—Black Tom Cassidy[source]Tis about time, it is, then... I was beginnin' t'wonder when y'r actions would match y'r reputation! Sorry t'say f'r you , boyo -- my actions speak louder than y'r words!
Black Tom Cassidy is a mutant with the ability to channel concussive energy through wood.[5] Born in Ireland, the heir to Cassidy Keep, he was raised alongside his cousin Sean Cassidy, Banshee of the X-Men.[6] Their bond collapsed after the woman they both loved, was killed in a bombing. Secretly raising her daughter Theresa as his own.[7]
He befriended the Juggernaut, forging a notorious partnership that spanned heists, mercenary work, and repeated battles with the X-Men[8] and Spider-Man.[9] His powers were later augmented by experimental wood fiber implants, transforming him into a plant-like being with control over vegetation.[10] Increasing instability led to violent clashes with Generation X[11] and ultimately the Brotherhood of Mutants, where his murder of Squid-Boy ended his alliance with Juggernaut.[12]
After M-Day, Tom's mutation was reversed, restoring his original form.[13] He later joined groups like Black Air[14] and briefly served as White Bishop of Magneto's Hellfire Club.[15] With the rise of Krakoa, Tom became the island's chief of security and a core member of X-Force[16], countering threats from XENO and telefloronic outbreaks.[3] Though volatile, he proved invaluable through his bond with Krakoa, remaining with X-Force even after the nation's fall.[17]
History
Early Life[]
Thomas Cassidy was born in Dublin, Ireland,[5] as one of the heirs of Cassidy Keep in County Mayo. He and his cousin Sean Cassidy were the last surviving members of the Cassidy Clan by their late teens, inheriting the ancestral castle but little fortune.[6] Both cousins manifested mutant powers during their youth; Sean developed a sonic scream, while Tom discovered the ability to channel concussive energy through wood. Tom studied at Oxford University and became a gambler and womanizer, often spending what little remained of the family fortune. Sean, meanwhile, was recruited into Interpol. The cousins' relationship grew strained over their mutual affection for Maeve Rourke, a university student and motorcyclist. Maeve was saved from an British policeman's harassment by Sean's sonic scream, and both cousins courted her afterward. During a university dance, Tom attempted to deceive Maeve into believing Sean had abandoned her, but later admitted the truth and encouraged her to go to Sean, earning her lifelong friendship but losing her love. Maeve later married Sean, with Tom serving as best man at their wedding.[6] Maeve eventually gave birth to a daughter, Theresa, but was killed in a terrorist bombing while Sean was away on Interpol business. Sean, unreachable on assignment, only learned of her death months later. In the meantime, Tom secretly took custody of Theresa, raising her as his own and never telling Sean of her survival.[7]
When Sean returned to Ireland, he confronted Tom at Maeve's grave. In his grief, Sean blamed Tom for failing to protect Maeve. His sonic scream destabilized the ground beneath Tom, causing him to fall and break his leg. From that day forward, Tom required a cane to walk.[6] Feeling betrayed and abandoned, Tom swore never to tell Sean about Theresa and embraced the identity of "Black Tom Cassidy", turning fully to crime.[7] Black Tom was eventually apprehended for jewel thefts, black marketeering, and other crimes,[7] and incarcerated. During this time, he befriended fellow prisoner Cain Marko, the Unstoppable Juggernaut, bonding over their hatred of their heroic relatives, Sean and Charles Xavier.[18]
Facing the X-Men[]
When freed with the aid of Eric the Red, Black Tom and Juggernaut seized Cassidy Keep. They installed weapons and traps to ambush Sean and the X-Men when they visited Ireland. They imprisoned the steward Eamon O'Donnell’s family to ensure his compliance, and captured the X-Men in the dungeons upon their arrival.[8] Black Tom fought Sean directly in a prolonged duel with fists and weapons throughout the castle.[19] Ultimately, Sean hurled Tom from the ramparts into the sea, though Juggernaut dove after him and rescued him.[20] Tom and Juggernaut resumed their partnership. They briefly contracted the assassin Arcade to eliminate the X-Men.[21]
Facing Arachnid Heroes[]
