Origin
Destined by prophecies, Sequoia is believed to be the Celestial Messiah. His mother Mantis, the Celestial Madonna, his father a resurrected Swordsman now empowered by a member of the Cotati is supposedly the perfect plant being. Sequoia is named after the Earth redwood trees, considered by some to be the noblest of Earth trees. Sequoia was raised by his mother for a brief time in Connecticut in the United States of America, before he was sent to be raised with his father on Tamal, his father an elder of the Cotati race. In his adolescence, Sequoia went though somewhat of a rebellious and defiant phase, and it is in this period he adopted the alias Quoi and Q. His reasoning for adopting the name Q was because he believed it to be the weirdest Earth letter. The appearance of a peculiar and special star signaled that Quoi had matured, as it had also happened to have alerted Thanos to the occurrence as well prompting thim to track down Quoi. This was already known to his mother Mantis who gathered a team of Avengers to rescue and protect her son. Vision, Silverclaw, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Haywire and Mantis head to Tamal to locate Quoi.
Reuniting with his mother Mantis when the team arrives to Tamal Quoi still displays a seemingly brash and uncaring attitude. The newborn star still signaling the significance of Sequoia’s destiny, several groups try to claim the the would be messiah. Including the Thanosi who has now gathered two powerful underlings Primo and Reptyl to serve under him. A space pirate Raptra formerly associated with Thanos manages to capture the teen, with the goal of delivering him to the Thanosi, but the eventually the two befriended and developed somewhat of a romantic relationship. With time Quoi also mends and develops a close kinship with his mother.
Creation
Sequoia is a Marvel comics character and was created by Steve Englehart. He first appeared in Silver Surfer #4.
Major Story Arcs
Avengers Celestial Quest
Living on Tamal Quoi is moody, bitter and sarcastic. The arrival of several Avengers, Haywire and his mother Mantis to protect him does little to curb his attitude. His Cotati father takes on the guise of Swordsman to better communicate with his child’s mother and the Avengers, informing them of Quoi’s developing attitude and differences from the pure Cotati. Despite Mantis attempts to bond with her son, Quoi continues to reject her, and he lashes out at her, eventually revealing the source of his resentment as being abandoned and having to live among the Cotati who are unlike him and so very placid and orderly. Mantis persists even noting Quoi’s improved speech since the group had arrived,and eventually starts getting her son to open up to her. This mother son bonding is interrupted when space pirate Raptra kidnaps Quoi hoping to use him to trade for her own freedom from Thanos. The Avengers are attacked by the Cotati who blame them, with Quoi’s father expunged from the Cotati for defending the Avenger’s presence. The Avengers manage to defend themselves before heading into space to track Quoi. Despite the situation, Quoi finds himself attracted to Raptra and her pirate lifestyle. She assures him that she is actually trying to help him. The two exchange banter amidst conversation and a quick friendly scuffle, before flirting, before an unexpected kiss. Not long after the two are attacked by Thanos created gods Primo god of fire and Reptyl, god of the pirates, with Raptra managing to user a power laser gun to hold off Reptyl as Quoi manages to defeat Primo, extinguishing his flame. Reptly manages to use his newly enhanced speed and strength to knock down Quoi just as Thanos appears and apprehends Raptra. Thanos taunts Quo, explaining that he also is in possession of Mantis.
The Rot
Thanos has imprisoned Quoi, alongside his new companion Raptra, the Vision, and Mantis. The Avengers are on their way to rescue the group, as Mantis and Quoi both manage to engage Thanos in battle. As the Avengers arrive Thanos attempts to teleport away only to realize he can’t for a massive sickly entity the Rot has appeared and surrounded his and the Avengers ship. Thanos realizes he must work with Quoi and the Avengers if any of them should wish to survive and the groups concentrated efforts is enough to beat the ravenous Rot creature. Quoi still enamored with Raptra and her free and easy lifestyle decides to stay with her and the two plan to help the surrounding space areas inhabitants affected by the Rot. Quoi also finds peace accepting his mother the two bonding.
Powers and Abilities
Sequoia is a Half-human, half-cotati hybrid, with plant like features and characteristics. He has an enhanced physical physiology, and does not require food or oxygen. He possesses super strength, and the ability to manipulate oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as a limited amount of power cosmic, which may increase as he matures. Sequoia can absorb power, and although the extent is unknown, he has used this ability against such powerful a foe as the Mad Titan Thanos.
He also has great psychic powers. The extent of Sequoia’s fully developed powers remain to be seen. During the course of his interactions with English speakers, Quoi’s own speech skills greatly increased from a form of broken english to standard english, the character explaining this as a facet of his absorption power.
Alternate Earths
Earth-9511 (The Last Avengers Story)
Sequoia is a member of America’s Avengers alongside Gestalt, High Tide, and Super-Ego. He and his team-mates are killed in a bombing by Ultron to draw the attention of the real Avengers.
Earth-900651
In this reality Sequoia is known as Sprout. He is much younger here, and jovial. He was very interested in American football. Sprout had been targeted by numerous sources, the Kree and Mangog but his mother Mantis often has saved his life and he had also been rescued by the Silver Surfer.
His powers are much similar to his mainstream reality version, save for the fact he is younger and chooses to adopt a more human looking appearance.