The Stepford Cuckoos are a set of fictional
mutants
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 ...
,
psychically linked quintuplets
''Quintuplets'' is an American television sitcom that aired 22 episodes on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from June 16, 2004, to January 12, 2005. The program starred Andy Richter and Rebecca Creskoff and shared some of their experiences parent ...
(Celeste Cuckoo, Esme Cuckoo, Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo, Phoebe Cuckoo, and Sophie Cuckoo) 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 ...
. The alphabetical order of the Cuckoos' first names corresponds with their ages, with Celeste being the firstborn and Sophie being the youngest. Originally calling themselves the Five-in-One, after the deaths of Esme and Sophie the remaining sisters were known as the Three-in-One. They are commonly associated with the
Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
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 Estate (land), private estate of Professor X, Charles Francis Xa ...
and successor mutant schools.
Their name "Stepford Cuckoos" is a reference to the books ''
The Stepford Wives
''The Stepford Wives'' is a 1972 satirical "feminist horror" novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a talented photographer, wife, and young mother who suspects that something in the town of Stepford is changing the wives fro ...
'' and ''
The Midwich Cuckoos
''The Midwich Cuckoos'' is a 1957 science fiction novel written by the English author John Wyndham. It tells the tale of an English village in which the women become pregnant by brood parasite, brood parasitic aliens. The book has been praised ...
''. The Stepford Cuckoos made their live action debut as the Frost Sisters; Esme, Sophie, and Phoebe in the television series ''
The Gifted'' (2017 - 2019), portrayed by
Skyler Samuels
Skyler Samuels (born ) is an American actress, known for her roles in the television series ''Wizards of Waverly Place'', ''The Gates'', ''The Nine Lives of Chloe King'', ''Scream Queens'' and '' The Gifted''.
Early life
Samuels was born in Los ...
.
Publication history
First appearing in ''
New X-Men'' #118 (November 2001), they were jointly created by
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
and
Ethan Van Sciver
Ethan Daniel Van Sciver (No date on article; date appears in the website') (; born September 3, 1974) is an American comics artist. He illustrated and drew covers for a number of superhero titles in the 2000s, primarily for DC Comics, including ' ...
. Their origin, as the artificially created "daughters" of
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
, is revealed in ''
X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong''.
Esme and Sophie were among the feature characters in the 2011 two-issue limited series ''Chaos War: X-Men''.
In April 2024, it was announced that Sophie would have a starring role in the
second volume of ''NYX'', set for a July 2024 release as part of the "
X-Men: From the Ashes" relaunch. It is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with art by Francesco Mortarino. The new ongoing series centers on Sophie and several other mutant young adults –
Kamala Khan
Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first ...
,
Laura Kinney
Laura Kinney (designation X-23) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Wolverine (character), Wolverine, whose codename she has also used, and the X-Men. The characte ...
,
Anole
Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (singular anole ) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat ...
, and
Prodigy
Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to:
* Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer
** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess
Arts, entertainment, and m ...
– attempting to adapt to life in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in the post-
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 ...
when mutants are hated and feared even more due to the actions of
Orchis
''Orchis'' is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), occurring mainly in Europe and Maghreb, Northwest Africa, and ranging as far as Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The name is from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις ''orchis'', meaning "testicl ...
.
Fictional character biographies
Origins
As revealed in the first issue of ''
X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong'', the sisters are grown from ova cells harvested from telepath
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
while she lay comatose after a
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring granit ...
attack that killed her students, the original
Hellions, and are only five of many cloned daughters. They state that over a thousand eggs were stolen from Emma's ovaries during her coma, and the remaining hundreds (if not thousands) of clones reside within incubation chambers inside a hidden underground laboratory at ''The World'', a complex housing the
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during their run in '' New X-Men''. The program's purpose is the creation of super-soldiers intended to ...
(living beings designed to serve as weapons) program. They were created by
John Sublime
S'Byll
S'Byll (sometimes spelled S'byll) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
S'Byll is a Skrull that was raised on the planet Satriani. She was responsible for curing Super-Skrull of his disease.
