BLACKCLOAK

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race of origin unrevealed)

Occupation: Shi'ar agent

Group Membership: Shi'ar Death Commandos (Colony, D'Evo, Flaw, Hypernova, Krait, Offset, Sega, Shell, Warshot)

Affiliations: Araki, Fraternity of Raptors (Talon), Imperial Guard (Manta, Nightside, Oracle, Scintilla, Starbolt, Titan, Warstar), Ka'ardum

Enemies: Gailyn Bailey, Joseph Bailey, Derry Campbell, Cannonball (Sam Guthrie), D'bek, Deathbird, Phyllis and Roy Dennefer, Gladiator (Kallark), Brian and Julia Grey, John and Elaine Grey, Fred Harriman, Charlotte Jones, Julian, Kindra, Liam, Dr. Maureen Lyszinski, Terry Maguire, Mary-Margaret, New Mutants (Chamber, Cypher/Warlock, Karma, Magik, Mirage, Mondo, Sunspot, Wolfsbane), Roger, Sentinels, Smasher (Izzy Kane), Starjammers (Ch'od, Cr+eee, Havok, Korvus, Marvel Girl (Rachel Grey), Lilandra Neramani, Polaris, Raza), Bekka Wallis, X-Men (Bishop, Cannonball, Colossus, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Gambit, Marvel Girl (Rachel Grey), Nightcrawler, Psylocke, Rogue, Shadowcat)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Shi'ar Empire

First Appearance: (Unseen) Uncanny X-Men I#466 (January, 2006); (Seen) Uncanny X-Men I#467 (February, 2006)

Powers/Abilities: Blackcloak carried a spear that gave off an energy discharge that disintegrated his victims. He could fire powerful blasts from his helmet. Blackcloak could also send his opponents through his cloak to another unrevealed location. The full extent of his abilities or the capabilities of his armor are likely unrevealed. Blackcloak is a talented field commander.

History:
(New Mutants IV#5 (fb) - BTS) - When the Shi'ar Death Commandos were formed, it was designed to always have a Blackcloak lead the team, and the leaders were rumored to be selected from Superguardian stock and to have training in the Shi'ar war colleges. Blackcloak was set to carry a D'Kere spear, a combination blade and energy weapon, and a containment cloak, which could send an adversary into a temporary stasis void.

(X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#1 (fb) - BTS) - A secret cabal within the Shi'ar Empire organized the Shi'ar Death Commandos, a unit composed of warriors from various extraterrestrial races, and sent them to Earth to slay Marvel Girl (Rachel Grey, who once wielded part of the Phoenix Force) and all related to her.

(Uncanny X-Men I#468 (fb) - BTS) - The leader, Blackcloak, was tasked to brand Marvel Girl according to canon law, and brand her according to civil law. The brand would allow the Shi'ar to always track her.

(Uncanny X-Men I#466 - BTS) - On Earth, the Commandoes surrounded the home of John and Elaine Grey.

(Uncanny X-Men I#467) - Unable to decipher who Rachel was among all those inside, the Commandoes initiated their secondary objective, that of slaying all those who were biologically related to Rachel. Blackcloak fired a spear, killing John Grey immediately. Over the next 24 seconds, multiple targets were killed, including Gailyn and Joseph Bailey, Derry Campbell, Phyllis and Roy Dennefer, Brian and Julia Grey, Fred Harriman, Julian, Kindra, Liam, Terry Maguire, Mary-Margaret, Roger, and Bekka Wallis, leaving only Rachel and Elaine Grey alive. At Blackcloak's orders, Sega sealed the area under a force-shield, but Nightcrawler, Psylocke, and Shadowcat of the X-Men managed to teleport in. During the following battle, Blackcloak shot down Marvel Girl then knocked out the other three X-Men. Blackcloak marked Marvel Girl with a phoenix tattoo so that she would always be trackable from then on.

(Uncanny X-Men I#468) - Blackcloak prepared to execute Marvel Girl, but Shadowcat phased her to safety then fired repeated massive bursts at Blackcloak. The Commandos gathered around, prepared to attack, as Blackcloak explained to Marvel Girl why her family had been killed, and they listened as Elaine disowned Marvel Girl. Bishop, Cannonball, Colossus, and Rogue of the X-Men broke through Sega's shield and joined their allies in attacking the Commandos, with Cyclops, Gambit, Emma Frost, and the Sentinels close behind them. Blackcloak shot off a blast from his helmet in one final attempt to kill Marvel Girl, but it hit Elaine instead, killing her. The Commandos willingly surrendered, recognizing that the odds were against them.

