Maggott
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| Maggott | |
 Maggott Art by Terry Dodson |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Uncanny X-Men #345 |
| Created by | Scott Lobdell Joe Madureira |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Japheth |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | X-Men Generation X |
| Abilities | Slug-based digestive system, Psychometry |
Maggott (Japheth), is a Marvel Comics superhero who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #345 (June 1997).
A flamboyant South African mutant who spoke in exaggerated Afrikaans slang, Maggott was advertised as one of the strangest X-Men. His digestive system took the form of two slugs which could eat through practically any substance. After feeding, the slugs reentered Maggott's abdomen and passed nourishment into him, giving him incredible power.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Maggott was first seen as a mysterious mutant who is searching out the X-Men’s adversary Magneto for an unknown reason.[1] His search led to Antarctica where Magneto was holding the X-Men captive. Maggott then joined up with the team and returned with them to their Westchester, New York headquarters.
For a short period of time, Maggott believed his companions were going off on their own and killing innocent people. He even tried to turn himself over to the police before being stopped by the X-Men. His companions turned out to be innocent, as the people had been slain by a faction of N'Garai. These entities are a demonic-type race that the X-Men had faced many times, mainly because a regenerating magical portal lies deep in the woods on the mansion's grounds. A matter which was never resolved was why Maggott's slugs were seemingly related to the N'Garai.
Maggott later was tempted by the entity Shadow King with promises of a better life in exchange for his loyalty. He managed to resist the villain.
At first, he kept his past to himself, but Maggott eventually revealed his origin to Wolverine.[2] Maggott had been born a sickly child in Apartheid-era South Africa and was named Japheth. He was always very ill and he could not digest solid food. Feeling himself to be a burden on his family, he ran away from home with his younger brother. Having left home, hoping to die, he was found by Magneto who released the slugs from his body and revealed to Japheth his mutant power. This turned his skin blue for the first time, and he named the slugs Eany and Meany. Compassionate at heart, Japeth immediately rejected Magneto's philosophy and his offer to join him after he shortly witnessed later the Master of Magnetism brutally massacre numerous white South African soldiers who were engaged in racist atrocities against black South African civilians( despite the fact that one of these civilians was Japeth's eldest brother who died in the violence ). In spite of this, he later sought out Magneto when he got older, for help in easing the pain caused by his unique mutation. After the then-current roster of the team parted ways, the X-Man Beast suggested Maggott transfer to the junior team Generation X, but his tenure there lasted only one issue and afterwards he fell out of sight.
Maggott reappeared as an inmate at "Neverland", a concentration camp run by the covert government program Weapon X. Along with a number of other mutants, he was exterminated there.[3] One of his slugs, which he gave away to two children at the camp after foreseeing his death (thanks to his psychometric powers) at the camp, was last seen in a container in Mr. Sinister's laboratory.
[edit] Powers and abilities
- Digestive system replaced by a hollow cavity that houses a pair of semi-sentient slugs called Eany and Meany who bore their way out of his torso and then use powerful enzymes to chew and digest any solid object in their path, transmitting food energy back to their host to supercharge his physical strength, stamina, and sturdiness while turning his skin blue, but the slugs must reenter through his belly and release their storage internally to feed his body properly.
- Unexplained psychometric power enables him to draw psychic imprints from his environment, replaying in his mind's-eye events which once took place in his general vicinity.