Si ...
to be powerful weapons able to kill every mutant by combining their telepathic abilities. The Cuckoos were designated ''Weapon XIV.''
Xavier Institute
They were first introduced as the protégés and favorites of Emma Frost, and were unaware of their true purpose. A telepathic block was used to mask their placement in the school, causing anyone who questioned their origins to lose their train of thought. They, along with student
Quentin Quire
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #134 (January 2003). ...
, were noted as the strongest
telepaths
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
among the new students at the
Xavier Institute of Higher Learning. Although Quire and the Stepford Cuckoos were rivals, Quire had a crush on Sophie. Sophie and the other Cuckoos considered him to be disgusting and rejected him completely.
Partly as an expression of adolescent rebellion, partly under the influence of a mutant
drug
A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...
called Kick, and partly out of a desire to impress Sophie, Quire incited a student riot at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Sophie died stopping Quire, overexerting herself after using the same drug to boost her powers. The Stepford Cuckoos held Frost to be partially responsible for Sophie's death - with Frost having "inspired her to heroism" - and disassociated themselves from her at that time. With the death of Sophie, the Five-in-One became the Four-in-One. Wary of having a part of themselves missing, they tested to see if their powers still functioned well by contacting
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
telepathically and informing her that Emma Frost was attempting to conduct an affair with her husband,
Scott Summers
Cyclops is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the comic book ''Uncanny X-Men ...
.
Secretly, Esme Cuckoo had been collaborating with X-Man
Xorn
Xorn is the alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''New X-Men (2001 series), New X-Men Annual 2001'' (September 2001). He was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Qui ...
, who would later turn out to be
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, ...
in disguise. Taking control of the Cuckoos' group mind, she telepathically forced
Angel Salvadore
Angel Salvadore is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Grant Morrison and Ethan Van Sciver, the character first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #118 (November 2001). She belongs to the subspec ...
to attack Emma Frost, completely shattering her diamond body into fragments. Jean Grey managed to
telekinetically
Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
reassemble Frost and return her to life, whereupon Emma revealed Esme's involvement in the attack. Esme then abandoned her sisters to join Magneto's new
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants (originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men. While the ...
. Later, losing faith in Xorn, the Brotherhood turned on him and Esme, who attacked him, angry that Xorn did not return her affections. Xorn then killed Esme, and she died in Emma's arms, stating with her dying breath that she never wanted to end up like Emma.
Corsairs
Soon afterwards, the institute is rebuilt, with Emma Frost and Cyclops as headmasters and leaders of 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 ...
. Frost and Summers divided the older students into several six-person training squads, each taught by a staff member. The remaining three Cuckoos, now calling themselves the "''Three-in-One''," were assigned to the
Corsairs squad, advised by Cyclops. The three girls were the co-leaders of the squad.
In ''
X-Men: Phoenix Endsong'' (March–June 2005), the cosmic entity known as the
Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
came back to Earth seeking to inhabit the body of Jean Grey. Quentin Quire, still in love with Sophie, sensed the Phoenix and
exhumed Sophie's body. He sought the Phoenix, which resurrected Sophie, but she promptly chooses to die again rather than be with him. The X-Men defeat the Phoenix, though a shard of it locates Celeste.
Weapon Plus and Phoenix—Warsong
In ''New X-Men'' #154 (May 2004), the Stepford Cuckoos are identified as Weapon XIV (each girl being units 1 to 5, ordered alphabetically by their first names), the living weapon code between Weapon XIII (
Fantomex
Fantomex is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Igor Kordey, the character first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #128 (August 2002). Fantomex is an escaped experiment fr ...
) and Weapon XV (
Ultimaton).