(Uncanny X-Men I#470) - After being incarcerated in Manhattan for a time, the  Commandos tracked Marvel Girl to Chicago, though they fought Bishop and Detective Charlotte Jones on their way out. During the battle, Blackcloak absorbed Jones inside himself, sending her away. A Sentinel attacked, freezing Sega's cloud form. The Death Commandos managed to utilize their orbiting Shi'ar ship to teleport to Chicago so they could attack Marvel Girl directly. They burst through the window of Dr. Maureen Lyszinski to attack her.

(Uncanny X-Men I#471) - Marvel Girl fled with Maureen in her arms. She sent out a telepathic pulse to the Commandos, causing them severe psychic feedback. Blackcloak paged his ship for aid, but they told him to handle it himself. The X-Men (Bishop, Cannonball, Nightcrawler, Psylocke) and a Sentinel arrived. During the ensuing battle, Bishop, Marvel Girl, and Psylocke all hit Blackcloak at once and knocked him down. The Shi'ar ship dropped a bomb that would have killed many, including the Commandos, for miles around, but the X-Men blocked it. The crew of the starship was apprehended, and the Commandoes were presumably jailed again.

(X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Commandos began acting as the private guard to Chancellor Araki in Shi'ar space.

(X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#3) - Araki entered with the Shi'ar Death Commandos for a meeting with Vulcan (current emperor of the Shi'ar), Deathbird, and the Guard (Gladiator, Manta, Nightside, Oracle, Starbolt, Titan, Warstar). Inside, they found Ka'ardum, Lilandra, and the Starjammers (Ch'od, Havok, Korvus, Marvel Girl, Polaris, Raza). Marvel Girl grew furious at seeing the Commandos and lashed out in a powerful attack, sending the Commandos scattering, and threatened Araki's life, even accusing him of running the secret order of the Shi'ar and ordering the death of her family, until Polaris stopped her. The Commandos soon departed peaceably.

(X-Men: Kingbreaker#1 (fb) - BTS) - When Vulcan focused on expanding the Shi'ar empire via conquest, he put the Imperial Guard on the front lines along with the Shi'ar Death Commandos, though many were reported killed in battle with Marvel Girl.

(War of Kings#4) - Gladiator and the Starjammers met with Councilor D'bek, with whom they interrupted a speech of Araki's in order to proclaim Lilandra ruler of the Shi'ar once again. They fought back Araki's secret order and Lilandra announced her return to rule with mighty cheers from the crowd. As Chandilar broke out in war around them, Lilandra, flanked by the Starjammers, headed toward the temple to claim her right to rule. The Shi'ar Death Commandos then attacked, Sega permeating the crowd with his clouds. Blackcloak killed D'bek with a thrown spear. Marvel Girl furiously hit D'Evo with a telekinetic blast as Polaris used magnetism to crush Krait's wings. Lilandra stabbed Offset with a spear as Korvus and Marvel Girl tried to get her to cover. As the Commandos began reigning death on the crowd, Gladiator quickly took down Hypernova and Warshot before Flaw attacked him. As Blackcloak held off Gladiator with his spear's energy blast, Araki ordered the others to kill Lilandra. One of the Fraternity of Raptors hid himself in the crowd and fired multiple shots, one of them killing Lilandra during the chaos. Commandos in this mission: Blackcloak, D'Evo, Flaw, Hypernova, Krait, Offset, Sega, Shell, and Warshot.

(War of Kings#5) - As Chandilar erupted into civil war, Gladiator targeted Araki and his secret order. Blackcloak rushed to protect Araki, successfully plunging his spear through Gladiator's chest, but Marvel Girl killed Blackcloak with a telepathic burst, then Gladiator killed Araki.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(New Mutants IV#5) - Oracle hired the Death Commandos to kill Deathbird before she could get to Chandilar. The Commandos, aboard their Imperial Dreadnaught, tracked Deathbird on a ship with Smasher and the New Mutants. The Commandos sent two teams to board the ship, but they were swiftly defeated. Blackcloak and Warshot then destroyed the shp.

(New Mutants IV#7 (fb) - BTS) - Magik rescued the mutants and brought them aboard the Commandos' ship, where they were quickly restrained. Blackcloak tried killing Deathbird, but Sunspot stopped him and Deathbird escaped. Later, while Blackcloak and Warshot were questioning the New Mutants, Deathbird returned, stabbing Warshot and beheading Blackcloak.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Chris Bachalo and various inkers.

It was purported that Araki founded the Shi'ar Death Commandos and sent them to Earth.

It has been suggested by various creators that the Commandos is a military team much like the Imperial Guard, and that when one member is killed, another from his or her race takes his or her place.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Blackcloak has no known connections to

• Black Cloaks of Hyborian era, Conan foes @ Savage Sword of Conan#68
• Cloak, Tyrone Johnson, partner of Dagger @ Spectacular Spider-Man II#64
• or any other "Black" or "Cloak" characters

images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men I#468, p3, pan1 (main)