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DECAY

Real Name: Jacob Lashinski

Identity/Class: Human mutant

Occupation: Terrorist, criminal

Group Membership: None;
formerly Acolytes (Fabian Cortez, Exodus/Bennett du Paris, Frenzy/Joanna Cargill, Gargouille/Lavinia LeBlanc, Kleinstock Brothers/Harlan & Sven Kleinstock, Projector/Zachary Williams, Scanner/Sarah Ryall, Senyaka/Suvik Senyaka, Spoor/Andrew Hamish Graves, Unuscione/Carmella Unuscione, Amelia Voght, others)

Affiliations: Avalanche (Dominikos Petrakis), Fenris (Andreas & Andrea Strucker), Feral (Maria Callasantos), Omega Red (Arkady Gregorovich), Pyro (St. John Allerdyce), Random (Marshall Evan Stone III)

Enemies: Heroes for Hire (Ant-Man/Scott Lang, Black Knight/Dane Whitman, Iron Fist/Daniel Rand, Power Man/Luke Cage, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Thena, White Tiger), High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham), Knights Of Wundagore (Bova Ayrshire, Lord Anon (actually Man-Beast), Lord Churchill, Lord Gator, Sir Ram, Sir Tyger, Lady Ursula, Lady Vermin), Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Wundagore Mountain, Transia

First Appearance: Quicksilver I#9 (July, 1998)

Powers/Abilities: Decay's mutant power was more like a blessing than a curse. His lifeforce constantly depleted itself, causing Lashinski to age rapidly. In order to save his own life, he had to drain the lifeforce from other living beings. This infusion of bio-energy rejuvenated him to a man in his prime and also granted him slightly enhanced strength, durability and reflexes. It was never revealed if Lashinski could control the amount of energy he tapped from his victims, even though it seemed that he automatically drained them dry, leaving a withered husk that crumbles to dust. Decay didn't enjoy using his powers and felt bad about every life he took, although his religious fanaticism made him long to taste the bio energy of the son of Magneto.

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 139 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: (rejuvenated) black, (weakened) white

History:

(Quicksilver I#9 - BTS) - Decay (Jacob Lashinski) was recruited into the Acolytes by Exodus (Bennett du Paris). He joined at around the same time as Projector (Zachary Williams) and Gargouille (Lavinia LeBlanc). After some basic training, Exodus sent the three of them, along with longtime member Scanner, to the Savage Land where they were to aid Exodus' allies in obtaining Isotope E from the High Evolutionary (HE).

(Quicksilver I#9) - While his fellow new Acolytes were ready to prove themselves to hardened villains like Pyro, Avalanche, the Fenris twins, Omega Red and Random, Decay wasn't quite so eager. Having gone without replenishing his lifeforce for quite some time, he was turned into a geriatric and had to sit during the flight to the Savage Land. Once there, Scanner ordered him, Gargouille and Feral to guard the HE's aircraft while the others went forth to confront him in his citadel. Eventually, the HE showed up, hoping to use his vessel to beat a strategic retreat.

   Facing Decay and the others, the Evolutionary used the power of Isotope E to evolve a handful of tiny insects into giant bug monsters he sent after his foes. During the battle, Decay touched one and drained its lifeforce until it was nothing more than dust. He instantly regained his youthful appearance, but lamented about the loss of life. This earned him an earful from his far more bloodthirsty fellow Acolyte Gargouille who told him to stop feeling sorry for himself. The HE took advantage of the Acolytes fighting his bugs by boarding his ship along with the Knights of Wundagore and taking off. Dismayed at the poor performance of Exodus' allies, Scanner declared that from now on the hunt for the Isotope would be handled by Acolytes only. Decay and the others were teleported back to the Acolytes' headquarters on Mount Wundagore.

(Quicksilver I#11) - As soon as the Acolytes picked up the Isotope E energy signature at the Haven, a castle owned by the HE in Upstate New York, Exodus told Decay and the others to leave immediately, obtain the Isotope and exterminate both HE and his Knights. When the question was raised what to do with Quicksilver, the leader of the Knights of Wundagore and the son of their god Magneto, Decay requested if he could feed off him, as he would love to have even a portion of Magneto's power running through his veins. Exodus promised him that honor, should Quicksilver refuse to cooperate.

(Quicksilver I#11 - BTS) - In the dungeons of the Haven, Heroes for Hire members Ant-Man, Iron Fist and Power Man were continuing to evolve and devolve after an accidental exposure to Isotope E. While they struggled, the HE and his Knights had travelled back to Wundagore Mountain.