Manipulated by both the shard of the Phoenix and Dr. John Sublime, the Cuckoos reanimate Esme and Sophie as corpses and return to the ''
World
The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
''. At the World, they are greeted by a computer image of Sublime and learn of their thousands of cloned siblings. Their true purpose was to collect data on the X-Men and transmit it to the other clones through shared
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...
in their bodies. It is revealed that the Phoenix fragment has manifested in order to destroy the Cuckoos and all of their clones to prevent them from being activated as a weapon and killing all mutants. The Phoenix manifests most strongly through Celeste, using her as its avatar, but is then diffused according to Sublime's plans among each of the cloned telepaths, boosting their powers. The Cuckoos then learn that they also shared Emma's ability to turn into a diamond form. Now referring to themselves as the Thousand-in-One and under Sublime's control, the cosmically empowered psychics proceed to enact their programmed destiny of mutant destruction. Celeste, at Emma's behest, accepts her role as a Phoenix host and wrestles control of the Phoenix, freeing the clones from Sublime's control for the first time. However, the Phoenix goes on to destroy the thousand clones, despite their newfound freedom and desire to experience life, by shattering their newly manifested diamond forms as well as Esme and Sophie. Disgusted by the destruction, Celeste casts the entity out of her body. However, it refuses to depart causing Celeste to reabsorb it into her own and Mindee and Phoebe's diamond hearts to end the Phoenix's destruction. Unlike Emma's diamond composition, which contains a flaw, the Cuckoo's hearts are flawless diamond. As such, the Phoenix fragment is literally sealed within their hearts. The price the sisters must pay for this is that they can never again feel emotion, leaving them more detached from others than they were before.
[''X-Men: Phoenix—Warsong'' #1–5]
Post-Civil War
The Stepford Cuckoos were considered as "potential recruits" for the
Initiative
Popular initiative
A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition.
In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...
program. The girls were next seen helping
Elixir
An elixir is a sweet liquid used for medical purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's illness. When used as a dosage form, pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orall ...
master medical and anatomical knowledge via
Beast
Beast most often refers to:
* Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia
* The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation
* Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
's brain. They are soon after teleported to
Limbo
The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
with the other students and captured by
Belasco, who has helmets placed on them to keep them asleep to prevent them from using their powers. They were freed by a newly revived
X-23
Laura Kinney (designation X-23) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Wolverine (character), Wolverine, whose codename she has also used, and the X-Men. The characte ...
and turn the tide of the battle against Belasco. When the
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
attacks Xavier, the
Astonishing X-Men
''Astonishing X-Men'' is the name of four X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were Limited series (comics), limited series. The third volume, an ongoing series, began in 2004 in comics, 2004, with its first run writt ...
, and the
New X-Men, the Stepford Cuckoos contact several other X-teams such as
Excalibur
Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Its first reliably datable appearance is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. E ...
, the Uncanny X-team, and X-Factor to get their help. They then help
Prodigy
Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to:
* Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer
** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess
Arts, entertainment, and m ...
access all his forgotten knowledge and abilities to compensate for his power loss as thanks for saving them when anti-mutant terrorists known as the
Purifiers attacked the school.
Messiah Complex
The Cuckoos use Cerebro to track down
Cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
, who has the missing mutant baby for whom the X-Men are looking.
When the X-Men arrive at the location indicated by the Cuckoos, the baby had already been stolen by the
Marauders. The Cuckoos are unable to relocate the baby telepathically, so Emma Frost orders them to focus on finding the Marauders who kidnapped it.
Manifest Destiny
Following the events of the Messiah Complex, the Cuckoos rejoin the X-Men in their new home of
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, along with many of their former classmates. The girls later agree to help erase Josh Foley's memory of his work with the newly reformed
X-Force
X-Force is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #100 (April 1991 ...
team, so as to help the team maintain a sense of a secrecy from the main X-Men team. They agree to keep the team a secret, primarily out of loyalty to Cyclops. The girls have recently begun to dress more individually than before, no longer wearing matching outfits. Each of them also have different hairstyles, with only one of the Cuckoos keeping their prior hairstyle.
Secret Invasion
The Cuckoos help oppose
Skrull
The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
invaders in San Francisco. When the Skrulls place a blockade on all telepathic communication, they channel their telepathy through
Cerebra into Emma as she attempts to find the psychic blockade and destroy it. Emma's psyche is briefly disconnected from her body and as she fights the Skrull psychics, the Cuckoos, on orders from Cyclops, use their telepathy to keep Emma's
autonomic functions going. Afterward, the Cuckoos appear as supporting characters in ''
Uncanny X-Men
''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...
