William Stryker

Reverend William Stryker is a fictional character in Marvel Comics, known for his recurring role as an adversary of the X-Men. A former sergeant and a devout Christian minister, Stryker harbors an intense hatred for mutants, often leading campaigns against them. He is also the father of Jason Stryker, a mutant who plays a significant role in his motivations.

William Stryker
William Strykera as depicted in The Totally Awesome Hulk #21 (July 2017). Art by Robert Gill.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (November 1982)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) Brent Anderson (artist)
In-story information
Species	Human
Team affiliations	Weapon X, formerly Stryker's Crusade and the Purifiers
Abilities	Genius-level intellect Sophistication and wisdom Military training Possession of the forearm (hand to elbow) of the Sentinel Nimrod Psychological warfare and manipulation

The character made his debut in X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (1982), created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson. Stryker is characterized by his high intelligence, military training, and expertise in psychological manipulation. He has been affiliated with several organizations, including Weapon X and, previously, Stryker's Crusade and the Purifiers.

Stryker has been featured in the X-Men film series, where he is portrayed as Colonel William Stryker, the leader of Weapon X and a primary antagonist of Wolverine. He is portrayed by Brian Cox in X2 (2003), Danny Huston in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and Josh Helman in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

In 2009, IGN ranked William Stryker as the 70th-greatest comic book villain of all time.

Publication history

William Stryker was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, making his first appearance in the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. The character was reportedly modeled after American televangelist Jerry Falwell.

Fictional character biography

God Loves, Man Kills

William Stryker as he first appeared in X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. Art by Brent Anderson.

The Reverend William Stryker is a religious fanatic with a military background, characterized by his intense hatred of mutants. This animosity drives him to commit horrific acts, including the murder of his wife, Marcy Stryker, and their mutant son shortly after the child's birth in Nevada. Following these events, Stryker experiences a suicide attempt. Over time, he becomes convinced that Satan is plotting to destroy humanity by corrupting prenatal souls, leading to the emergence of mutants. Stryker ultimately interprets the birth of his mutant son as a sign from God, compelling him to fulfill his perceived calling: the eradication of all mutants.

Fueled by this conviction, Stryker rises to prominence as a controversial preacher and televangelist. His followers, which include a secret paramilitary group known as the Purifiers, engage in hate crimes against mutants. In a calculated move, Stryker orchestrates the kidnapping and brainwashing of Professor Xavier, connecting him to a device designed to eliminate all living mutants. To thwart this plan, the X-Men are compelled to ally with Magneto. The extent of Stryker's bigotry is further revealed when he attempts to murder Kitty Pryde during a live television broadcast, resulting in an NYPD officer shooting him.

God Loves, Man Kills II

Stryker reappeared in the X-Treme X-Men storyline, having been presumed forgotten within the narrative. It is revealed that he had been serving a prison sentence due to the consequences of his previous actions. During his transfer on an airplane, Lady Deathstrike infiltrates the aircraft, where she kills Stryker's guards and rescues him. It is then disclosed that the two are lovers, and Stryker promptly initiates a new crusade against the X-Men, targeting Wolverine, Cannonball, the X-Treme X-Men team, and Shadowcat, with whom he holds a longstanding grudge.

Stryker dispatches a group of his followers to confront several X-Men members and kidnaps Kitty Pryde. During this encounter, Pryde manages to persuade Stryker that mutants are not an abomination. This revelation leads him to seemingly turn over a new leaf as he merges with the sentient artificial intelligence known as Reverend Paul, ultimately being placed in a containment tube.

"Decimation"

Stryker reappears at the beginning of the 2005 "Decimation" storyline, following the events of the "House of M" storyline. He interprets the sudden and drastic reduction of the mutant population as a sign from God, declaring, "[God] made the first step and now we have to take the next," effectively rallying for genocide during a television broadcast. While he primarily serves as the main antagonist in New X-Men, he also makes appearances in other comics set during this period.

With the assistance of Icarus, a student at the Xavier Institute, Stryker orchestrates the explosion of a bus, resulting in the deaths of approximately one-quarter of the academy's de-powered students. He subsequently plots the assassination of Wallflower, ordering one of his snipers to shoot her in the head. Stryker also attempts to kill Dust, mistakenly targeting X-23 instead. The deaths of Wallflower and Dust are crucial to Stryker's agenda, as he has been informed by Nimrod that both females pose a threat to his army.

