created in the body of the mutant woman known as [[Infectia (Josephine) (Earth-616)|Infectia]]. Her powers allowed her to scan and visualize the genetic structure of a living being and then alter it according to her own whims; she was essentially a walking genetics laboratory. Infectia had herself been infected with the Legacy Virus, which her own powers tried to stave off. In doing so, they caused a replication error in the Legacy-2 viroid that was killing her. The viroid's conditioning-to ''not'' infect if no X-gene was found in the host-was stripped. When [[Henry McCoy (Earth-616)|Henry McCoy]] opened Infectia's containment chamber in an act of compassion to allow her one final look at the night sky, he inadvertently released this new "free agent" strain. Legacy-3 was capable of infecting any living being that fit within the parameters of its general original template; that is, hominids only, not canines, felines, etc. [[Moira Kinross (Earth-616)|Moira MacTaggert]], long-time ally of the mutant X-Men and one of Earth's top geneticists, seemed to have been the first non-mutant human to be infected with Legacy-3. She passed on the data she had gathered to McCoy, before being killed by an explosion, at her research station on [[Muir Island]], caused by the shapeshifting terrorist [[Raven Darkholme (Earth-616)|Mystique]]. Professor X did manage to telepathically retrieve the critical information before Moira died, and [[Henry McCoy (Earth-616)|Beast]] was able to synthesize the cure a few weeks later. Though one that had a price; the virus had first been released by the death of the first victim, so the release of the cure would cause the same reaction. They vowed to keep working until a safer cure could be found. [[Piotr Rasputin (Earth-616)|Colossus]], whose little sister [[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana]] had succumbed to the Virus months before, could not abide by that decision and injected himself with the cure, sacrificing his life to save the world from the disease.
+
Legacy-3 was a complete fluke, accidentally created in the body of the mutant woman known as [[Infectia (Josephine) (Earth-616)|Infectia]]. Her powers allowed her to scan and visualize the genetic structure of a living being and then alter it according to her own whims; she was essentially a walking genetics laboratory. Infectia had herself been infected with the Legacy Virus, which her own powers tried to stave off. In doing so, they caused a replication error in the Legacy-2 viroid that was killing her. The viroid's conditioning-to ''not'' infect if no X-gene was found in the host-was stripped. When [[Henry McCoy (Earth-616)|Henry McCoy]] opened Infectia's containment chamber in an act of compassion to allow her one final look at the night sky, he inadvertently released this new "free agent" strain. Legacy-3 was capable of infecting any living being that fit within the parameters of its general original template; that is, hominids only, not canines, felines, etc. [[Moira Kinross (Earth-616)|Moira MacTaggert]], long-time ally of the mutant X-Men and one of Earth's top geneticists, seemed to have been the first non-mutant human to be infected with Legacy-3. She passed on the data she had gathered to McCoy, before being killed by an explosion, at her research station on [[Muir Island]], caused by the shapeshifting terrorist [[Raven Darkholme (Earth-616)|Mystique]]. Professor X did manage to telepathically retrieve the critical information before Moira died, and [[Henry McCoy (Earth-616)|Beast]] was able to synthesize the cure a few weeks later. Though one that had a price; the virus had first been released by the death of the first victim, so the release of the cure would cause the same reaction. They vowed to keep working until a safer cure could be found. [[Piotr Rasputin (Earth-616)|Colossus]], whose little sister [[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana]] had succumbed to the Virus months before, could not abide by that decision and injected himself with the cure, sacrificing his life to save the world from the disease. {{Citation}}
   
−
The Legacy Virus was based on a virus created by [[En Sabah Nur (Earth-616)|Apocalypse]] in the distant future, which was intended to kill the remaining non-mutants. At the time that this alternate version of Apocalypse was killed, the virus had not been perfected, and much like Legacy-3, it targeted all humans indiscriminately. As a result, this virus was never deployed, until Stryfe acquired it and altered it for his own purposes.
 +
The Legacy Virus was based on a virus created by [[En Sabah Nur (Earth-616)|Apocalypse]] in the distant future, which was intended to kill the remaining non-mutants. At the time that this alternate version of Apocalypse was killed, the virus had not been perfected, and much like Legacy-3, it targeted all humans indiscriminately. As a result, this virus was never deployed, until Stryfe acquired it and altered it for his own purposes.{{Citation}}
   
−
Mystique had also created (or commissioned the creation of) a strain of the Legacy viroid that ''only'' attacked non-mutant humans, leaving mutants completely untouched.
 +
Mystique had also created (or commissioned the creation of) a strain of the Legacy viroid that ''only'' attacked non-mutant humans, leaving mutants completely untouched.{{Citation}}
   
 
==Infection list==
  
==Infection list==
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*[[Absalom (Earth-616)|Absalom]]{{r|X-Force #37}}: Virtual immortality, ability to extend razor-sharp spines from his body. Killed by [[Selene Gallio (Earth-616)|Selene]]{{r|X-Force #54}}.
  