''.
Nation X
During a pitched battle between the X-Men and a pack of genetically altered versions of
Predator X, the Phoenix fragments that were contained in the Cuckoos' diamond hearts leave them and depart into space for reasons unknown. During their time on Utopia, the Cuckoos begin to experience boredom and start sneaking off the island to buy DVDs of horror films. Influenced by the movies, the girls start mentally torturing their classmates using scenarios from ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' and ''
Ring
(The) Ring(s) may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV
* ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
'' among others. After Emma discovers this, she reveals that as a child she was a fan of the film ''
Clash of the Titans'', and that she occasionally daydreams of being in the movie herself. Realizing that she always loved teaching, Emma decides to make the Cuckoos into teachers for the island's school, thus giving them something to do with their time.
Chaos War
During the "
Chaos War
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot ...
" storyline, Esme and Sophie are among the fallen X-Men members who return from the dead after what happened to the death realms. Sophie confronted Esme about her death with little resolution. During this time, Sophie befriended
Thunderbird. While searching for answers among the remains of the Xavier Institute, the former X-Men were attacked by Carrion Crow: Eater of the Dead. Esme later sacrificed herself to save her sister from Carrion Crow. In the aftermath of the defeat of the Chaos King, Sophie is returned to the afterlife after reality is restored by
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
. Thunderbird even commented that the next time that he is resurrected, it would be with Sophie.
Regenesis
After "Schism" Phoebe wanted to go to Westchester while Irma wanted to stay at Utopia, leaving the deciding vote to Celeste, who chose Utopia after learning that Quentin Quire was going to be at Westchester. Following the death of Charles Xavier and the appearance in the present day of the original five X-Men, the Cuckoos decide to join Cyclops's new iteration of the Xavier School.
[''All-New X-Men'' #10]
Wolverine and the X-Men
During ''
AvX AVX may refer to:
Computing
* Advanced Vector Extensions, an instruction set extension in the x86 microprocessor architecture
** AVX2, an expansion of the AVX instruction set
** AVX-512, 512-bit extensions to the 256-bit AVX
* Softwin AVX (AntiViru ...
'' the Stepford Cuckoos came to stay at the Jean Grey School. When Cyclops and his team came to confront Beast about bringing the original X-Men forward in time the Cuckoos left with them.
When Teen Angel tried to leave Wolverine's school Teen Jean tried to force him to stay against his will. As punishment the Cuckoos forced Teen Jean into submission and only relented after Teen Jean had learned her "lesson." Angel then left to join Cyclops's team much to Teen Jean's grief since they were supposed to stay together.
Uncanny X-Men
After joining the team and getting settled in, Irma changes her hair style, much to Celeste's horror, though Emma approves and encourages Irma and her sisters to be their own people. Irma spots Triage and both seem to have an attraction to each other, but neither acts on it. They later participate as members of Cyclops's team during the Battle of the Atom.
When the time-displaced team of the original X-Men join Cyclops's team, Celeste becomes hostile towards the time-displaced teenage Jean Grey. During an excursion to a mall, Jean reveals to Celeste that Irma and Phoebe do not have a problem with her like Celeste does. The group encounters a member of the
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
, and the Cuckoos as well as Jean Grey are knocked out.
X-23
The remaining Cuckoos, feeling empty without their sisters, opted to seek out and employ a genetic regeneration specialist who did work at The Facility behind
Laura Kinney
Laura Kinney (designation X-23) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Wolverine (character), Wolverine, whose codename she has also used, and the X-Men. The characte ...
's genesis. Through the mental manipulation of one Dr. Helen Marks by Phoebe, Irma and Celeste, the professor was able to fabricate clone bodies from D.N.A. templates identical to the trio's fallen siblings, whilst the Cuckoo's beckoned the wayward consciousnesses of Sophie and Esme from the afterlife to inhabit them. The process was flawed however, as the xeroxed bodies rejected the psychic imprint of their mortal hosts; causing their bodies to deteriorate at an accelerated pace.
