Shard (comics)

Shard Bishop is a mutant fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Created by Scott Lobdell and John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #314 (July 1994).

Fictional character biography

Shard was a Lieutenant in Xavier's Security Enforcers (X.S.E.) with her older brother Lucas Bishop in their native timeline in the 2080s. Shard was born and raised in a mutant concentration camp, in which mutants were branded over their right eyes with the letter "M" for recognition. In Uncanny X-Men Annual #17, Shard is stated as having the mutant ability of "transubbing ambient light into concussive force".

Shard became the youngest X.S.E. graduate a year after Bishop attained that position. She served under Bishop as a member of the Omega Squad (which included Bishop and his officers, Randall and Malcolm), until her promotion.

Together, in the X.S.E. Shard and Bishop were responsible for apprehending criminal mutants. Shard was partially infected on a mission with her brother fighting a group infected with a vampire-like affliction originating from the present day mutant, Emplate.

Although Emplates are considered the "living dead", Bishop took her to the New York Stark/Fujikawa building inhabited by the Witness in order to attempt to save her life by transmitting her essence into a holographic matrix. Here he was said to have made a deal for the experiment to happen, the price being that he would work for him for a specified period of time. The experiment was a success, but Shard, already partially infected with the Emplate, died. Due to the process involved, Bishop considered himself her murderer. The extent of, as well as the type of work he did in this deal is still yet to be known, if it ever will be.

Bishop eventually travelled back in time, to the present, to track down Trevor Fitzroy, one of his time's most-wanted criminals and Shard's ex-lover, where he became stuck in the present day and became a member of the X-Men, his idols. Shard has also since been recreated in the present, as a computer construct, and became a clandestine member of the government-sponsored X-Factor team. There, she began a romantic relationship with her teammate Wild Child.

After X-Factor disbanded in ''X-Factor #149'', Shard was transported into an alternate future. There she died for the second and apparently final time, saving her brother Bishop from Trevor Fitzroy. Her former paramour had attempted to seduce her by restoring her body to its original solid form.

Powers and abilities

Shard is able to absorb ambient light particles and use it to perform various light-based attacks. While she was a photon-based life form, she could also become intangible.

Reception

In 2014, ''Entertainment Weekly'' ranked Shard 75th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.

In other media

* Shard appears in '' X-Men: The Animated Series'', voiced by Sandi Ross.
* Shard appears in ''X-Men '97'', voiced by Kimberly Woods.

* Shard appears as an unlockable playable character in '' X-Men: Mojo World''.

References

External links

*

World of Black Heroes: Shard BiographyUncannyxmen.net character bio on Shard

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Australian superheroes
Characters created by John Romita Jr.
Characters created by Scott Lobdell
Comics characters introduced in 1994
Fictional characters who can manipulate light
Fictional characters who can turn intangible
Fictional Indigenous Australian people
Marvel Comics female superheroes
Marvel Comics mutants
Marvel Comics orphans
X-Factor (comics)
Fictional lieutenants
Fictional female lieutenants