*[[Absalom (Earth-616)|Absalom]]{{r|X-Force #37}}: Virtual immortality, ability to extend razor-sharp spines from his body. Killed by [[Selene Gallio (Earth-616)|Selene]]{{r|X-Force #54}}.
 
*[[Nils Styger (Earth-616)|Abyss]]{{r|Cable #40}}: Malleable body houses a dimensional vortex. Was saved from death when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure.
  
*[[Nils Styger (Earth-616)|Abyss]]{{r|Cable #40}}: Malleable body houses a dimensional vortex. Was saved from death when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure.
−
*[[Aminedi (Earth-616)|Aminedi]]
 +
*[[Aminedi (Earth-616)|Aminedi]]{{r|X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2}}
−
*[[Dominikos Ioannis Petrakis (Earth-616)|Avalanche]]: Power vibration generation. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  
 
*[[Christopher Bradley (Earth-616)|Bradley, Chris]]{{r|X-Men Unlimited #8}} : Bio-Electric generation/manipulation. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  
*[[Christopher Bradley (Earth-616)|Bradley, Chris]]{{r|X-Men Unlimited #8}} : Bio-Electric generation/manipulation. Survived the Legacy Virus.
−
*[[Burke (Earth-616)|Burke]]: Killed by the Virus.
 +
*[[Burke (Earth-616)|Burke]]: Killed by the Virus.{{r|X-Force #37}}
 
*[[Maria Callasantos (Earth-616)|Feral]]: Feline appearance. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  
*[[Maria Callasantos (Earth-616)|Feral]]: Feline appearance. Survived the Legacy Virus.
−
*[[Infectia (Josephine) (Earth-616)|Infectia]]: Mutagenic touch. Killed by the Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #27}}.
 +
*[[Infectia (Josephine) (Earth-616)|Infectia]]: Mutagenic touch. Killed by the Legacy Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #27}}.
−
*[[Gordon Lefferts (Earth-616)|Lefferts, Gordon]]: Revealed to have been the first victim killed by the Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #27}}.
 +
*[[Gordon Lefferts (Earth-616)|Lefferts, Gordon]]: Revealed to have been the first victim killed by the Legacy Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #27}}.
 
*[[Moira Kinross (Earth-616)|MacTaggart, Moira]]{{r|Excalibur #80}}: Publicly designated as the first human to contract the Legacy Virus.{{r|X-Men Prime #1}}
  
*[[Moira Kinross (Earth-616)|MacTaggart, Moira]]{{r|Excalibur #80}}: Publicly designated as the first human to contract the Legacy Virus.{{r|X-Men Prime #1}}
 
*[[James Madrox (Earth-616)|Multiple Man]]: Duplicate infected {{r|X-Factor #91}} and killed{{r|X-Factor #100}}.
  
*[[James Madrox (Earth-616)|Multiple Man]]: Duplicate infected {{r|X-Factor #91}} and killed{{r|X-Factor #100}}.
−
*[[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana Rasputina]]: Magic user, chrono-variant teleportation. Killed by the Virus{{r|Uncanny X-Men #303}}. Later revived
 +
*[[Illyana Rasputina (Earth-616)|Illyana Rasputina]]: Magic user, chrono-variant teleportation. Killed by the Legacy Virus{{r|Uncanny X-Men #303}}. Later revived.
−
*[[Jason Wyngarde (Earth-616)|Mastermind]]: Illusionist. Killed by the Virus.{{r|Uncanny X-Men Annual #1993}}
 +
*[[Jason Wyngarde (Earth-616)|Mastermind]]: Illusionist. Killed by the Legacy Virus.{{r|Uncanny X-Men Annual #1993}}
−
*[[Christoph Nord (Earth-616)|Maverick]]: Healing factor put the Legacy Virus into remission.
 +
*[[Christoph Nord (Earth-616)|Maverick]]:{{r|Wolverine Vol 2 #87}} Healing factor put the Legacy Virus into remission.{{r|Maverick #1}}
  ⚫
*Mutate #24601: Only Mutate "named"; many others infected and presumed killed.{{r|X-Factor #90|91}}
−
*[[Nathaniel Essex (Earth-616)|Mister Sinister]]: May have been infected, though if so, his own healing factor must have greatly slowed its progression.
  