[''X-23'' (vol. 4) #3]
In order to properly preserve their dying matriarchs, Esme — carrying an ailing Sophie by her side — demanded they go through with an alternative plan: securing the healthy body of an X-23 program subject, Gabby.
In reality however, Esme had been manipulating both her sisters and their engineering assistants from behind closed doors the entire time. Subtly pushing her three living relatives into mind controlling several biophysical manipulation experts to giving herself a new lease on life, as well as having Helen create a cellular degeneration compound with which she used to murder her sister Sophie behind everyone's backs again.
[''X-23'' (vol. 4) #5] All while pleading that the former head of the five-in-one died over night. A chase would ensue after the three-in-one managed to send out a false text to call Gabby to their location at an abandoned church, wherein they put Laura under psychic hallucination as the three made off with their prize.
X-23 would soon follow in hot pursuit but was bamboozled again into chasing the wrong mini van by the Cuckoos. The three of them would utilize a mental transference device crafted by Dr. Marks to extrapolate and imprint psi-signatures onto healthy bodies with vast recuperative abilities to siphon Esme's mind from her faulty body over to Gabby's healthier vessel.
But the process would be interrupted by Laura, who was alerted to their location via GPS tracker activated by her foster sister right as the experiment commenced. In the aftermath of which Esme's persona would successfully carry over onto Gabby's being while Laura herself had been blasted out of the barn area where the procedure was underway. As a consequence of trying to intercept the occurrence, X-23 ended up with the consciousness of Sophie Cuckoo set within her mind.
[''X-23'' (vol. 4) #4]
As Mindee was sent out to find whether or not Laura had perished in the blast. The newly rejuvenated Gabby/Esme began discussing her plan of ascendance to her two remaining sisters Phoebe and Celeste. Meanwhile, the former leader of the quintumvirate, Sophie, would communicate with Laura in the mental plane, explaining to her and Cuckoo family's life story just as Irma would run into Laura thinking it was Sophie in the physical world. After some harsh coercion by the former and more nuanced explanations by her deceased sibling, Mindee is appalled at the discovery Esme had schemed, lied and killed her only kin once more after returning from beyond the grave. Reluctantly offering her assistance to the Laura/Sophie amalgam in their efforts to stop the current three-in-one from reaching Cerebro before Esme can gain control of it. As Esme and the other Cuckoo's make their way to the Xavier Institute, they are intercepted by a bazooka packing Beast riding a helicopter while their leader rants about how the X-Men wasted their time and their lives protecting worthless humans. Esme is dismayed to discover the adversary before them was merely an illusion conjured up by Sophie waiting at the school of gifted youngsters. Sophie went onto reveal the depth and extent of Esme's betrayal to her other siblings, when the both of them questioned why she would do such a thing after all they went through just to bring them back. Esme coldly rebuts such claims while admitting she compelled their actions thus far from start to finish. Retorting that the Cuckoos were little more than mindless drones without her to think their thoughts for them, Esme then stabbed Phoebe with Gabby's bone claw. While Laura got into a brutal fight with Esme with Sophie keeping their shared mind free of her psychotic sister's mental influence, Irma managed to make her way to Cerebro to galvanize the other Cuckoo's psychic powers through herself and Laura. All these efforts were towards the purpose of excising their deranged number from Gabby's body, where afterwards the equally disembodied Sophie would bury her twisted psyche so deep she would never resurface again. In the aftermath, the remaining Cuckoo clones would disappear for a time. Laura would hear that they're squatting in Paris, something she knows that they know that Sophie would've enjoyed.
House of X
Professor Xavier, now simply called
X, calls upon
the Five to bring both Sophie and Esme back to life. The once bitter enemies acted as tour guides to a group of government officials while showing off the new Jerusalem Habitat created by
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 ...
.
During the "
Empyre
"Empyre" is a comic book story arc published in July 2020 by Marvel Comics. This storyline follows the events of ''Incoming!'' with the genre of superhero crossover.
Premise
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four and various other heroes of the Marv ...
