The Leper Queen is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the masked leader of the Sapien League, an extremist anti-mutant organization that is similar to Friends of Humanity.[citation needed]
| Leper Queen | |
|---|---|
 Cover art for X-Force vol. 4 #13. Art by Clayton Crain. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | House of M: The Day After #1 (January 2006) |
| Created by | Peter Milligan Salvador Larroca |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Page (first name unknown) |
| Team affiliations | Sapien League Purifiers |
| Abilities | Competent ability with weapons and skilled fighter. Infected with the Transmode Virus. |
Biography
editThe Mutant Daughter
editThe Leper Queen was originally a normal woman whose unborn child was "infected" by a passing mutant. As a result, she gains pyrokinetic mutant abilities and burns down her house, killing herself and scarring her mother. The latter swears revenge against all mutants, calling herself the Leper Queen.[1][2][3]
Decimation
editThe day after M-Day, the Leper Queen attacks the Xavier Institute with the Sapien League. She is first seen to be attacking Mammomax, Erg, and Peepers, who are racing to Xavier's mansion for sanctuary. The Sapien League ties them to X-shaped crosses and attempts to burn them to death. They are stopped by Wolverine and Colossus, who had seen the smoke from this attack.[4] After this failure, she also leads an attack on the mansion. It is only by the combined efforts of the X-Men and the Sentinel Squad O*N*E that the Sapien League is stopped. During this fight, Iceman is captured. When the Leper Queen tries to execute him, he suddenly regains his powers and causes her arm to freeze, making her flee and encounter both Outlaw and Peepers as she escapes.[5]
After tracking Polaris and Havok (who had left the institute in search of Lorna's powers) to Puerto Rico, members of the Sapien League are attacked by Havok, who stops their attack on an old man.[6] Then, they call upon the Leper Queen, who is visiting her daughter's grave. She arrives to kill Havok and Polaris but is stopped by Havok, who has just killed Daap, an alien that crash-landed and bore a striking resemblance to former X-Statix member Doop.[7] The remains of the alien reform and carry Polaris and the Queen to a nearby temple of Apocalypse. Apocalypse finds the Leper Queen's bloodlust and thirst for vengeance too much to handle and denies her the chance to become one of his Horsemen, Pestilence, gives that "honor" to Polaris instead, and chains the Leper Queen in a dungeon.[8]
Purifiers
editIt is unknown how she eventually escaped, but it is later revealed that the Leper Queen, alongside other prominent anti-mutant leaders, have been forcibly recruited into the ranks of the Purifiers. She is saved before being executed in the electric chair for the murder of two girls in Guatemala and is infected with the Transmode Virus by Bastion, along with having her head and face even more disfigured.[9]
At an anti-mutant rally held in Iowa by the Friends of Humanity, the Leper Queen delivers the former Morlock known as Beautiful Dreamer into the crowd, where her injection with a modified version of the Legacy Virus is responsible for killing all the people attending the rally and herself, even though the Leper Queen feels guilt over killing humans for Bastion's cause.[10]
After a similar incident where the mutant Fever Pitch is infected and used to kill thousands of innocent people, the Leper Queen captures Surge, Hellion, and Boom Boom, infects the latter two with the virus, and sends them to attack the United Nations. She later shoots and kills Boom Boom before a time-traveling X-23 saves her and kills the Leper Queen.[11][12]
Powers and abilities
editThe Leper Queen has an affinity with weapons. She is a highly skilled fighter and is also infected with the Transmode Virus by Bastion.[13]
Personality
editDuring the Sapien League's attack on the mansion, it is said that Leper Queen hates mutants and has been on many mutant hunts.[14] Her sole purpose in life is to kill all mutants as revenge for her daughter's death.[1] She also hides her burnt face with a mask that lifts just when she's about to suppress her opponents.
References
edit- ^ a b X-Men #181
- ^ "Leper Queen (Character)". Comic Vine. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ "LEPER QUEEN | uncannyxmen.net". uncannyxmen.net. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ House of M: The Day After #1
- ^ X-Men #178
- ^ X-Men #180
- ^ X-Men #181
- ^ X-Men #185
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #3
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #12
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #13
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #17
- ^ X-Force vol. 3 #3
- ^ X-Men #177