Black Tom and Juggernaut resufaced and introduced their new protege, "Siryn" who was his niece who he raised in secret all these years. The trio launch a daring heist, stealing a shipment of Vibranium and overpowering Spider-Woman when she tried to stop them. To cover their tracks, Tom framed Spider-Woman for the crime, leaving her arrested and disgraced until she escapes custody.[22] The X-Men arrived soon after and joined forces with Spider-Woman to confront the villains aboard a derelict ship. In the ensuing battle, Tom fought alongside Siryn but is ultimately defeated, while Juggernaut is blasted into the sea by the combined might of Spider-Woman and Storm. When taken into custody, Tom spitefully revealed that Siryn is his cousin Banshee's daughter, abandoning her to the X-Men's care.[23][24]
Juggernaut freed Tom and they continued to operate out of a computer-guided yacht, planning various crimes. Tom devised improvements to Juggernaut's helmet and considered employing Madame Web to predict their enemies' moves.[9] Juggernaut was dispatched to capture her, but Spider-Man intervened, trapping Juggernaut in wet cement and leaving Tom without his partner for months.[25] Black Tom and Juggernaut eventually returned to their mercenary lifestyle. Cain Marko, feeling guilty for Spider-Man's defeat of their plans, recovered the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak and presented it to Tom as a gift. The gem transferred part of Juggernaut's power to Tom, briefly transforming him into a Juggernaut-like entity. The two shared Cain’s strength, though each only wielded half the original power. Their battle with Spider-Man and the X-Men revealed that the shared power was unstable, and Tom's abilities were eventually removed when the gem was sent into orbit.[26]
Working with Tolliver[]
On another occasion, Juggernaut caused chaos in Edinburgh to distract the authorities, while Tom robbed the Bank of Scotland.[27] Cain was captured and imprisoned, leaving Tom to continue criminal activity alone until Juggernaut returned from extradimensional exile after a battle with Thor.[28] Seeking greater resources, Tom allied with Arianna Jankos, head of the Jankos Corporation, who faced a hostile takeover. Tom took corporate leaders hostage, demanding ransom payments and using Jankos' technology to recover Juggernaut from extradimensional exile.[29] This incident brought Tom and Cain into conflict with X-Force and Siryn. Tom escalated the crisis by planting plastique explosives throughout the building and detonating them even while inside.[30] Confronted alone by Cable, Tom attempted to surrender, but Cable shot him at point-blank range, sending him plummeting down an elevator shaft with grievous injuries.[31] Tom was rescued by Deadpool on the orders of Tolliver, a crimelord interested in cultivating enemies of Cable.[32]
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Rnhanced by wood fibres
In Angoulême, France. Tolliver's doctors including Louis Banque repaired Tom's body with experimental wood-fiber implants developed by Genetech.[10] These viral fibers grew symbiotically within Tom's body, replacing damaged tissue and granting him enhanced durability, increased bio-blast power, and the ability to project energy without his shillelagh.[10] With Tolliver presumed dead, Tom and Juggernaut pursued the crimelord's hidden assets, known as “Tolliver's Will.”[33] Competing with Deadpool and others, Tom blasted Wade through the chest, but Deadpool survived and confronted him aboard a passenger plane. In the ensuing fight over Tolliver’s disk, Deadpool tore open the emergency exit, pulling Tom from the plane. Juggernaut followed to rescue him, ending their pursuit of the inheritance.[33]
As time passed, Tom's wood-fiber implants became unstable, parasitically consuming his body and mutating him into a being of living wood.[34] Suffering physically and mentally, Tom returned to Cassidy Keep, where his condition worsened.[35] Juggernaut and Warpath arranged for Siryn to meet Tom at Maeve's grave. There, father and daughter reconciled briefly before Tom surrendered to Interpol, seeking treatment rather than continued life on the run.[36] Sean Cassidy arranged for advanced medical care, but Juggernaut forcibly freed Tom from prison and kidnapped Dr. Emrys Killebrew, formerly of the Weapon X Program, to continue treatment. Believing Deadpool's regenerative abilities might cure Tom, Juggernaut's mercenaries attempted to capture Wade.[37] In battle, one mercenary severed Deadpool's hand. Tom amputated his own wooden hand and grafted Wade’s onto his body.[38] The procedure succeeded, halting Tom's degeneration, though the regenerative tissue caused him constant pain and mental instability.[39] Despite his improved condition, Tom remained unstable. Confronted by Deadpool, Banshee, and Siryn, he defeated Sean but was eventually overwhelmed by Wade. Juggernaut agreed to stand down so Killebrew could stabilize Tom, and Interpol returned him to custody.[40]