" storyline, the Stepford Cuckoos are among the psychic mutants that are summoned to
Genosha
Genosha ( ) is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in the Marvel Universe and a prominent location in the X-Men comics. The fictional nation served as an allegory fo ...
. They are among those who witness
Magik
Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
's fight with the Cotatinaught.
From the Ashes
Sophie is enrolled at
Empire State University
Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate, bac ...
(ESU) and is taking the "Examinations of Post-Krakoan
Diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
" class with
Kamala Khan
Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first ...
. The other Cuckoos have joined a new iteration of the
Quiet Council which is now located in New York City.
Powers and abilities
The Cuckoos share a
telepathic
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
hive mind. Powerful telepaths individually, their combined power is even greater than its sum. These powers allow them the psychic standards of broadcasting/receiving thoughts, mind control, planting illusions, force blasts of pure psionic energy, astral projection, etc. Their gestalt mind allows them to communicate with one another instantaneously, though the strength of their
gestalt
Gestalt may refer to:
Psychology
* Gestalt psychology, a school of psychology
* Gestalt therapy
Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes Responsibility assumption, personal responsibility and focuses on the individual's exp ...
depends on their proximity to one another; the further they are from one another, the weaker their ability to connect.
Though they most often function and act as one unit, they are indeed capable of thinking and operating individually. When all five sisters were alive, Sophie was the dominant consciousness and often commanded the Cuckoos. However, as implied by Esme's actions, it is possible for another one of the Cuckoos to wrest control of the gestalt and perhaps even use the powers of all sisters without the consent and knowledge of the others. With the loss of Sophie and Esme, The Cuckoos are not as strong as they were with five.
Like their mother, Emma Frost, each Cuckoo sister also possesses the ability to transform into an organic diamond body, and as such gains invulnerability, durability, and super strength. Unlike Frost, however, their diamond forms are flawless; such that nothing can enter or escape. They demonstrate this ability by sealing the splintered fragment of the Phoenix Force inside their hearts by permanently changing their hearts to diamond, in the process sacrificing their ability to ever feel genuine emotions again. The Phoenix Force eventually manages to escape, potentially allowing the sisters to regain their emotions. During the ''Warsong'' series, the Cuckoos gained the power of flight and
pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis is a List of psychic abilities, psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. As with other parapsychological phenomena, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the actual existence of pyrokinesis. ...
, presumably from Phoenix-induced telekinesis.
[''X-Men: Phoenix—Warsong'' #1]
Additionally, the Cuckoos have demonstrated telekinesis.
The power level of the Cuckoos, in all of their incarnations, have been reported by many of the staff at Xavier's School to be extremely impressive and strong.
Personalities
Sophie Cuckoo
Sophie Cuckoo's personality is explored just before her death. She was stated as always being the dominant mind amongst her sisters. When Quentin Quire started a riot on the Xavier Campus, Sophie was "inspired to heroism" and used Kick to strengthen her powers and fight him. The strain killed Sophie, though it was secretly Esme's psychic influence that ultimately pushed her toward death. She has since been portrayed in other realities as the most free-thinking of the Cuckoos.
Down the line of publishing, Sophie shows a more maternal and chivalrous expression of character towards her siblings.
Even towards Esme whom had betrayed and killed her twice. Showing she felt extreme amounts of guilt over her siblings actions which nearly cost Laura her own sister due to the deranged Cuckoo's machinations.
Sophie is also revealed to be incredibly insightful to the underlying character ticks of her sisters, having guessed Esme hated being a clone; but failed to see her growing to hate her other siblings for which over time as well. Accurately surmising that Esme's psychotic tendencies come from extreme self hatred, in part of feeling like she's less of a person due to being a counterfeit person.
Phoebe Cuckoo
Phoebe Cuckoo demonstrated a power-hungry personality during the events of ''Warsong''. In contrast to Celeste, who feared the consuming power of the Phoenix, Phoebe desired power out of the sheer affinity for wielding it. She readily embraced the Phoenix and enjoyed the destructive power it gave her.
