Origin
The Omnipathic mutant known as the Gamemaster’s origin/past are, for the most part, very much a mystery. In his own words, he is “one of Churchhill’s riddles, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” One thing that is clear, though, is that his mutant telepathic abilities emerged very early on in his life. He never gained assistance in controlling or maintaining them and, as a result, his mind was heavily affected. His sanity was permanently effected, giving him somewhat of a “God Complex.”
Creation
Gamesmaster was crearted by John Byrne and Whilce Portacio and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men issue 283 (1991) and fully in issue 299 of the same series.
Major Story Arcs
Selene the Black Queen & the Upstarts
The Gamemaster first was mentioned when he was contacted by the immortal mutant Selene, then the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club’s The Inner Circle. She was amidst plans to create a new group that would aid her in garnering power within the Hellfire Club. She found the Gamemaster because she wished to use his powerful mental abilities to help her organize and referee the team she was to create and name the Upstarts. He was to be the referee and leader when she was unable. he only agreed, if only to provide a distraction from the excruciating pain his powers caused him.
Many members of the Hellfire Club’s The Inner Circle have had their hands in the creation of many power teams. These teams were used to further the creator’s power. Selene (the Black Queen of the Inner Circle) would be no different. As the White Queen ( Emma Frost) made a team of young/adolescent mutants, called the Hellions, to solidify her role in the Hellfire Club. Selene, too, would create a team of young, mutant adults though for, it would seem, more honorable reasons. Selene was to use the team to mold and create the future mutant leaders of the world. Though with Selene, there is always more then meets the eye. Selene would have an ulterior motive for the team know as Upstarts.
The Referee
The Gamesmaster’s role was to be the quiet background member. He was only to be the referee with no other real role on the team. In actuality he was getting taken advantage of by Selene, only wanting him for his mental powers, powers that she would underestimate. Gamesmaster was no regular telepath, he was an omnipath with mental gifts so powerful any average telepath’s mind would burn out. His mental powers were at such a level that he is linked/connected to every single mind on the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More then 6 million people’s thoughts coursing through his mind all at one time. Even the powerful Professor X would not withstand that duress. He would find ease when he was asked to join the Upstarts. He found that when focusing on specific sets on individuals, rather then trying to block everyone’s thoughts, it would ease his pain. Gamesmaster enjoyed the games, he found the interesting, and especially liked the reprieve from the pain of his powers. The problem was that Selene’s game was soon to end, and the game would be over. Or so she thought.
The Gamemaster takes over/ Selene No More
The Gamesmaster couldn’t allow the games to end; he enjoyed them, to make them continue he would have to do a little manipulating, himself. Gamesmaster would have to use his powers in a way that he had never tried. He would have to mentally control another person to put his plans into play. Considering his amazing telepathic might, it shouldn’t be a problem. He would select the maniacal Fitzroy. While Controlling Fitzroy he would have him use his powers to capture Selene. Fitzroy would prove successful and even put her in a torture machine from the future. All her experiences in her long life, battling some of the most powerful heroes from the X-Men and Excalibur, while all ranging from life threatening to simply casting a spell, they have not prepared her for such physical pain. Otherwise known as “spooling” the process involves being ripped to shreds and then reformed over and over and over again. Needless to say the pain was exquisite. Fitzroy fail-proofed his plan as well. The only way she could be freed is if someone took her place in the machine. No one in there right mind would do that, so Selene would be stuck their. Gamesmaster also fail-proofed his plan. If Selene, by chance, did free herself, she would blame Fitzroy, not the true person behind it. Once Selene was out of the way, Gamesmaster could use the Upstarts to his hearts content. He would control them and their lives like a game of chess. He would never have to worry of ramifications either, as he would never have physical contact with the teams either, since all connections with them would be through the astral plane. It was the perfect plan.<br.
Let the new games begin!
Gamesmaster would now play an even larger role in the Upstarts. No longer simply a referee, he was participating in the games by manipulating and controlling his team. When he took over, new members would join like: Tribune (Graydon Creed), Fenris and Matsu’o from The Hand.
The games that he created were one the same path as thoughts in the beginning. He would select target and this Upstarts would have to assassinate them for points. He picked some very hard targets and in most cases not successful at his attempts. Some of the targets were Forge, Cyclops, Storm, Professor X, Moira MacTaggert and in one a death wasn’t required. Mr. Sinister hired the team to attain D.N.A. from Proteus instead return with the D.N.A. of Marvel Girl(Rachel Summers, then using Phoenix as her code-name.) Gamesmaster had many games, some time multiple one at any given time. None would require more effort from him and his team the Upstarts, then the final one that they would participate in together.
