Elixir (Joshua "Josh" Foley) is a fictional character appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, primarily in association with the
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
. Formerly a member of the
Reavers, an anti-
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
criminal group, Elixir later reforms and joins the X-Men after learning that he is a mutant himself. During the
Krakoan Age
The Krakoan Age was a series of ''X-Men'' storylines published by Marvel Comics from 2019 to 2024. The Krakoan Age began with the Jonathan Hickman limited series ''House of X'' and ''Powers of X'' (July – October 2019) and it consists of fo ...
, Elixir joins
the Five, using his healing abilities in combination with other mutants to resurrect the dead.
Publication history
Elixir first appeared in ''
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of fictional mutant superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally in association with the X-Men. Originally depicted as the teenaged junior class at the Xavier Institute, sub ...
'' (vol. 2) #5, and was created by
Nunzio DeFilippis
Nunzio DeFilippis is an American writer of comic books and television. He writes with his wife, Christina Weir, whom he met while they were both students at Vassar College. Career
DeFilippis and Weir have written for two seasons on HBO's '' Arli$ ...
,
Christina Weir
Christina Weir is an American writer of comic books and television. She writes with her husband, Nunzio DeFilippis, whom she met while they were both students at Vassar College. Career
Weir and DeFilippis have written for two seasons on HBO's '' ...
, and
Keron Grant
Keron Grant (born August 23, 1976, in Montego Bay) is a Jamaican-American comic book artist, who has worked mostly for Marvel Comics.
His first published work was a pinup in the back of one of the final issues of Dale Keown's '' Pitt''. His fi ...
.
Fictional character biography
Joshua Foley was originally a member of the
Reavers. However, after he learns that he is a mutant and his parents disown him, he instead joins the X-Men, becoming
Prodigy's roommate at the
Xavier Institute
X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier and serves as the bas ...
. After
Wolfsbane loses control of her powers and mortally wounds him, Elixir manages to heal himself, which turns his skin gold. He is later among the 198 mutants who retain their powers after
M-Day, when the
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
depowers most mutants on Earth.
Elixir later joins
the Five, a group of mutants who live on
Krakoa
Krakoa is a fictional living island appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. While often depicted as an antagonist, Krakoa later fe ...
and combine their powers to resurrect mutants.
Powers and abilities
Elixir is an
Omega-level mutant
Omega-level mutants are the fictional mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics with the most powerful potential of their mutant abilities.
Publication history
In August 1986, the term was first introduced by Chris Cl ...
with the ability to manipulate the structure of organic matter within his vicinity, including his own body.
[''New Mutants'' (vol. 2) #12 (June 2004)] Besides healing, he is capable of boosting and restoring mutant abilities,
[''New Mutants'' (vol. 2) #10 (May 2004)] and possesses a death touch that can swiftly kill others and temporarily turns his skin black.
Elixir is also capable of cleansing the effects of drugs and curing the
Legacy Virus
The Legacy Virus is a fictional plague appearing in American comic books featuring the X-Men published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline in Marvel Comics titles, from 1993 to 2001, during which it swept through the mut ...
and M-Pox.
He also used his healing abilities to enable Wolfsbane to survive the birth of her and
Hrimhari's child Tier.
The
Stepford Cuckoos
The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants, Group mind (science fiction), psychically linked Multiple birth, quintuplets (Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) appea ...
later transfer
Beast's scientific knowledge to Elixir, giving him the knowledge to heal virtually any malady.
Because of his control over his own biology, Elixir has proven to be difficult to treat medically. He usually passes out after pushing his powers too far and remains in a coma for some time. Elixir is also virtually immortal due to his healing abilities enabling him to regenerate his body and resurrect himself if killed.
Elixir later develops the ability to resurrect others.
Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
and
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
speculate that he could do so to millions of people at once, but would lose his sanity in the process.
He is also able to detect abnormalities in living beings: he detected
techno-organic cells in Angel's body, detected
Emplate in Monet's body, and even sensed a magical inversion in
Sabretooth.
Other versions
* An alternate universe variant of Joshua Foley from Earth-600123 appears in ''
New X-Men'' #10. This version worked with
Prodigy to develop cures for various diseases at the cost of his life.
* An alternate universe variant of Joshua Foley from
Earth-58163 appears in ''New X-Men'' #17. This version is an agent of
S.H.I.E.L.D.[''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #17 (October 2005)]
References
External links
*
*
Elixirat Comic Vine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elixir (Comics)
Characters created by Christina Weir
Characters created by Nunzio DeFilippis
Comics characters introduced in 2003
Fictional characters from New York (state)
Fictional murderers
Fictional superhuman healers
Marvel Comics American superheroes
Marvel Comics mutants
Marvel Comics male superheroes
Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing
New Mutants
Superheroes who are adopted