VERSHUCTS

Membership: V-2, V-3, V-4, four unidentified others (presumably V-5 through V-8); formerly Hanrasha (Asahi)

Purpose: To act as test subjects for Verschlagen Industries

Aliases: "The V-Subjects" (as called by Martin Henry Strong)

Affiliations: Neurotap (Michelle Balters), Martin Henry Strong, X-Force (Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, Danielle Moonstar, Rictor/Julio Richter, Shatterstar/Gaveedra-Seven, Warpath/James Proudstar)

Enemies: Ernesto Gallegas, Verschlagen Industries (Herr Frocht, Hanna Verschlagen, Senor Zellig, others)

Base of Operations: Various Verschlagen Industries facilities worldwide

First Appearance: (behind-the-scenes, Asahi mentioned): X-Force I#42 (January, 1995);
(fully seen): X-Force I 1999 Annual (1999)

History: (X-Force I 1999 Annual (fb) - BTS) - Hanna Verschlagen, head of the German pharmaceutical company Verschlagen Industries that specialized in developing biochemicals intended to enhance physical abilities, devised a plan to jumpstart her own latent mutant powers by utilizing mutants as living batteries. When she proved unable to find and capture mutants, she decided to to produce the mutants herself via a genetic breeding program with herself as the mother. Verschlagen's first attempt produced a boy, named Asahi, who was codenamed Vershuct-1 and developed the ability to generate electrical impulses. Seven other Vershucts were subsequently born following Asahi, each with increasing mutant power levels. To keep the Vershucts under her control, Hanna forced a dependency on a neural cortical enzyme that would cause a breakdown in the Vershucts' genetic structure if the enzyme was not administered.

(X-Force I#42 - BTS) - The father of Asahi broke into Verschlagen Industries in Neustrelitz, Germany in an attempt to free Asahi from Verschlagen captivity. Unfortunately, Asahi's father was gunned down by Verschlagen Industries guards and Hanna Verschlagen herself ventured outside to see the intruder. Removing his mask, Hanna Verschlagen was not shocked to find that the man was her husband. Deducing that her husband must have suspected their son Asahi to be held captive at Verschlagen Industries, Hanna figured that her husband's employers likely also suspected Asahi to be held there and that Verschlagen Industries should be expecting a visit from Japan's Clan Yashida.

(X-Force I 1999 Annual (fb) - BTS) - After Asahi escaped Hanna Verschlagen's Neustrelitz, Germany facility, his half-sister, who was soon be known as V-2, volunteered for further augmentation by Verschlagen Industries. As their test subject, V-2 was experimented on using biochemicals to enhance her physical performance and biogenetically cultivate her mutant powers. She eventually manifested dermal and subcutaneous extension abilities. To test her abilities, the scientist Zellig placed V-2 in combat simulations against several different human fighters and all lost against V-2. As V-2 continued her combat testing, Asahi (now calling himself Hanrasha, or "the Rebel") found two leads on the locations of the other Vershucts created by Verschlagen Industries, one in Mexico and one in America, where Verschlagen had signed a research agreement with the StrongH.O.L.D. company. Unbeknownst to Hanrasha, his time away from Verschlagen's German facility was affecting his powers due to the lack of the neural cortical enzyme provided by Verschlagen, causing him to lose control of them when angry.