Battling Generation X[]
Black Tom's body continued to mutate as the viral wood fibers integrated with his system. He eventually transformed entirely into a plant-like entity, gaining control over vegetation and extending his consciousness through plant matter.[11] His condition also left him increasingly unstable, prone to delusions and erratic behavior.[41] During this period, Tom allied with Cordelia Frost, who sought entry into the Hellfire Club by presenting the captured mutant Mondo as an offering.[1] Tom freed Mondo, trained him, and planned revenge against Cordelia and her sister Emma Frost. He also created a clone of Mondo designed as a sleeper agent to infiltrate Generation X.[42] The clone, believing itself the real Mondo, was accepted into the Massachusetts Academy after escaping staged pursuers.[1] Over several months, Black Tom merged with the Academy's Bio-Sphere training grounds, which incorporated matter from Krakoa the Living Island.[41] When he struck at Generation X, Tom overwhelmed most of the students using the clone's knowledge of their weaknesses and his own control over vegetation.[43] He tormented Emma Frost and Banshee, forcing them into combat against simulacra of their students, and threatened to kill one another for his amusement. However, Tom was unprepared for Penance, whose bladed form cut directly through his plant body, forcing him to retreat in critical condition.[44]
_and_Cain_Marko_(Earth-616)_from_Generation_X_Vol_1_60_001.jpg){kind=link}
Rematch
After recovering, Tom resurfaced with the real Mondo and Juggernaut, attacking Generation X at the Massachusetts Academy. He revealed his plan regarding the Mondo clone, but his monologue allowed Skin to rally the team. When Juggernaut's helmet was removed, leaving him vulnerable to Emma Frost’s telepathy, Tom ordered a retreat.[45]
Hunting Cyclops[]
Tom and Juggernaut, was hired by Ulysses to assassinate Cyclops in Alaska. Tom coordinated the attack with his bio-blasts, but Cyclops outfought them and secretly tagged Tom with a tracer.[46] When Tom and Juggernaut confronted Ulysses for payment, he revealed he never intended to pay them, only for Cyclops to track them down and resume the fight, forcing Ulysses to teleport Summers into the Savage Land.[47]
Cult of Chejo-Do[]
Later, Juggernaut was lured into a trap by the Cult of Chejo-Do in South Korea, who siphoned his power into a crystal derived from the Gem of Cyttorak.[48] Black Tom contacted Storm and Gambit to recover the gem, restoring Juggernaut's strength.[49] However, the ritual also allowed a malevolent entity to possess Cain, and Tom was drawn with him into an interdimensional void.[50] With the aid of the Oktid and the X-Men, Juggernaut was cleansed and both he and Tom returned to Earth.[51] Tom's secondary mutation progressed again, turning him into a mass of vegetation.[52] His mind deteriorated, and he attacked both Juggernaut and the X-Men at Cassidy Keep.[53] The confrontation destroyed much of the castle. Unable to control his condition, Tom drove Juggernaut away, straining their long-standing alliance.[54]
Brotherhood of Mutants[]
_from_All-New_Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe_Vol_1_2_0002.jpg){kind=link}
Secondary mutation
Tom next joined Exodus's Brotherhood of Mutants.[55] With Juggernaut posing as a double agent, the Brotherhood planned an assault on the Xavier Institute.[56] The student Squid-Boy, who admired Juggernaut, discovered the Brotherhood's activities. When Sammy attempted to warn the X-Men, Tom brutally murdered him, snapping his bones within a mass of branches.[12] This act ended his friendship with Juggernaut permanently. During the Brotherhood’s attack on the Institute, Tom expanded his consciousness throughout the grounds, manipulating vast amounts of vegetation. He proved nearly impossible to harm until Nocturne possessed him, and Xorn opened a black hole that displaced the Brotherhood off-world.[57] Tom and his allies were transported to Mojoworld, where they bargained with Mojo for passage back to Earth.[58]
M-Day[]
After the events of M-Day, Tom's secondary mutation was undone, restoring his human appearance and original bio-blasting powers.[58][13] He recognized the horror of his actions against Sammy Pare, but deflected responsibility, resuming mercenary work.[14] After the Decimation, Black Tom Cassidy's secondary mutation was reversed, restoring his human physiology and bio-blast powers while largely stabilizing his mind.[58] Although he acknowledged the atrocity of killing Squid-Boy, Tom insisted he was not in his right mind at the time and deflected responsibility.[14]
