KUHRRA DAÏZONEST

Real Name: Kuhrra Daïzonest

Identity/Class: Human mutant;
   Brazilian citizen

Occupation: Faith healer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Pedrao, other unidentified attendants and security, unidentified gang members

Enemies: Andre Mexer, Wolverine (Logan/James Howlett)

Known Relatives: None (see comments)

Aliases: He Who Knows

Base of Operations: Mansion in the Sercipe Heights, Fortaleza, Brazil

 First Appearance: Wolverine: Saudade (2006)

Powers/Abilities: Kuhrra could reach into a person's body as if it were made of liquid and shift or pull out tumors, organs or muscles. He could sense tumors and cancers as "nexuses of negative energies" in order to remove them while leaving surrounding tissue undamaged. He could seal wounds inflicted on himself with a touch, but it is unrevealed whether he could do the same to others, and if he could there were limits, as one of the gang members who worked for him in return for healing services was wearing an eye patch, the apparently missing eye suggesting Kuhrra could not fix that injury. Kuhrra had limited energy for his powers, but could apparently replenish it by extracting some energy/ essence from other people, likely from their brains, as when he touched Mexer's temples, energy flared and Mexer was left brain damaged; this injury was not caused by Kuhrra physically reaching into the brain since his fingers did not enter the skull. He could apparently reach through bone and clothing as easily as flesh, but not through metals, as he expected to be able to access Wolverine's heart through his foe's rib cage, but was stymied because Wolverine's skeleton was covered in Adamantium.

   Kuhrra was also apparently at least slightly telepathic, as he was able to project the information about where the kidnapped Mexer had been sent directly into Wolverine's mind.

   Kuhrra was a decent fighter who may have known some martial arts, perhaps capoiera, as he was skilled enough to dodge several of Wolverine's strikes and performed powerful kicks against his opponent.

Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

 History:
(
Wolverine: Saudade (fb) - BTS) - Kuhrra Daïzonest was a mutant able to manipulate flesh by touch. Believing God had given him this mutant power, he used his ability to become a faith healer, removing tumors and cancers from customers, which he could sense as "nexuses of negative energy" within them. Medical authorities did not recognize his methods, but despite this he built up a powerful reputation and would have a long line of applicants waiting outside his mansion night and day to request his services. He did not officially charge them, instead having them give "donations" in sealed envelopes. However, he apparently needed to recharge himself by taking lifeforce from others (see comments), burning out their minds. To facilitate this he had a local gang kidnap street kids from time to time, paying these thugs by healing their loved ones. Viewing his victims as corrupt, he justified what he was doing by telling them he was forgiving their sins as they gave their lives so he could cure his patients, and by leaving them severely brain damaged he was taking away their tortured souls, making them better servants of God. He would then sell the almost mindless husks of his victims to the bosses of the Serra Pelada gold mines.

   For unrevealed reasons, Kuhrra was connected to a young mutant street kid, Andre Mexer, and when Mexer's psionic powers developed, every time the boy used them, Kuhrra suffered the sudden onset of an intense, debilitating head pain. He was apparently aware that another mutant was the cause of this pain, though it remains unrevealed whether he knew it was specifically Mexer.

   Meanwhile Kuhrra and Mexer's powers registered as an anomaly on the mutant detection device Cerebro at Xavier's School for Gifted Children in New York State; since one of the X-Men, Wolverine, was already in the area on vacation, Xavier called him to ask him to investigate.

(Wolverine: Saudade) - Kuhrra was greeting the latest in a long line of people waiting outside his mansion to ask for his services and had just asked her to place the envelope containing her donation in a bowl in front of him when he was struck down by another head pain. His attendants showed the applicant out and obeyed Kuhrra's orders to take him to his bed. Slowly recovering, Kuhrra angrily declared that "he" had used his powers again, and ordered his men to find him the mutant in question.

(Wolverine: Saudade - BTS) - The attendants passed on Kuhrra's instructions to the gang they used for kidnappings, and the next morning they snatched Mexer (see comments); when Mexer's new friend Wolverine tried to stop them, the gang gunned him down and some then dropped him into the ocean, believing they had slain him, while the others delivered their prize to Kuhrra's mansion. 

(Wolverine: Saudade) - Kuhrra removed a tumor from a woman's stomach, informing her that his mortal hands were guided by God himself. He told his patient's husband that his wife was cured, but there would be a little pain. Adding that she should avoid walking, he asked the couple if they had a car, and when they confirmed they did not, he instructed his assistant Pedrao to have them driven to the train station. Once the couple left, Pedrao asked Kuhrra if he wanted to see the next "penitent," but the healer told him to instead bring him the "most corrupt," Mexer. Two of Kuhrra's men soon dragged Mexer into the room, and Kuhrra informed the bound boy that he should thank him for what was about to occur. Mexer responded by headbutting Kuhrra on the nose and making a run for it, but was intercepted at the door by Pedrao, who handed him back to Kuhrra. Stating that the boy was "bathed in the blood of the lamb," Kuhrra grasped either side of Mexer's head while informing him that he could serve God by helping Kuhrra comfort his penitents. Asking his victim what better future could he have than this service, Kuhrra began draining energy from the boy.

(Wolverine: Saudade - BTS) - Having left Mexer brain damaged to the point of being almost an automaton, Kuhrra sold the boy to the mines.