(X-Force I 1999 Annual) - After being mentally conditioned, hardened criminal Ernesto Gallegas was sent in a test battle with V-2, who reduced Gallegas to begging for his life. As the scientists watched and questioned whether her mental conditioning would outweigh her internal morals, V-2 violently broke Gallegas' neck, killing him. A short time later, after Verschlagen Industries had recruited former X-Force members Shatterstar and Rictor to test V-2, former test subject Hanrasha attacked the Mexican Verschlagen Industries facility hoping to free V-2 from their control. As Hanrasha broke into the facility, Shatterstar and Rictor fought against V-2. Their combat test was interrupted by Hanrasha, who took down Rictor before focusing on V-2, whose mental conditioning he attempted to break. When V-2 fought back, Hanrasha was forced to use his powers on her, inadvertently killing her when his powers flared out of his control. Upon hearing that V-2 was Hanrasha's sister, Rictor and Shatterstar opted to aid Hanrasha against the Verschlagen Industries guards and the trio escaped the facility, where Hanrasha explained the Vershucts' history and how he had earlier found two leads to the location of the other Vershucts. When Rictor and Shatterstar learned that Hanrasha's other lead was that Verschlagen had made a research agreement with the American company StrongH.O.L.D., they immediately suspected the involvement of their enemy Martin Henry Strong and the trio rushed to Denver, Colorado, where they confronted Martin Strong and his mutant agents. Having been warned that Shatterstar, Rictor and Hanrasha were on their way to Colorado, Strong's agent Neurotap summoned X-Force to the scene and the mutant group soon arrived to halt Rictor and Shatterstar's attack, explaining that there was more to Strong's involvement that their former teammates realized. Somewhat calming, Hanrasha was then shown V-3 and V-4 and informed by Strong that the Vershucts' powers were killing them due to a dependency on a neural cortical enzyme that had been previously provided by Verschlagen Industries. Without it, the Vershucts would die, forcing Strong to hold V-3 and V-4 in stasis to prevent the withdrawal from breaking down their bodies. Revealing that Hanna Verschlagen had given the Vershucts the enzyme as a means of keeping the Vershucts under her control, Martin further explained that Hanna intended to use the Vershucts as living power batteries, which she would drain to jumpstart her own mutant powers. Upon hearing of Hanna Verschlagen's plot, Rictor and Shatterstar opted to take the fight directly to Hanna, whom Hanrasha revealed was mother to all eight of the Vershucts, but the rest of X-Force expressed a desire to be cautious rather than barge into an attack. Despite Cannonball's attempts to dissuade them, Rictor, Shatterstar, Hanrasha and Strong's agent Neurotap left Strong's facility, bound for Verschlagen's German headquarters. Several hours later, the foursome found themselves captured by Hanna Verschlagen, who intended to replace the deceased V-2 and the two Vershucts held by Martin Strong with Neurotap, Rictor and Shatterstar to continue her plan to empower herself. Uncaring that she had ruined the lives of her own children, Hanna departed to start to procedure of draining their energy into herself. X-Force arrived soon after, busting through the floor and attacking Verschlagen Industries as the eight mutants' powers were drawn into Hanna, who fought back against X-Force using her newfound power. X-Force managed to free Rictor and Shatterstar, who in turn cut the cables connecting the Vershucts to Hanna Verschlagen. With the power unable to return to the Vershucts due to the cables being cut, Hanna Verschlagen's own stolen power consumed her, leaving behind the withered husks that were once the Vershucts. With his last words, Hanrasha remarked that the Vershucts' destiny had ultimately meant something, as their status as living batteries allowed them to stop Hanna before dying. To honor Hanrasha, Shatterstar took his shirt to use as a bandana.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Chris Renaud, Ken Lashley, Rod Ramos, Scott Elmer and Rich Perrotta.

X-Force I 1999 Annual mentions that Hanrasha's father had died attempting to rescue him from Verschiagen Industries in X-Force I#43 but the event actually occurred in X-Force I#42. X-Force I 1999 Annual also seems to alternate refer to Verschlagen Industries as "Verschiagen." Since it was called "Verschlagen Industries" in its first appearance in X-Force I#42 & alternately in X-Force I 1999 Annual, it seems to reason that "Verschlagen" is correct and "Verschiagen" was a text error.

It's unclear whether V-2's powers are the result of the same genetic breeding program that gave Asahi his powers or if they later emerged due to Verschlagen's experimental chemical testing that she apparently volunteered for (according to what a scientist told Shatterstar and Rictor). I personally see it as perhaps she was born a mutant but her powers might not have manifested until she volunteered for experimental testing after Asahi escaped, or perhaps she was already a mutant with unidentified powers and her dermal extensions were the result of extra experimentation.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Vershucts have no known connections to

Herr Frocht has no known connections to
 Ernesto Gallegas has no known connections to
 Hanrasha has no known connections to
 V-2, V-3 and V-4 have no known connections to
 Hanna Verschlagen has no known connections to
 Senor Zellig has no known connections to
Herr Frocht

Herr Frocht was an employee of Verschlagen Industries who directly assisted Hanna Verschlagen. When the father of Vershuct Asahi attacked Verschlagen's German facility in an attempt to free Asahi, Herr Frocht was one of the many agents who fought back, ultimately killing Asahi's father. Herr Frocht later assisted Hanna Verschlagen during her attempt to drain the power of eight mutants into herself to jumpstart her mutant powers.















