Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Quicksilver

Gallery

Real Name

Pietro Maximoff

Current Alias

Quicksilver

Aliases

Gypsy Davey^[1], Magnusson, Pietro Frank

Identity

Public

Alignment

Good

Affiliation

Avengers, unofficial member of the Royal Family of the Inhumans, Knights of Wundagore, (former) Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, X-Factor

Relatives

Magnus (Magneto, father), Magda (mother, deceased), Anya (sister, deceased), Wanda (Scarlet Witch, sister), Lorna Dane (Polaris, half-sister), Django Maximoff (adoptive father), Marya Maximoff (adoptive mother, deceased), Crystal (wife), Luna (daughter), Wiccan and Speed (twin nephews), Medusa (sister-in-law), Black Bolt, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Maximus (cousins-in-law), Vision (former brother-in-law)

Universe

Earth-616

Base Of Operations

Currently a castle on the Hudson River in upstate New York that is owned by the High Evolutionary; (former) Transia; Avengers Mansion, Manhattan, New York; Avengers Compound, Palos Verdes, California; X-Factor headquarters, Washington DC

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Height

6' 0"

Weight

175 lbs (80 kg)

Eyes

Blue

Hair

White

Unusual Features

Chest is riddled with terrigen shards

Status

Citizenship

Transian

Marital Status

Divorced

Occupation

Adventurer; former Terrorist, officer of the Inhumans militia, United States government operative

Origin

Origin

Mutant

Place of Birth

Wundagore Mountain, Transia (in Eastern Europe)

Creators

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

First appearance

Last appearance

Uncanny X-Men #4

X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead #1

History

Pietro Maximoff was the son of the mutant called Magneto and the gypsy named Magda. Just prior to Pietro's birth, Magda fled from Magneto, terrified of the bizarre powers he suddenly manifested and his intentions of world domination. Seeking refuge in the scientific citadel of Wundagore in the Balkan Mountains of the tiny European nation of Transia, Magda was taken in by Bova, a humanoid cow evolved by the genetic engineer called the High Evolutionary. Magda gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, with Bova as her midwife, and named them Wanda and Pietro. Still afraid that her husband might find her and learn of the children, Magda left Bova a note explaining her fears and walked into the frozen mountain wilderness to perish.

Feeling that it was not right to raise two seemingly normal babies amid the evolved animal-men of Wundagore, Bova was relieved when, several nights later, an American couple, Robert and Madeline Frank, also came to Wundagore seeking assistance. The Franks were former super heroes active during World War II known as the Whizzer and Miss America; Madeline was now pregnant and about to give birth. Bova intended to give the couple the days-old twins to raise along with their own newborn. Unfortunately, the couple's child was stillborn and Madeline died from complications in giving birth. Bova presented Robert Frank with the twins, claiming they were his own natural children, in the hope that it would assuage his grief. Instead, Frank fled from Wundagore upon hearing of his wife's death, nearly insane with grief. (Years later, the children would come to believe for a time that Frank was their natural father.)

Bova then presented the twins to her master, the High Evolutionary, who agreed to find foster human parents for them. He chose Django and Marya Maximoff, a gypsy couple camped nearby who had lost their own twin children, Ana and Mateo, during World War II. The Maximoffs accepted the strange gifts from the High Evolutionary and cared for the children as if they were their own. (Years later, the aging Django would mistakenly believe that Wanda and Pietro were his natural children Ana and Mateo.)

As adolescents, Wanda and Pietro discovered that they had unusual superhuman abilities. When Django began to steal food to feed his starving family, enraged villagers attacked the gypsy camp. Using his phenomenal speed, Pietro fled from the camp with his sister. The circumstances of their separation from their family were so traumatic that not until well into adulthood could they remember anything but the barest details of their childhood. For the next few years Wanda and Pietro wandered central Europe, living off the land.

One day, Wanda accidentally caused a house to burst into flame through her hex powers, which she could not yet control. Superstitious townspeople began chasing her, thinking she was a witch. Despite Pietro's attempt to defend her, they were soon overpowered and were about to become victims of mob violence when Magneto came to their rescue. Unaware that he was their natural father, Magneto pressed them into service in his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, costumed them, and named them the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. For months they served Magneto out of a sense of obligation and fear of his reprisal. As members of the Brotherhood, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch aided Magneto in his terrorist campaigns against humanity and helped him combat the original members of the X-Men. Magneto did not realize Wanda and Pietro were his children, nor did they know he was their father.

