Take Two! |
"Look! There I am! Get me!" |
According to Marvel comics (www.marveluniverse.com), and info Jinjue got for me from the handbook, Jamie was born with the name James Arthur Madrox to his parents, Daniel and Joan Madrox, who were both researchers working at the Los Alamos Research Center in New Mexico. Marvel says that they were exposed to enough "specific radiation to produce subtle alterations in their genetic material. Thus, their son was born a mutant."
Now, this tells me that he's not a normal mutant--one with an X gene--but rather a made mutant, like the Fantastic Four or Spider-Man. But others don't agree and say instead that it just activated his otherwise benign mutant abilities. HA! It's my archive, and I'm creating the history, therefore he's not a normal mutant!
Anyway, Jamie was born, slapped on the ass, and multiplied. Poor dupe probably fell on his head . . . they apparently merged back together within a few moments. (Maybe they BOTH fell on their heads and merged together on the floor. Really, could you imagine the poor doctor's reaction? 'It's a boy! ...it's twins? *faint*')
The Madrox family, understandably shaken after being told their child was twins and then that one ate the other ("there will be no canibalism in this family, young man!") (okay, that's probably not why his parents were shaken...) called Professor X and on his say moved to a farm in the middle of Kansas where they could slap Jamie with corn whenever he tried to duplicate.
Or something like that.
Dr. Madrox--we don't know which--created an ugly green suit, figuring that any dupes that were created would be so horrified by what they were wearing they would reabsorb themselves into Jamie. That, and it insulated him from the "kinetic forces over the critical threshold point which caused replication." My theory is more fun.
Other than having to wear the same clothes constantly (and boy, I bet that got stinky!), Jamie wasn't aware that he was different from other kids--he never duplicated, and no one ever bothered to tell him he was a mutant. (I'm thinking Jamie wasn't the brightest bulb in the lamp. I mean, if you have to wear this ugly green suit ALL THE TIME and no one else does, don't you think you'd be tipped off?)
At some point between them moving to Kanasas and, well, after they moved to Kansas, they apparently moved back to New Mexico. Guess the competion from Smallville was too much for Jamie's budding heroism.
When Jamie was fifteen, his parents were killed in a tornado. Poor kid. His suit was torn, and--whoops!--he was suddenly nude!
. . . What?! It could have happened that way! Okay, no, he was making dupes. Jamie and his dupes lived in a sort of commune until he lost his mind. Something about his suit malfunctioning, and so he went into town (the drive from New Mex to New York isn't that long. Apparently, even a losing-his-mind-and-freaking-out young mutant can make it) and was wreaking havoc when the Fantastic Four came and picked him up. They were going to keep him as maid service, but Professor X--what? No? Okay. They called the Professor and he suggested sending Jamie to Moira MacTaggart, on Muir Island. He spent the next little while helping Moira with lab stuff while periodically telling the X-Men that no, he didn't want to have a sex change and join them. (Old joke, I know. It still makes me giggle.)
At some point, one of Jamie's dupes got loose, unbeknownst to him, and went and had fun with the Fallen Angels, even dating Siryn. Then it scurried away to unknown places.
Back on Muir, Jamie had some adventures as well, and eventually ended up joining the second X-Factor, led by Alex "Havoc" Summers. Where he was promptly accused of not being the Real Jamie when the escaped dupe showed up. Everyone believed the dupe, because Moira knew about Jamie's supposed involvement with the Fallen Angels, and Jamie Prime didn't. The dupe reabsorbed Jamie, and then Jamie reabsorbed the dupe from the inside out.
Ew.
Now, Marvel gets screwy.
See, in the comic he started getting depressed and sickly. Then he exposed himself to the Legacy Virus. Then he got more depressed and sickly. Then they decided he had Legacy, and he went to a cult leader for help, and instead of healing him she accidentally killed him.
But it's all okay, because Jamie was actually the third Summers' brother! . . . Or not. See, Jamie came back to life. Marvel says (Warning: Marvel insanity ahead) that when Jamie exposed himself to the Legacy Virus, he had two dupes that he never re-absorbed from that day forth, so one of them was healthy and when he died, his mind was just transfered to another body.
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Anyway, he died.
Then he came back! Woo! He couldn't remember anything, though--dying is traumatic!--but he started to remember bits and pieces, such as where he lived, and he wandered D.C. (that would be Washington, not the DC with Metropolis and Gotham) aimlessly for a while before a Secret Government Agency *doo doo doo!* (I feel that needs to be capitalized and 'doo doo doo'ed to) found him and took him in, creating the perfect one man army. Go, Jamie! Then he remembered everything, including X-Factor, but the Secret Government Agency *doo doo doo!* wouldn't let him see them. So Havoc (who at that time was pretending to be Eeeviiill) released him, and Jamie went AWOL. The Secret Government Agency *doo doo doo!* wanted him back, so, Government Morons that they were, they decided it made sense to send X-Factor after him, and just not mention who it was they were trying to apprehend.
