Cerebra's Files: Age of Apocalypse
Damask
Real Name: Unknown [Steed]
Affiliation: None
Previous Affiliations: Pale Riders
Alternate-X Versions: Black Queen (III/UK) (616)
Codename Etymology: Pronounced də'măsk [From Damaske "cloth from Damascus," the Syrian city, famous in medieval times for steel and silk, from Greek Damaskos, from Arabic Dimashq]; A fine silken fabric.
Powers & History: Damask creates psionic blades that peel somebody’s mind layer by layer. Apocalypse gave Damask the task of discovering the location of Avalon by following the X-Man Nightcrawler. To do this, her and her Pale Riders (consisting of Dead Man Wade and Danielle Moonstar) kept close watch over Nightcrawler from their ship. Trailing Nightcrawler was a long and uneventful journey for the Pale Riders and Danielle Moonstar began to annoy Damask by continuing to torture Dead Man Wade. Much to Wade’s surprise, Damask killed Danielle and the two continued on their mission.
When the two were finally led to Avalon, Damask was astonished that such a beautiful place could still exist in this harsh world. She thought that there was nothing in this world but death, so she accepted it. After seeing that there was still beauty and hope left in the world, Damask attempted to stop Dead Man Wade as he laid siege to Avalon. The Shadow King then revealed himself (having stowed away inside Dead Man Wade) and continued the destruction of Avalon. Damask used her mutant power to psionically peel one's brain in conjunction with the powers of Nightcrawler and Switchback to defeat the Shadow King and bring peace back to Avalon.
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