Frederick Slade
| Frederick Slade | |
|---|---|
|
A Young Frederick Slade as he appears in Apocalypse/Dracula #3 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #2 (May 2006) |
| Created by |
Frank Tieri Clayton Henry |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Frederick Slade |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Clan Akkaba |
| Notable aliases | Dr. Hartley |
| Abilities | Teleportation and molecular rearrangement |
Frederick Slade is a fictional character and mutant in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #2.
Fictional character biography
The Fittest
Frederick Slade was born the second child of Margaret Slade and an unknown father during the 18th Century. Being the second born and physically smaller of the two children, he was not given much thought by his mother or even his fellow clansmates. His mother spent most of her time and energy to mold his brother, Hamilton Slade. His family was the main branch of Clan Akkaba as they were blessed with a strong dose of Apocalypse's bloodline. His family was also blessed with great wealth, whether by way of privilege in the clan or great business strategy. They resided in what was called Alexandria House, which also served as the meeting place for their clan.
A quiet and reserved child, Frederick grew relatively unseen by his peers and mother. The only person that realized his great potential was Ozymandias. In Frederick, Ozymandias saw something he had never seen before. For centuries, he had watched as the members of the clan had deceived, betrayed, and even killed their own relations merely to be deemed closest to Apocalypse. Ozymandias saw Frederick possess qualities which he had rarely seen among the members of the clan, traits such as courage, fairness and compassion. Within Frederick, Ozymandias saw a new dawn for the clan; to ensure this, Ozymandias trained Frederick for the rites of passage which would make him leader of the Clan Akkaba, the fittest.
Frederick possessed the molecular rearrangement powers of his mother and a new mutation which Ozymandias thought he should keep secret until the battles which lay ahead, teleportation. He was also a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, honed by training under the centuries-old Ozymandias. All was going to plan until his older and larger brother Hamilton caught wind that his greatest opponent lie in his own house. Hamilton, despite having more advanced control of his molecular structure, was petty and lacked honor, so as Frederick slept the night before the rite of passage, Hamilton bashed his brother's head, giving him permanent brain damage by effectively lobotomizing him and reducing him to a perpetual catatonic state. This ensured that he would never be a threat again.[1]
The End of Clan Akkaba
Now in a vegetative state, Frederick watched as Hamilton took his place as fittest of the clan. He recognized his brother’s lust for power and often blasphemous outburst in regards to their lord Apocalypse. As a warning to those who would question his post or power, Hamilton had Frederick appointed to the Council, which was the inner circle or heads of Clan Akkaba. His mother betrayed little thought as to what had happened to him, as her pride and joy Hamilton ensured that she controlled Clan Akkaba. Time passed and no one gave even a passing thought to Frederick since he was a vegetable.[1]
Hamilton's decadence proved to be the Clan’s undoing as their members started being murdered in a mysterious manner. Their blood was drained and two strange puncture marks could be seen on each victim's neck. Things took a turn for the worse when Hamilton himself disappeared. The clan was left with no alternative but to call Apocalypse for assistance. This was a dangerous request, as Apocalypse would kill a random member as punishment for not being strong enough to deal with whatever threat they were facing. Frederick watched as Apocalypse was summoned and took his sacrifice. Their meeting, however, was short lived, as Professor Abraham Van Helsing and Jack Starsmore convinced Apocalypse to accompany them to the morgue to prove his suspicions that they were under attack from vampires.[2]
Left with his fellow clansmen, Frederick witnessed his brother’s return and the introduction of his new lord, Dracula. The clan was outraged but were no match for Hamilton and his dread lord. The clan was killed and turned, except for chairman Kabar Brashir, who was his main rival, and Frederick, who he thought would be a waste of time.[1]
When Apocalypse and the others returned, it was too late. The clan was no more; they were now Dracula’s new coven. Apocalypse thought Frederick a ‘simpleton’ and would have left him to die, but Ozymandias knew that within this boy the clan could live again. Disregarding his lord’s wishes, Ozymandias placed Frederick back in his wheelchair and protected him in the ensuing battle. When it was apparent that they could not defeat their opponents and death was upon them, Frederick whisked them away via his secret power of teleportation.