Irma "Mindee" Cuckoo
Mindee Cuckoo was the next Cuckoo to be written with a distinct personality. She had a relationship with another student, Germaine, who was killed by an anti-mutant mob when the students were trapped in a building in the aftermath of Xorn's destruction of Manhattan. She then had a combative relationship with
Jay Guthrie who was always interrupting her while she played the piano. She later helped Gambit during
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
's Brotherhood's attack on the school. Her real first name is "Irma".
Irma has now dyed her hair and cut it short; she is now a brunette. Triage is attracted to her and the feeling might be mutual.
Celeste Cuckoo
During the events of ''Warsong'', Celeste Cuckoo expressed fears of losing touch with her sisters, changing personalities, and wielding the Phoenix Force. According to Emma, she is the tattletale of the group.
She eventually accepted her powers, killing the Thousand-in-One clones and her resurrected sisters per the cosmic judgment of Phoenix. Disgusted by the destruction the Phoenix caused, she tried to expel the Phoenix fragment from her body, but was instead forced to seal it inside Mindee's, Phoebe's, and her own diamond hearts. She is portrayed as the most compassionate of all the Cuckoos.
Upon meeting a teenage Jean Grey who was brought to the present by Beast, Celeste takes an instant dislike towards her and they are constantly bickering. When Irma decides to change her hair style and act more like an individual, Celeste is horrified at the thought of losing her connection to her sister. Much to her despair, Emma welcomes the sisters' growing individuality. Celeste also finds that her sisters both have little problem with Jean, furthering their divide.
Esme Cuckoo
Esme Cuckoo was the first to split from her sisters, falling in love with
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
-soldier Stuff who disguised itself as a student. She soon attempts to murder Frost, and was later revealed to be the one responsible for the events that killed Sophie. Wanting to seize control of the Cuckoos but encountering resistance from Sophie, Esme used the drug Kick on herself to augment her own psychic powers and take control of the Stepford Cuckoos' group mind. Esme manipulated her sister Sophie into also using the drug Kick in order to overexert her telepathic powers to the point of death. Esme returned in the ''
Planet X
Following the discovery of the planet Neptune in 1846, there was considerable speculation that another planet might exist beyond its orbit. The search began in the mid-19th century and continued at the start of the 20th with Percival Lowell's ...
'' storyline, in which it was revealed that Esme had been working for
Xorn
Xorn is the alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''New X-Men (2001 series), New X-Men Annual 2001'' (September 2001). He was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Qui ...
the entire time, and that she had developed a crush on him. However, Esme turned on him and tried to destroy his mind after he rejected her affections. Xorn, hopped up on the Sublime contrived drug Hypercortisone D at the time, angrily killed her by smashing her metal earrings through her skull. She dies in Emma's arms, who tells Esme that out of all the Cuckoos, she was most proud of her. In later publishing Esme shows just how cruel, deceitful, power hungry and megalomaniac she can be; the fourth volume of ''X-23'' would reveal the true magnitude of her truly murderous nature; manipulating her living siblings from beyond the grave, murdering and injuring them in order to achieve a desirable outcome for herself and reveling in the newfound invincibility that came with a Wolverine-lite body.
Conceptual changes
In 2022, Grant Morrison addressed widespread rumors that they had intended for the first letter of the five Cuckoos' names (Sophie, Phoebe, Irma, Celeste and Esme) to be an acrostic for "SPICE", as a reference to the British pop group, the
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
. Morrison specified that, two decades after the fact, they no longer remembered whether this had been deliberate.
Regardless of Morrison's intentions, they never mentioned the name of the fifth Cuckoo during their run on ''New X-Men'', and it was only later on that this fifth Cuckoo was named "Mindee" by
Chuck Austen
Chuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum)
Kees Kousemaker's Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved November 14, 2011. is an Ameri ...
. However, writer
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman (born December 1, 1975), better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of '' The Invincible Iron Man'', '' FF'', '' The Immortal Iron Fist'', '' Uncanny X-Men'', an ...
later rectified this, stating that Mindee's real first name was "Irma".