When Magneto was defeated by the overwhelming powers of the alien Stranger, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch quit the Brotherhood; the Stranger transported Magneto away from Earth, and the Maximoff twins returned to Transia.

Pietro and Wanda sought refuge from The Avengers, a world-renowned team of super heroes. They were inducted along with Hawkeye to take the place of the charter members, who wished to take a leave of absence. This foursome was nicknamed "Cap's Kooky Quartet." At first it was looked upon as less capable than the previous roster, but defeating Kang the Conqueror, Doctor Doom, and other threats quickly proved their worth. Although the hot-tempered Quicksilver and Hawkeye often both rebelled against his orders, Avengers leader Captain America molded them into valuable team members.

Humanity's suspicion of mutants still rankled Quicksilver, and he briefly rejoined Magneto after the latter returned to Earth, compelling his sister to come with him. Months after the X-Men and Avengers defeated Magneto, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch resumed their membership in the Avengers.

Seriously injured during the Avengers' battle against the Sentinels, Quicksilver was taken to medical care by Crystal, a member of the royal family of the hidden race of Inhumans. Months passed before Quicksilver was well enough to contact his companions to tell them what had happened to him. During that time Quicksilver became romantically involved with Crystal, and the two married after a brief courtship. The wedding, held in the Inhumans' refuge of Attilan, then located in the Himalayan Mountains, was attended by the Inhumans, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four.

Not long after the birth of his and Crystal's first child, Luna, Quicksilver learned the truth about his parentage. Magneto had stumbled upon Bova and learned from her that Magda and Pietro were his children.

Confronting Quicksilver and his sister in Attilan with this revelation, Magneto apparently hoped to sway his children to rejoin his crusade against humanity. But Quicksilver denounced Magneto for his callous treatment of them when they were members of his Brotherhood, and refused to believe he had changed his ways.

A man of action, Quicksilver volunteered his services to the head of the Inhumans' small militia and became an officer. During the period of his service, however, the Inhumans had no call for military activity.

Quicksilver's neglect of his wife led Crystal to become involved with another man. Learning of her infidelity, Quicksilver refused to forgive her and fled Attilan, vowing vengeance on her and all those he perceived as having wronged him. Unknown to anyone, however, Crystal's malevolent cousin Maximus was manipulating Quicksilver's mind, fanning Quicksilver's anger at Crystal into a rage directed against his former colleagues in the Avengers. Quicksilver framed the Avengers for treason, thereby turning the federal government against them until they cleared their names. Quicksilver also led the members of the android version of the criminal organization Zodiac against the Avengers, fought the Fantastic Four, and joined forces with various Soviet-era Communist operatives against the Avengers' West Coast division.

Eventually Maximus' control over Quicksilver's mind lapsed and Pietro ended his criminal ways. The Inhumans' monarch Black Bolt commanded that the reluctant Quicksilver reconcile with Crystal. Their initial attempts failed. Quicksilver unofficially joined the Avengers' West Coast branch for a time. Eventually Crystal took Luna to Earth and joined the Avengers, and Quicksilver shortly afterwards became a special operative of the United States government as part of its new, Havok-led version of X-Factor.

Quicksilver and Crystal again attempted a reconciliation, and this time they were successful. Quicksilver left X-Factor and again became affiliated with his wife's team, the Avengers. However, their happiness was short-lived, because Crystal seemingly perished in the Avengers' battle against Onslaught. In actuality she, along with many other members of the Avengers, had been transported to an alternate reality. During her absence, the High Evolutionary asked Quicksilver to become the leader of a small band of his Knights of Wundagore, animals that the geneticist had endowed with human intelligence and humanoid forms. Quicksilver accepted and for a time led the Knights in battles against injustice. Quicksilver and Crystal were happily reunited after she and the other missing Avengers finally returned to their native Earth.

During the events of House Of M after Layla Miller had used her powers to make numerous heroes see that the reality was false they all believe that it was Magneto's doing. Upon arriving at Genosha they found out that it was Quicksilver who persuaded the Scarlet Witch into changing the reality. Magneto killed Pietro in a rage after discovering what his son had done in his name. Wanda subsequently revived her brother, and out of spite reduced the world's powered mutant population to a mere fraction of its former size.

Quicksilver is one of the mutants who have lost their powers. As a result, Pietro fell into a deep depression over his loss of powers and betrayal of mutantkind.

