Ultimate Mimic

[fantomex]

here was idea my friend come up with
calvin goes to one of the x-men book tours
back when they did the world tour, he comes in to connect with the x-men and so see's that he him self his a mutant.
i hope if they ever do use him that it's mark miller who's the one to write it.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

I don't get it? Expand on it more.

 

[roguefan]

I've never read Mimic in a comic, but what I can understand is that he's a really cool character. He could possibly be one of my faves when I read him. But, I don't think it's the right time to see him. We;ve got so many mutants already ultimized, that if we include anymore it might clutter up the UU.

 

[Guijllons]

Yeah, Mimic could be interesting if they really gave time to clarify his powers. Atm he's more like a mediumwave rogue with a few more antennas.
that made no sense.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Someone give me the rundown on Mimic. I'm a little lost here.

 

[Caduceus]

Mimic is a very old character from 616 and one of the main ones in Exiles, the version of which I'm more familiar.

Mimic can tap into the superhuman powers of any mutants within a certain distance. He can tap up to five powers simultaneously and retain a power after spending a certain period of time in the person's company. He only retains or taps the powers at half their original potency, ie. If he taps Wolverine, he gets the healing factor at half Wolverine's level.

This idea for an origin is pretty similar to 616, Mimic met the X-men anonymously in some shop one day and discovered his powers. Confrontation ensured (I can't remember if 616 Mimic or just Exiles Mimic joined the Brotherhood and the X-men whomped him because they knew more about their powers).

 

[Ice]

One hour.

That's how long he has to spend with someone to get their power.

 

[compound]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the random-encounter-with-the-X-Men-in-a-bookshop origin probably refers ONLY to the alternate reality/Exiles version of the character.

The history detailed at classicmarvel.com is consistent with my own memory of Mimic's origin, as it was reprinted in the X-Men Classic series, from the 80s:

Calvin Rankin was a regular boy until an accident changed his life: his father, Ronald Ranking, was making some experiments involving mutant genes. Calvin one day entered his lab and was intoxicated with some gas. This substance gave him his power: the ability to "mimic" other superhuman powers and regular human abilities. He knew he had powers when he realized he could mimic his friends sports abilities or his teachers intelligence. His "friends" though that he was a mutant, and tried to kill the boy. He escaped to his dad lab. His father tried to close the door to the place from the attackers, but an explosion took his life and left young Rankin alone. He went to college with a brash attitude, and things seemed to be normal.

One day, he met a librarian, Vera Canton, and her boyfriend, Henry McCoy, a.k.a. theBeast. Jealousy, he confronted him and his friend, Iceman, and got theirs powers. With no control, he just ran away. Other day he met Jean Grey, the now named Phoenix, and got her psionic powers. Hiding them this time, Calvin followed Jean to the X-Mansion and there helped the X-Men defeat the Puppet Master, who was attacking the group. Professor X asked him to join the X-Men, and he accepted. Since Cyclops was having problems with the leadership of the group, Xavier invited Rankin to be the new field leader. The Mimic became an X-Men, but his spirit was too aggressive: Charles eventually asked him to leave the group. He allied himself with the Superadptoid and attacked the team. He realized that the android was just using him, and rebelled against him. By that time he had lost the powers he had kept from the X-Men and, in a visit to the destroyed lab of his father, discovered that he had implanted a failsafe device on his powers that would keep them in check if he used them to often. He began to wonder across the U.S. and disappeared.

Years later, the Hulk found Calvin and, after a battle, he appeared to have committed suicide himself by falling in a gamma caldron. Wolverine, some time later, would find himself accused of crimes he didn´t commit. In search for the responsible, he found the Mimic, now copying the looks of the target of his powers. Both men tried to find some answers and went to the lab where the experiment took place once again. There was a hologram of Calvin´s father there, where he explained his powers and the amount of concentration and responsibility that came with them. Logan sent Calvin to a Japanese monastery, where he could live in peace.