  +
*[[Nicodemus (Mutant) (Earth-616)|Nicodemus]]{{r|X-Force #20}}: Undefined fire-based abilities. Revealed to have been killed by the Legacy Virus.{{r|X-Force #20}}
⚫
*Mutate #24601: Only Mutate "named"; many others infected and presumed killed.
  
−
*[[Nicodemus (Mutant) (Earth-616)|Nicodemus]]{{r|X-Force #20}}: Undefined fire-based abilities. Revealed to have been killed by the Virus.{{r|X-Force #20}}
 +
*[[Psynapse (Earth-616)|Psynapse]]: Killed by teammates for being infected and causing him to be "unfit".{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #22}}
  +
*[[St. John Allerdyce (Earth-616)|Pyro]]{{r|X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2}}: Psionic manipulation (but not generation) of fire. Killed by the Legacy Virus{{r|Cable #87}} after saving Senator Kelly from an assassination attempt.
−
*[[Psynapse (Earth-616)|Psynapse]]: Killed by teammates for being infected and causing him to be "unfit".
  
−
*[[St. John Allerdyce (Earth-616)|Pyro]]{{r|X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2}}: Psionic manipulation (but not generation) of fire. Killed by the Virus{{r|Cable #87}} after saving Senator Kelly from an assasination attempt.
 +
*[[Kwannon (Earth-616)|Revanche]]{{r|X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2}}: Telepathy, psionic blade generation. Mercy-killed by [[Matsu'o Tsurayaba (Earth-616)|Matsu'o Tsurayba]] before succumbed to the Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #31}}
  +
*Numerous [[Super-Skrulls (Earth-616)#X-Skrull|X-Skrulls]]{{r|Secret Invasion: X-Men Vol 1 4}}
−
*[[Marshall Stone III (Earth-616)|Random]]: Shape-shifting. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  
−
*[[Revanche (Kwannon) (Earth-616)|Revanche]]{{r|X-Men Annual Vol 2 #2}}: Telepathy, psionic blade generation. Mercy-killed by Matsu'o before succumbed to the Virus{{r|X-Men Vol 2 #31}}
  
   
 
| CurrentOwner =
 
| CurrentOwner =
−
| PreviousOwners = [[Nathan Summers (Stryfe) (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]], [[Nathaniel Essex (Earth-616)|Mister Sinister]]
 +
| PreviousOwners = [[Stryfe (Earth-4935)|Stryfe]], [[Nathaniel Essex (Earth-616)|Mister Sinister]]
   
 
| Notes = * The Legacy Virus is a '''Class X Pathogen'''.{{r|Spider-Man and the X-Men #1}}
  
| Notes = * The Legacy Virus is a '''Class X Pathogen'''.{{r|Spider-Man and the X-Men #1}}
 
| Trivia = * The Legacy Virus storyline ran through various Marvel comics titles from 1993 to 2001.
  
| Trivia = * The Legacy Virus storyline ran through various Marvel comics titles from 1993 to 2001.
−
* Some fans have compared the Legacy Virus, to early rumors of HIV, and AIDS. Both effect the production of healthy cells, and were primarily felt by a minority group (LV mutants, HIV Homosexuals). Some even believed HIV was a government conspiracy.
 +
* Some fans have compared the Legacy Virus, to early rumors of HIV, and AIDS. Both effect the production of healthy cells, and were primarily felt by a minority group (LV mutants, HIV Homosexuals) and had early interest in research for a cure and government backing to aid in such an endeavor be slim, often associated with prejudice towards the inflicted minority group and the belief that as long as it primarily affected that group nothing would be done to stop it. Some even believed HIV was a government conspiracy.
 
* Exiles #20 portrayed an alternate reality ([[Earth-8545]]) where the Legacy Virus had merged with [[Warlock (Earth-8545)|Warlock]], after his attempt to save [[Douglas Ramsey (Earth-8545)|Cypher]] from infection backfired.
  
* Exiles #20 portrayed an alternate reality ([[Earth-8545]]) where the Legacy Virus had merged with [[Warlock (Earth-8545)|Warlock]], after his attempt to save [[Douglas Ramsey (Earth-8545)|Cypher]] from infection backfired.
   
