:Onslaught (Marvel Comics)

The character first appeared in cameo in X-Men: Prime #1 (July 1995), named in Uncanny X-Men #322 and made his first full appearance in X-Men vol. 2, #53 (June 1996) where he was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert.{{cite book |last1=DeFalco |first1=Tom |last2=Sanderson |first2=Peter |last3=Brevoort |first3=Tom |last4=Teitelbaum |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |last6=Darling |first6=Andrew |last7=Forbeck |first7=Matt |last8=Cowsill |first8=Alan |last9=Bray |first9=Adam |title=The Marvel Encyclopedia |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-7890-0 |page=263}} He was written and introduced as a villain that was part of the effect of events in the 1993 "Fatal Attractions" storyline. Onslaught's introduction into X-Men storylines caused its own crossover event across multiple Marvel comic book titles (including Avengers, Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man issues).

Onslaught is a psionic entity created from the subconsciousness of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. During a battle between the X-Men and Magneto's Acolytes, Magneto used his powers to remove the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton. Xavier used his telepathy to shut down Magneto's mind and render him catatonic. During the psionic contact, Magneto's anger, grief, and lust for vengeance entered Xavier's consciousness, mingling with every long-suppressed negative yearnings Xavier had endured during the last 30 years. This result created the being known as Onslaught.

After gaining an independent body, Onslaught possesses Xavier and kidnaps him after being forced to leave his body.Onslaught: X-Men one-shot (August 1996)X-Men Prime one-shot (July 1995) Onslaught also captures Nate Grey, intending to use his power to transform the human race into a collective consciousness.X-Men (vol. 2) #55 (August 1996) Several members of the Avengers and Fantastic Four sacrifice themselves to stop Onslaught by entering his energy field, causing him to be destroyed.Onslaught: Marvel Universe one-shot (October 1996) It is later revealed that the heroes survived, but were transported to a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards and rendered amnesiac.Heroes Reborn: The Return #4 (December 1997)

A five-issue limited series, Onslaught Reborn, was released in 2006 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the "Onslaught" storyline; it is written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Rob Liefeld.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Robert |date=October 25, 2006 |title=REFLECTIONS: Talking With Jeph Loeb |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=8426 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112224646/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=8426 |archive-date=January 12, 2009 |website=CBR}}{{cite news| last = George| first = Richard| title = Onslaught's Assault Begins| publisher = IGN| date = 2006-10-26| url = http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/742/742017p1.html| access-date = 2006-10-26| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070116085419/http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/742/742017p1.html| archive-date = 2007-01-16| url-status = dead}}

After Scarlet Witch removes the powers of most of Earth's mutants, the powers of Charles Xavier and Magneto combine to reform Onslaught, whose consciousness survived after his death. Onslaught swears revenge on Franklin Richards and other heroes, transforming into a monstrous form with a skull-like face. However, he is defeated by Rikki Barnes, who transports herself and Onslaught to the Negative Zone.Onslaught Reborn #1–5 (January 2007-February 2008)

Some time later, Rikki Barnes, now known as Nomad, begins having nightmares set in the jungles of South America. When her teammate Toro is kidnapped, Rikki begins to suspect that her nightmares are something more sinister than she first thought. Later, while investigating Roxxon, the Secret Avengers come across the plans Project Power, a deadly power source developed in Colombia. As the Secret Avengers investigate the facility, Beast and Ant-Man find the source of the energy to be from the Negative Zone. As Rikki races inside the facility to locate Toro, she stumbles into the control room instead.Onslaught Unleashed #1 (April 2011)

Onslaught possesses Rikki and reveals that she is a construct created to act as his host, with the real Rikki having died in the Negative Zone. Rikki has Gravity kill her so that Onslaught cannot return.Onslaught Unleashed #2-3 (May–June 2011)

A clone of Red Skull later exhumes Charles Xavier's corpse and grafts part of his brain onto his own. He gains Xavier's psychic abilities and becomes known as Red Onslaught.Uncanny Avengers #2 (January 2013) Red Onslaught is defeated by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, who attempt to use their magic to invert his mortals, but their efforts backfire, causing everyone present to morally invert from their usual behavior.Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #4 (January 2015) With the Skull reverted to a human body, he is hidden from the Avengers by Edwin Jarvis until Steve Rogers can retrieve him.Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #8 (February 2015) Working with the inverted villains — now referring to themselves as the 'Astonishing Avengers' — and with Brother Voodoo possessing Scarlet Witch, the White Skull is able to undo the inversion.Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #9 (February 2015)