More years came, and Calvin reappeared again, fighting against X-Force, with the power of the original X-Men. He was defeated by then, but showed up again with the Blob under someone´s order. By that time, it seemed that it was Onslaught his master, but it´s clear now that someone had enhanced his abilities

Some months later, in a mission where Excalibur was trying to find the missing Professor X, they found the Mimic trapped in one of the Zero Tolerance´s base. They released him and he joined the team for a short time. Most recently, Calvin reappeared by the side of a new Brotherhood, that managed to find and release Professor X from his confinement, so he could them fight Cerebro. In a battle with the X-Men against the computer villain, all the members of this Brotherhood were captured and are now missing.

(SOURCE)

 

[fantomex]

I don't get it? Expand on it more.

he goes to one of the x-men's book tours when they were doing that. but he shows up now as a mutant. he also does not need to be in ultimate x-men. he could show up in any of the ultimate books.

 

[DigiEmissary]

he goes to one of the x-men's book tours when they were doing that. but he shows up now as a mutant. he also does not need to be in ultimate x-men. he could show up in any of the ultimate books.

Yeah, i think it would be possibly more interesting if he starts mimicing the powers of the Ultimates (since in most incarnations his character can mimic any power, not just mutant ones.) That would be a major national security risk, especially if (ooh! ooh!) he was a native Middle Easterner (Iraqi, possibly) who finds out about his powers when the Ultimates go there.

 

[Caduceus]

he goes to one of the x-men's book tours when they were doing that. but he shows up now as a mutant. he also does not need to be in ultimate x-men. he could show up in any of the ultimate books.

I disagree. Its the only place with enough mutants to keep him juiced up enough to make him interesting. If he appeared in Ultimates, he's just be mimicing Wasp, and maybe the Twins, if they appeared.

 

[DigiEmissary]

I disagree. Its the only place with enough mutants to keep him juiced up enough to make him interesting. If he appeared in Ultimates, he's just be mimicing Wasp, and maybe the Twins, if they appeared.

He can mimic other powers (some versions of him at least.) In Exiles his body tried to mimic the Hulk but couldn't take the radiation and he got sick. His 616 version would take on the athletic and mental abilities of those around him, mutant or not.

 

[Rogue Smurf]

Hello, I don't want to start a new thread based around an Ultimate Mimic so I'll just add my idea to this one. Mimic is one of my favorite 616 characters, so I would love an ultimate version. I hope you all like my story idea.

In my opinion, the reason Mimic isn't seen much in 616 and the reason Exiles Mimic has been reduced to 5 powers at half-capacity is because he is so powerful. Since Onslaught gave him a power upgrade, there's very little he can't do. If you read that issue where Excalibur fought him, he had all of the powers of the original 6 X-Men (Prof X included) and throughout the story he mimicked the powers of Colossus, Douglock, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and even Kitty's ninjitsu. He can use all of these powers at once...so Mimic is a very powerful character.

Therefore, my Ultimate Mimic storyline would be entitled "Power and Possibility" as a play on "Power and Responsibility". In terms of powerful mutants throughout the Ultimate universe, we have seen three. Xavier, Magneto, and Proteus. (forgive or correct me if I'm missing someone). Xavier and Magneto are past their prime, they're both old men and have settled into leadership roles...or at least Xavier has. He doesn't go around the world saving it...he's only interested in furthering his cause. Whereas Magneto and Proteus have been crazy madmen using their great power to be villains.

So my Ultimate Mimic would be a young man around the age of 25 in middle America. He's lived a very normal life in some Midwest state and hasn't run into any mutants out there. Therefore, he's only been able to mimic the powers of normal humans around him like intelligence and athletic ability. Therefore, he's succeeded in both high school and college, and his career at some firm. He's a very average American with a young wife, his first apartment, and he is all set to settle down.