−
| Links = * [[:Category:Legacy Virus/Appearances|Appearances of Legacy Virus]]
 +
| Links = * [[:Category:Legacy Virus Victims|Legacy Virus Victims]]
−
* [[:Category:Legacy Virus/Images|Images that feature Legacy Virus]]
  
−
* [[:Category:Legacy Virus Victims|Legacy Virus Victims]]
  
 
}}
  
}}
 
[[Category:Viruses]]
  
[[Category:Viruses]]

Revision as of 08:00, 3 July 2020

History

Overview

The Legacy Virus was a devastating plague that ripped through the mutant population, killing hundreds and mutating so that it affected baseline humans as well, until it was cured almost overnight by the sacrifice of the superhero Colossus, a member of the X-Men.

Origin & major infection

The villain Stryfe gave Mister Sinister a canister that he claimed contained 2,000 years worth of genetic material from the Summers bloodline. When Gordon Lefferts, a scientist working for Sinister, opened the canister[2] after Stryfe was apparently killed by Cable, they found nothing inside. Far worse than that, the canister actually contained a plague, Stryfe's "legacy" to the world.

Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 390 Textless

Colossus injecting himself with the cure[3]

When Colossus' sister Illyana fell ill and died[4], he left the X-Men and joined Magneto's Acolytes, but later returned. His teammate Beast developed a cure for the virus, but in order for it to be quickly dispersed, a mutant had to sacrifice himself. Colossus did not want any more people to suffer his sister's fate, so he injected himself with the Legacy cure and activated his mutant powers, transforming his body into organic steel. This supercharged the Legacy cure and simultaneously killed him and stopped the spread of the Legacy virus.[3]

Kavita Rao's attempts & Colossus revival

Failing to success, Kavita Rao, a colleague to McCoy, was visited a few weeks after Colossus' sacrifice by Ord, who revealed to have resurrected him using alien technology.[5] He was then used as a test subject for an experimental formula that would reverse mutations, was eventually rescued by the X-Men.[6]

Magneto's War

Unfortunately, this rapid cure had unforeseen geopolitical effects. Thousands of Legacy-infected mutants and mutates had been quarantined on the island nation of Genosha, which was controlled by Magneto at the time. The instant cure gave Magneto a vast army overnight and allowed him to begin carrying out his plans for world conquest.[7]

Singularity Investigations

It was revealed that Singularity Investigations was creating a virus designed to kill mutants.[8] While Jamie Madrox referred to this as the Legacy Virus, it is unclear whether Singularity is actually recreating Stryfe's virus or merely engineering a new one with a similar purpose.[citation needed]

Secret Invasion

During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, Beast discovered that the Legacy Virus can infect Super-Skrulls that have X-Men-based powers.[9] Cyclops decided to have the Legacy Virus placed on the outfits of the surrendering X-Men in order to infect the Skrulls. This worked and thwarted the Skrull's invasion of San Francisco.[10]

Human Council

Later, the Sapien League and the Leper Queen, under Bastion's orders, inoculated a new Legacy Virus to Beautiful Dreamer, Fever Pitch, Boom-Boom, Hellion and Surge, for them to blow up, in order to accuse the mutant population of terrorism, and create the Mutant Response Division (MRD). Only the two first finally blow up, killing thousands of humans before X-Force aborted the Sapien League's plan.[citation needed]

Description

The Legacy Virus was actually a viroid and was released by Stryfe, a terrorist from approximately 2,000 years in the future. It originally existed in two forms, Legacy-1 and Legacy-2, but later mutated into a third form, Legacy-3; all were airborne agents.[citation needed]

Legacy-1 and Legacy-2 searched for a target organism's "X-factor", the sequence of mutant genes that gave a mutant his/her superpowers. If it did not find an activated X-factor in the target, the viroid would die off, leaving the person completely unaffected. If, however, it did detect the X-factor, it would begin inserting introns (junk DNA sequences) into the transcription codings of the victim's mutant RNA, the process commonly being triggered after the patient used their powers for the first time after contracting the disease. The result was a major compromise of the replication and transcription process so disruptive as to eventually render the body incapable of creating healthy cells, ultimately resulting in the death of the victim.[citation needed]

Legacy-1 attacked general transcription and replication of all cells, a messy and non-selective process that resulted in a condition akin to a fast-replicating cancer. This is the version that infected Illyana Rasputin, sister of Colossus. Legacy-2, however, was much closer to Stryfe's original template and more in tune to his desire to stir a species war between humans and mutants. Its attacks were selective, working only on the X-factor genes. The net result was that a victim would eventually lose control of his superhuman powers. In addition to developing at a far slower rate than Legacy-1, victims of Legacy-2 developed skin lesions, fever, cough and overall weakness (symptoms displayed by the telepathic X-Man Revanche). The slow nature of Legacy-2 is why St. John "Pyro" Allerdyce survived for years following his initial infection.[citation needed]

