Summary
With mostMarvelComics stories centered around the Northeast or the Western Coast of the United States, the American South is an often overlooked source of characters and stories within the Marvel Universe. The geographical area is home to a richly diverse tapestry of cultures bound together by a common set of traditions and practices, andover the years, each state has contributed a memorable hero to Marvel canon.
Backyard barbecues, Saturday college football, and a multi-generational relationship with agriculture and wildlife have shaped Southern culture into a unique lifestyle dissimilar to the rest of the country.
While the Southern states have a historically awful past regarding diversity and acceptance of beliefs uncommon in the area, it serves all the better as a background for new heroes and stories that can better represent the better nature of the Southern people. Luckily, Marvel currently has a small selection of heroes from each of the 12 Southern United States.
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12Zombie (Simon Garth)
Home State: Alabama
Simon Garth was once a ruthless business executive who owned an extensive coffee company throughout the South. After firing his gardner, the ex-employee kidnapped Garth and had him stabbed to death in a “Voodoo” cult sacrifice. Somewhat fortunately, the cult’s head priestess was another of Garth’s employees and was in love with Simon. After his death,she revived him as a member of the walking dead.
Simply known as “the Zombie,” Garth was later recruited to join Phil Coulson’s monstrousversion of the Howling Commandosalongside other horror heroes such as Frankenstein’s Monster, N’Kantu the Living Mummy, and Man-Thing. As a zombie, Simon possesses the standard array of superperson abilities as well as a powerful healing factor and mystical sensations.
11Arkansas Razorback (Buford Hollis)
Home State: Arkansas
A mutant and professional trucker, Buford Hollis has the superpowered ability to drive or pilot any vehicle regardless of its make or design. Inspired by television broadcasts of Marvel’s classic costumed heroes, Hollis decided to don his own suit and become a hero himself. Despite his humble beginnings,Razorback truly shot for the stars after he helped fellow trucker Taryn O’Connell steal an experimental faster-than-lightspeed rocketto save her lost space trucking boyfriend.
Unbeknownst to him, She-Hulk had stowed away to stop him, but he eventuallyteamed up with She-Hulkto defeat the mind-altering alien known as Xemnu. After the day was saved, Buford decided to stay in space with Taryn and his newly named rocket-turned space-truck, “Big Pig 3.”Following his spacefaring adventure, Razorback and Taryn traveled the galaxy hauling loads and saving lives.
10Man-Thing (Ted Sallis)
Home State: Florida
While the man inside the Man-Thing, Ted Sallis, isn’t from Florida, the reborn amalgamated monster he became does. When Ted was exploring the Florida Everglades as part of his research into anti-biotoxins, he crashed his car and flew into an enchanted swamp. From the murky waters, an equal mixture of the scientist, his biotoxin vaccine, andthe multiversal magic hidden within the Everglades was birthed with the sole goal of protectingthe Nexus of All Realities.
When he transformed,Ted Sallis was broken down on a molecular level and his brain was unraveled and spread across Man-Thing’s physiology.Outside his ability to tamper with reality thanks to the Nexus, Man-Thing is most known for his intense empathic connection to the emotions of others, which easily influences the creature’s disposition.
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9U.S. Agent (John Walker)
Home State: Georgia
A well-known character thanks to theFalcon & Winter Soldierminiseries on Disney+, John Walker consistently struggles to find his sense of morality while under pressure to becomethe next Captain America. When he first served asthe temporary Captain America, Walker openly acted with his Christian far-right extremist beliefs, struggling to lead with empathy and compassion. Unlike Steve Rogers, John never had the chance to serve in the line of combat. He was hungry for power and the government gave it to him.
Despite his failures, Walker idolizes Steve Rogers, who helps challenge his olden hyper-conservative beliefs. While John still struggles to find his heroic footing, he has served as a valuable member of the Avengers and, on occasion, led the team of superheroes. Now, U.S. Agent primarilyoperates as a member of the Thunderbolts and a champion against political corruption.
8Cannonball, Icarus, Husk, and Aero (The Guthrie Siblings)
Home State: Kentucky
The Guthrie family is one of mutantkind’s most prolific lineages, having produced multiple mutants across their generational family tree. While it would seem obvious that families would produce multiple mutants, it’s actually an incredibly rare sight to see so many come from one home. The bloodline’s most famous mutants, Samuel, Joshua, Paige, and Melody have each gone on to serve as treasured members of the X-Men.