Young Hunt / Child’s Play
Coming full circle Gamesmaster would have his final targets be the ones that got away in the very first game. The new/old target are the remaining living original Hellions and New Mutants (in actuality all the remaining living New Mutants, save a few were all Hellions). Though now, these are no longer young, novice mutants who could get easily pushed over. Both teams are older, more experienced and are very spread out. They are all spread out now and apart of different teams such as: X-Force, Mutant Liberation Front(MLF) & New Warriors. There were quite a few targets that the members of the Upstarts were to take on, including: Empath, Thunderbird(now known as Warpath), Firestar, Magma, Cannonball, Boom Boom, Karma, Moonstar, Rictor & Wolfsbane. The key difference in this game is that Gamesmaster didn’t want the captives to be killed, only captured. It can only be assumed that he grew bored with the Upstarts and was to use the captives mutants as his new pawns. His ploy was nearly successful and would have won if not for one, Paige Guthrie, the future X-Men known as Husk and little sister of Cannonball.
The Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane
The Gamemaster’s activities would remain unknown for a large while until he decided to possess both Dr. Weisman and one of his patients by the name of Benjamin Russell both from the Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane. This particular institute had an extensive past with the Xavier Institute and that of Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men. Not having contact with Dr. Weisman and his calls not being returned he would send one of his students by the name of Siryn, daughter of X-Men veteran Banshee, down to the institute in order to further investigate and ensure all was ok.
Upon arrival she would be under mental attack almost immediately by the Gamemaster. He clouded her memories and made her forget why she was their. He was to use her as a guinea pig and practice mental experiments on her. Her fate was all but sealed if not for the timely arrival of one of her allies and one time lover by the name of Deadpool. Both would leave immediately heading their own separate ways. Unknown to Siryn, Banshee her rescuer would too be attacked by the Gamesmaster and brought back to institute. The Gamemaster began to toy with his already delicate mind and altered his memories. Deadpool would too be rescued by the arrival of yet another of Siryn’s allies and teammate of her from X-Force by the name of Shatterstar. Gamemaster would let by leave and for a short while left them alone.
Gamemaster’s final ploy at the institute would be when he mentally possessed and forced Shatterstar to return to the hospital. Through a string of events he managed to convince Shatterstar that he would have to physically merge with, patient at the institute, Benjamin Russell to ensure their survival. Gamemaster would have their bodies and minds merge into one. All would be done under the watchful eye of the Gamemaster. Once done the Gamemaster would apparently leave the Institute proud of his accomplishments and what he had done. The ramifications of Shatterstar’s merging with Benjamin Russell have yet to be revealed or touched upon since.
Attack on the X-Men
Soon after his affairs at the Weisman Institute were done, the Gamemaster would turn his attention to the X-Men. He attempted to use his vaunted Omnipathic powers to possess and mind control the X-Men. Once done he created a psychic illusion of a utopian world. A world where human and mutants lived in peaceful co-existence. Where mutant were not feared but valued for what they could provide to the world. Once he ensnared the X-Men’s mind he place them in this new world of his design. This was a particularly hard game for him as the X-Men’s resident psychic, Jean Grey, was all but immune to Gamemaster’s powers. He had to abduct her so that she could not ruin his plans. He then had to alter the X-Men’s memories to have them forget completely of Jean Grey. All was going as planned but the Gamemaster underestimated the X-Men’s newer recruit, Joseph. Joseph was a genetically cloned copy of the master of magnetism himself, Magneto. Joseph’s magnetic powers somehow were able to counteract Gamemaster’s powers allowing him just enough time to find and free Jean Grey. Together, Jean & Joseph, managed to free the X-Men and confront the Gamemaster directly putting an end to his deception. When confronted, the Gamemaster explained that the ruse was simply a game of his. He wanted to see how the X-Men would react when they lived in a world where their goal was achieved. Referring to Professor X’s dream for human/mutant co-existence. The X-Men attempted to apprehend him when they found that the physical body they were speaking to was actually yet another psychic illusion cleverly made by the Gamemaster to allow him to escape.
The Gamemaster later returned to blow X-23’s sanity away.
Powers
Gamemaster is a telepath of the highest order strength wise (actual power, not skill). His omnipathic awareness grants him great mental mite allowing him to perform a multitude of feat and vaunted abilities which include:
Omni-Pathic Communication:
Similar to telepath, Gamemaster is able to communication and read the minds of other individuals. In Gamemaster’s case he able to perform his communication in massive numbers. Gamemaster has also state that he is able to mentally communicate with both animals and plant life, but this remains unproven.
Telepathic Illusions:
Gamemaster has the ability to create telepathic illusions realistic enough to cause the individuals experiencing them not to be able to differentiate what’s real and what’s not.
Psi-Link:
Gamemaster is able to develop a mental link with another individual or individuals, which remains as a constant connection to that individual even if the other person has not telepathic powers.