Because there are so many people who can duplicate themselves. Yesss.
Well, see, X-Factor realized it was him when they went, "Hey! That's Jamie!" So instead of turning him in, they disguised Mystique as him (not hard...) and turned her in, letting him go. Mystique likely laughed at all of the Secret Government Agents *doo doo doo!* later. She might even have done a little "You're all morons" dance. A butt wiggle, even. I wouldn't put it past her.
Jamie told Havoc and X-Factor that if they ever needed him they should just call. So far, they haven't. And then X-Factor was cancelled. Le sigh.
Then Jamie was beaten to death. Only, not, because the guy who can stay alive as long as he has a dupe alive, and who creates dupes by getting hit, and always can create 39 dupes so that if one dies another can appear? Can't exactly be beaten to death.
Besides! Jamie's the third Summers' brother, remember? (Dude. I will so love someone if they write a fic where Jamie is the missing third Summers brother. Really. That would crack me up.)
So. After not getting beaten to death, Jamie went to Paris and joined X-Corps. He hung out there for a while as a security dude, but when someone managed to sneak in by disguising himself as a dupe, Jamie decided maybe he wasn't cut out for security. So he headed to Chicago to become a private eye. Enter the Madrox Limited Series! Which everyone should go buy. Go. Now. I'll still be here when you get back.
C'mon, guys. It's even in trade form!
Okay. But I expect you to buy it later.
So Jamie became a PI, and he and Guido hooked up again (in a platonic way) and Rahne came to visit, and there was much goodness in the land of Jamies. Also in the LS, Jamie learns that his dupes are getting more and more bizzare. They're manifesting as different aspects of him, and even if he has a random thought that isn't like him as he creates a dupe, it might truly believe that. One is even gay. This makes me laugh. A lot.
Recently (as of November of 2005) they ('they' being the Powers That Be at Marvel) have opened up a new X-comic--X-Factor! Wherein Jamie (Our Intrepid Hero) has continued his PI business, recruiting a newly de-powered Rictor (WOOT!), M, and keeping on Rahne and Guido. Awwwww. X-Factor is written by Peter David, He Who Wrote Wunnerful Jamie In X-Factor Before It Was About Jamie, and it very, very funny. Go. Get it. I'll wait.
Geez, you people never take me seriously. Okay, but I expect you to get it later, too. When you pick up the Madrox LS. *looks stern*
And now, for the Really Important Question:
Is Jamie Gay?
Well then. *cough* Thanks, Magnetic, for the pic! I suppose you could say he looks interested in the lady. But, ah, nice rainbow swimbriefs, Jamie...
Anyway.
Only if you're me, and only when I'm writing Water Lines. Though he does have a gay dupe. Heh.
Really, he's not gay. And he's probably older than I make him in Water Lines, too (Actually, I got an e-mail from Jinjue who told me that, until Rahne joined, Jamie was the younest member of X-Factor; apparently, my age isn't too far off!). But I needed him gay and young. Ah, the power of a writer...
But, now, lets look at the facts: He was nearly in love with that flute-y girl whose name I can never remember (Jinjue also told me the flute-y girl's name was Rachel Argosy. We like Jinjue.).
More Jinjue info! Jamie had a fling with Siryn when they were both living at Muir, or, rather, Siryn had a fling with the Evil Jamie Dupe. Also, during the Fallen Angels mini-series all the girls were very into Jamie. (Can you blame them? I would be very into Jamie!) Boom Boom (now Meltdown, and boy, anything would be an improvement over 'Boom Boom') apparently even suggested she keep a dupe. Share the wealth and all. ;-D
Of course, he wasn't into all these girls... but then, he was with Siryn. Still. That could be construed as gay. *grins*
But he's not really written gay. I don't think. I changed it so I could write Water Lines, 'cause it was Poi's birthday and we were all into slash and also we both loved Jamie. Ha.
"But JB!" I hear you cry, "I want to write him gay!" Well, then, you can say that the only reason he liked Flute-y Girl was because her POWER was to make people happy through her music, and point out the fact that he didn't act interested in all those other girls in Fallen Angels, and it was his evil DUPE that was having a fling with Siryn. In fact, he avoided Rahne when she hit on him. But, then, I'd avoid Rahne too. Even if I were bi. And in the Marvel Universe. And had the chance to meet Rahne.
*cough*
So, there's your evidence one way and the other. If you know anymore more about Jamie, let me know!
Stats:
Height: 5'11
Eye Color: Blue. (This was stated below a picture of him with brown eyes. And sometimes they're even green.)
Hair Color: ...apparently Marvel says it's blond... *shakes head and sighs*
Weight: 155 pounds
First Appearance and Origin: Giant Size Fantastic Four, #4
Silly Factoid:
The number of times Jamie's been killed? At least 5, including his dupes getting killed.
...cool? You're one weird cat, James.