--X-Force I#42 (X-Force I 1999 Annual,
Ernesto Gallegas

Ernesto Gallegas was a hardened criminal with a record for robbery, assault and drug-trafficking who was paroled and, two weeks later, recruited by Verschlagen Industries to test the combat prowess of the Vershuct known as V-2. Quickly reduced to begging for his life, Ernest was instead violently killed by the Verschlagen-controlled V-2.












--X-Force I 1999 Annual
Hanrasha (Asahi)

Asahi was the first Vershuct produced by Hanna Verschlagen's genetic breeding program. Originally codenamed Vershuct-1 (or V-1), Asahi was held captive by Verschlagen Industries alongside the other Vershucts despite Asahi's father attempting to break into Verschlagen Industries to rescue his son. Ultimately rebelling against Verschlagen Industries, Asahi escaped on his own and took the codename Hanrasha (or "the Rebel"). Quickly taking on the mission to rescue his half-brothers and sisters, Hanrasha gathered information and leads on the other Vershucts' locations, soon making an attempt to rescue his half-sister V-2 from Verschlagen's Mexican facility. Interrupting a combat test between V-2 and the mutants Shatterstar and Rictor, Hanrasha held off the two former X-Force members before being forced to fight back against the mind-controlled V-2, whom Hanrasha accidentally killed while trying to stun her with his powers. Escaping the Mexican facility with Shatterstar and Rictor, Hanrasha revealed his leads and when he mentioned Verschlagen working with Martin Henry Strong, Rictor and Shatterstar recognized the name and the trio rushed to Denver, Colorado to confront Martin Strong. Attacking his StrongH.O.L.D. company, Hanrasha and the two X-Forcers soon learned from Strong that Hanrasha's body was breaking down, causing his powers to flare out of control, due to the neural cortical enzyme dependency forced by his mother Hanna Verschlagen to keep the Vershucts under control. Opting to join Shatterstar, Rictor and Strong's agent Neurotap in confronting Hanna Verschlagen, Hanrasha was captured hours later by Hanna when they attacked Verschlagen's German facility. Having assembled the remaining Vershucts and replaced the missing ones with Rictor, Shatterstar and Neurotap, Hanna Verschlagen activated machinery that drained the lifeforces of Hanrasha and the other captive mutants into herself, activating her own mutant powers. The rest of X-Force interrupted the transfer, freeing Shatterstar and Rictor while battling Hanna. Shatterstar and Rictor, attempting to give the Vershucts dignity in their last moments, cut the cables connecting their power to Hanna. While Hanna was consumed by her own power, the lifeforce stolen was unable to return to the Vershucts due to the cut cables and the Vershucts died. With his last moments of life, Hanrasha admitted that the Vershucts had accepted their destiny as living batteries to Hanna Verschlagen but remarked that their lives had meant something, as they had been able to use that status to stop Hanna. To honor Hanrasha, Shatterstar took his shirt to use as a bandana.

Hanrasha had the ability to generate electrical impulses, which he channeled into throwing needles. When hurled, these needles could transfer the electrical impulses into their victims, rendering them unconscious.

--X-Force I#42 - BTS (X-Force I 1999 Annual,
V-2

V-2 was the second Vershuct produced by Verschlagen Industries' genetic breeding program. After Asahi escaped Verschlagen Industries, V-2 volunteered to become a test subject for Verschlagen and emerged from constant experimentation with the ability to alter the shape of her arms. Following mental conditioning, V-2 was combat tested against several criminals, all of whom did not survive, including hardened criminal Ernesto Gallegas. When Verschlagen hired former X-Force members Rictor and Shatterstar, V-2 battled them until Asahi, now calling himself Hanrasha, broke into Verschlagen's Mexican facility in an attempt to free V-2 from Verschlagen's captivity. Unable to break through V-2's mental conditioning, Hanrasha ultimately had to use his powers against V-2, accidentally killing her despite only intending to stun her.