Stryker eventually launches an assault on the Xavier Institute with the Purifiers, resulting in the death of Quill and critically wounding Onyxx and Cannonball, as well as injuring Bishop, Emma Frost, and other students. Following the defeat of the Purifiers, Stryker is killed by Elixir, Wallflower's enraged boyfriend, who inflicts catastrophic damage to Stryker's brain through rapid tumor growth.

Stryker is later resurrected by Bastion with a Technarch to join his new Purifiers. Bastion reveals that Stryker has the second highest number of mutant kills among the Purifiers' ranks, surpassed only by Bolivar Trask, the creator of the Sentinels.

Bastion assigns Stryker the task of locating Hope Summers and Cable following their return from the future during the "Second Coming" event. His Purifiers, in conjunction with Cameron Hodge's Right foot soldiers, engage the X-Men and New Mutants before Archangel ultimately kills Stryker by slicing him in half. However, his son Jason Stryker continues his legacy by joining the Purifiers.

Behind the Weapon X Project

During the "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" storyline, Stryker is resurrected as a cyborg and forms a new incarnation of Weapon X. He focuses on having his scientists develop Adamantium cyborgs with the goal of eradicating humanity. To refine the cyborgs, Stryker instructs the Weapon X Project to target Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Warpath, Domino, and Lady Deathstrike, selecting these mutants for their unique abilities.

After the Adamantium cyborgs capture Lady Deathstrike to harvest her genetic material for the Weapon X Project, Old Man Logan and Sabretooth manage to evade the cyborgs, but Stryker and the Weapon X Project obtain the necessary tissue samples. Additionally, Stryker orders the Adamantium cyborgs to target the Totally Awesome Hulk for a blood sample.

When the Hulk and Old Man Logan's group raid the Weapon X Project's base to rescue Lady Deathstrike and Warpath, Stryker initiates a self-destruct sequence, resulting in the deaths of his employees. Stryker is also shown to be starting a project involving the Hulk's blood to create Mutant/Hulk hybrids.

Following further investigations, Old Man Logan's team and the Hulk attack the Weapon X Project's central command; however, the Hulk argues against killing Stryker. During a brief altercation between Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, and Lady Deathstrike with the Hulk, Stryker and Dr. Alba take the opportunity to escape via helicopter.

Later, Stryker and several of his Adamantium cyborgs attempt to recapture Weapon X's rogue experiment, H-Alpha. However, H-Alpha kills all the cyborgs and severely damages Stryker's body. Stryker is subsequently found by Logan's group and the new Wolverine, and he agrees to disclose how to defeat H-Alpha. During the battle against H-Alpha, Sabretooth attempts to take Stryker's torso to destroy it, but it disappears in the ensuing chaos. Eventually, Stryker resurfaces in Nebraska, with his limbs repaired, and establishes the Church of Human Potential.

Weapon X-Force

Believing that God no longer supported his crusade against mutants, Stryker and the Church of Human Potential turn to Satanism and dark magic rituals to gain the power necessary to destroy mutantkind. Stryker recruits Mentallo as a follower and compels him to use his abilities to force mutants to join his cult, whom he intends to sacrifice.

Mentallo captures M and uses her as bait to lure Weapon X-Force. In the ensuing confrontation, Weapon X-Force rescues M, destroys the Church, and kills Stryker. However, with his dying breath, Stryker reveals that he orchestrated these events so that Mentallo could summon him from Hell.

X-Force splits its efforts between battling Stryker in Hell and confronting Mentallo on Earth. During the conflict, Sabretooth falls into Mentallo's sacrifice pit, which is essential for completing Stryker's ritual. As Stryker ascends from Hell, Sabretooth decapitates him, thereby destroying Stryker's soul and using the sacrifice to revive his son, Graydon Creed.

Reception

In 2017, WhatCulture ranked William Stryker fifth in their list of the "10 Most Evil X-Men Villains."

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

In the alternate timeline depicted in the 1995 Age of Apocalypse storyline, William Stryker is raised by a preacher father who cares for him and other children in their town after most of the townspeople are slaughtered by mutants. However, in a tragic twist of fate, his father is later killed by other surviving humans. Consequently, Stryker lives in hiding, learning to depend on the kindness of both humans and mutants, which makes this version of him far more tolerant than his counterpart in Earth-616.