So the ‘simpleton’ had given Apocalypse the chance to fight another day. Ozymandias was not as surprised as the others that they were saved by Frederick and he explained to Van Helsing about the tragic life of Frederick Slade. In the battle that followed, Ozymandias placed Frederick out of harm's way while he, Van Helsing, and Apocalypse dealt with the undead Akkaba. When they had defeated and killed all of the clan, Alexandria house was burnt to the ground and Apocalypse decreed that this was where Clan Akkaba would die.
Frederick was then instrumental in tracking down Dracula and teleporting them to Transylvania. Ozymandias continued to protect him as Apocalypse called forth the Riders of the Dark to aid him in his battle. Frederick teleported Starsmore, Van Helsing, and Ozymandias directly into Dracula’s castle where they were almost killed by Hamilton, but the ‘simpleton’ surprised them all.
Apparently Frederick was not as ‘paralyzed’ as they thought; as Hamilton prepared to turn Starsmore into a vampire, Frederick grabbed him by the neck and teleported his head clean off his body, effectively killing him. Starsmore, shocked by the turn of events, thanked him for saving his life; the gentle Frederick responded with a smile.
With Clan Akkaba no more and Dracula defeated, Apocalypse went back into hibernation, Starsmore started a new life, Van Helsing departed for Canada, and Frederick and Ozymandias went about rebuilding the clan. In secret, Ozymandias had a Ms. Ferguson procreate with Frederick so that the clan would live on and serve as Ozymandias’s ‘ace in the hole’ and ultimate weapon of revenge against Apocalypse when the time came.[3]
New Clan Akkaba
Frederick was next seen after M-Day/Decimation, where most of the world's mutant population were stripped of their power. Apparently he had been keeping tabs on the bloodline of Jack Starsmore, which had given birth to Jonothan Starsmore, aka Chamber. Realizing that the last of the Starsmore line was at death's door, he took to visiting the lad who was under the watchful eye of Peter Wisdom. Frederick, now an old man, realized the interference that would occur if Chamber was left in the hospital, and therefore captured the boy and, with Ozymandias’s help, infused young Starsmore with a massive amount of Apocalypse’s blood.
He watched as the blood of Apocalypse rejuvenated the boy, as his once-decimated body contorted and remade itself in the image of Apocalypse. When Chamber had made a full recovery, he introduced the boy to the new Clan Akkaba, but Chamber refused to acknowledge them as his family and renounced Frederick, the clan and Apocalypse. Apocalypse willingly relinquished claims on Chamber and had him leave the new clan headquarters; no doubt they would keep an eye on the heir of Apocalypse. Apocalypse was not as he seemed, however; he was Ozymandias in disguise. It seemed that Frederick and his teacher had formulated a plan to take over Clan Akkaba for themselves. Frederick is last seen sharing a drink of Apocalypse’s blood with Ozymandias, having finally risen to the place of the ‘’’Fittest’’’.[4]
Powers and abilities
Frederick is a descendant of Apocalypse, and as such, possesses the powers normally ascribed to them. He has "limited molecular rearrangement" capabilities that manifest as a form of shape-shifting. His power also grants him an extensive healing factor and longevity. He uses this to transform his hands into various objects, but mostly bladed weapons.
He also possesses the power of teleportation, possibly as a mutant ability. Frederick can teleport himself and others at will; additionally, he can teleport large masses, including sizable groups of people. He can also teleport 'parts' of objects. He can open portals that displace projectiles and even enemies that threaten him. A trait he shares with his descendant Blink is that his teleportations are always accompanied by a "blink!" sound.
He has pink colored hair.