Origin
Hepzibah is a Mephistizoid, an alien race conquered by the Shi’ar. She was born on the planet Tryl’sart, but years later, while in prison on Alsibar she met Corsair who had been imprisoned by the authority of the then Shi’ar Emperor D’Ken, brother of Deathbird and Lilandra of the Royal House of Neramani. Hepzibah, Raza Longknife and Ch’od, fellow prisoners on Alsibar helped Corsair escape. Corsair won the respect of the trio and became the leader of this newly formed team: the Starjammers. Hepzibah and Corsair became lovers.
Creation
Hepzibah was created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in October 1977 and first appeared in X-Men #107.
Major Story Arcs
Encounters with the X-Men
Together with the Starjammers, Hepzibah had many encounters with the X-Men. Their first meeting came when the X-Men arrived on the planet that was home to the M’Kraan crystal in pursuit of Eric the Red who had kidnapped Lilandra. The X-Men immediately had to battle the Imperial Guard forces of D’Ken, who was planning to use the crystal’s power for his plans of conquest. The Starjammers came to the rescue of the X-Men against D’Ken’s Imperial Guard and together they prevented the destruction of the Universe by the M’Kraan crystal.
Later, with the other Starjammers, she fought off an alien attack on the HMSS Starjammer starship. After that, she helped save Wolverine‘s life in outer space, and then engaged in mock combat with Carol Danvers. Hepzibah and the Starjammers helped the New Mutants neutralize the threat of the Magus. Together with Ch’od, she sought the “map-rod” holding information on the location of the “Phalkon” power source. The Phalkon turned out to be the Phoenix. She and the Starjammers were attacked by Deathbird’s Shi’Ar starships. With the other Starjammers, she first met Excalibur on Earth and aided a rebellion against Deathbird on a Shi’Ar border world. Later, she was captured by Warskrulls and impersonated by one of them, until she was freed by the X-Men.
Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire
After Corsair reunited with his son Havok and the Starjammers participated in a conflict between Lilandra’s and D’Ken’s forces, Corsair was killed by his own son Vulcan. Hepzibah raided the X-Men’s stolen Shi’ar ship’s weapons locker and was ready to take vengeance on Vulcan. However, she was forced to return with the repowered Professor Xavier, Warpath, Darwin, and Nightcrawler when Lilandra, hoping to save her beloved Xavier from death and protect some of the X-Men (believing that the battle was not going well) locked the ship into a jump course for Earth. Consequently, Hepzibah, separated from her fellow Starjammers, is currently residing with the X-Men on Earth, with no foreseeable way to return to Shi’ar space to help the Starjammers and Lilandra continue to fight Vulcan.
Joining the X-Men
Stuck on Earth and with nowhere else to go, Hepzibah joined Professor X’s team of X-Men. She and Warpath developed a bond of sorts, with Hepzibah remarking that his presence helped her through her mourning of Corsair. Together, they confront one of the X-Mansion’s guardian Sentinels when Caliban, a long time X-Men ally, runs onto the grounds. Wearing an altered standard X-Uniform Hepzibah enters the Morlock Tunnels alongside Warpath, Storm, and Caliban. As a group, they attempt to discover the reason for the Morlocks’ increased activity, which included the capturing of X-Men ward Leech. Hepzibah, as a furred female with enhanced senses, has multiple problems with the sewers. Hepzibah’s name has been written on a Morlock wall, along with the names of the other X-Men team members. After the Morlock encounter, she speaks with Scott, who accepts her having Warpath as her new mate.
Messiah Complex & X-Force
Hepzibah is seen during Messiah Complex disabling one of the giant robot O*N*E Sentinels after they become corrupted and attack the X-Mansion. Soon after, Cyclops gives Wolverine orders to form a new X-Force and she becomes a member. After checking a Cooperstown Hospital for Cable, they track him to the Canadian wilderness where the team gets into a fight with Lady Deathstrike and the newly re-formed Reavers. When Caliban is killed, Warpath becomes overprotective of Hepzibah telling her this isn’t her fight only to be told off by her and later Wolverine. Later, X-Force tracks the mutant child to Muir Island where it is being guarded by the Acolytes and the Marauders. They manage to hold them off for sometime when the rest of the X-Men teams arrive. When the Pixie teleports Predator X to the island, Cyclops orders X-Force to take it out. Hepzibah throws some bombs at it to which don’t brings no harm to it; Predator X then turns around and spays her with acid hurting her arm. She is later seen standing around Professor X’s body after he is shot by Bishop.