But then, on a trip to New York City, he begins to mimic some other mutants and begins to grow confused. Especially when he and his wife attend a speech by Charles Xavier and Calvin mimics his telepathy. Xavier, surprised to find a mutant with a mind as powerful as his own, asks to meet with Calvin. So the story will be about an average American guy slowly learning that he wields incredible power and can match the strongest people on the planet, including Magneto or Captain America. He's nice and friendly, and well adjusted in life, instead of a scared teenager or insane madman.

It's about what happens when incredible super powers are given to good guys instead of bad guys.

The arc would be about how he comes to grip with this with Xavier's help. He'll encounter the X-Men and at first his powers will be somewhat out of control and hard to maintain, but he'll begin to gain control. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Ultimates can show an interest and begin to knock on Xavier's door about him and his potential threat. A lot of people may see Calvin as a threat, but he knows he's not one but he can't convince people.

It'll be about trying to balance this new life with his old, the stress it's putting on his wife and his job. It wouldn't be about the responsibility he has with this great power...it would be about the possibilities he now has.

I do not have a true climax thought out yet, this story idea is still in the working phase, I just wanted to run the basic concept past some people and this seemed as good a place as any. I wouldn't want it to end predictably with Calvin turning evil and having to be taken out by the X-Men...so maybe a tragic ending of some kind.

Anyway, that's just my idea. I hope you like it. :shock:

 

[DigiEmissary]

Needs more angst.

In all seriousness, though, it's a good concept, but it doesn't really seem to fit in the UU to me. The Ultimate line is starting to work more with the gray areas of comics, and i'd rather see the character be involved with that somehow.

Just IMO, of course.

 

[Caduceus]

Needs more angst.

In all seriousness, though, it's a good concept, but it doesn't really seem to fit in the UU to me. The Ultimate line is starting to work more with the gray areas of comics, and i'd rather see the character be involved with that somehow.

Just IMO, of course.

It does definitely need a climax which could solve the gray-area issue. It's a nice story idea and welcome to the site!

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I'm a fan of the exiles' Mimic and think he's a great character. On the exiles he's the most powerful member on the team, but not so powerful that it stretches in to the level of godly(i.e. Proteus, Legion, or Hyperion). The problem with really powerful characters is that they can never stick around very long. There just isn't a place for them. That's why if he were introduced in the ultimate universe I would want him to be more like the exiles version than the 616 version. Even with the exiles version's powers he would be pretty much unstoppable if he had the right combo of powers.

As far as the character, I like the idea that he can mimic the non-mutant attributes of others, like intelligence or fighting skills. I would like to see him as someone who doesn't want to be a villian, but doesn't want to be hero. Someone who wants to use his powers for personal gain, but doesn't want to hurt people. I like the idea that he discovers his powers late in life. He encounters the x-men and mimics there powers. After refusing xaviers offer to join the x-men he's approached by Fury who tells him that his only options are to either join the x-men or shield, or else he'll be sent to camp x-factor. Mimic laughs and tells him there isn't anyone a live who could stop him.

 

[jonesy]

What about Mimic working for SHIELD and while Fury/Dugan is spending time with the X-Men Mimic absorbs power. I'd like to see a team built with Mimic, Karma, Wolfsbane, Puck and other X-Force/X-Factor characters. Remember Dugan is in charge of mutant affairs and would need a team to investigate mutants.

 

[Ice]

What about Mimic working for SHIELD and while Fury/Dugan is spending time with the X-Men Mimic absorbs power. I'd like to see a team built with Mimic, Karma, Wolfsbane, Puck and other X-Force/X-Factor characters. Remember Dugan is in charge of mutant affairs and would need a team to investigate mutants.

WELCOME.

 

[ultimatedjf]

What about Mimic working for SHIELD and while Fury/Dugan is spending time with the X-Men Mimic absorbs power. I'd like to see a team built with Mimic, Karma, Wolfsbane, Puck and other X-Force/X-Factor characters. Remember Dugan is in charge of mutant affairs and would need a team to investigate mutants.

Welcome, jonesy!

 

[jonesy]

Thanks guys, been lurking on the site for a week or two and like what I've seen.