Cerebra's Files

Abyss

Real Name: Nils Styger
Affiliation: X-Corps
Previous Affiliations: Mutant Underground
Relatives: Azazel (father), Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler, half-brother), numerous other siblings, Creed-Darkholme Family Trees
Alternate-X Versions: (AOA)
Codename Etymology: Pronounced ə-bĭs' [From Greek abussos, "bottomless": a-, "without" + bussos, "bottom"]; An immeasurable void.
Powers & History: Originally a Genoshan mutate, Nils can unravel his body into grasping tendrils and pull enemies inside the void in his body. It's possible that the void is a pocket dimension, but that hasn't been established yet. The effects are disconcerting, to say the least.

Nils was brought to the States by Dr. Renee Majcoomb, in part because he was infected with the Legacy Virus. He functioned as her lab assistant and bodyguard. During Operation: Zero Tolerance, Cable tracked Majcoomb down and met Abyss. Together they fought off Bastion's goons and got Majcoomb to safety.

Months later, following the release of the Legacy cure, the now-healthy Abyss was caught in a fight with Fever Pitch in Europe. The X-Corps intervened and captured both mutants. Abyss was supposed to go into field work for the X-Corps, but they could not fully analyze his mutation, so he remained trapped in a forcefield bubble in X-Corps HQ. Unfortunately, his incarceration meant he was forecd to witness the brutal murder of Sunpyre, the technician who was working on his analysis.

When Mystique revealed herself and sabotaged the X-Corps, Nils was somehow freed from his forcefield. Finding the center of the action, he confronted Mystique and sucked her into his body's "abyss." Thankfully, he was able to close himself down before taking anyone else (including the crippled Banshee with her.

Abyss disappeared for a while, until a strange summons from Azazel caused him to travel to Florida, where he was picked up by Nightcrawler, also under a similar influence. Abyss joined a bunch of other teleporting mutants in creating a portal on Isla des Demonas to Azazel's dimension. Azazel planned to invade Earth, but the X-Men intervened and Abyss was taken to Azazel's dimension with them. There he tried to use his power but instead of sucking things in, he spewed out everything he had ever swallowed - including Mystique. Azazel tried to convince Nils and Kurt to help him return to Earth, but before all could be explained, Abyss's stomach was opened from Earth by Polaris's electromagnetic manipulation!
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