Banshee (comics)

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Banshee (Sean Cassidy) is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, he first appeared in X-Men #28 (January 1967).

An Irish mutant, Banshee possesses a "sonic scream," capable of harming enemies’ auditory systems and causing physical vibrations.

A former Interpol agent and NYPD officer, Banshee was always a decade older than most of the X-Men and had only a casual relationship with the team. He was, however, a mentor of the 1990s-era junior team Generation X.

Contents

1 Character history
2 Powers and abilities
3 Appearances in other media
4 Trivia
5 External links

Character history

Sean Cassidy was both the heir to a small fortune and a castle in Cassidy Keep, Ireland. In his youth, he married Maeve Rourke and took a job at Interpol. While Cassidy was away on a long mission, his wife discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to their daughter, Theresa Cassidy. Not much later, Maeve died in an IRA bombing. With no means to contact Sean, his cousin Tom took care of Theresa. When Sean returned to learn of his wife’s death, he was devastated. Before Tom could even tell him of the existence of his daughter, Sean lashed out at Tom with his sonic scream for not having taken better care of Maeve. While Sean flew away in anger, Tom fell into a chasm, breaking his leg as a result of the attack, which left him with a limp. Angrily, Tom swore to make Sean pay and vowed to never tell him about his daughter, raising her himself instead.

Cassidy left Interpol to become a freelance operative. The villainous Changeling discovered him through the group Factor Three and invited him to join the organization. Cassidy was appalled upon learning of Factor Three's goals and adamantly refused. However, Factor Three captured him and placed a headband containing explosives around his head to force him to obey them. Code-named The Banshee after the banshee, a spirit from Irish mythology, Cassidy felt forced to obey Factor Three's commands and performed various criminal missions for the organization. On a mission in New York City, Banshee encountered the mutant team of superheroes called the X-Men. Professor Charles Xavier was able to use his telepathy to disarm the headband and remove it and Banshee helped the X-Men defeat Factor Three.

A few years later (Giant-Size X-Men #1), Xavier approached Banshee to join his second group of X-Men and Banshee accepted. There he met and fell in love with the X-Men's ally, Dr. Moira MacTaggert. However, Banshee lost the use of his powers when his voice was damaged in battle with the terrorist Moses Magnum and left the X-Men. His powers gradually returned as he healed and he remained an ally of the X-Men and especially of Moira MacTaggert.

Banshee later learned of his daughter Theresa's existence. Theresa had developed sonic powers of her own, which she used under the alias of Siryn and felt obliged to Black Tom, who had raised her, to assist him in his crimes. Siryn reformed after the pair were defeated by Spider-Woman and the X-Men and she was reunited with her true father.

Banshee's throat is slit by Mystique. Art from Uncanny X-Men #405 by Sean Phillips.

For a time, Banshee was the co-headmaster at the Massachusetts Academy where he taught the young mutants of Generation X in the use of their powers alongside Emma Frost. However, the Academy eventually closed its doors; during this time period, Dr. MacTaggert was killed in an explosion set up by the shapeshifter Mystique. Banshee distraught and possibly suffering from a breakdown founded the "X-Corps", a group of mutant adventurers who came into conflict with the X-Men over their questionable methodology and membership which included several former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It was revealed that Banshee was having the new Mastermind, the daughter of the deceased original Mastermind, manipulate the Brotherhood's members into having them work with him. However, it turned out that Mystique was posing as one of the members and she was working with the new Mastermind behind Banshee's back. Mystique helped the brainwashed members revolt, several members of the X-Corps were killed and Mystique slit Banshee's throat before being stopped by the X-Men. Banshee survived the attack and was recuperating in a hospital.

Siryn later joined a similarly-named less militant organisation known as the X-Corporation, in order to atone for what she perceived as her father's misdeeds.

The death of Banshee. Cover to X-Men: Deadly Genesis #3, by Marc Silvestri.

Recently in issue #2, Banshee attempted to save an airplane full of innocents from the mystery villain of the series, who was piloting the X-Men's original jet, the Blackbird. Flying towards it, he attempted to damage the craft's trajectory with a sonic scream. However, his throat had not completely healed, effecting the strength of his scream so that it didn't affect the jet, which flew straight into Sean. In the next issue, Wolverine and Nightcrawler find Sean's lifeless body and confirm that he and all the civilians died in the crash.

In X-Factor #7, Cyclops delivered the news of Banshee's death to his daughter, Siryn. Siryn was given a video tape that Banshee had made for the purpose of delivering a message to his daughter when he died. In the message, Banshee stated that he felt he had done more good than bad in his life, and that he hoped St. Peter would allow him entrance into Heaven. He expressed the hope that he would there be re-united with Siryn's mother. Siryn refused to believe that Banshee was really dead, citing all of the X-Men in the past who have been presumed dead but later returned. Sean willed Siryn Cassidy Keep, as well as his pipe.

Powers and abilities

Banshee was a mutant who could generate powerful sonic effects with his voice. He could use the vibrations produced by this "sonic scream" for a variety of effects including flight, a concussive force that can repel, weaken or shatter physical objects and mind-effecting vibrations that can disrupt a person's equilibrium causing the person to fall unconscious by disrupting the liquids in their inner ear or on occasion induce a low level of hypnosis in the subject.

As a way of compensating for his powers, Banshee had a high resistance to intense sound and highly enhanced hearing.

Banshee was also immune to his cousin Black Tom's energy blasts.

The "ribbons" on Banshee's costume (a visual trademark of the character) aided him in his flight.

Appearances in other media

Banshee appeared in the X-Men Animated Series. He also fought Black Tom Cassidy in the Phoenix Saga.
Banshee also made an appearance in the Fox TV movie Generation X along side with Finola Hughes. He was portrayed by Jeremy Ratchford. While multiple sources have listed Jeremy Ratchford as the voice of Banshee in the X-Men Animated Series, he has said in interviews that he did not provide Banshee's voice in the cartoon.
He also appeared in the videogame as an NPC.
Banshee makes an appearance in internet meme The Juggernaut Bitch!! claiming that his 'Jamaican colors' protect him from harm.

Trivia

The character's creators, Roy Thomas and Werner Roth, did not know that the Irish banshee (bean sidhe) for whom he named his new superhero was by definition female - the name means "fairy woman".

External links

- Marvel Database Project
[Banshee at X-Peoples Central]
[UncannyXmen.Net's Spotlight on Banshee]
[Banshee on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki]

X-Men members

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