Black Air[]
Seeking employment, Tom joined the renegade intelligence agency Black Air, assisting them during an operation to seize control of the extradimensional Shadow X-Men. Disguising himself as a prison warden, Tom orchestrated an ambush against Excalibur and MI-13 during a transfer of the captives. He used biomechanical seed pods to unleash tangle-vines across the city streets, seizing the team's hovercraft and distracting Cain Marko. When the plan faltered, Tom revealed himself and attacked, seemingly killing Dazzler with a bio-blast.[14] Dazzler, recently made functionally immortal, revived and counterattacked. Black Air extracted the Shadow X-Men, abandoning Tom to face Juggernaut. Tom fled into a nearby house, taking a woman hostage at cane-point.[59] Cain confronted him directly, demanding Tom accept responsibility for Sammy's death. Tom broke down, admitting he would see Sammy's face every night for the rest of his life, and surrendered. While incarcerated, Cain visited Tom, and the two discussed their long history. Cain forgave him, but acknowledged that neither of them could ever truly atone for their past crimes.[60]
Black Box[]
Later, Tom was recruited by Black Box to join a vendetta against Deadpool, alongside Black Swan.[61] With Deadpool temporarily lacking his healing factor, Black Tom attacked him in Texas, unleashing massive blasts of energy through a truckload of lumber.[62] However, Deadpool leveraged his prior saving of Black Swan to force Swan to erase the knowledge of Wade's mortality from Tom and Black Box's minds. Deprived of this advantage, Tom abandoned the campaign.[63]
Hellfire Club[]
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Joining the Hellfire Club,
When the mutant race was threatened by M-Pox, Tom resurfaced as a member of Magneto's Hellfire Club, serving as White Bishop.[15] He used his claim as the rightful heir of Cassidy Keep to secure his position. Working alongside Magneto’s X-Men, he investigated the Someday Corporation and its corrupt suspended animation programs.[64] Tom did not remain in the Club for long. Reuniting with Juggernaut, the two returned to mercenary work, raiding a luxury yacht at sea.Their crime was interrupted by the time-displaced original five X-Men, who defeated them.[65]
Krakoan Era[]
With the founding of Krakoa, Black Tom became chief of security, linking himself to the island to monitor all threats.[66] When XENO infiltrated Krakoa using Domino's genetic code, they bypassed his surveillance and assassinated Professor X.[67] Though Xavier was resurrected, the breach exposed Krakoa's vulnerabilities and led to the creation of X-Force, where Black Tom became a key member of the island's intelligence arm.[68] Tom proved vital in repelling XENO raids, combating their telefloronic technology in Terra Verde, and helping contain outbreaks tied to Krakoan biology.[69] He worked closely with Sage and Cecilia Reyes on counter-intelligence, and even sacrificed an eye to save Beast from a parasite.[70] As Beast grew more authoritarian, Black Tom remained a stabilizing force, defending Krakoa directly through his bond with the island and supporting his teammates when trust in Beast faltered.[3]
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Merging with Krakoa
Attributes
 |
Powers
Black Tom is a mutant who had undergone various alterations and Secondary Mutation throughout his criminal career. After M-Day, Thomas lost the lionshare of his powers and was reverted to a normalized appearance. But he still retained his original powers.[59] However, he has since demonstrated both old and new abilities pertaining to plant control,[72] shaping bioenergy into barriers using his shillelagh to deflect young Scott's optic blasts or strengthening his own striking & bludgeoning power by channeling energy through it.[65]
- Bio-Organic Thermokinetic Blasts: Cassidy has the ability to generate blasts of concussive force or heat by using wood as the focus for his power; typically a wooden shillelagh. Following genetic engineering, Cassidy could channel the energy he generates directly through the parts of his body that were grafted to a wood-like substance.[73]
- Energy Infusion: Thomas can utilize his powers of thermokinetic energy in more storied ways than simply discharging concussion streams.[65]
- Wood Manipulation: While Black Tom lost a great many abilities begotten from his secondary mutation, he retained some affinity for manipulating wood and tree based plant forms.[72]
