Jesus Christ- and this is BRUBAKER.
KORVUS (Korvus Rook'shir)
Created By: Ed Brubaker & Billy Tan
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #478 (Sept. 2006)
Role: Cloud Rip-Off, Bad-Ass Sword Guy
Group Affiliations: The Starjammers, The Shi’ar Empire
PL 10 (159)
STRENGTH 6
STAMINA 6
AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 9
DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2
AWARENESS 2
PRESENCE 2
Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+11)
Expertise (Science) 5 (+7)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Energy Blasts) 2 (+10)
Technology 10 (+12)
Vehicles 5 (+8)
Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Equipment (Body Armour +1), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Phoenix Blade), Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Startle, Takedown
Powers:
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"The Phoenix Blade" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted 2- Only Rook'shir Descendants, Unbreakable) [30]
Cosmic Blast 10 (Feats: Penetrating 8) (28) -- (29)
- AE: “Sword Slash” Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical 3, Penetrating 10) (17)
Flight 7 (250 mph) (14)
-- (43 points)
Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Blade +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Cosmic Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +5
Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +6 (+7 Armour), Fortitude +8, Will +7
Complications:
Responsibility (Loves Rachel Grey)
Reputation (Descendant of Rook'shir, a Shi'Ar Phoenix)
Total: Abilities: 70 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 31 / Defenses: 17 (159)
-Korvus was introduced as the descendant of a Shi'ar wielder of the Phoenix Force, a guy whom the Imperial Guard was formed to defeat. Rather than the generic Telepath/Telekinetic set we usually get, he's got a big-ass Sword of Might. Not an... awful idea I guess, but he REEEAALLLY comes across as dated and '90s (despite being a mere baby of a character at a couple years old in our time), and a GIGANTIC rip-off of Cloud from
Final Fantasy VII (same colour scheme, same armor, same sword... I mean, c'mon Brubaker, that game is like twelve years old or something). And it's kinda funny to read
War of Kings, heavily featuring the Starjammers, and watch him do absolutely nothing (despite his “New Character Stink” debut featuring him kicking all the X-Men’s asses at once). Kind of a loser character. And I have to reiterate- the most damning thing about the X-Men's entire franchise is that writers as good as ED BRUBAKER AND MATT FRACTION could not help but write utter crap while working on them. What is UP with that?!?
-In any case, Korvus is descended from a Shi'ar who once wielded the power of the Phoenix- something that terrifies his race. A giant blade called "The Blade of the Phoenix" was used to devastate the Shi'ar Empire until the Imperial Guard was formed to stop him. But a fraction of his power remained within the blade, which could only be lifted by one of his descendants- the Shi'ar then went on to try and wipe out the entire Rook'shir line. The entire line was killed, save Korvus, who was kept as a slave and prisoner. He was finally freed with the promise that he would hunt down another Phoenix-wielder, Rachel Summers, who had arrived alongside the X-Men in order to fight the new emperor, Vulcan. Easily Mary-Sueing his way through the X-Men, he attempted to kill Rachel, but when she touched the Blade, their minds and souls were linked- the resulting connection formed a close bond, and he allied with the X-Men against his Shi'ar masters.
-Korvus & Rachel quickly formed a relationship, but she soon left him, feeling that their connection was artificial and brought on by the Phoenix and this mind-link, not real- Korvus, of course, was beginning to fall in love with her. He and many of the X-Men formed a new Starjammers and went on to be freedom fighters in the Shi'ar Empire, appearing briefly in some of the
War of Kings stuff as side-characters. Korvus ends up on Earth, in the X-Men's "Utopia", but grows dissatisfied quickly and runs off with a Shi'ar ship in need of a captain. But he quickly ends up on the Starjammers again, where he sits to this day, last appearing in the short-lived
Cyclops book featuring a Teen Cyke on his father's team.
-Korvus is a big-time Sword Guy, being a little more powerful than he is accurate, but no slouch at either. Pretty simple all around, he's better off in Melee, but can still blast away at stuff in a pinch. The rest of him is just a really in-shape Shi'ar guy (I don't buy that they're THAT strong, but Korvus is especially big) who's good with machinery.