V-2 possessed the ability to alter the form and shape of her arms, transforming them into various weapons.








--X-Force I 1999 Annual
V-3 & V-4

V-3 and V-4 were the third and fourth Vershucts produced by Verschlagen Industries' genetic breeding program, respectively. As a security measure, V-3 and V-4 were sent into the custody of Martin Henry Strong's StrongH.O.L.D. organization but shortly after, the two Vershucts began to physically deteriorate due to withdrawal of a neural cortical enzyme previously provided by Hanna Verschlagen. In order to protect them from death, Martin Strong had the two Vershucts placed in stasis and X-Force members Rictor and Shatterstar, along with the first Vershuct Hanrasha, stormed StrongH.O.L.D. to free V-3 and V-4. After a brief battle against Strong and his mutant agents, the trio of heroes saw V-3 and V-4 in stasis and soon learned of the enzyme dependency that caused all of the Vershucts to break down.






--X-Force I 1999 Annual
Hanna Verschlagen

Hanna Verschlagen was the head of Verschlagen Industries, a German pharmaceutical company that created biochemicals to enhance physical attributes. Wishing to jumpstart her own latent mutant powers, Hanna devised a plan to absorb the power of mutants into herself but, after being unable to obtain such mutants, Hanna had Verschlagen Industries start a genetic breeding program using herself as the mother. Selectively choosing eight different fathers, Hanna gave birth to eight different mutant children, called the Vershucts, which she quickly assumed control over using a neural cortical enzyme that she forced a dependency on. After her husband died attempting to free Asahi from Verschlagen's German facility and Asahi later escaped on his own, Hanna began combat testing her daughter, codenamed V-2, and had her third and fourth children sent to Martin Henry Strong's StrongH.O.L.D. When X-Force got involved by aiding Hanrasha in his attempts to free the other Vershucts, Hanna rushed the project to activate her mutant powers, capturing Shatterstar, Rictor and Hanrasha to replace the deceased V-2 (who had been accidentally killed by Hanrasha) and V-3 and V-4 (who was still in Strong's custody). Absorbing power from the other Vershucts, Hanrasha, Rictor and Shatterstar, Hanna succeeded in activating her latent mutant powers, becoming a being of energy. X-Force soon arrived and freed Rictor and Shatterstar, reducing Hanna's power levels but she still easily fought X-Force to a standstill. Rictor and Shatterstar ultimately decided to give the Vershucts control over their own fate and cut the cables connecting the Vershucts to Hanna. No longer receiving additional power, which now had nowhere to return to due to the cables being cut, Hanna was consumed by the power excess she had already drained and was killed. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and all of the Vershucts present also died from the lifeforce drain.

Once her powers had activated, Hanna Verschlagen appeared to transform into an energy form. In this form, Hanna could manipulate and project the power of eight mutants.







--X-Force I#42 (X-Force I 1999 Annual,
Senor Zellig

Senor Zellig worked for the Verschlagen Industries Mexico facility and was in charge of reviewing the data from the combat testing simulation that V-2 was ran through. When former X-Force members Rictor and Shatterstar were recruited to combat test V-2, they asked Zellig for more information on V-2 and Zellig claimed that V-2 had volunteered to be biogenetically cultivated with dermal and subcutaneous extensions.









--X-Force I 1999 Annual

images: (without ads)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p36, pan1 (Vershucts hooked up to machinery, main image)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p36, pan2 (Vershucts headshots while hooked to machinery)
 X-Force I#42, p16, pan5 (Herr Frocht)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p1, pan1 (Ernesto Gallegas)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p11, pan3 (Hanrasha)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p13, pan3 (V-2)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p26, pan1 (V-3 & V-4)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p33, pan2 (Hanna Verschlagen)
X-Force I 1999 Annual, p4, pan5 (Senor Zellig)

Appearances:
X-Force I#42 (January, 1995) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Terry Dodson (pencils), Kevin Conrad (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
X-Force I 1999 Annual (1999) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Chris Renaud (pencils), Rod Ramos, Scott Elmer, Rich Perrotta (inks), Jason Liebig (editor)

Last updated: 03/27/17.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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