The family’s most popular of the quintet, Samuel aka Cannonball, has made quite a name for himself over the years. Part of the first class of New Mutants, and a founding member of the original X-Force,Cannonball has gone on to join the official X-Menand the Avengers. Following the finale ofHouse of M,each of the siblings regained their powers and served mutantkind’s development of the mutant-nation of Krakoa.
7Gambit (Remy LeBeau)
Home State: Louisiana
One of the X-Men’s most popular mutants, the wise-talking and devilishly charming Cajun superhero Gambit has slowly turned from a professional crook toa champion of Krakoathroughout the character’s 34 years of comic appearances.Gambit remains one of the X-Men’s most popular characters, especially after his appearance inDeadpool & Wolverine.The beguiling bandit, with his seductive Cajun cadence, has served as a critical member of the mutant team and a champion for Charles Xavier’s dream.
Remy took an extensive, yet momentary, dive into villainy after he was forcibly turned into Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death. Fortunately, thanks to the surprising efforts of Mister Sinister, Gambit was freed of Apocalypse’s influence and rebuilt his relationship with the X-Men and his long-time girlfriend, and now wife, Rogue. Luckily for fans of the mutant card-thrower, Gambit has officially returned afterthe X-Men’s recent rebootin the newUncanny X-Menseries.
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6Rogue (Anna Marie)
Home State: Mississippi
Another fan-favorite X-Man,Rogue is a charming southern belle with the horrific uncontrollable ability to absorb the energy of any person she physically touches.After the tragic disappearance of her mother, Rogue was raised by her strict and prudish aunt who heavily rejected the hippie lifestyle Rogue’s parents embraced. Rogue eventually ran away but was found and adopted by Mystique and her wife Destiny. Anna Marie, alongside her adoptive parents, served the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants before being welcomed into the X-Men.
Unlike what her movie counterpart depicted, Rogue’s mutant abilities are far more evolved than anything she was naturally capable of before. When the villain-turned-hero first debuted, she possessed the powers and abilities of Captain Marvel after accidentally having taken them from Carol. Since then, Anna Marie has maintained her slice of cosmic power and remains another of the X-Men’s fiercest soldiers. After theFall of X, Rogue, alongside Gambit and Wolverine, has gone underground and is attempting to build a new school for gifted youngsters.
5North Carolina Butterball (Emery Schaub)
Home State: North Carolina
After his mutant abilities developed, which granted him complete invulnerability and stripped him of physical sensation, Emery Schaub was drafted intothe 50-State Initiativefollowing the events of theCivil War.Despite his perfect invulnerability and immortality, Butterball consistently struggles to build any of the physical and practical skills needed to make an Avenger. The name “Butterball” was originally a bullying taunt by Taskmaster, who looked down on Emery’s fan-boyish behavior and large physique.
While Butterball hasn’t quite risen to heroic status, he still passionately dedicates himself to becoming the best hero he can be.Regardless of his current team, Butterball’s greatest talent is being a supportive teammate. Currently, Emery is a member of the Young Avengers but it’s unsure whether he survived theFall of X.
4Matthew Malloy (Earth-14923)
Home State: South Carolina
Sorry South Carolina, but y’all ain’t got nothing; at least, that is in the mainstream Earth-616 continuity. In his reality, Matthew Malloy was an Omega Level mutant, and was considered by Charles Xavier to be the most powerful mutant he had ever seen. Malloy’s powers are fairly similar to Jean Grey’s but on an exponentially larger scale. Among his god-like powers,Matthew is capable of reality manipulation, teleportation, self-resurrection, and telepathy.
Unfortunately, his freshly manifested powers were too much for Matthew to control, leading Xavier to travel back in time and stop Matthew’s parents from having met. Hopefully, however, Earth-616 might have its own Matthew Malloy, who could still very well make an appearancethanks to Marvel’s Multiverse.
3Illuminator (Andrew Prentiss)
Home State: Tennessee
The Illuminator is anincredibly obscure Marvel character, one that only appeared in a three-issue miniseries in 1993. While away at summer camp,Prentiss was struck by a mystical light, which granted him the ability to fly and illuminate.Believing his powers are alien in nature, he learns that they are instead a gift from the Christian god and that he must maintain a strong Christian faith to maintain them.
Considering the character was the product of a very brief partnership between Marvel Comics and a Christian-oriented publishing company based in Tennessee, the Illuminator, ironically, will most likely never see the light of day again. Still, Illuminator stands out as the most prominent character to hail from the state.
