Madame Sanctity
| Madame Sanctity | |
|---|---|
|
Image from Uncanny X-Men # -1 (July, 1997). Art from Bryan Hitch. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Askani'Son #1 (January, 1996) |
| Created by |
Scott Lobdell Jeph Loeb Gene Ha |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Tanya Trask |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Abilities | Time travelling, telepathy, psychokinesis |
Madame Sanctity (Tanya Trask) is a Marvel Comics character created by Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb and Gene Ha. She first appeared in Askani'Son #1 (January, 1996), though her true identity was revealed in Uncanny X-Men # -1 (July, 1997). She's a member of the Askani and as such, her story ties into that of Rachel Summers and Cable.
Fictional character biography
Madame Sanctity was originally Tanya Trask, daughter of Dr. Bolivar Trask, the creator of the Sentinels. Like her brother Larry, Tanya was a mutant, though she possessed time travelling powers, as well as telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. When these manifested, Tanya was lost in the timestream, until she was pulled into the Askani future by Rachel Summers. Tanya became a member of Rachel's Askani Sisterhood and took on the alias Sanctity.
The trauma of being displaced in time and the extreme conditions of the Askani's war against Apocalypse caused Tanya to become extremely ruthless, manipulative and even mad. After she learned to control her powers, Sanctity travelled back in time in order to prevent the rise of Apocalypse, which she knew was tied to the fabled Twelve. Rachel followed her into the present to prevent her plan of programming Master Mold with the identities of the Twelve and the directive of destroying them. Tanya pretended to comply with Rachel, but she had already uploaded the information into Master Mold's core programming, which prevented Bolivar Trask from discovering Tanya's actions. However, the information Sanctity uploaded was not accurate, presumably as a way to protect Cable, Jean Grey and Cyclops.
Following the death of Rachel/Mother Askani, Sanctity became Madame Sanctity and took over the Askani Sisterhood. In order to ensure Cable's birth and his confrontation with Apocalypse, she sent Cyclops and Jean Grey back to the 19th century in order to ensure the transformation of Nathaniel Essex into Mister Sinister and his rebellion against Apocalypse, which were necessary for the birth of Cable. She constantly manipulated Cable, as well as others, through astral projections and agents, such as Ch'vayre.
Sanctity received the young Nathan Dayspring (Cable) into the Sisterhood so he could be trained in the use of his powers. However, when the New Canaanites, a faction that had taken over Apocalypse's throne, attacked the Askani lands, Madame Sanctity was kidnapped by Stryfe, Nathan's evil clone. Recognizing the similarity of his psi-signature to those of her messiah, Sanctity allied with him and trained him in the use of his psychic powers.
Powers and abilities
Tanya is a mutant possessing time travelling powers, as well as telepathic and psychokinetic abilities.
Conflicting origins
The origin of Sanctity poses a continuity issue caused by an error. Uncanny X-Men #minus 1 depicts her as Tanya Trask, Bolivar Trask's mutant teenage daughter. However Phoenix #3, written by John Francis Moore, shows a little girl named Sanctity under the care of the Order of Witnesses. This is not the only continuity issue caused by the Phoenix limited series.