(Wolverine: Saudade) - Having survived being shot and drowned, Wolverine tracked down one of the kidnappers and from him learned of Kuhrra. That night he attacked Kuhrra's mansion, hoping to rescue Mexer, crashing a car through the gates at the entrance to the mansion's grounds. The commotion woke Kuhrra, who went outside to see what was happening. Seeing his penitents trying to restrain the invading mutant, Kuhrra ordered them to release the intruder, confident in his own ability to deal with him. Racing at Kuhrra, Wolverine demanded he hand over Mexer, but Kuhrra responded that the "deviant sinner child" was beyond his reach as he kicked Wolverine in the face, then added that the boy was happy and with his God as he reached into Wolverine's right forearm and pulled out some of the muscles. Cutting his own arm open with his claws, Wolverine reinserted the muscle and let his mutant healing factor repair the damage.

  Attacking again, Wolverine stated that even though Kuhrra's powers had lit up Cerebro he wasn't impressed, and though Kuhrra dodged the first slice of Wolverine's claws, a second strike moments later cut the healer's cheek. Angrily, he closed the wounds with his powers, stating that it wasn't a power but a gift from God to save the righteous and punish the ungodly, simultaneously kicking Wolverine off balance while yanking muscles out of his opponent's left leg. As Wolverine collapsed to the ground and tried to reinsert the muscles again, Kuhrra taunted him that his friend now had the honor to serve God, and ripped more muscles loose from Wolverine's right shoulder, stating he was going to take away Wolverine's tortured soul too. Telling Kuhrra he talked too much, Wolverine stabbed his claws through his assailant's left arm, causing Kuhrra to pull back in agony.

  As he healed himself once more, Kuhrra stated he had been prepared to be merciful, but now he intended to make Wolverine suffer like the damned, and with Wolverine still unable to stand Kuhrra used both hands to tear free large chunks of Wolverine's back muscles, then flipped his victim over and plunged his hand into Wolverine's chest, intending to rip out his heart. However, to Kuhrra's shock, only the tips of his fingers penetrated, stopped from going any deeper by Wolverine's metal skeleton. Before Kuhrra could recover from his surprise, Wolverine impaled Kuhrra through the chest. With Kuhrra desperately healing at the injury to stave off dying, Wolverine struggled to his feet, lifting up Kuhrra on the claws as he did so. Pointing out while Kuhrra might be able to heal himself as fast as the claws were cutting into him, it was using up all his already dwindling energy, Wolverine offered to cut him a deal if he said where Mexer was. Kuhrra hastily did so, but Wolverine didn't withdraw his claws, listening impassively as Kuhrra tried to beg to be released. His energies depleted, Kuhrra's powers switched off, and without him constantly healing the damage caused by Wolverine's continuing impalement, Kuhrra died. Dropping the murderous healer's bloody corpse on the ground in the middle of Kuhrra's stunned penitents, Wolverine staggered off to rescue Mexer from the mines. 

Comments: Created by Jean-David Moran and Philippe Bouchet.

    No explanation is ever given why Mexer using his power caused pain to Kuhrra. The only other example I can think of where one mutant's power was linked to another like this was Havok and the Living Monolith, and that connection was created by the former's DNA grafted into the latter's. Other examples of linked powers, but not detrimental ones, tends to be related mutants who are either immune to one another's powers or who need physical contact for their powers to work. All of which suggests Mexer and Kuhrra might have similar DNA. Mexer was a street kid whose mother was clearly unmarried (given her young age) - maybe Kuhrra was his father? Kuhrra definitely knew that he and Mexer shared a connection, seemingly before Mexer actually met him, but it's unclear whether he knew the boy's identity before the gang told him. When he told his attendants to get the individual who had been causing him pain, he only said to "find that mutant." If he'd known Mexer's name, you'd think he'd have told them to "find Mexer." The gang that snatched Mexer had a run in with the boy prior to receiving Kuhrra's order and so knew of his powers, so they could have figured out he was probably the person Kuhrra wanted that way, though they seemed surprisingly sure it was him and not, for example, Wolverine, that Kuhrra was after.

   Though we only see him burn out Mexer, it's clear from various parts of the story that the boy is far from Kuhrra's only victim. The gang leader who snatched Mexer states that Kuhrra "sometimes asks us to find a particular parasite" so Mexer wasn't the first. Since the others are very unlikely to all have been mutants whose powers somehow interfered with Kuhrra and since Kuhrra tells that his sacrifice will help Kuhrra comfort his penitents, it seems that Kuhrra needs to take something from these kidnapped "parasites" to maintain his own powers. The cell phone trophies the gang leader keeps from victims may not all be from people he snatched for Kuhrra, but some likely were. And though we're not told explicitly that Kuhrra sells all his brain damaged victims to the mines, it seems unlikely that if there have been multiple victims that Mexer was the only one subsequently sold into slavery.

   This profile was completed 09/27/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Kuhrra Daïzonest has no known connections to:


Pedrao

  

Pedrao was one of Kuhrra's staff, seemingly a direct assistant to the healer. Kuhrra instructed him to drive a patient and her husband to the train station after treatment and then had Pedrao bring the kidnapped Mexer to him. When the boy tried to escape, Pedrao intercepted him and handed him back to Kuhrra, then watched impassively as Kuhrra drained the boy, leaving Mexer brain damaged. 

  

--Wolverine: Saudade

 


images: (without ads)
Wolverine: Saudade, p28, pan5 (main image)
Wolverine: Saudade, p39, pan7 (headshot)
Wolverine: Saudade, p30, pan5-6 (draining Mexer)
Wolverine: Saudade, p36, pan7 (kicking Wolverine)
Wolverine: Saudade, p36, pan8-9 (reaching into Wolverine's arm, ripping out muscles)
Wolverine: Saudade, p30, pan8  (being impaled)
Wolverine: Saudade, p30, pan2 (Pedrao)


Appearances:
Wolverine: Saudade (2006) - Jean-David Moran (writer), Philippe Bouchet (art), Olivier Jalabert (editor)


First Posted: 09/28/2021
Last updated:
09/27/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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