They were first called the Stepford Cuckoos in ''New X-Men'' #123 (April 2002), which was also the first issue in which Esme was named. Sophie, Phoebe, Celeste, and Mindee were named in ''New X-Men'' #134 (January 2003), ''New X-Men'' #149 (January 2004), ''New X-Men'' #153 (April 2004), and ''New X-Men'' #156 (June 2004), respectively. In the ''New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook'', their last name was confirmed as "Cuckoo" and their codename as the "Three-in-One".
Reception
In 2014, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ranked The Stepford Cuckoos 28th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.
Other versions
Age of X
An alternate universe variant of the Stepford Cuckoos from
Earth-11326 make minor appearances in ''X-Men: Legacy'' #245 as inmates of Fortress X.
Exiles
An alternate universe variant of the Stepford Cuckoos from Earth-91172 appear in the ''
Exiles
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'' one-shot ''Exiles: Days of Then and Now''. These versions are among the few remaining superhumans after Earth was devastated by the Annihilation Wave. Additionally, Sophie Cuckoo has detached herself from the two remaining Cuckoos, developed precognitive abilities, and begun dating
Quentin Quire
Quintavius Quirinius "Quentin" Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in those featuring the X-Men. Quire first appeared in '' New X-Men'' #134 (January 2003). ...
.
Here Comes Tomorrow
An alternate universe variant of the Stepford Cuckoos from Earth-15104 appear in "
Here Comes Tomorrow
''New X-Men'' is an American comic book ongoing series, written by Grant Morrison and featuring the mutant superhero team, the X-Men. It was a retitling of the then-ongoing second volume of the main ''X-Men'' series, and shares the series' number ...
". These versions are members of the X-Men 150 years in the future and operate
Cerebra.
House of M
An alternate universe variant of the Stepford Cuckoos from Earth-58163 appear in ''
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of an eight-issue comic book limited series with a number of crossover tie-in books written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel. Its first i ...
''. These versions are part of the New Mutant Leadership Program at the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
.
X-Men: The End
An alternate universe variant of the Stepford Cuckoos from Earth-41001 appear in ''
X-Men: The End''. These versions are known as the Spikes and possess distinct appearances, with Phoebe having long brown hair, Mindee having long blond hair, and Celeste having short, black hair.
In other media
Television
* The Stepford Cuckoos appear in the ''
Wolverine and the X-Men'' three-part series finale "Foresight", voiced by
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
. This version are members of the
Inner Circle. They attempt to manipulate
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
into transferring the
Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
to themselves. However, the cosmic entity proves too powerful for them to control before
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
removes it from them.
* The Stepford Cuckoos, renamed "Frost sisters", appear in ''
The Gifted'', portrayed by
Skyler Samuels
Skyler Samuels (born ) is an American actress, known for her roles in the television series ''Wizards of Waverly Place'', ''The Gates'', ''The Nine Lives of Chloe King'', ''Scream Queens'' and '' The Gifted''.
Early life
Samuels was born in Los ...
. These versions are genetically-engineered members of the Hellfire Club. While mounting an escape attempt, Celeste and Mindee died, while Sophie and Phoebe were captured by Sentinel Services until Esme eventually frees them in the present.
Film
Three identical blonde girls make a background appearance in ''
X-Men: The Last Stand'' as students of
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
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 ...
. Co-writer
Zak Penn
Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and '' The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
confirmed in an online chat that they were the Stepford Cuckoos / Three-in-One.
[Penn, Zak]
"Zak Penn, Writer (Post-Movie)"
thexverse.com. June 6, 2006.
Video games
The Stepford Cuckoos appear in ''
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse'', voiced by
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', '' Halo'', '' Overwatch'', and '' ...
. This version are associates of
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
while
Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
serves as their bodyguard.
References
External links
*
*
{{Grant Morrison
Characters created by Ethan Van Sciver
Characters created by Grant Morrison
Clone characters in comics
Comics characters introduced in 2001
Fictional avatars
Fictional collective consciousnesses
Fictional quintets
Marvel Comics psychics
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics female superheroes
Marvel Comics mutants
Marvel Comics telekinetics
Marvel Comics telepaths
X-Men supporting characters