Legacy-3 was a complete fluke, accidentally created in the body of the mutant woman known as Infectia. Her powers allowed her to scan and visualize the genetic structure of a living being and then alter it according to her own whims; she was essentially a walking genetics laboratory. Infectia had herself been infected with the Legacy Virus, which her own powers tried to stave off. In doing so, they caused a replication error in the Legacy-2 viroid that was killing her. The viroid's conditioning-to not infect if no X-gene was found in the host-was stripped. When Henry McCoy opened Infectia's containment chamber in an act of compassion to allow her one final look at the night sky, he inadvertently released this new "free agent" strain. Legacy-3 was capable of infecting any living being that fit within the parameters of its general original template; that is, hominids only, not canines, felines, etc. Moira MacTaggert, long-time ally of the mutant X-Men and one of Earth's top geneticists, seemed to have been the first non-mutant human to be infected with Legacy-3. She passed on the data she had gathered to McCoy, before being killed by an explosion, at her research station on Muir Island, caused by the shapeshifting terrorist Mystique. Professor X did manage to telepathically retrieve the critical information before Moira died, and Beast was able to synthesize the cure a few weeks later. Though one that had a price; the virus had first been released by the death of the first victim, so the release of the cure would cause the same reaction. They vowed to keep working until a safer cure could be found. Colossus, whose little sister Illyana had succumbed to the Virus months before, could not abide by that decision and injected himself with the cure, sacrificing his life to save the world from the disease. [citation needed]

The Legacy Virus was based on a virus created by Apocalypse in the distant future, which was intended to kill the remaining non-mutants. At the time that this alternate version of Apocalypse was killed, the virus had not been perfected, and much like Legacy-3, it targeted all humans indiscriminately. As a result, this virus was never deployed, until Stryfe acquired it and altered it for his own purposes.[citation needed]

Mystique had also created (or commissioned the creation of) a strain of the Legacy viroid that only attacked non-mutant humans, leaving mutants completely untouched.[citation needed]

Infection list

See the complete list of Legacy Virus Victims.

  • Absalom[11]: Virtual immortality, ability to extend razor-sharp spines from his body. Killed by Selene[12].
  • Abyss[13]: Malleable body houses a dimensional vortex. Was saved from death when Colossus sacrificed himself to release the cure.
  • Aminedi[14]
  • Bradley, Chris[15] : Bio-Electric generation/manipulation. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  • Burke: Killed by the Virus.[11]
  • Feral: Feline appearance. Survived the Legacy Virus.
  • Infectia: Mutagenic touch. Killed by the Legacy Virus[16].
  • Lefferts, Gordon: Revealed to have been the first victim killed by the Legacy Virus[16].
  • MacTaggart, Moira[17]: Publicly designated as the first human to contract the Legacy Virus.[18]
  • Multiple Man: Duplicate infected [19] and killed[20].
  • Illyana Rasputina: Magic user, chrono-variant teleportation. Killed by the Legacy Virus[4]. Later revived.
  • Mastermind: Illusionist. Killed by the Legacy Virus.[21]
  • Maverick:[22] Healing factor put the Legacy Virus into remission.[23]
  • Mutate #24601: Only Mutate "named"; many others infected and presumed killed.[24]
  • Nicodemus[25]: Undefined fire-based abilities. Revealed to have been killed by the Legacy Virus.[25]
  • Psynapse: Killed by teammates for being infected and causing him to be "unfit".[26]
  • Pyro[14]: Psionic manipulation (but not generation) of fire. Killed by the Legacy Virus[27] after saving Senator Kelly from an assassination attempt.
  • Revanche[14]: Telepathy, psionic blade generation. Mercy-killed by Matsu'o Tsurayba before succumbed to the Virus[28]
  • Numerous X-Skrulls[10]

Notes

  • The Legacy Virus is a Class X Pathogen.[29]

Trivia

  • The Legacy Virus storyline ran through various Marvel comics titles from 1993 to 2001.
  • Some fans have compared the Legacy Virus, to early rumors of HIV, and AIDS. Both effect the production of healthy cells, and were primarily felt by a minority group (LV mutants, HIV Homosexuals) and had early interest in research for a cure and government backing to aid in such an endeavor be slim, often associated with prejudice towards the inflicted minority group and the belief that as long as it primarily affected that group nothing would be done to stop it. Some even believed HIV was a government conspiracy.
  • Exiles #20 portrayed an alternate reality (Earth-8545) where the Legacy Virus had merged with Warlock, after his attempt to save Cypher from infection backfired.

See Also

Links and References

References

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