Following the establishment of Krakoa as a mutant nation, Nightcrawler becomes aware that a dark presence is haunting Krakoa, which is dubbed "Patchwork Man". Believing the culprit to be his son Legion, Xavier recruits Nightcrawler to investigate and bring Legion to Krakoa. Nightcrawler rescues Legion from Orchis and learns that the Patchwork Man is Onslaught, who was restored and weaponized by Orchis.Way of X #2 (July 2021) Nightcrawler and Legion embrace Onslaught instead of fighting him, weakening Onslaught and enabling Nightcrawler to kill him.X-Men: The Onslaught Revelation one-shot (November 2021)

Onslaught is a psionic entity with superior physical and mental power; possessing the combined abilities of Professor X and Magneto. He is capable of telepathy, telekinesis, energy projection, sensing mutant presences, manipulating magnetic fields, mind control, flight, mental manipulation, possession, astral projection, perceiving magnetic and electrical energy, absorbing any mutant into his being, and affecting reality itself. Onslaught can also enhance his physical size and strength.

After fully evolving into his own, separate consciousness and having Professor X ripped from him in the Astral Plane, Onslaught evolved into a second, cybernetic form. In this form, thanks to adding the full potential of Franklin Richards and Nate Grey combined, his powers were increased to god-like levels, including the ability to create and reshape matter at will, and apparent omniscience.

When an alternate Phoenix recruits the original X-Men to stop yet another Phoenix who is using its powers to influence its world, they learn that she was from a universe where she and the X-Men stopped Magneto, but not before he killed Professor X. In response, they began using more decisive methods to bring peace between mutants and humankind. While they stopped threats like Ultron and Annihilus, Phoenix also began controlling her allies like Tony Stark, and set her eyes on ways to increase her powers.

After being teleported to Earth-696, the original X-Men initially clashed with their older counterparts, whom they were able to convince to help them stop the Phoenix.

During the battle against the Shadow King (who was possessing Cassandra Nova) in the Secret Wars storyline, Professor X faced Shadow King on the Astral Plane in the form of Onslaught.X-Men '92 #4 (November 2015)

• Onslaught appears as a boss and playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, voiced by Maurice Dean Wint.
• Onslaught appears in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced by Travis Willingham.
• Red Onslaught appears as a boss in Marvel Heroes.
• Onslaught appears as an unlockable playable character in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
• Onslaught appears in Marvel Contest of Champions.
• Onslaught appears as a collectable card in Marvel Snap.{{Cite web |last=Norton |first=Brad |date=November 29, 2023 |title=Every card in Marvel Snap: Complete list of all iconic characters & abilities |url=https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/all-marvel-snap-characters-full-launch-roster-future-cards-1838195/ |access-date=December 4, 2023 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}
• Onslaught was proposed as the main villain in the cancelled X-Men Legends 3.{{Citation |title=What X-MEN LEGENDS 3 Would've Been Had the Series Continued | date=August 17, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icXpyOEgXls |access-date=2024-02-13 |language=en}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Marvelwiki|onslaught|Onslaught}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051030154708/http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/article/showquestion.asp?faq=4&fldAuto=217 In-depth analysis on the creation of Onslaught]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050524141459/http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/time/showquestion.asp?faq=10&fldAuto=63 Article on the Onslaught crossover]

{{Marvel events}}

{{X-Men characters}}

{{Avengers characters}}

{{Fantastic Four}}

{{X-Comics}}

{{Magneto}}

Category:Characters created by Andy Kubert

Category:Characters created by Mark Waid

Category:Characters created by Scott Lobdell

Category:Comics characters introduced in 1996

Category:Fictional characters who can change size

Category:Fictional characters who can levitate

Category:Fictional characters with body or mind control abilities

Category:Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities

Category:Fictional characters with elemental transmutation abilities

Category:Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities

Category:Fictional characters with metal abilities

Category:Fictional empaths

Category:Magneto (Marvel Comics)

Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman senses

Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength

Category:Marvel Comics giants

Category:Marvel Comics male supervillains

Category:Marvel Comics mutants

Category:Marvel Comics psychics

Category:Marvel Comics shapeshifters

Category:Marvel Comics telekinetics

Category:Marvel Comics telepaths

Category:Merged fictional characters