Adopting the persona of the Prophet, Stryker begins to avenge humanity alongside a group known as the X-Terminated. He breaks into the apartment of Krakken, an engineer who built ovens to incinerate humans, and murders him, sparing his family. Before killing Krakken, the Prophet reveals that he previously destroyed one of Krakken's eyes and then finishes the job by decapitating him. Stryker studies the Sentinels and the mutants' hunt of humans to refine his skills in taking them down, claiming he has learned their weaknesses and that, despite their powers, his will and skill are superior.

With ease, the Prophet climbs onto an attacking Sentinel, cuts into its head, and flips away as the robot is destroyed from the damage. He asserts that his talents were acquired by witnessing the slaughter of thousands, and that his victories honor their memory. When Weapon X leads a final assault on the last surviving City of Men, the Prophet allows the civilians to escape by throwing an explosive at Weapon X, leading his team out of the city. Once they are clear, the city is destroyed by Weapon X.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel universe features two distinct versions of William Stryker.

William Stryker Sr.

This iteration of William Stryker is an Admiral named William Stryker Sr., who serves as the leader of the anti-mutant conspiracy within the U.S. Government. He is also associated with the creation of the Legacy Virus before being arrested and presumably committing suicide off-screen.

William Stryker Jr.

This iteration features a character named William Stryker Jr., a reverend who resides in Manhattan with his wife, Kate Stryker, and their son, John Stryker. He experiences a profound tragedy when his family is killed during the "Ultimatum Wave" that strikes New York. Although Stryker miraculously survives, he struggles to cope with his grief. He attempts to lead a spiritual congregation of survivors in a tent set up in Central Park but fails to conduct his service successfully.

Stryker encounters a group of men who inform him that the mutant Magneto is responsible for the Ultimatum Wave and encourages his growing hatred of all mutants. They supply him with weapons acquired from a cache of destroyed Sentinels, leading Stryker to become the leader of an anti-mutant militia. He subsequently leads the Purifier forces in an attack on the Xavier Mansion during the Ultimatum Wave, emerging as the sole survivor after the reformed Weapon X team, led by Rogue, slaughters all the Purifiers present except for him.

After his escape, Stryker begins to hallucinate visions of his deceased abusive father, who fuels his hatred of mutants and religious fervor until he is ready to strike back against them. Following the revelation that mutants are the result of human experimentation, Stryker orchestrates a massive attack in Times Square, rounding up mutants and forcing them to repent under the threat of death. The X-Men intervene, but Rogue betrays them by making a deal with Stryker to regain her normalcy in exchange for her assistance.

During the ensuing struggle, the Shroud kills Stryker by phasing an arm through his abdomen. In his dying moments, he manipulates a wave of Nimrod Sentinels to eliminate every mutant in the country. As the Nimrods begin hunting mutants nationwide, some are commanded by Master Mold, where Stryker's consciousness is later transferred. He leads an assault against Kitty Pryde's team of mutants until Pryde damages his mechanical body enough to destroy him permanently.

In other media

Television

William Stryker appears in the X-Men '97 episode titled "Tolerance Is Extinction" (Part 2), voiced by J. P. Karliak.

Film

Brian Cox as Colonel William Stryker in X2: X-Men United

Danny Huston as Major William Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Josh Helman as Major Bill Stryker in X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse

• William Stryker appears in X2: X-Men United, primarily portrayed by Brian Cox and by Brad Loree in flashbacks. This version is a U.S. Army Colonel and scientist who previously lobotomized his son, Jason, to make him more docile and to extract a mind-controlling substance from his body. After kidnapping and brainwashing several mutants, Stryker battles the X-Men and is ultimately killed in a confrontation with them.

• In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, William Stryker is portrayed by Danny Huston. He appears as an army major and the leader of Weapon X, who manipulates Wolverine into receiving adamantium implants and later shoots him in the head, resulting in long-term amnesia.

• William Stryker's unnamed father, credited as Agent Stryker, appears in X-Men: First Class, portrayed by Don Creech. He is a CIA agent who attacks the X-Men, contributing to Magneto's animosity towards humans and the foundation of both the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

• A younger version of William Stryker appears in X-Men: Days of Future Past, portrayed by Josh Helman. In 1973, he serves Bolivar Trask and battles the time-traveling X-Men.

• William Stryker also appears in X-Men: Apocalypse, once again portrayed by Josh Helman.

Video games

• William Stryker appears in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine tie-in game, voiced by David Florek.

• William Stryker also appears in Marvel Heroes, voiced by James M. Connor.

External links

• William Stryker at Marvel.com