DR. ALEXANDER RYKING
Real Name: Dr. Alexander Ryking
Identity/Class: Human (pre-modern and modern era)
Occupation: Industrialist, geneticist
Group Membership: Black Womb Project (Irene Adler, Dr. Kurt Marko, Nathan Milbury (secretly Mr. Sinister), Amanda Mueller, Dr. Brian Xavier)
Affiliations: S.H.I.V.A., Warhawk (Mitchell Tanner), Charles Xavier, Sharon Xavier;
possibly Fred Duncan;
formerly Major Arthur Barrington
Enemies: Major Arthur Barrington, Maverick (Christoph Nord)
Known Relatives: Carter Ryking (Hazard, son)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A remote tropical island;
formerly Alamogordo, New Mexico
First Appearance: X-Men II#10/2 (July, 1992)
Powers/Abilities: Alexander Ryking possessed no known superhuman powers though his genetic structure did possess the X-gene that allows for mutations to occur. A brilliant geneticist, he used his genius to become a self made billionaire industrialist. His wealth and power enabled him to build the Ryking Hospital for Parahuman Research.
Height: (by approximation): 6'0"
Weight: (by approximation): 190 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Grey
History: (X-Men II#12 (fb) - BTS) - Alexander Ryking used his genius level knowledge of genetics to start a billion dollar industry.
(X-Men Legacy I#212 (fb) ) - Famous geneticist Doctor Nathan Milbury (secretly Mr. Sinister), gathered X-gene positive people, planning to have them breed in order to investigate the genetic potential of their offspring. Ryking and his young son Alexander moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where Carter went to work at an elaborate, partially underground lab which was housed inside an unfinished nuclear research facility. He worked alongside Doctors Brian Xavier, Kurt Marko and Amanda Mueller. Irene Adler (the future Brotherhood member Destiny), served as the project's administrator. This group of geneticists would eventually become known as the Black Womb Program.
(X-Men Legacy I#211 (fb) ) - "Doctor Milbury" had determined that Alexander's son Carter and Brian Xavier's son Charles had immense X-gene potential. Milbury had the boys, who were best friends and often played together, subjected to a battery of tests.
(X-Men Legacy I#212 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Milbury eventually rechristened the Black Womb project, calling it Cronus after the titan of Greek mythology.
(X-Men II#13 (fb) - BTS) - Ryking also worked on the S.H.I.V.A scenario with Brian Xavier and Dr. Kurt Marko. A new type of assault robot, designed to improve itself after every defeat, uploading its conscious into a new robot until it would become a virtually unbeatable killer.
(X-Men: Forever I#4) - Ryking and Irene Adler gave Dr. Kurt Marko a tour of Project Black Womb's eugenics information center which included dozens of mutant babies being kept in suspended animation. Adler explained to the surprised Marko that these were merely the rejects, infants whose genetic templates were deemed inherently flawed. However, instead of correcting these mistakes through relatively simple means, the project's director, Amanda Mueller, planned to leave them unattended, interested in seeing how these oddities would develop.
(X-Men II#12 (fb) - BTS) - When his son Carter's powers manifested themselves, Alexander grew concerned about the fact he might not be able to control them on his own. Ryking used his fortune to found and finance the Ryking Hospital for Parahuman Research, outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Due to the affluence of most of its clientele, the facility became known over time as "the Betty Ford Clinic for Rich Super Folks. When Carter's powers finally did spiral out of control, Alexander had his son committed to the hospital. Carter was kept thoroughly sedated to prevent flare ups.
(X-Men II#10/2 (fb) - BTS) - When Major Arthur Barrington discovered his secret file on Xavier to be missing, he suspected one of his scientists was behind it. In reality it was Ryking's son Carter who had previously stolen the file and sent it to Charles Xavier. Barrington employed Maverick to assassinate Alexander Ryking.
(X-Men II#10/2 (fb) - BTS) - Warhawk had sought out the help of Dr. Ryking, who used a bio-genetic experiment to restore and increase his power, replacing his skin with omnium. The experiment however, was still incomplete as his form was still highly volatile.
(X-Men II#10/2) - After Maverick slaughtered a dozen of Ryking's men, he reached the man himself. Doctor Ryking begged Maverick for his life, as he knew nothing about the missing Xavier File. Warhawk, needing Ryking to stabilize him, defended Ryking and attacked Maverick.
(X-Men II#11/2) - During the fight, Maverick eventually managed to penetrate Warhawk's dense skin by using a bolt gun and aiming for spots previously weakened by gunfire. Ryking noticed Warhawk's internal energy had begun leaking out. He pleaded with Maverick, claiming he did not know how Xavier's file could have wound up in Charles's possession. Just then, Warhawk's internal energy caused a powerful explosion that apparently killed both Ryking and Warhawk.
(X-Men II#12) - After learning of his father's demise, the still institutionalized Carter Ryking managed to break free and escape the hospital. He disrupted the funeral proceedings and confronted Charles Xavier, who was in attendance. Xavier managed to calm Carter down long enough for the two of them to go to Alamogordo to find out their fathers' secret.
Comments: Created by Scott Lobdell (writer) and Mark Texeira (pencils, inks).
I've placed the information revealing Ryking working on the S.H.I.V.A. project before the events of X-Men Forever I#4, seeing as Brian Xavier was already dead by that point. It seems likely they worked under Major Arthur Barrington's command on the S.H.I.V.A. Project.
In Gambit III#22 it was revealed Fred Ducan served as FBI liaison to the Black Womb genetics projects, therefore he will most likely have met and/or interacted with Alexander Ryking as well.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Alexander Ryking has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
X-Men II#13, p1, pan1 (main image)
X-Men: Forever I#4, p14, pan6 (Black Womb Project)
X-Men II#11/2, p23, pan3 (death)
Appearances:
X-Men II#10/2 (July, 1992) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils, inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#11/2 (August, 1992) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils, inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men II#12 (September, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Art Thibert
(pencils, inks), Dan Panosian, Trevor Scott (inkers), Bob Harras
(editor)
X-Men II#13 (October, 1992) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Art Thibert (pencils, inks), Dan Panosian (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Men: Forever I#4 (April, 2001) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Kevin Maguire
(pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Mark Powers, Ralph Macchio (editors)
X-Men Legacy I#211 (July, 2008) - Mike Carey (writer), Scot Eaton,
Brandon Peterson (pencils), John Dell, Andrew Hennessy, Dave Meikis,
Brandon Peterson (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
X-Men Legacy I#212 (July, 2008) - Mike Carey (writer), Scot Eaton, Mike
Deodato Jr. (pencils), John Dell, Andrew Hennessy, Mike Deodato Jr.
(inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
First Posted: 10/28/2014
Last updated: 10/28/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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