Quagmire (comics)
| Quagmire | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
(in flashback) Squadron Supreme #4 (Dec. 1985) (in full) Squadron Supreme #5 (Jan. 1986) |
| Created by | Mark Gruenwald |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jerome Meyers |
| Team affiliations |
Institute of Evil Squadron Supreme |
Quagmire (Jerome Meyers) is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who is a native of the universe of the Squadron Supreme. He first appeared in Squadron Supreme #4 (Dec. 1985) in flashback, and fully in Squadron Supreme #5 (Jan 1986), and was created by Mark Gruenwald.
Fictional character biography
Jerome Myers was born in Pittsville, Terranova, on the United States of "Other-Earth" or "Earth-S". As Quagmire, he became a criminal and member of the supervillain group the Institute of Evil. He was a recurring foe of Doctor Spectrum.[1] Alongside the Institute of Evil, he held the Squadron Supreme's loved ones hostage, but was ultimately defeated by the Squadron.[2] Like the rest of the Institute members, he was subjected to the behavior-modification process, and elected to full membership in the Squadron Supreme.[3]
Later, on an assignment with Ape X and Blue Eagle, Quagmire was reprimanded by Eagle for inappropriate behavior. After saving thirty factory workers from a gas leakage in an industrial accident, Quagmire went into a coma.[4] In the hospital, while in a coma, he interfaced with the Darkforce dimension. Vast quantities of Darkforce flooded the hospital, drowning Doctor Decibel, until the life support equipment was disconnected by Hyperion. Quagmire was sucked into the hole in his brain that is a portal into the dimension from which his dark matter originates, and was presumed deceased by the Squadron.[5]
Quagmire eventually came through a portal into the mainstream Earth dimension which formed near the Nexus of All Realities in the belly of the Man-Thing. Quagmire's body passed through the body of a seemingly pregnant Man-Thing. This passage apparently reversed the effects of the behavior modification, restoring his old criminal, renegade personality, and he battled Quasar and Jennifer Kale.[6] Quagmire was eventually contacted by the Chief Examiner while in the Vault, and was freed.[7] Quagmire approached Kayla Ballantine and forced her through the Chief Examiner's black teleportal. He battled the tiny Antibody which secretly sought refuge inside his body.[8]
Powers and abilities
Quagmire is a mutant that has the ability to tap and manipulate the extra-dimensional Darkforce in the form of a thick, dark, viscous tar-like substance. Opening a dimensional interface with his mind, he seemingly projects the Darkforce from his fingertips or can open the interface anywhere within thirty feet of him. He can control the flow of Darkforce from a thin spray of globules to a thick torrent of oozing slime. His darkforce manifestation is extremely adhesive: a sufficient quantity can immobilize beings of significant superhuman strength. He can also apply small quantities of it to his fingertips and toes in order to scale walls and ceilings. He can shape the Darkforce into animated tendrils or whip them about his person in a psychokinetic tornado. The Darkforce generally behaves like quasi-solid liquid; human beings cannot breathe through it.
Since the dimensional Darkforce is virtually limitless, there is theoretically no limit to the amount of it Quagmire can draw to this dimension, though presumably mental fatigue will eventually affect how long he can hold the interface to the Darkforce Dimension open, thus eventually impair his performance. When he is rendered unconscious, the portal to the Darkforce dimension snaps shut and the Darkforce substance he has drawn from it quickly vanishes to its place of origin.
Quagmire is otherwise an athletic man and a good hand-to-hand combatant, who is skilled at both lock picking and sculpture-making.