Mind Control:
Not only can Gamemaster mind control individuals but he claims that he was able to control and entire city. Though unproven, this is very possible with his strength levels.
Mind Alteration:
Gamemaster is able to alter memories or completely remove memories with the consent of the individual or forcibly if need be.
Astral Projection & Travel:
Gamesmaster is able to traverse the Astral Plane. While there he is able to communicate with others astral. In fact Gamesmaster rarely leaves the Astral Plane, as this is where he is able to perform the most amount of control over his powers.
Mental Detection/ Tracking:
As he is mentally linked to each and every mind on the world, Gamemaster, can mentally locate anyone with an active mind.
Rapid Mental Learning:
Gamemaster has display the ability to mentally process and store information by mental transference giving him the potential to be the smartest individual on the planet, as he is connect with each and every mind all the time.
Telepathic Cloaking:
As a result of his mind being in each and every mind, he is completely mind cloak and almost untraceable. Even mentally he could never be found as his mental residue would be located on everyone.
Limitations
If the Gamemaster does not regularly focus in on specific groups of individuals he runs the risk of damaging his mind which could effectively leave him brain-dead. His sanity can also be affected by the constant flow of thoughts coursing through his mind. He currently already shows signs that he may not be “all there” but it can definitely get a lot more worse.
Additionally, Gamemaster is in the employ of cybernetic implants that are installed all through-out his head and body. They are visibly seen along the side of this head. His cybernetics allow for greater control and focus of his vast psionic powers at his disposal. Alone they only provide limited assistance. Gamemaster must still focus in on specific groups on individuals and be in constant contact with them to fully keep the other 6 billions minds out of his.
Finally, the Gamemaster has encountered only 3 individuals that he could completely unable to access their mind and/or able to control them these three include: Jean Grey, Husk (Paige Gutherie) although this immunity was only there when she husked, or morphed, into a very specific form and Robbie Baldwin. Robbie Baldwin’s immunity was prior to his physical and mental metamorphosis in to Penance, while he was still Speedball. Its is untested whether he still has this immunity to the Gamemasters telepathy.
Overal Powers
Gamesmaster is an extremely powerful telepath. Gamemaster is a mutant with mental gifts so powerful that in many ways he dwarfs such mental giants like those of Professor X, Jean Grey, Emma Frost and even the Shadow King. No ordinary telepath at all, Gamemaster possesses a very rare form of telepathy known as Omnipathy. As an Omnipath, Gamemaster has vast, unknowable amounts of power at his disposal. Where most telepaths can only exert their mental powers on anywhere from one to a dozen minds, depending on their level of strength will and control, Gamemaster’s omnipathic powers place him in constant contact with each and every mind on the planet via the Astral Plane. In terms of raw mental powers, Gamemaster had that in aces, control was his problem. In contrast though unlike most telepaths, the Gamemaster was unable to turn off his mental powers and was barely even able to coup with them. His gifts were so great that he was in constant mental contact with each and every mind in the world, all the time. That is over 6 billion minds and all their thoughts flooding his mind rapidly without break. Because his omnipathic awareness places him in constant contact with every mind on the planet Gamemaster could easily go insane. As it is due to his mutation occurring early on in his youth, his mental stability was questionable. In addition to his, own, personal sanity his brain could also easily burn out and he would become brain-dead. Seeking relief from the constant agony his powers put him through, Gamemaster, installed cybernetic implants all through-out his head and body which allowed for greater control and focus. Although the implants would give him a slight reduction in pain it would not be a permanent solution. If anything it made and his quest for mental solace even more important. To effectively control the constant flood of random thoughts Gamemaster tends to focus in on specific groups of people, almost running their lives. When doing this, the Gamemaster finds that he has relief form the constant mental pain he is in. For when Gamemaster is in active use of his powers, the floodgates shut down. In short, if he is focusing his mind on the individuals that he selected then he would not be hit by the barrage of thoughts that normally came to him. Gamemaster through time has honed his mutant psionic gifts to allow him to perform incredible feats similar to that of Professor X. The primary difference is that his mental feats affect in masses not just a few.
Characteristics
Known Relatives: No known relatives.
Citizenship: Citizen of the United States with no known criminal record.
Place of Birth: Unrevealed.
Marital Status: Presumably single.
Occupation: Co-mastermind and Referee behind the Upstarts. Terrorist, Mercenary.
Education: Unrevealed.
Base of Operations: Switzerland, specifically in the Swiss Alps. The facility that he works from is actually the backside of his home.
Stats
Gender: Male.
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 157 lbs.
Hair: Brown. Bald when in use of his mutant powers.
Eyes: Brown
Unique Characteristics: Gamesmaster possesses multiple cybernetic implants located around his head in the form of small squares. These implants allow greater control of his vast telepathic talents. They also allow him greater focus.