Divided We Stand
When Archangel goes to San Francisco, California, to meet up with Hepzibah, Warpath, and Iceman, all four are caught in the effects of a city-wide illusion created by Martinique Jason, who thanks to her powers has transformed the city into a hippie paradise. Jason sends Hepzibah, now calling herself “Lady Kitten,” and the others to confront Cyclops and Emma Frost. A battle emerges, when “Lady Kitten” and her teammates battle Emma Frost and Cyclops. Yet, in the end Martinique Jason’s illusion is shattered, and “Lady Kitten” returns as Hepzibah.
Manifest Destiny and S.W.O.R.D.
Hepzibah relocates with X-Men to their home in San Francisco, Graymalkin. She is still in a relationship with Warpath, but their romance is strained by his duties with X-Force, which he hides from her. She is later kidnapped by Henry Gyrich, temporary leader of S.W.O.R.D., as part of his plan to deport all aliens from Earth. Cyclops and Emma Frost demand her release from the Peak Station where she is kept imprisoned, a release which Abigail Brand and Beast later facilitate during a riot. Hepzibah fights alongside several other escapees to help put down the attackers, before being offered her freedom by Brand.
Utopia
Cyclops, using the many different powers of several X-Men, created a New Island off the coast of San Francisco called Utopia. He invited all X-Men to attend. At the same time, four members of Norman Osborn’s government-sponsored X-Men (Emma Frost, Namor, Cloak, and Dagger) defected to join Cyclop’s X-Men after injuring several of their teammates and rescuing some prisoners (such as Beast). This triggered a fight between Norman Osborn’s X-Men and Avengers and Cyclops’s X-Men. Hepzibah fought in alongside the X-Men, battling Ms. Marvel ( Moonstone). The battle ended with Osborn’s forces retreating and the X-Men forced to stay on Utopia (though they can secretly reach the mainland illegally). Utopia was now Hepzibah’s new home.
The Heroic Age
When Osborn lost his power and was arrested, Steve Rogers took his place as head of America’s super-human forces. He allowed the X-Men to reenter the country as they pleased, but Hepzibah and most of her teammates remained on the island for the most part.
Avengers vs X-Men
When the Avengers showed up on the shores of Utopia demanding to take Hope Summers into protective custody. the X-Men and the Avengers went to war. Hepzibah participated in the initial conflict on Utopia, helping her fellow X-Men to take on the likes of the Red Hulk, Quicksilver, and Mockingbird. Later on, after Utopia’s fall, Hepzibah continues to aid the X-Men in their struggle despite having no reason to stay. Hepzibah is a Mephistoid and not a mutant, yet still she stayed behind to help. She traveled to Tabula Rasa with Namor McKenzie, the Sub-Mariner, and Roberto Da Costa, Sunspot. They were there to determine whether or not Hope Summers was there as well. The Avengers had a similar idea in mind. The Thing, She-Hulk, and Luke Cage had also traveled to Tabula Rasa to find Hope. The X-Men engaged the Avengers. Hepzibah took on She-Hulk, using primarily her firearms to battle the gamma monster. Hepzibah was able to put up quite a fight against She-Hulk, but was ultimately defeated. She-Hulk stated about Hepzibah that she “thought she would never go down!” Sunspot fell as well, but Namor took out the Thing, and then Luke Cage, and used the latter’s body to bludgeon She-Hulk. The X-Men won this round. Hepzibah participated in later battles with the Avengers in a more minor role. Eventually, she was given the opportunity to leave the planet and return to her teammates, the Starjammers. She took this opportunity, leaving behind her allies and friends on the X-Men.
Powers & Abilities
Relative to a human, Hepzibah possesses enhanced agility, speed, reflexes, coordination, balance, hyper-keen senses, and superhumanly acute night vision and sense of smell. Mephitisoids also have retractable claws, and the ability to emit specific mind/mood-altering pheromones at will. Hepzibah is a brilliant natural athlete and acrobat, and a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat known in the Shi’Ar Galaxy. She is also an expert marksman, and is knowledgeable in the operation of a wide variety of ship-sized weaponry. She is often armed with Shi’Ar energy guns.
Other Media.
Television
X-Men: The Animated Series
As in the comics, Hepzibah appeared in the Phoenix Saga of the cartoon as a member of the Starjammers. To reference their relationship from the comics, one scene shows her and Corsair sharing a kiss. She re-appears with the other Starjammers in “Orphan’s End”.
Games
X-men: Battle of The Atom
Hepzibah appears as a support card in the mobile game X-men: Battle of the Atom. Her cards are:
- [Black Ops X-Force] Hebzibah
- [X-Ternals] Hepzibah
Marvel: War of Heroes
Hepzibah is one of the many characters featured in the card mobile game Marvel: War of Heroes. Her cards are:
- [Mephitisoid] Hepzibah
- [Weapon Master] Hepzibah