When an angry Spider-Man confronted Quicksilver (angry with the fact that he still has memories of being married to Gwen Stacy and having a child together from the House of M reality), Quicksilver jumped off a roof, seriously injuring himself and possibly breaking his spine. Crystal, whom Quicksilver had tried to contact earlier, teleported in to find her ex-husband lying hurt, and attacked Spider-Man, until Quicksilver told her that he had jumped off the roof. Crystal teleported him to the Inhumans for medical attention, believing he had become suicidal upon the loss of his powers and unaware of his true connection to the events.

After treatment by an Inhuman healer, Quicksilver woke up and was reunited with his daughter Luna. Deciding that he can not stand life as a human, Pietro asked Black Bolt for permission to undergo Terrigenesis. Quicksilver's request was denied since he is of human blood, and Terrigenesis is reserved only for those of pure Inhuman stock to decrease the chance of a detrimental mutation.

Luna introduced Quicksilver to a "communicator" who tells Pietro much about the process of Terrigenesis, leading to Quicksilver breaking into the sacred Terrigen Caves and knocking out a guard so he could dive into the misty waters inside. Quicksilver returned to his room, thinking that the exposure had no effect on him, only to be greeted by an older looking Quicksilver.

The older Quicksilver explained the nature of his new powers, and of the plan that has come to pass. Quicksilver began working with his older selves to set forward a plan to take the Terrigen Crystals back to Earth and restore the mutant population. He set about gaining Luna's loyalties, and promises to bring her to Earth with him, as well as learn of Lockjaw's loyalties to Luna. Eventually, Quicksilver managed to get a container full of Terrigen Crystals to the past, and used Lockjaw to take him and Luna back to his apartment in New York.

Luna instructed Lockjaw not to let Crystal find them before he heads back to the Inhumans. Quicksilver explains the basis of his plan concerning the Terrigen Crystals, and told her he was going to give back her birthright and exposed her to his Terrigen Mist, giving her the ability to "see" souls and emotions. After gaining some funds by jumping to the future and using winning lottery numbers, he then traveled to Genosha and convinced Callisto to sample some of the Terrigen Mist herself, which promptly restored her heightened senses to the ultimate degree. Quicksilver told Callisto to gather up the remaining depowered mutants so that he could restore their powers. Callisto went to find other depowered mutants, and it began to rain, which caused her intense pain, as each rain drop felt like a hot burning needle. Each sense was amped to levels not able for her to withstand, such as feeling her fingernails grow or listening to millions of insects underneath the ground. However, Magneto came across her, and confronted her about who had done this to her, and he was told that it was his son's doing.

Nevertheless Quicksilver continued his "mission", repowering the rest of Genosha's mutants. Confronted by Magneto, who verbally assaulted him showing to the other mutants the unconscious Callisto as a proof (in fact her growing pain has sent her in a comatose state). In retaliation Quicksilver used his newfound power to pummel Magneto with the aid of two "temporal dupes", and only the sight of his crying daughter stopped him from killing his own father, blaming him for having never acknowledging his presence and his love for him.

After a brief encounter with the Inhumans, U.S. government agents shot Quicksilver with a tranquilizer dart in an attempt to immobilize him. What they really sought, however, was the tank of Terrigen Mist. In an attempt to save his daughter, Pietro ordered Lockjaw to teleport her away from Genosha. This proved a fortuitous move. Despite a warning by the Inhumans to return the tank, the agents attempted to escape with their newly acquired cargo. Left to deal with situation on his own, Black Bolt whispered the word "war," preventing the agents from escaping and causing massive destruction to the surrounding area. As a result, this action was taken as a sign of open conflict between the Inhumans and the U.S. government. After escaping from the battle on Genosha, Quicksilver bathed himself in the Terrigen Mists for what seemed to be weeks on end, going so far as to absorb the crystals into his own body. He used the Terrigen Crystals to travel farther into the future than ever before, and upon his return spoke of a monstrous disaster yet to come. Learning he gained the power to restore the super-human abilities of former mutants, Pietro "cured" a man on the street who turned out to be the villain known as Reaper. As he walked away, Quicksilver appeared more mentally unstable than ever before as he chose to accept the destruction that lay ahead.