- Environmental Symbiosis: After being welcomed to Krakoa as chief of security; Black Tom found he can share a synergistic link with the landmass itself in order to vastly enhance his powers. He and the living island now share a consciousness greatly expanding upon the former's senses and powers by controlling the ecosystem in such a way it broadens physical synesthesia. Moreover, he can make the area Krakoa itself comprises move and act however he wishes; i.e. causing rising stone bed formations, knocking trees down upon enemies, etc.[67]
- Family Power Immunity: Black Tom is highly resistant, if not immune, to Banshee and Siryn's sonic screams, and they are similarly protected from his bio-blasts.[citation needed]
Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Weapons
See Also
- 128 appearance(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 12 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 17 minor appearance(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 53 mention(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 9 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 70 image(s) of Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 7 quotation(s) by or about Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 3 victim(s) killed by Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Thomas Cassidy (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Generation X '95 #1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) #12
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 X-Force (Vol. 6) #29
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #30
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Classic X-Men #16
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 X-Force #31
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 X-Men #99
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Amazing Spider-Man #229
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Generation X #18
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 X-Men (Vol. 2) #163
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 New Avengers #18
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 New Excalibur #6
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) #11
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #6
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Wolverine (Vol. 7) #41
- ↑ X-Force #91
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 X-Men #101
- ↑ X-Men #103
- ↑ X-Men #122
- ↑ Spider-Woman #37
- ↑ Spider-Woman #38
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #148
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #229–230
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Marvel Team-Up #150
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #218
- ↑ X-Force #1
- ↑ X-Force #1–2
- ↑ X-Force #3
- ↑ X-Force #4
- ↑ X-Force #5
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Deadpool: The Circle Chase #2
- ↑ Thunderstrike #2
- ↑ X-Force #30
- ↑ X-Force #30–31
- ↑ Deadpool #1
- ↑ Deadpool #2
- ↑ Deadpool #3
- ↑ Deadpool #4
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Generation X #23
- ↑ Generation X #61
- ↑ Generation X #24
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Generation X #25
- ↑ Generation X #60–61
- ↑ Cyclops #1
- ↑ Cyclops #2
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 Uncanny X-Men #361
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #368
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #88
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #369
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #410
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #411
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #412
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #162
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #161
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 2) #164
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 Uncanny X-Men #461
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 New Excalibur #7
- ↑ New Excalibur #13
- ↑ Deadpool (Vol. 2) #58
- ↑ Deadpool (Vol. 2) #59
- ↑ Deadpool (Vol. 2) #60
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) #14
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 X-Men: Blue #1
- ↑ House of X #1
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 X-Force (Vol. 6) #1
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #2
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #6–10
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #23
- ↑ X-Force (Vol. 6) #44–46
- ↑ 72.0 72.1 Deadpool (Vol. 3) #59
- ↑ Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1–2
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #410–412
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 2