Cortex

Origin and history

For reasons presently unknown, Cortex has been targeting mutants who were rendered powerless following the events of M-Day.

X-Factor Investigations was hired to protect depowered mutant Lenore, with their latest member Longshot instructed to keep her safe. The two began to flirt before Lenore’s mother tried to shoot her daughter. Longshot managed to push her out of the way and Lenore’s mother was taken to a hospital.

There X-Factor member Monet St. Croix (codenamed M) telepathically scanned Lenore’s mother’s mind to see if some kind of entity had taken control over her, as her actions were very out of the ordinary. Before St. Croix could give an answer, she began shouting in pain and collapsed on the floor, seemingly allowing Cortex to enter her mind. St. Croix recovered believing she had just received a strong psychic backlash from scanning Lenore’s mother.

St. Croix and Darwin were then assigned to watch over Lenore. The three got drunk in a hotel, lowering St. Croix’s willpower. Cortex then fully took over Monet’s body, turning her body into a purple, mechanical being. She then attacked Darwin and a sleeping Lenore.

Elsewhere, Cortex had mind-controlled Shatterstar into trying to murder Rictor, also a depowered mutant. However, an unknown interference broke off his control and allowed the two former teammates to reunite peacefully.

Powers and abilities

The origin of Cortex’s superhuman abilities are unknown. He has displayed the ability to control the minds of multiple people, who he call his avatars, at the same time. He has shown regeneration, creating time portals, energy blasts, and unspecified level of superhuman strength