JOSEY THOMAS

Real Name: Josey Thomas

Identity/Class: Human/Broodling, possible Brood Queen (see comments)

Occupation: Paramedic

Affiliations: the Brood Mutants, Hannah Conover, Fire and Police departments of Denver, Colorado, Harry Palmer

Enemies: Firstborn, X-Men

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile within the traveling Crusade of Reverend William Conover; formerly Denver, Colorado

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men#232 (August, 1988)

Powers/Abilities: As a Human, Josey was a skilled Paramedic, as a Broodling, Josey Thomas had the ability to transform into a Brood, telepathically link with other Brood, and possessed superhuman strength and durability. She also had the ability to infect others with Brood eggs.

History: (Uncanny X-Men#232)- Josey Thomas was the partner of paramedic and Brood Queen Harry Palmer. She first appeared with Harry responding to an emergency call at the Dynasty Plaza office of Denver attorney Robert Delgado, who had suffered a heart attack upon manifestation of his mutant power to fire super-heated balls of plasma from his mouth. She was present when Palmer infected Delgado with a Brood egg, healing his heart attack, but turning him into the Brood Mutant known as Spitball.

(Uncanny X-Men#233)- As the X-Men battled Harry Palmer and the Brood Mutants in Denver, Josey Thomas was miles away getting her med-kit ready, listening to reports of the battle but, she “hears but does not respond. She has other work to do.”

(Uncanny X-Men#234)- Josey Thomas approached Hannah Conover, wife of the Reverend Conover, at the Conover Crusade’s meeting site, and, noticing Mrs. Conover’s arthritis, told her, “I’ve something that can fix that.” She smiled knowingly at Mrs. Conover.

(X-Men/Brood: Day Of Wrath#1 (fb))- Josey Thomas took Hannah to the ambulance to treat her arthritis, then implanted her with a Brood Queen’s egg, and then guided her in the ways of the Brood, sticking beside her as the Crusade moved throughout the Southwest , watching as Hannah used her newfound “Healing Power” to bring more recruits into the Brood.

BTS- Unfortunately, Hannah was unwilling to do the bidding of the Brood Empress, so the Empress contacted Josey Thomas to lead her Firstborn Assassins to Conover to kill her.

(X-Men/Brood: Day Of Wrath#1)- At the Grand Canyon, Josey Thomas watched as the Firstborn arrived, and led them to Hannah Conover in a nearby town. Unfortunately, the Empress had double crossed her, and ordered that all associated with the Rogue Queen be killed, including the “One who turned” her, Josey herself, who had infected Hannah in the first place. Furious, Josey protested that she was loyal. When that got her nowhere, she transformed into her Brood form to fight the Firstborn, only to be easily slaughtered, her body reverting to human as she died. The Firstborn left her body in the alley from which they were spying on Hannah.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri.

In X-Men/Brood: Day Of Wrath#1, Josey told the Firstborn that she should have been Queen instead of Hannah Conover, but as only Queen Brood can implant eggs in others, and Ms. Thomas infected Hannah, wouldn't that make her a Queen? Perhaps they were both Queens, and she was referring to who was the Queen in charge of the Brood Nest.

Profile by Darc_Light