(Quicksilver I#11) - Amelia Voght teleported Decay and the Acolytes into the dungeons of Haven, where they immediately encountered the devolved Heroes for Hire. Projector's force field held them at bay, while Gargouille correctly concluded they must be HE's creations. Not recognizing the heroes, Voght ordered the Acolytes to kill them, but their struggle was interrupted by Quicksilver who kept the Acolytes busy long enough for the Heroes for Hire to regain their normal appearance. Once Voght learned of the HE's whereabouts, she called for an emergency transport back to base.

(Quicksilver I#11 - BTS) - As the Knights girded themselves for battle, while wondering why the Acolytes left so many of their weapon caches intact since taking over the Citadel of Science, Bova discovered there was a traitor in their midst: the Man-Beast had been posing as Lord Anon for months. Rushing to confront him, they were just in time to see Man-Beast stab HE and claim Isotope E for himself.

(Heroes For Hire I#16) - The fight between the Man-Beast and the Knights of Wundagore was interrupted by Exodus and the Acolytes. After politely asking the Man-Beast to hand over the Isotope led to nothing, Exodus ordered his men to kill the Knights while he himself would take care of the evolved wolf creature. A brutal conflict ensued.

(Heroes For Hire I#16 - BTS) - The fight between the two teams ended when Exodus and the Man-Beast agreed to a truce. Man-Beast used his mental abilities to press the Knights into his service. Unbeknownst to them, the Heroes for Hire were making their way to Transia to help out.

(Heroes For Hire I#16) - Joined by the Knights of Wundagore, Decay and his fellow Acolytes were sent to fight Quicksilver and the Heroes for Hire. The Acolytes were able to beat their enemies when the Heroes for Hire started devolving again.

(Quicksilver I#12) - Using his superspeed, Quicksilver stole the Isotope E from the Man-Beast and freed the Heroes for Hire from the dungeons of Wundagore Mountain. Armed with the Isotope, the speedster and the heroes faced down the Acolytes. Decay engaged Iron Fist, figuring the hero's fabled life force channeling powers was exactly what he needed to feed on. However, Quicksilver took him out before he could do any serious damage. Still facing insurmountable odds, Pietro saw himself forced to expose his body to the Isotope E in order to have a shot at victory. Quicksilver's powers grew exponentially, allowing him to fight off the remaining Acolytes, even managing to defeat their leader Exodus. Growing mad with power, Pietro demanded and got the Acolytes' loyalty. Just then, the HE announced his own godlike powers had been restored (at the cost of his sanity) and was ready to lead the world to the next phase of evolution.

(Heroes for Hire/Quicksilver Annual 1998) - When the HE and the Isotope E enhanced Quicksilver squared off, Pietro ordered the Acolytes to aid him. However, the bulk of the team decided they no longer had a stake in the conflict and refused to fight other people's battles any longer. However, once Exodus sided with Quicksilver in opposing the HE, a few Acolytes including Decay joined him. Figuring the best way to stop the Evolutionary was to drain away his energies, Decay attempted to siphon the man god's life force but was immediately overcome by the sheer amount of bio energy he received. Seconds after making contact, Decay's body bloated up like a balloon until he burst and died from the excess power he absorbed.

Comments: Created by John Ostrander & Joe Edkin (writer), Ivan Reis (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks).

"Bio energy transferal" sounds like a very fancy, until you stop and think what Decay's power really entailed: killing and consuming organic matter in order to stay alive...  Isn't that what we all do whenever we dig into that pork and or lambchop?

Decay, along with the other Acolytes, received profiles in Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe A-Z#1 and Marvel Encyclopedia: X-Men.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Decay should not be confused with

images: (without ads)
Quicksilver Heroes for Hire Annual 1998, p13, pan4 (main image)
Quicksilver I#9, p6, pan3 (weakened form)
Quicksilver I#9, p21, pan1,2 (rejuvenates)
Quicksilver Heroes For Hire Annual 1998, p14, pan1 (dies)

Appearances:
Quicksilver I#9 (July, 1998) - John Ostrander & Joe Edkin (writers), Ivan Reis (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Quicksilver I#11 (September, 1998) - John Ostrander & Joe Edkin (writers), Derec Aucoin (pencils), Rich Faber (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Heroes for Hire I#16 (October, 1998) - John Ostrander (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils),Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Quicksilver I#12 (October, 1998) - John Ostrander & Joe Edkin (writers), Derec Aucoin (pencils), Rich Faber (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Quicksilver/Heroes For Hire Annual 1998 (1998) - John Ostrander (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils),Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)

First Posted: 01/07/2014
Last updated: 01/07/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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