The CHOSEN

Membership: Dualers (Lev, shrinker), the Perfect (Palik, Seera); scientists (chief geneticist), Antwirp, Jack, Rask, Swen

Affiliations: Sect of unnamed extra-terrestrial race; Former enemies, now grudging allies of Rejects and Beginagains

Base of Operations: City of the Chosen, unnamed planet

First Appearance: X-Factor#43 (August, 1989)

History: The Chosen are a sect of an unnamed race on an unnamed planet where all beings have mutant powers. At some point in their past, the Chosen, who were humanoid in appearance, separated from the Rejects, who had varying degrees of inhuman physical qualities. The Chosen developed their society to worship physical perfection, separating themselves into further castes. On one end were the Perfect, the ruling class, who were beautiful and without any physical flaws. On the other end were the Dualers, who could transform into a separate form to use their powers and are regarded as half-rejects and used as warriors and spies by those of higher status.

The Chosen developed their society around technology and status. In an effort to breed only the most physically perfect offspring, the Chosen turned over reproduction to their scientists, who create infants in vats in the laboratory, who produce smaller and smaller numbers of viable offspring with each generation. Physical contact with others has become taboo, except in battle. The Chosen frown on public displays of power, except in battle, as this highlights their abnormalities. They release their repressed passion in actual war or gladiatorial combat in the Arena against Rejects, or through the use of narcotic Mood Minders. In the Arena, wagering is intense, and fortunes can be won or lost, and status can be accrued.

The separation between the Chosen and the Rejects may have been brought to an end when a third sect, the Beginagains, who desire unification, along with the human mutant group X-Factor, succeeded in uniting the three sects to drive off seeming impending doom at the hands of Celestial judgement. A ruling triumvirate of Palik of the Chosen, Ryest of the Beginagains, and Zharkah of the Rejects, along with Lev representing the Dualers, was formed to guide the unification, It remains to be seen if this will persist once the threat of destruction has passed.

COMMENTS: Created by Louise Simonson and Paul Smith.

One good thing about the Chosen was that skin color was apparently irrelevant to them, as Palik and several other members had a variety of colors.

Cable could make a return appearance to this planet he visited as an infant.


Lev acted as leader of the Dualers. Initially, Iceman's had amnesia following a mind-jamming, he was mistaken for a Dualer due to his ability to assume a non-human form. Lev befriended Iceman and became increasingly impressed with his ability when he defeated lord Rask in combat. His refusal to submit to the prejudice of the Chosen led her and the other Dualers to rebel against them, ultimately turning against them in the Arena. Lev freed the perfect Seera so she could return Iceman's memory. Following the apparent repelling of the Celestials, Lev acted as representative to the Dualers' interests in the unification process. She could transform into fiery form and fly.

--X-Factor#43(44-46, 48-50

 

 

 

 


Most Perfect Palik led the Chosen. He is extremely prejudice and caste-oriented. He regarded the Dualers as half-Rejects, and himself as superior to all others due to his physical perfection. He was duped by Rask into putting the perfect Seera's life at jeopardy during a gladiatorial combat as punishment for her betrayal of the Chosen way. This led Palik to realize the potential threat that Rask posed. He took steps to humble him, by blinding Archangel, his warrior, so that he would lose in combat against the amnesiac Iceman. He also attempted to have all of the Dualers destroyed in the Arena to rid the more perfect of what he viewed as a group of aberrations. He was attacked by Beginagain Dykon, but blinded him as well. Ultimately, he was forced to restore vision to Archangel and Dykon, and to begrudgingly enter into an alliance with the Beginagains and even the Rejects to oppose the Celestials. Following this, he became part of the triumvirate dedicated to unifying the sects. However, it seems likely he would attempt to shaft the Rejects and Dualers any chance he had.

He could project an energy ray which could blind his opponents until he himself reversed its effects.

--X-Factor#44(45, 46, 48-50


Lord Rask was a powerful warrior who attained wealth and thus status by successful wagering and use of warriors in the Arena. He was looked down upon by the Perfect due to his near giant size, as well as a large birthmark on his back. However, he used his wealth to buy the backing of the scientists, and this along with his successes granted him sufficient political power to challenge even the perfect. He was responsible for capturing both Iceman and Archangel in their initial encounter, and he took Archangel as his champion in the Arena. He managed to discover and expose that the perfect Seera had taken and was caring for the infant Nathan Summers, as well as having aided Archangel in an escape attempt. Having been humbled in battle by Iceman, Rask used the opportunity to set up the amnesiac Iceman against Archangel, and duped most perfect Palik into placing Seera's life upon Archangel's success. Realizing Rask's threat to his power, Palik blinded Archangel, so he would lose the fight, and Rask would lose face and profit. Rask was cast down into the Arena, where he was attacked and possibly slain by a vengeful Archangel.

Rask could form energy shields and fire energy blasts. He was a skilled warrior, and his large size afforded him great strength --X-Factor#43(44-46, 48, 49, 50(dies?)

 

 

 


Perfect Seera is the successor to most perfect Palik. As one of the perfect, she was protected from battle, which led to little ability to use her powers. She was saved by Archangel during a battle with the Rejects, and she was the only one who realized that Archangel and Iceman were from another world. She rescued the infant Nathan Summers from the scientists and came to disagree with the cold, sterile, and prejudiced ways of the Chosen. When she attempted to free Archangel, however, she was exposed by Rask, who manipulated evetns so that her very life was on the line based on Archangel's success in the Arena. She was freed by the Dualer Lev, and restored the memory to Iceman, ending a battle between he and blinded Archangel. When X-Factor left, she gave thoughts to having a baby of her own through natural childbirth, something unheard of in generations for the Chosen.

Seera could fly, and she was a jammer, able to mentally stun or alter the memories of others.

--X-Factor#43(44-46, 48-50

 


Seera's was raised by her robot, ZZ-105, or Zee Zee (see above), who acted as a nurturing mother figure to her, entertaining her with stories of before children were grown in the vats of the scientists. When Seera was exposed by Rask, Zee Zee was reprogrammed to obey the directives of the scientists, but after the unification began, Ship restored Zee Zee's original memories and personality. --X-Factor#44(45, 46, 48-50

 


The Scientists controlled the reproduction of the Chosen, growing infants in the vats in their laboratories. However, in an effort to screen out all genetic flaws, with each new generation, they produced fewer viable offspring. They were led by the chief geneticist. The alliance of the Scientists was purchased by lord Rask, who sought to attain sufficient status to usurp the rule of the Perfect.

--X-Factor#44(45, 46, 48, 49

 

 

 

 


Other Chosen include:

Jack and Swen-two warriors seen only in the initial battle in which X-Factor encountered the sects--XFactor#43.

Antwirp- --X-Factor#48


images:


Other appearances:
X-Factor I#44-46 (September-November, 1989)
X-Factor I#48-50 (December, 1989 - January, 1990)


Last updated: September 3, 2001

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