MULTIPLE MAN: Legion of One

"Maybe in the end, what makes heroes into heroes...is that we're just too stupid to quit and as result, even in the face of total defeat...we occasionally luck into a win." --MULTIPLE MAN

Comic Book History

Who is MULTIPLE MAN?
MULTIPLE MAN is James Arthur "Jamie" MADROX, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. He was created by writer Len Wein with script from Chris Claremont and art by John Buscema, he first appeared in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 (February 1975). MULTIPLE MAN is a mutant with the ability to create instant duplicates of himself, MADROX was largely a minor or supporting character until his appearance in the 1987 miniseries Fallen Angels.
First Appearance

Jamie MADROX was born to a family living near the Los Alamos research facility in New Mexico; the background radiation may have stimulated his mutation. When Jamie was born, the doctor's slap causes him to multiply into two identical babies. Professor Xavier, a good friend of the MADROX family, suggests that they move to Kansas to raise the boy in privacy.

Jamie's father, Dr. Daniel MADROX, created a suit for his son to wear, which is designed to absorb kinetic energy, the source of Jamie's duplication.
MULTIPLE MAN's special suit

MULTIPLE MAN was first invited to join the X-Men but he declined but he became a member of X-Factor, a government funded mutant team assembled by Val Cooper. Here, he develops a reputation as a prankster.

MULTIPLE MAN is then exposed to the Legacy Virus while performing CPR on an infected Genoshan mutate. Jamie's health continues to deteriorate due to the Legacy Virus. An attempted cure by Haven leaves him dead.

It would be years later that MULTIPLE MAN was revealed alive. He would have a brief stint with X-Corporation, a search and rescue organization for mutants. After the fall of the X-Corporation, MADROX begins working as a private detective in the "Mutant Town" area of New York, along with former X-Factor teammates Wolfsbane and Strong Guy.

By this time, MULTIPLE MAN just goes by his name MADROX. He has been exploring the use of his power, by sending out his duplicates to lead lives of their own. He has developed his powers to such an extent that any dupe who gains sufficient skills can pass its knowledge on to Jamie, giving him a wide variety of training instantly. The side effect of excessive withdrawal from absorbing the duplicates leads him to gain their new personalities as well, which gives him a form of multiple personality disorder, in which any new dupes may spontaneously generate any individual personality aspect of Jamie Prime, making them unpredictable, as they more often than not disobey his orders or manifest as personalities that are too volatile or meek.

Another complication of MADROX's powers is discovering his duplicates having relationships with a couple of his teammates that when he reabsorbs these duplicates, he incurred the wrath of both women.

During Marvel's "Civil War", a duplicate of MADROX that he created a few years ago eventually becomes agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.; and became an enforcer of the Superhuman Registration Act. However, the true Jamie and X-Factor stand opposed to the legislation, going so far as to make a public statement regarding their position, leading Jamie to go in direct opposition to the neutral stance taken by X-Men leader Cyclops.

MADROX continues to have adventures with his X-Factor Investigations.

ANIMATED APPEARANCES
X-Men: The Animated series
MULTIPLE MAN appeared in the episode "Cold Comfort" in the X-Men Animated Series, he was a member of X-Factor led by Havok and Forge. He encountered the X-Men when they where in search of the missing Lorna Dane aka Polaris who was actually a teammate. Forge ordered them to attack, thinking a "friendly" battle would be good for the fledgling superheroes. During the battle, MULTIPLE MAN fought Wolverine.

X-Men: Evolution
Jamie MADROX, aka Multiple, was the youngest member of the New Mutants. Jamie was very fun loving and carefree. He shared a close friendship with Wolfsbane, who helped him in his homework. He may have had a crush on Kitty, who took him to a concert when nobody else was available.

Wolverine and the X-Men
MULTIPLE MAN appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men episode "eXcessive Force", in this universe he is one of many mutants who work for Mister Sinister. The only time he has appeared in this universe is when he was battling Cyclops, before eventually being subdued by the remainder of the X-Men.

LIVE MEDIA APPEARANCE
ERIC DANE
In X-MEN 3 : The Last Stand, James MADROX is a mutant with the ability to create duplicates of himself. He was imprisoned for robbing seven banks at the same time. He was freed from captivity and recruited into the Brotherhood of Mutants. He served as a decoy, duplicating himself to appear as several people in order to trick government satellite surveillance. The rest of the Brotherhood escaped. MADROX was arrested by U.S Army troops.

POWERS & ABILITIES
Note: Due to the nature of comicbooks being an on-going tale, the character's powers along with his appearance, is in a constant state of flux.

MADROX is a Changeling, a subgroup of mutants whose powers manifest at birth instead of during puberty. MADROX's powers include:

Kinetic Duplication: Jamie MADROX creates an identical physical living duplicate of himself upon any physical impact, possibly via extra-dimensional mass acquisition. This process is spontaneous and cannot be prevented by MADROX. Although he can create multiple duplicates, and the duplicates themselves can replicate, each is only able to create one duplicate at a time; he has been seen to produce around forty duplicates before no more would be created.

Duplication Absorption: The original MADROX can absorb them back into himself at will, at the same time absorbing the memories, skills and experiences of the duplicate. The only limit to this power is he cannot absorb a dead dupe.

Duplication Experience Transference: MADROX merges back, he retains memories, knowledge, and experiences of the dupe. MADROX does not have to absorb his duplicates to absorb information from them, he automatically absorbs information from any of his dupes if it kills itself.

Duplication Healing: He also uses merging as a form of healing. The core MADROX can reabsorb injured or even near-dead dupes without taking on any of their physical injuries at all.

Abilities
MADROX have acquired extensive knowledge and skills via his duplicates' experiences, such as human anatomy, speaking Russian, and Shaolin monk stealth techniques. He also has hand-to-hand combat training, learned as part of X-Factor and from a dupe who studied martial arts. MADROX is a certified lawyer, has medical training, and training as a gymnast, and can pick locks.

Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Madrox : http://marvel.wikia.com/Multiple_Man : http://marvel.wikia.com/James_Madrox_(Earth-616) : http://marvel.wikia.com/Category:James_Madrox_(Earth-616)/Quotes : http://www.comicvine.com/madrox/29-7910/

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6/14/2011
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