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Havok (Alex Summers) debuted in 1969's X-Men
vol 1 #54. At that point, he was simply introduced out
of nowhere as Cyclops' previously unmentioned younger brother.
Unfortunately for later writers, in the late sixties Marvel
were still toying with the idea of real time, so Alex was just
graduating university when he was introduced - even though his
older brother was apparently only just out of school.
Whoops. No real attempt has ever been made to explain
this, although the original X-Men Index concludes that
Alex must have been a child prodigy (something which isn't
really apparent from his behaviour, but there you go).
Alex goes on to become Havok in X-Men
vol 1 #58, when he's given his costume, and then hangs around
with the X-Men for a while before officially joining at some
point during the reprint era of the early seventies.
Remarkably little has been done to flesh out his back story;
his history consists of some flashbacks he shares with Scott,
and the Flashback Month issue of X-Factor.
UNCANNY X-MEN #156, p10pn4 to p11pn1
(flashback)
Young Alex Summers is with his family (father
Christopher, mother Katherine Ann and older brother Alex)
aboard their Dehaviland Mosquito aircraft, returning home from
a camping trip in Alaska. They are "following the coast,
south of Cape Yatakaga." According to issue #144, Scott
is 10 at this point, and Alex is 6. A Shi'ar spacecraft
approaches and opens fire. A near-miss sets light to the
wooden aircraft. [Essentially the same sequence of
events has been covered in three flashbacks. Uncanny
X-Men #156 has Corsair's point of view. Uncanny
X-Men #144 has Cyclops's. X-Factor vol 1 #115
has Havok's.]
UNCANNY X-MEN #144, p11pn6 to p12pn1
(flashback)
While Christopher wrestles with the controls, Katherine
Ann struggles to get Scott and Alex into the only available
parachute. The Mosquito takes another hit and the cabin
fills with smoke. Katherine Anne gets Scott and Alex
ready to jump...
UNCANNY X-MEN #156, p11pn2 (flashback)
...and they jump from the plane.
X-MEN vol 1 #114, page 13 panel 1
(flashback)
A hallucinatory flashback by Scott, showing Scott and Alex
falling without the parachute inflated, and the Mosquito
burning in the background. This was the first mention of
the aircraft sequence, although for all practical purposes,
it's since been swallowed up by later stories.
UNCANNY X-MEN #144, page 12 panels 2-5
(flashback)
The Mosquito "blows up" (or at least has some sort of
explosion, since this doesn't quite match the sequence of
events in issue #156's flashback). Scott and Alex's
parachute inflates, but promptly catches fire.
X-MEN vol 2 #18,
page 16 panel 3 (flashback)
As the parachute falls, Scott tells Alex to hang on.
X-FACTOR vol 1 #115, page 3 (flashback)
Alex clings on to Scott as they fall towards the ground.
While Scott is hospitalised and imprisoned
by Mr Sinister, Alex is adopted by the Blandings family
(father Andrew, daughter Haley, and an unnamed mother), who
see Alex as a replacement for their dead son Todd.
X-FACTOR #-1.
Alex is now 13. Mr Sinister encourages Todd's
murderer Vincent to harass the Blandings, hoping to trigger
Alex's mutant powers. Ultimately Alex uses his powers
for the first time to kill Vincent, and save his adoptive
parents. Sinister wipes his memory of the events.
Alex goes to university, and at some point
resumes contact with Scott.
X-MEN vol
1 #54
Alex graduates and meets the X-Men for the first time.
Written: 6 May 2005
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