Pieto was later repowered and rediscovered his desire to be a hero when he saved a woman from falling to her death from a building.^[2]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Quicksilver

Current Powers

Speed Physiology: Quicksilver's body is adapted towards the rigors of high-speed running. His cardiovascular and respiratory systems are many times more efficient than those of a normal human being. He metabolizes an estimated 95% of the caloric energy content of foodstuffs (normal human use is about 25%). The chemical processes of Quicksilver's musculature are so highly enhanced that his body does not generate fatigue poisons, the normal by-products of locomotion, which force the body to rest. Rather, his body constantly expels waste products during his accelerated respiration through exhalation. His joints are smoother and lubricated more efficiently than those of a normal human being. His tendons have the tensile strength of spring steel. His bones contain unknown materials significantly more durable than calcium to withstand the dynamic shocks of his feet touching the ground at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Quicksilver's practical reaction time is about five times faster than a normal human's and the speed at which his brain processes information is heightened to a level commensurate with his bodily speed, enabling him to perceive his surroundings while traveling at high velocities. Quicksilver's lachrymose is more viscous than normal, thus preventing rapid evaporation and replenishment of surface fluids on his eyeballs under the influence of high wind velocity to occlude his vision.

Superhuman Speed: Quicksilver was originally capable of running far past the speed of sound (770 miles per hour). He has sufficient energy reserves to enable him to run at this average speed for an unknown ammount of hours, whereupon he must reduce his speed, replenish his body's store of energy, or do both.

Quicksilver has used his powers of acceleration for various feats. He has plucked an arrow out of the air from a standing start, after the arrow left the bow and traveled a distance of about 20 feet. He has dodged machine gun fire, but presumably he was able to see the path of the bullets change as his assailant was attempting to track him with a burst. He has created cyclone-like gusts of wind, which are able to knock a man off his feet, by racing around in a ten-foot diameter circle. With a 500-foot approach to gain momentum, Quicksilver can run approximately 300 feet up the side of a surface with a 90-degree inclination (such as a building) before gravity overtakes him. With a 100-foot approach to gain momentum, he can run across a body of water for approximately 1000 feet before beginning to sink.

• Precognitive Immunity: Perhaps due to his close relation to the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver is invisible to Layla Miller's precognition.

Former Powers

• Isotope E Exposure This substance increased Quicksilver's speed to supersonic levels. He was able to run across the Atlantic Ocean during this augmentation. He was able to run up the sides of buildings, effortlessly. He also seemed able to use some type of energy, comparing it to "his father's power."

Pre-molecular Chronokinesis: Pietro now has the power to vibrate his atoms so quickly he travels forward in time. His molecular speed that he generates displaces him out of the mainstream time/space so that he is able to propel himself into the future. He can leap from an hour to up to twelve days, and remain for several minutes to several hours before being recalled to his present time once his body tires, or he can return at will before his time is up. As he returns from his trip, he returns the exact moment he left so as to appear that he has been gone for half a nanosecond. He is able to bring inorganic objects from the future back to his correct time, although it has yet been shown what would happen if he attempted to bring organic objects with him. These new powers are having an affect on his physical health. Each time he meets up with his future self (if indeed the person he meets is his future self), the future self looks more and more haggard.

• Temporal Duplication: By leaping only mere seconds in time, he learned to create an indefinite number of "temporal dupes" that could be controlled with a certain amount of coordination.

After spending weeks in the presence of the stolen Terrigen crystals, relying solely upon them for sustenance, Pietro transformed even further. He is now able to make greater leaps into the future. Moreover, Terrigen crystal formations started to grow out of his body.

Terrigenesis: Quicksilver is able to apply superhuman templates to others. He focuses on giving such templates to other mutants depowered by the Scarlet Witch. The process seems to be temporary and somewhat unstable.

• X-Gene Feedback: If Quicksilver uses his Terrigenesis on a Mutant whom kept their powers after M-Day, it causes their body to go into shock. The long-term effects (on both Quicksilver and the victim) of this ability are yet to be seen. He first used it to incapacitate Guido of the Mutant Town detective agency X-Factor.
  

Abilities

Pietro is intellectually gifted, able to think at great speeds, contrary to his impulsiveness.

Strength level

Quicksilver possesses superhuman strength primarily in his lower body as part of his body's adaptations for running. With his upper body he can lift (press) approximately Strength_Scale#Peak_Human1000 pounds. He can leg press approximately one ton under optimal conditions.

Weaknesses

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

• No special notes.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Appearances of Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Quotations by Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Images that include Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)

Discover and Discuss

• Search News for: Quicksilver · Pietro Maximoff · Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Search Forums for: Quicksilver · Pietro Maximoff · Pietro Maximoff (Earth-616)
• Discuss this and other characters on the forums

Links and References

• Marvel Directory